Abstract: A direct injection engine in which an injector injects fuel toward a cavity formed in a top surface of a piston to produce a locally distributed mixture around a spark plug is constructed such that the direction of a fuel spray ejected from the injector is varied during a fuel injection period to properly spread the mixture and prevent its local overrichness. The direct injection engine is provided with means for generating a swirl, for example, so that the fuel spray from the injector is directed toward the spark plug when the pressure in a cylinder is low in a compression stroke, and the fuel spray is deflected by the swirl away from the direction of the spark plug as the pressure in a cylinder increases.

Abstract: A part of a piston is composed of a metal matrix composite. The metal matrix composite is composed of a matrix of a light metal alloy and reinforcements formed of metallic fibers mixed in the matrix. The reinforcements are formed of an alloy that consists mainly of Fe and Cr and contains Al and/or Si. The Cr content and the Al and/or Si content of the reinforcements range from 5 to 30% and from 3 to 10%, respectively. The fiber diameter of the reinforcements ranges from ø20 &mgr;m to ø100 &mgr;m. The reinforcements are formed by the melt extraction method and have irregular peripheral surfaces. Solution-treatment of the metal matrix composite is carried out within a temperature range from 470° C. to 500° C. such that formation of intermetallic compounds is restrained.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system for a gaseous fuel engine which runs on gaseous fuel containing at least partly hydrogen gas has a fuel supply control valve which adjusts the amount of the gaseous fuel supplied to the engine and a control unit which controls the fuel supply control valve to control the air-fuel ratio according to the engine load. The control unit controls the fuel supply control valve so that the air-fuel ratio becomes higher than a NOx-maximizing air-fuel ratio, at which the amount of NOx emitted from the engine is maximized, in a predetermined operating range of the engine, and in the predetermined operating range of the engine, the control unit controls the fuel supply control valve so that the air-fuel ratio becomes higher in a high engine speed range than in a low engine speed range.