Abstract: An estimation method to determine the concentration of recirculated exhaust gas present in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine; the concentrations of recirculated exhaust gas in a gas mixture flowing through an intake duct are periodically stored in a buffer; a first instant is determined, in which a programming of a following combustion in the cylinder is carried out; an advance time is determined, which elapses between the first instant and a second instant in the future, in which air will be taken into the cylinder for the following combustion in the cylinder; a transport time is determined; a third instant in the past is determined by subtracting from the first instant an amount of time which is equal to the difference between the transport time and the advance time; and the concentration of recirculated exhaust gas present in the cylinder in the second instant is estimated depending on a concentration of recirculated exhaust gas contained in the buffer (30) and corresponding to the third instant.

Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid drive system for a road vehicle provided with at least a pair of drive wheels; the hybrid drive system comprises: an internal combustion heat engine, which is designed to transmit the motion to the drive wheels and is provided with a turbocharger equipped with a turbine; a first electric machine, which is able to transmit the motion to the drive wheels; and a second electric machine, which is mechanically connected to the turbine of the turbocharger. In a possible operating mode, the internal combustion heat engine is controlled to pursue a target torque by completely opening a throttle valve, operating the second electric machine as an electric generator and the first electric machine as a motor, and varying the electric power generated by the second electric machine so as to adjust the flow rate of fresh air fed to the cylinder of the internal combustion heat engine.

Abstract: A method to control the wastegate valve wastegate in a turbocharged internal combustion engine suited to allow air to directly flow from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold; the method providing for determining a control law which provides an objective opening of an actuator controlling the wastegate valve as a function of a contribution in the absence of air flow directly from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold and a contribution as a function of the quantity of air directly flowing from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold.

Abstract: A method for controlling an internal-combustion engine comprises steps of: determining a current value of a driving torque requested to the internal-combustion engine and a first time derivative of the current value of the driving torque; comparing the current value of the driving torque and first time derivative with first and second threshold values, respectively; determining a “sport driving” condition only if the current value of the driving torque is higher than the first threshold value and the first time derivative is higher than the second threshold value; and controlling the internal-combustion engine as a function of the “sport driving” condition.

Abstract: A method for controlling an internal combustion engine comprising a number of cylinders and wherein the air mass trapped in each cylinder is adjusted by means of a respective intake valve by means of an actuation device with variable opening law; the method includes determining the required total target torque to be delivered; determining a number of active cylinders and a number of inactive cylinders; determining the angle for controlling the intake valve of the number of active cylinders and of the number of inactive cylinders, respectively; and controlling the internal combustion engine as a function of the control angle of the intake valves of the number of active cylinders and of the number of inactive cylinders.

Abstract: A method for correcting the reduced mass flow rate of a compressor in an internal combustion engine turbocharged with a turbocharger provided with a turbine and with a compressor; the internal combustion engine including an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold, and being set up to allow the passage of air from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold; the method including determining, in a design stage, a control law that provides a target opening of a control actuator of the wastegate as a function of an actual supercharging pressure and of a reduced mass flow rate of the compressor; and correcting the reduced mass flow rate of the compressor as a function of the enthalpy of a gas mixture flowing through the turbine of the turbocharger.

Abstract: A method for controlling an internal combustion engine (1) comprising a number (W) of cylinders (3); the control method comprises determining the total target torque (Ci_obj) required to be delivered for the operation of the internal combustion engine (1); determining a number (Wa) of active cylinders (3) to be controlled in use for injection and combustion; while a number (Ws) of cylinders (3) are not active and are not controlled for injection and combustion, but only for aspirating an air mass; determining the required target torque (Ci_obj) to be delivered for the operation of the internal combustion engine (1) for each of the active cylinders (3); and controlling the internal combustion engine (1) as a function of the required target torque (Ci_obj) to be delivered for the operation of the internal combustion engine (1) for each of the active cylinders (3).

Abstract: A method for controlling the movement of a component that moves towards a position defined by a limit stop in an internal combustion engine; the control method comprises the steps of detecting, by means of at least one acoustic microphone, the intensity of the microphonic signal generated by the impact of the component against the limit stop; and determining the impact instant and/or the impact speed of the component against the limit stop by analyzing the intensity of the microphonic signal generated by the impact.

Abstract: A method to control the wastegate valve wastegate in a turbocharged internal combustion engine suited to allow air to directly flow from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold; the method providing for determining a control law which provides an objective opening of an actuator controlling the wastegate valve as a function of a contribution in the absence of air flow directly from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold and a contribution as a function of the quantity of air directly flowing from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold.

Abstract: A method of controlling an internal combustion engine supercharged by a turbosupercharger having a turbine and a compressor; the control method including the steps of: determining, in a reduced mass flow/compression ratio graph, at least one limit operation curve of the compressor representing a limit of the operating range of the compressor; controlling the turbosupercharger to keep the actual reduced mass flow and actual compression ratio of the compressor within the limit defined by the limit operation curve of the compressor; determining an index as a function of the dynamics of the reduced mass flow of the compressor; and modifying the limit operation curve of the compressor as a function of the index.

Abstract: A method for correcting the reduced mass flow rate of a compressor in an internal combustion engine turbocharged by means of a turbocharger provided with a turbine and with a compressor; the internal combustion engine comprising an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold, and being set up to allow the passage of air from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold; the method comprising determining, in a design stage, a control law that provides an objective opening of a control actuator of the wastegate as a function of an actual supercharging pressure and of a reduced mass flow rate of the compressor; and correcting the reduced mass flow rate of the compressor as a function of the enthalpy of a gas mixture flowing through the turbine of the turbocharger.

Abstract: A method controls an internal-combustion engine (1) supercharged by a turbocharger (12) and including a turbine (13) and compressor (14). The control method includes steps of determining a pressure objective downstream of the compressor (14), determining a critical threshold of a reduced-mass-flow rate that delimits on a “reduced-mass-flow rate/compression ratio” plane a critical area substantially close to achievement of sonic conditions, and filtering by a first filter the pressure objective downstream of the compressor (14) when a current reduced-mass-flow rate is higher than the critical threshold.

Abstract: A method controls a supercharged internal-combustion engine and comprises steps of: establishing predetermined lower-limit and higher-limit speeds (PLLS, PHLS) of a turbocharger; calculating a reduced lower-limit speed (RLLS) according to the PLLS and an absolute temperature upstream of a compressor; calculating a reduced higher-limit speed (RHLS), according to the PHLS and temperature, higher than the RLLS; determining an “over-speed” interval (OSI) between the RRLS and RHLS; calculating a current reduced-limit speed (CRLS); controlling the turbocharger to bring the CRLS back to no greater than the RLLS every time the CRLS is detected and within the OSI; establishing in a preliminary adjustment and set-up phase a threshold value; and controlling the turbocharger to bring the CRLS back to no greater than the RLLS after a time interval, which is equal to the threshold value, has elapsed from a moment in which the CRLS is detected and within the OSI.

Abstract: A method for controlling an internal combustion engine, comprising a number of cylinders and wherein the air mass trapped inside each cylinder is adjusted by means of a respective intake valve; the control method includes determining the total target torque; determining a target number of active cylinders; determining a target supercharge pressure such to guarantee the total target torque and controlling the intake valves of the target number of active cylinders (3) according to the target supercharge pressure such as to guarantee the total target torque.

Abstract: A method for controlling an internal combustion engine (1) comprising a number (W) of cylinders (3); the control method comprises determining the total target torque (Ci—obj) required to be delivered for the operation of the internal combustion engine (1); determining a number (Wa) of active cylinders (3) to be controlled in use for injection and combustion; while a number (Ws) of cylinders (3) are not active and are not controlled for injection and combustion, but only for aspirating an air mass; determining the required target torque (Ci—obj) to be delivered for the operation of the internal combustion engine (1) for each of the active cylinders (3); and controlling the internal combustion engine (1) as a function of the required target torque (Ci—obj) to be delivered for the operation of the internal combustion engine (1) for each of the active cylinders (3).

Abstract: A method for controlling an internal combustion engine comprising a number of cylinders and wherein the air mass trapped in each cylinder is adjusted by means of a respective intake valve by means of an actuation device with variable opening law; the method includes determining the required total target torque to be delivered; determining a number of active cylinders and a number of inactive cylinders; determining the angle for controlling the intake valve of the number of active cylinders and of the number of inactive cylinders, respectively; and controlling the internal combustion engine as a function of the control angle of the intake valves of the number of active cylinders and of the number of inactive cylinders.

Abstract: A method controls an internal-combustion engine (1) supercharged by a turbocharger (12) and including a turbine (13) and compressor (14). The control method comprises steps of determining a current reduced-mass-flow rate (QAHR) of the compressor (14), determining a safety threshold (Mmax_turbo) of the reduced-mass-flow rate (QAHR) that delimits in a “reduced-mass-flow rate/compression ratio” plane an area substantially close to achievement of sonic conditions, and imposing that the reduced-mass-flow rate (QAHR) has to be lower than a safety threshold (Mmax_turbo) of the reduced-mass-flow rate (QAHR).

Abstract: A method for controlling an internal-combustion engine comprises steps of: determining a current value of a driving torque requested to the internal-combustion engine and a first time derivative of the current value of the driving torque; comparing the current value of the driving torque and first time derivative with first and second threshold values, respectively; determining a “sports driving” condition only if the current value of the driving torque is higher than the first threshold value and the first time derivative is higher than the second threshold value; and controlling the internal-combustion engine as a function of the “sports driving” condition.

Abstract: A method for controlling the wastegate in a turbocharged internal combustion engine including the steps of: determining, during a design phase, a control law which provides an objective opening of a controlling actuator of the wastegate according to the supercharging pressure; determining an objective supercharging pressure; measuring an actual supercharging pressure; determining a first open loop contribution of an objective position of a controlling actuator of the wastegate by means of the control law and according to the objective supercharging pressure; determining a second closed loop contribution of the objective position of the controlling actuator of the wastegate; and calculating the objective position of the controlling actuator of the wastegate by adding the two contributions.

Abstract: A method for controlling the wastegate in a turbocharged internal combustion engine including the steps of: determining, during a design phase, a control law which provides an objective opening of a controlling actuator of the wastegate according to the supercharging pressure; determining an objective supercharging pressure; measuring an actual supercharging pressure; determining a first open loop contribution of an objective position of a controlling actuator of the wastegate by means of the control law and according to the objective supercharging pressure; determining a second closed loop contribution of the objective position of the controlling actuator of the wastegate; and calculating the objective position of the controlling actuator of the wastegate by adding the two contributions.