Abstract: A method to determine the fuel composition of a fuel mixture from a first fuel and a second fuel for the operation of an internal combustion engine. The first and the second fuel have different combustion rates and/or different specific energy contents and the internal combustion engine has at least one pressure sensor in at least one combustion chamber, with which a temporal pressure curve and/or a pressure curve under conditions of angular synchronism is determined.

Abstract: A method for controlling an injection of fuel in an internal combustion engine, in particular in a gasoline engine having direct injection, a drive fuel quantity, which indicates the fuel quantity required by the internal combustion engine to provide a torque, being injected in a working cycle before a combustion stroke of the working cycle into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine, a cooling fuel quantity, which indicates the fuel quantity which is used to cool the combustion exhaust gases, being injected in the working cycle in addition to the drive fuel quantity, at least part of the cooling fuel quantity being injected after completion of the combustion in the combustion stroke and/or the immediately following exhaust stroke of the working cycle.

Abstract: A method for controlling the amount of secondary air of a motor vehicle, which has a device for injecting secondary air. The increase in the injected amount of secondary air is carried out as a function of the starting conditions of the motor vehicle and the heating progression of the catalytic converter determined by modeling and/or measurement, and is variable over time.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method to determine the fuel composition of a fuel mixture from a first fuel and a second fuel for the operation of an internal combustion engine, wherein the first and the second fuel have different combustion rates and/or different specific energy contents and wherein the internal combustion engine has at least one pressure sensor in at least one combustion chamber, with which a temporal pressure curve and/or a pressure curve under conditions of angular synchronism is determined. Provision is made according to the invention for the composition of a fuel mixture to be determined from the temporal pressure curve and/or the pressure curve under conditions of angular synchronism of the gas pressure in the combustion chamber, of which there is at least one. A fuel mixture from fuels with different combustion rates exists, for example, in an alcohol-gasoline mixture. Alcohol has a faster combustion process than gasoline.

Abstract: A method for checking the functionality of a water adsorber in the exhaust of an internal combustion engine is provided. A sensor measures the temperature of the exhaust gases downstream in the flow direction from the water adsorber, and the functionality of the water adsorber is judged based on the change over time in the rate of increase in the sensed temperature after the internal combustion engine has been started.

Abstract: An electronic control device and method for determining the fuel quantity at which a burner is operated whose exhaust gas mixes with the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine in an exhaust-gas system in front of a catalytic converter, in which a first oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine is measured spatially before the mixing of the exhaust gas of the burner with the exhaust gas of the combustion engine, a second oxygen concentration in the intermixed exhaust gas is measured, and the fuel quantity at which the burner is operated is determined on the basis of processing the first oxygen concentration and the second oxygen concentration.

Abstract: A method for controlling the amount of secondary air of a motor vehicle, which has a device for injecting secondary air. The increase in the injected amount of secondary air is carried out as a function of the starting conditions of the motor vehicle and the heating progression of the catalytic converter determined by modeling and/or measurement, and is variable over time.

Abstract: A method for phase recognition of an internal combustion engine with a plurality of cylinders is preformed in an operating region of the engine having selected operating conditions. A crankshaft sensor serves to determine the angular position of the crankshaft. A control apparatus evaluates the signals of the crankshaft sensor and triggers injection and ignition impulses depending on the angular position of the crankshaft. The method includes the steps of adopting a phase relationship; changing a &lgr;-value for at least one of the cylinders; injecting at a selected time once or twice per working cycle in each cylinder; detecting speed changes of the internal combustion engine through at least one working cycle; and distinguishing whether the phase relationship of step B is correct or incorrect by the point in time of a rotational speed change or by an absence of rotational speed changes.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle in particular is described; it is equipped with a combustion chamber into which air is drawable through a throttle valve, into which fuel is injectable directly by a fuel injector and ignited by a spark plug during an intake phase in a first mode of operation or during a compression phase in a second mode of operation. An air-fuel mixture may be supplied to the combustion chamber through a fuel tank vent. The control unit controls and/or regulates the internal combustion engine so that in the second mode of operation, a lean air-fuel mixture is drawn into the combustion chamber through the throttle valve and through the fuel tank vent, and the lean air-fuel mixture is ignited by additional fuel injected into combustion chamber and ignited there.

Abstract: An electronic control device and method for determining the fuel quantity at which a burner is operated whose exhaust gas mixes with the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine in an exhaust-gas system in front of a catalytic converter, in which a first oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine is measured spatially before the mixing of the exhaust gas of the burner with the exhaust gas of the combustion engine, a second oxygen concentration in the intermixed exhaust gas is measured, and the fuel quantity at which the burner is operated is determined on the basis of processing the first oxygen concentration and the second oxygen concentration.

Abstract: A method for phase recognition of an internal combustion engine with a plurality of cylinders is preformed in an operating region of the engine having selected operating conditions. A crankshaft sensor serves to determine the angular position of the crankshaft. A control apparatus evaluates the signals of the crankshaft sensor and triggers injection and ignition impulses depending on the angular position of the crankshaft. The method includes the steps of adopting a phase relationship; changing a &lgr;-value for at least one of the cylinders; injecting at a selected time once or twice per working cycle in each cylinder; detecting speed changes of the internal combustion engine through at least one working cycle; and distinguishing whether the phase relationship of step B is correct or incorrect by the point in time of a rotational speed change or by an absence of rotational speed changes.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a system for supplying an internal combustion engine with fuel which includes the following functional components: a tank; a fuel pump; a metering device for metering fuel to the intake air; a feed line for conducting fuel from the fuel pump to the metering device; a reservoir which is so configured and mounted that fuel can be pumped therefrom to the metering device and which is not filled when tanking the tank and which can be again filled from the tank; and a control unit for driving the fuel pump and the metering device. The fuel pump is fixedly connected to the reservoir so that only fuel is pumped therefrom and a reservoir fill pump is provided which continuously maintains the reservoir filled as long as fuel is present in the tank.

Abstract: In methods for adaptively adjusting a fuel/air mixture, the adaptation factor is rapidly adjusted to take fuel characteristics into account when it develops that after tanking, poor control results are obtained with the adaptation factor previously applicable. As soon as there is an adjustment again to good control results, the conventional relatively slow adaptation is carried out. These methods afford the advantage that they can be carried out without special expensive mixture sensors.