Abstract: A combustion control system for an engine mounted on an automobile is provided, which includes an ignition plug, intake and exhaust passages, an EGR passage, an EGR valve, and a control device having a processor which controls the ignition plug and the EGR valve according to an engine operating state and reduces deposit being accumulated inside a combustion chamber. The control device performs a control in which an accumulating amount of the deposit is estimated, and a control in which the deposit is removed when the estimated accumulating amount becomes more than a given setting value. In the deposit removal control, a control of the ignition plug in which a mixture gas is caused to combust by igniting the mixture gas, and a control of the EGR valve in which an amount of exhaust gas introduced into the combustion chamber is decreased, are performed.

Abstract: An engine system includes a combustion chamber including a cylinder, a fuel supply that supplies fuel including gasoline into the combustion chamber, circuitry configured to predict a knock will occur in the combustion chamber, and a fluid injector that injects a fluid into the combustion chamber. Further, there is circuitry configured to suppress a knock by instructing the fluid injector, when the knock is predicted to occur by the circuitry configured to predict, to inject the fluid into the combustion chamber within a period before a burned mass fraction reaches 50% after a start of combustion.

Abstract: An abnormality diagnosis device of an in-cylinder pressure sensor is provided. The device carries out a performance determination in which a performance quality of the sensor is determined based on an electric signal inputted from the sensor. The device carries out a first determination in which the performance determination is performed at a given timing, a performance recovery in which a given deposit removal control is executed in which a deposit accumulating inside the combustion chamber is removed when the performance quality of the in-cylinder pressure sensor is determined to fall below a given reference value, and a second determination in which the performance determination is carried out again after the performance recovery. In the second determination, the in-cylinder pressure sensor is diagnosed as abnormal when the performance quality of the sensor is determined to fall below the given reference value.

Abstract: A control system for a compression-ignition engine includes a combustion chamber, an injector, an ignition plug, a sensor device, and a controller having a circuitry. The ignition plug forcibly ignites mixture gas to start combustion accompanied by flame propagation of a part of the mixture gas, and again ignites remaining unburnt mixture gas at a timing at which the unburnt mixture gas combusts by self-ignition. The controller is configured to execute an ignition controlling module to output an ignition signal to the ignition plug before a target timing so that the unburnt mixture gas self-ignites at the target timing, an ignition timing estimating module to estimate an actual CI timing indicative of a timing at which the unburnt mixture gas actually self-ignited based on an in-cylinder pressure parameter, and an in-cylinder temperature determining module to determine the in-cylinder temperature at a given crank angle based on the estimated result.

Abstract: A failure diagnosis device for an in-cylinder pressure sensor is provided, which includes an in-cylinder pressure sensor, and an engine controller comprised of circuitry configured to execute a diagnosis module into which a signal of the sensor is inputted, to diagnose a failure of the sensor based on the signal. The diagnosis module includes a reading module configured to read the signal of the sensor within a specific crank angle range, a reference phase determining module configured to determine a reference phase that is a phase of a pressure change accompanying a volume change of the combustion chamber, and a failure determining module configured to determine that the sensor has failed, when the failure determining module determines a phase of the read signal of the sensor is delayed by an amount exceeding a predefined threshold from the determined reference phase.

Abstract: A method and system for predicting the occurrence of a knock which will have a predetermined intensity or higher (intense knock) in an engine that burns an air-fuel mixture of gasoline fuel. The pressure in a combustion chamber is detected during an initial stage of combustion. This pressure is compared with a preset reference value to determine whether or not the cylinder inner pressure exceeds the reference value during the combustion. When the cylinder inner pressure exceeds the reference value, it is predicted that the intense knock will occur before an end of the combustion. If the intense knock is predicted, additional fuel or other material can be injected into the combustion chamber to prevent the occurrence of the intense knock.

Abstract: A failure diagnosis system for an in-cylinder pressure sensor is provided, which includes an in-cylinder pressure sensor, a fuel injection valve, an engine controller including an engine control module and a diagnosis module. The engine control module controls the fuel injection valve to stop the supply of fuel to the engine, when a fuel cut condition is satisfied while the automobile travels. The diagnosis module includes a limiting module configured to limit an execution of the failure diagnosis of the in-cylinder pressure sensor until the diagnosis module determines that a given period has lapsed after the stop of fuel supply to the engine. The diagnosis module reads a signal of the in-cylinder pressure sensor when the given period has lapsed after the stop of the fuel supply to the engine, and diagnoses the failure of the in-cylinder pressure sensor based on the read signal of the in-cylinder pressure sensor.

Abstract: A control device for a compression-ignition engine in which partial compression-ignition combustion including spark ignition (SI) combustion performed by combusting a portion of a mixture gas inside a cylinder by spark-ignition followed by compression ignition (CI) combustion performed by causing the remaining mixture gas to self-ignite is executed at least within a part of an engine operating range is provided, which includes a detector configured to detect a given parameter that changes as combustion progresses inside the cylinder, an A/F (air-fuel ratio) controller configured to change an air-fuel ratio of air to fuel introduced into the cylinder, and a combustion controller configured to determine combustion stability based on the detected parameter of the detector and control the A/F controller to reduce the air-fuel ratio when it is confirmed that during the partial compression-ignition combustion the combustion stability is low.

Abstract: A failure diagnosis device for an in-cylinder pressure sensor includes an in-cylinder pressure sensor, and a controller comprised of circuitry configured to execute a diagnosis module into which a signal of the in-cylinder pressure sensor is inputted and configured to diagnose a failure of the sensor based on the signal. The diagnosis module includes a reading module configured to read the signals of the in-cylinder pressure sensor at a first timing that is a timing retarded by a specific crank angle from a compression top dead center, and at a second timing that is a timing advanced by the specific crank angle from the compression top dead center, and a failure determining module configured to determine that the in-cylinder pressure sensor has failed when the failure determining module determines that a difference between signal values at the first timing and at the second timing exceeds a predefined threshold.

Abstract: A control device for a compression-ignition (CI) engine in which partial CI combustion including spark ignition (SI) combustion performed by combusting a portion of mixture gas inside a cylinder by spark ignition followed by CI combustion performed by causing the rest of the mixture gas inside the cylinder to self-ignite is executed within a part of an engine operating range, is provided, including an EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) controller configured to change an EGR ratio, and a combustion controller configured to control the EGR controller during the partial compression-ignition combustion to switch a combustion mode between first and second modes in which the EGR ratio is higher than the first mode. After the first mode is switched to the second mode, if a condition is satisfied, the combustion controller causes the resumption to the first mode after a given period of time has elapsed from the switching.

Abstract: An abnormality diagnosis device of an in-cylinder pressure sensor is provided. The device carries out a performance determination in which a performance quality of the sensor is determined based on an electric signal inputted from the sensor. The device carries out a first determination in which the performance determination is performed at a given timing, a performance recovery in which a given deposit removal control is executed in which a deposit accumulating inside the combustion chamber is removed when the performance quality of the in-cylinder pressure sensor is determined to fall below a given reference value, and a second determination in which the performance determination is carried out again after the performance recovery. In the second determination, the in-cylinder pressure sensor is diagnosed as abnormal when the performance quality of the sensor is determined to fall below the given reference value.

Abstract: A combustion control system for an engine mounted on an automobile is provided, which includes an ignition plug, intake and exhaust passages, an EGR passage, an EGR valve, and a control device having a processor which controls the ignition plug and the EGR valve according to an engine operating state and reduces deposit being accumulated inside a combustion chamber. The control device performs a control in which an accumulating amount of the deposit is estimated, and a control in which the deposit is removed when the estimated accumulating amount becomes more than a given setting value. In the deposit removal control, a control of the ignition plug in which a mixture gas is caused to combust by igniting the mixture gas, and a control of the EGR valve in which an amount of exhaust gas introduced into the combustion chamber is decreased, are performed.

Abstract: A compression self-ignition engine performs a SI combustion in which an air-fuel mixture is combusted due to flame propagation triggered by spark ignition, and a CI combustion in which the air-fuel mixture is combusted due to self-ignition induced by the flame propagation. An ECU comprises a first control means for controlling a SI ratio serving as an index relating to a ratio of a heat amount generated in the SI combustion with respect to a total heat amount generated in the SI and CI combustions or a heat amount generated in the CI combustion; and a second control means for controlling an in-cylinder temperature before the SI combustion. The ECU is configured to change a combustion state of each of the SI and CI combustions by both the first and second control means according to the operating state of the engine.

Abstract: A control device for a compression-ignition engine is provided, in which partial compression-ignition combustion including spark ignition (SI) combustion performed by combusting a portion of mixture gas inside a cylinder by spark-ignition followed by compression ignition (CI) combustion performed by causing the rest of the mixture gas inside the cylinder to self-ignite is executed within a part of an operating range of the engine. The device includes a detector configured to detect a parameter related to noise caused by the combustion inside the cylinder, an EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) controller configured to change an EGR ratio being a ratio of exhaust gas introduced into the cylinder, and a combustion controller configured to control the EGR controller to increase the EGR ratio when a noise index value specified based on the detected parameter of the detector is confirmed to exceed a given threshold during the partial compression-ignition combustion.

Abstract: A failure diagnosis system for an in-cylinder pressure sensor is provided, which includes an in-cylinder pressure sensor, a fuel injection valve, an engine controller including an engine control module and a diagnosis module. The engine control module controls the fuel injection valve to stop the supply of fuel to the engine, when a fuel cut condition is satisfied while the automobile travels. The diagnosis module includes a limiting module configured to limit an execution of the failure diagnosis of the in-cylinder pressure sensor until the diagnosis module determines that a given period has lapsed after the stop of fuel supply to the engine. The diagnosis module reads a signal of the in-cylinder pressure sensor when the given period has lapsed after the stop of the fuel supply to the engine, and diagnoses the failure of the in-cylinder pressure sensor based on the read signal of the in-cylinder pressure sensor.

Abstract: A failure diagnosis device for an in-cylinder pressure sensor includes an in-cylinder pressure sensor, and a controller comprised of circuitry configured to execute a diagnosis module into which a signal of the in-cylinder pressure sensor is inputted and configured to diagnose a failure of the sensor based on the signal. The diagnosis module includes a reading module configured to read the signals of the in-cylinder pressure sensor at a first timing that is a timing retarded by a specific crank angle from a compression top dead center, and at a second timing that is a timing advanced by the specific crank angle from the compression top dead center, and a failure determining module configured to determine that the in-cylinder pressure sensor has failed when the failure determining module determines that a difference between signal values at the first timing and at the second timing exceeds a predefined threshold.

Abstract: A failure diagnosis device for an in-cylinder pressure sensor is provided, which includes an in-cylinder pressure sensor, and an engine controller comprised of circuitry configured to execute a diagnosis module into which a signal of the sensor is inputted, to diagnose a failure of the sensor based on the signal. The diagnosis module includes a reading module configured to read the signal of the sensor within a specific crank angle range, a reference phase determining module configured to determine a reference phase that is a phase of a pressure change accompanying a volume change of the combustion chamber, and a failure determining module configured to determine that the sensor has failed, when the failure determining module determines a phase of the read signal of the sensor is delayed by an amount exceeding a predefined threshold from the determined reference phase.

Abstract: A control system for a compression-ignition engine includes a combustion chamber, an injector, an ignition plug, a sensor device, and a controller having a circuitry. The ignition plug forcibly ignites mixture gas to start combustion accompanied by flame propagation of a part of the mixture gas, and again ignites remaining unburnt mixture gas at a timing at which the unburnt mixture gas combusts by self-ignition. The controller is configured to execute an ignition controlling module to output an ignition signal to the ignition plug before a target timing so that the unburnt mixture gas self-ignites at the target timing, an ignition timing estimating module to estimate an actual CI timing indicative of a timing at which the unburnt mixture gas actually self-ignited based on an in-cylinder pressure parameter, and an in-cylinder temperature determining module to determine the in-cylinder temperature at a given crank angle based on the estimated result.

Abstract: A control device for an engine in which partial compression-ignition combustion including SI combustion performed by forcibly combusting a portion of mixture gas inside a cylinder followed by CI combustion performed by causing the rest of the mixture gas inside the cylinder to self-ignite is executed within a part of an operating range of the engine, is provided. The device includes a detector configured to detect a parameter related to noise caused by the combustion inside the cylinder, a memory configured to store a characteristic defining a relationship between a start timing of the CI combustion and a combustion noise index, and a processor configured to specify a given combustion noise index value based on the detection value of the detector, and control the start timing of the CI combustion.

Abstract: A method and system for predicting the occurrence of a knock which will have a predetermined intensity or higher (intense knock) in an engine that burns an air-fuel mixture of gasoline fuel. The pressure in a combustion chamber is detected during an initial stage of combustion. This pressure is compared with a preset reference value to determine whether or not the cylinder inner pressure exceeds the reference value during the combustion. When the cylinder inner pressure exceeds the reference value, it is predicted that the intense knock will occur before an end of the combustion. If the intense knock is predicted, additional fuel or other material can be injected into the combustion chamber to prevent the occurrence of the intense knock.