Abstract: When a hydraulic pressure generation source begins to generate hydraulic pressure, the present invention measures the hydraulic pressure in an oil supply line connected to a hydraulic actuator, and sets a viscosity index value indicating an oil viscosity in accordance with the pace at which the measured hydraulic pressure rises. The viscosity index value is calculated and set so that the slower the pace at which the measured hydraulic pressure rises, the higher the viscosity indicated by the viscosity index value.

Abstract: An internal-combustion engine of the invention includes a catalyst which has an oxidizing ability and is provided in an exhaust passage, wherein an air/fuel ratio of an air/fuel mixture is controlled so that the air/fuel ratio leaner than a theoretical air/fuel ratio and the air/fuel ratio richer than the theoretical air/fuel ratio are alternated with a predetermined amplitude with respect to a target air/fuel ratio. On the assumption that the temperature of the catalyst is referred to as a catalyst temperature, an amplitude set according to the catalyst temperature is adopted as the predetermined amplitude, and the amplitude set when the catalyst temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature is smaller than the amplitude set when the catalyst temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature.

Abstract: The fuel injection apparatus includes: a fuel injector having a leading end that has an internal space in which fuel is accumulated and has a fuel injection port; and an adsorbent, capable of selectively adsorbing an alcohol component in a blended fuel of gasoline and alcohol, disposed in the internal space. The fuel injection apparatus controls an injection amount from the fuel injector such that an air-fuel ratio is a controlled target air-fuel ratio based on an alcohol concentration of a blended fuel supplied to the fuel injector. In this fuel injection apparatus, a fuel pressure is brought to a predetermined high fuel pressure during cold starting of the internal combustion engine. At this time, an adsorbed amount of alcohol on the adsorbent is estimated and any deviation in the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is corrected based on the adsorbed amount of alcohol.

Abstract: A first overlap amount that is an overlap amount of overlap between an intake valve opening timing and an exhaust valve opening timing, is calculated based on rotation speed of an internal combustion engine, load on the engine, and temperature of a working fluid. A second overlap amount that is the overlap amount that is set so that the relative rotation phase of at least one of the intake-side camshaft and the exhaust-side camshaft relative to the rotation phase of the crankshaft is fixed when the engine stops, is calculated based on the temperature of the working fluid. The overlap amount is set to equal to the second overlap amount, if the first overlap amount is larger than the second overlap amount. The overlap amount is set to equal to the first overlap amount, if the first overlap amount is less than or equal to the second overlap amount.

Abstract: The electricity is suppressed from flowing through a case of an electric heating catalyst. The electric heating catalyst comprises a heat generating element which generates heat by applying electricity; a case which accommodates the heat generating element; a mat which is provided between the heat generating element and the case and which insulates the electricity; and an inner tube which is provided on an inner side as compared with the case and on an outer side as compared with the heat generating element and which is supported by the mat while dividing the mat into a part disposed on a case side and a part disposed on a heat generating element side; wherein distances between the inner tube and the case are provided such that the distance is required to support the inner tube at a portion at which the mat exists, and the distance is required to avoid occurrence of any electric discharge between the inner tube and the case at a portion at which the inner tube protrudes from the mat.

Abstract: The present invention has for its subject to avoid a situation that condensed water stays around electrode terminals, in an electric heating type exhaust gas purification apparatus which is arranged in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A vehicle control device applied to a vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electrically heated catalyst which is warmed by applying a current, and includes a catalyst carrier supporting a catalyst and a carrier retention unit that retains the catalyst carrier and has an electrical insulation property. The control unit performs a control of suppressing a supply of an unburned gas from the internal combustion engine to the electrically heated catalyst so that the carrier retention unit is maintained at a lower temperature than the catalyst, when a condition for performing a fuel cut of the internal combustion engine during a deceleration is satisfied. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a rapid cooling of the catalyst, and it becomes possible to maintain a temperature of the carrier retention unit at a lower temperature than a temperature of the catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to suppress a decrease in insulation resistance between electrodes and a case in an electric heating catalyst (EHC). An EHC (1) according to the present invention is provided with a heat generation element (3) that is energized to generate heat thereby to heat a catalyst, a case (4) that receives the heat generation element therein, an insulating member (5) that is arranged between the heat generation element (3) and the case (4) for insulating electricity, electrodes (7) that are connected to the heat generation element (3) through an electrode chamber (9) which is a space located between an inner wall surface of the case (4) and an outer peripheral surface of the heat generation element (3), and a ventilation passage (10) that ventilates the electrode chamber.

Abstract: The air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas supplied to a catalyst is alternately and actively switched between a rich state value and a lean state value. In conjunction with the performance of this active air-fuel ratio control, the oxygen storage capacity of the catalyst is measured. Whether the catalyst is normal or abnormal is determined by comparing the measured value of the oxygen storage capacity with a predetermined determination value. The temperature of the catalyst is acquired, and the determination value is set based on the acquired catalyst temperature. The determination value is set so as to decreases with increasing catalyst temperature when the catalyst temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A spark ignition type internal combustion engine of the present invention comprises a variable closing timing mechanism able to change a closing timing of an intake valve after intake bottom dead center and an EGR mechanism making a part of the exhaust gas flow again into a combustion chamber as EGR gas. The EGR mechanism is controlled so that the amount of EGR gas is reduced when the closing timing of the intake valve is at a retarded side, compared with when it is at an advanced side. Due to this, occurrence of variation among cylinders in the air-fuel ratio and intake resistance along with blowback of intake gas can be suppressed.

Abstract: A spark ignition type internal combustion engine of the present invention is provided with a variable closing timing mechanism which can change a closing timing of an intake valve after suction bottom dead center wherein the amount of intake air fed into a combustion chamber is controlled mainly by changing the closing timing of the intake valve. At the time of engine cold start, the closing timing of the intake valve is advanced compared with the time of engine warm operation. At the time of engine cold start, the air-fuel mixture which is taken into a combustion chamber is blown back into the engine intake passage whereby the air-fuel ratio varies among cylinders, but according to the spark ignition type internal combustion engine of the present invention, it is possible to suppress such variation in the air-fuel ratio among cylinders.

Abstract: At a time of start of an internal combustion engine, vaporization or atomization of a fuel for initial explosion is promoted, and thereby, discharge of HC can be restrained. The internal combustion engine includes a fuel injection valve which injects a fuel into an intake port, and an exhaust valve which can be stopped in a closed state for each cylinder. When the cylinder before initial explosion is in an exhaust stroke, the exhaust valve of the cylinder is stopped in a closed state. Subsequently, the fuel injection valve of the cylinder in which the exhaust valve is stopped in the closed state in the exhaust stroke is caused to inject the fuel for initial explosion so that an injection time is before opening timing of an intake valve or coincides with the opening timing.

Abstract: A controller for the hybrid system includes: an alcohol concentration detector that detects alcohol concentration of fuel; a demanded coolant temperature setting device that sets a demanded coolant temperature higher as the alcohol concentration increases; an internal combustion engine stopped state determination device that determines whether an internal combustion engine is stopped; an external electric power source connection determination device that determines whether a storage battery is connected to an external electric power source; and a coolant pre-heating device that supplies electric power to a coolant heater until coolant temperature of the coolant reaches the demanded coolant temperature if the internal combustion engine is in the stopped state and the storage battery is connected to the external electric power source.

Abstract: The present invention is an operation control method on the basis of an ion current in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising a step of detecting the ion current generated within a combustion chamber 30 so as to control an operating state of the internal combustion engine 100 on the basis of a state of the detected ion current, wherein a control at an engine start point in time on the basis of the state of the ion current is stopped for predetermined cycles just after the engine start.

Abstract: A fuel injection control device performs fuel injection only once corresponding to an over-rich air/fuel ratio immediately after the end of F/C as rich air/fuel ratio control after F/C. Such fuel injection is performed with a fuel amount which is the sum of a fuel amount corresponding to a shallow rich air/fuel ratio AFrich and a predetermined increment. Immediately after this operation, fuel injection is performed with a fuel amount corresponding to the shallow rich air/fuel ratio AFrich. This adjusts the air/fuel ratio of the engine to the over-rich air/fuel ratio for an extremely short period of time immediately after the end of F/C, following which the air/fuel ratio is immediately switched to the shallow rich air/fuel ratio AFrich.

Abstract: Disclosed is a spark ignition type internal combustion engine, which comprises a variable compression ratio mechanism capable of changing a mechanical compression ratio, and a variable valve timing mechanism capable of controlling the closing timing of an intake valve. The intake air flow to be fed to the inside of a combustion chamber is controlled mainly by changing the closing timing of an intake valve so that the mechanical compression ratio is set higher at an engine low-load miming time than that at an engine high-load running time. The mechanical compression ratio at the engine low-load running time before completion of the warm-up of the internal combustion engine is set lower than that at the engine low-load running time after completion of the warm-up of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: When a hydraulic pressure generation source begins to generate hydraulic pressure, the present invention measures the hydraulic pressure in an oil supply line connected to a hydraulic actuator, and sets a viscosity index value indicating an oil viscosity in accordance with the pace at which the measured hydraulic pressure rises. The viscosity index value is calculated and set so that the slower the pace at which the measured hydraulic pressure rises, the higher the viscosity indicated by the viscosity index value.

Abstract: An exhaust valve early-closure control brings about blowback of exhaust gas into an intake system. However, if the exhaust valve early-closure control is executed, for example, during a first idle operation immediately following the startup of the engine, or the like, the amount of blowback exhaust gas becomes excessively large. Therefore, when the post-startup increase amount has decreased to or below a lower-limit criterion value, the ECU prohibits the exhaust valve early-closure control, and changes the control to a usual valve timing control. As a result, during a period during which the combustion state has a stability margin and the amount of emission of HCs and the like is large, the exhaust emission quality can be bettered by the exhaust valve early-closure control. Besides, when the post-startup increase amount has decreased, the combustion state can be stabilized by prohibiting the exhaust valve early-closure control.

Abstract: An exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine is provided with an upstream side three-way catalyst capable of purifying exhaust gas and a particulate filter (PM filter) for trapping particulate matter PM contained in exhaust gas. Catalyst warm-up control is exercised for the purpose of warming up mainly the upstream side three-way catalyst at cold start. Filter regeneration control for removing the particulate matter PM accumulating on the particulate filter from the filter is exercised at the cold start after the catalyst warm-up control is exercised.

Abstract: A first overlap amount that is an overlap amount of overlap between an intake valve opening timing and an exhaust valve opening timing, is calculated based on rotation speed of an internal combustion engine, load on the engine, and temperature of a working fluid. A second overlap amount that is the overlap amount that is set so that the relative rotation phase of at least one of the intake-side camshaft and the exhaust-side camshaft relative to the rotation phase of the crankshaft is fixed when the engine stops, is calculated based on the temperature of the working fluid. The overlap amount is set to equal to the second overlap amount, if the first overlap amount is larger than the second overlap amount. The overlap amount is set to equal to the first overlap amount, if the first overlap amount is less than or equal to the second overlap amount.