Combustible Mixture Stratification Means Patents (Class 123/295)
  • Patent number: 9587569
    Abstract: If an engine body is under a load greater than a predetermined load, a controller selects a first fuel feeding mode in which more fuel is fed during a compression stroke than during an intake stroke if the engine body has a temperature equal to or below a predetermined temperature, and selects a second fuel feeding mode in which more fuel is fed during the intake stroke than during the compression stroke if the temperature of the engine body is higher than the predetermined temperature. Immediately after a switch from the first fuel feeding mode to the second fuel feeding mode as the temperature of the engine body rises, the controller sets a correction factor for making an augmenting correction to a fuel amount to be greater than that before the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kyohei Yasuda, Takafumi Nishio
  • Patent number: 9581126
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an engine of a vehicle during high engine loads are presented. In one example, fuel may be conserved at higher driver demand torques by limiting engine torque when the engine is operated in an economy mode. Additionally, two accelerator pedal position based fuel enrichment schedules are provided for operating the engine in different operating modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Douglas Raymond Martin
  • Patent number: 9573576
    Abstract: Methods for controlling vacuum within a brake booster by modifying powertrain operation include determining an intake manifold vacuum in response to actuation of a brake pedal. Increasing the intake manifold vacuum if the brake booster vacuum is less than a desired brake booster vacuum. In some embodiments, the transmission is downshifted to increase engine speed and intake manifold vacuum. In other embodiments, engine torque is reduced to increase intake manifold vacuum and the torque of the electric machine is increased to maintain a constant output torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Raymond Martin, Dale Scott Crombez, Moses Alexander Fridman
  • Patent number: 9567945
    Abstract: An exhaust circulation apparatus that can improve fuel combustion and suppress discharged NOx by expanding an operating region in which homogeneous lean combustion is possible. The exhaust circulation apparatus includes a homogeneous lean combustion unit for performing homogeneous lean combustion in a predetermined lean-burn region, and an EGR apparatus for performing EGR that recirculates a portion of gas that flows through an exhaust system of the internal combustion engine to an intake system. When performing homogeneous lean combustion, the exhaust circulation apparatus controls the EGR apparatus to perform EGR. An LPL-EGR apparatus that recirculates gas flowing through an exhaust passage on a downstream side of a turbine to an intake passage on an upstream side of a compressor is used as the EGR apparatus. Preferably, an air-fuel ratio is controlled so as to be 22:1 and an EGR rate is controlled so as to be between 10% and 20%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichiro Nogawa
  • Patent number: 9567891
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling a concentration of oxygen that is measured by an oxygen sensor of an after-treatment system of an internal combustion engine when a regeneration of an after-treatment device is required. The method may be a computer-implement method. An oxygen sensor target value is lowered in a stepped phase as a function of an exhaust gas flow speed as the exhaust gas passes through the after-treatment system. The oxygen sensor target value is lowered evenly as a function of the exhaust gas flow speed and by a filter phase when a measured air/fuel ratio value is less than or equal to an AFR threshold value and until the oxygen sensor target value is equal to an oxygen sensor final target value. The oxygen concentration is controlled by applying the oxygen sensor target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Roberto Argolini, Giovanni Montinaro, Alberto Giordano
  • Patent number: 9556817
    Abstract: A cylinder injection valve that injects fuel inside a cylinder and an intake passage injection valve that injects fuel inside an intake passage are provided. When it is determined that deposit greater than or equal to a predetermined amount accumulates, the fuel is forcibly injected by the cylinder injection valve (deposit removing control). The deposit removing control is performed when a pressure of the fuel supplied to the cylinder injection valve is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and an engine load is relatively high. On the other hand, the deposit removing control is not performed when the pressure of the fuel supplied to the cylinder injection valve is greater than or equal to the predetermined value and the engine load is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Zenichiro Mashiki
  • Patent number: 9556815
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a failure of a fuel pressure sensor for a high-pressure pump of a GDI engine includes a data collection step of collecting information on a state of a vehicle. A sensor condition determination step determines whether data collected in the data collection step meets conditions for determining the failure of the fuel pressure sensor. A failure determination step determines whether the fuel pressure value of the pressure sensor for the high-pressure pump is greater than or equal to a first reference value, and simultaneously, whether a fuel amount learning value is greater than or equal to a second reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Hee Sup Kim, Jong Sung Park
  • Patent number: 9556809
    Abstract: A method for optimal fueling of an engine is disclosed. The method includes determining a quantity of exhaust residuals in each cylinder among a plurality of cylinders in the engine. Further, the method includes determining at least one of an intake and exhaust manifolds temperature, at least one of an intake and exhaust manifolds pressure, and a quantity of a first fuel being injected to each cylinder, and calculating a characteristic temperature of each cylinder based on the quantity of exhaust residuals, at least one of the intake and exhaust manifolds temperature and pressure, and the quantity of the first fuel. The method further includes determining a substitution rate of the first fuel for each cylinder based on the characteristic temperature, and controlling at least one of the quantity of the first fuel, and a quantity of a second fuel being injected to each cylinder based on the substitution rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adam Edgar Klingbeil, Thomas Michael Lavertu, Ricardo Hernandez Pereira, Henrique Moritz
  • Patent number: 9546615
    Abstract: A technique for controlling air-fuel ratio in an internal combustion engine consuming more than one fuel type includes determining a target air-fuel ratio as a function of engine operating conditions; determining an actual air-fuel ratio from the engine operating conditions; determining a first fuel quantity of a first fuel to introduce into a combustion chamber as a function of the engine operating conditions; determining a second fuel quantity of a second fuel such that the actual air-fuel ratio equals the target air-fuel ratio to within a predetermined range of tolerance when the first fuel quantity and the second fuel quantity are introduced into the combustion chamber, the second fuel quantity being determined as a function of the engine operating conditions, the target air-fuel ratio, the actual air-fuel ratio and the first fuel quantity; and introducing the first fuel quantity and the second fuel quantity into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventor: Borys J. Melnyk
  • Patent number: 9534512
    Abstract: Systems and methods for actuating lobe switching in a camshaft system in an engine are disclosed. In one example approach, a method comprises deploying a first pin into a groove of a camshaft outer sleeve while a second pin remains in place due to an absence of a groove in which to deploy, and maintaining the second pin in place with a ball locking mechanism even after the second pin is exposed to a vacated groove in the camshaft outer sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Patrick McConville, Kim Hwe Ku
  • Patent number: 9527376
    Abstract: In a method for detecting a running internal combustion engine in a hybrid vehicle, the internal combustion engine, as a first drive unit, and a second drive unit contribute toward driving the hybrid vehicle. To determine reliably whether the internal combustion engine is running during hybrid operation, an interference signal is actively introduced into the ongoing operating sequence of the internal combustion engine, and the response of the internal combustion engine to this interference signal is evaluated. If there is no response of the internal combustion engine, it is concluded that the internal combustion engine is not operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Pantring, Ruediger Weiss, Jean-Marc Tonye Djon, Armin Huber, Karsten Kroepke
  • Patent number: 9518523
    Abstract: A plurality of cylinders are provided. An in-cylinder pressure sensor is mounted on each of the plurality of cylinders. A combustion parameter (e.g., the amount of generated heat) is calculated from the output of the in-cylinder pressure sensor. The air-fuel ratio for a cylinder is enleaned by reducing a fuel injection amount until the combustion parameter coincides with a predetermined value. Each cylinder is subjected to fuel injection amount reduction control so that the combustion parameter coincides with the predetermined value. The air-fuel ratio for each cylinder is then calculated in accordance with the reduction amount of fuel injection amount. The calculated air-fuel ratios are compared to detect an air-fuel ratio imbalance between the cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Ikeda, Takeshi Sano, Kazumasa Shimode
  • Patent number: 9488094
    Abstract: A direct injection engine includes an ignition assistance section applying energy to fuel injected into a cylinder using an injector to assist auto-ignition combustion of the fuel when the engine is within an auto-ignition combustion operation range. A start time of fuel injection is set within a period from a terminal stage of a compression stroke to a compression top dead center. The energy is applied to the fuel injected into the cylinder in a period from start of the fuel injection to an initial stage of an expansion stroke such that a time of a specific crank angle when an increase rate of in-cylinder pressure, which is a ratio of a change in the in-cylinder pressure to a change in a crank angle in motoring the engine, reaches a negative maximum value overlaps a combustion period when a combustion mass percentage of the fuel ranges from 10% to 90%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamashita, Kazuaki Narahara, Tatsuya Tanaka, Yoshitomo Takahashi, Yusuke Nakao, Takashi Ikai, Hidefumi Fujimoto, Masatoshi Seto, Yoshio Tanita, Kazuo Ichikawa, Shingo Kai, Susumu Masuyama, Hirokazu Nakahashi, Keiji Araki
  • Patent number: 9470163
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is capable of switching a combustion mode between a spark ignition combustion mode for combusting a mixture formed in a combustion chamber with spark ignition and a compression ignition combustion mode for combusting the mixture with compression ignition. When the combustion mode is switched from the spark ignition combustion mode to the compression ignition combustion mode, in an internal EGR control for keeping a part of a burnt gas generated by the combustion remaining as an internal EGR in the combustion chamber, an internal EGR amount of the internal EGR is increased, an ignition timing is advanced, and a fuel injection amount is decreased so that an oxygen density contained in the internal EGR used to form the mixture increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei Matsushima
  • Patent number: 9464583
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling operation of dual fuel internal combustion engines in response to cylinder pressure based determinations are disclosed. The techniques control fuelling contributions from a first fuel source and a second fuel source to achieve desired operational outcomes in response to the cylinder pressure based determinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Axel Otto zur Loye, Geomy George, Timothy P. Lutz, Steven J. Kolhouse, C. Larry Bruner
  • Patent number: 9447721
    Abstract: When injecting fuel from a direct injector and a port injector such that a requested fuel injection amount is obtained in an internal combustion engine, the direct injector is driven in the following manner. That is, after a target fuel injection amount for the fuel injection with the higher priority among fuel injection in the late stage of an intake stroke and fuel injection in the early stage of the intake stroke in the direct injector has been set on the basis of the engine operating condition, the target fuel injection amount for the fuel injection with the lower priority is set on the basis of the engine operating condition. Moreover, the direction injector is driven in such a manner that the target fuel injection amount for each of the abovementioned fuel injections set in this manner is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 9429087
    Abstract: A controller performs switching between a compression ignition mode in which compression ignition combustion is performed to operate an engine body, and a spark ignition mode in which spark ignition combustion is performed to drive a spark plug to ignite and combust an air-fuel mixture in a cylinder. The controller reduces an EGR ratio to be lower than an EGR ratio set in the compression ignition mode to operate the engine body in a transitional mode in which the compression ignition combustion is performed in switching from the spark ignition mode to the compression ignition mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouhei Iwai, Junichi Taga, Keiji Araki
  • Patent number: 9416748
    Abstract: A method of controlling a fuel injector is provided. Engine speed is monitored. Engine torque output is monitored. It is determined if the engine speed is within one of a plurality of predefined engine speed ranges. It is determined if the engine torque output is within one of a plurality of predefined engine torque output ranges. One of a plurality of injector coking factors is assigned based on the determined predefined engine speed range and the determined predefined engine torque output range. A total injector coking factor is calculated based upon total operating time within each of the plurality of injector coking factors. A duration of a fuel injection is increased based upon the calculated total injector coking factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC.
    Inventors: Michael James McNulty, James E. Korenchan
  • Patent number: 9399968
    Abstract: A method for an engine, comprising: during a first condition comprising a high engine temperature, injecting a first quantity of liquid petroleum gas into a first engine cylinder at a first timing during an intake stroke; and injecting a second quantity of liquid petroleum gas into the first engine cylinder at a second timing during a compression stroke following the intake stroke. In this way, combustion knock and cylinder pre-ignition may be mitigated without retarding spark ignition and/or limiting engine load, thereby allowing for maximum engine performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Eric Warren Curtis, Gopichandra Surnilla, John Hedges, Mark Allen Dearth
  • Patent number: 9399945
    Abstract: When alcohol-blended fuel is supplied to an internal-combustion engine, the magnitude of alcohol concentration (more particularly, ethanol concentration Cetha) is judged (Step 1005) and, based on this judgment, the magnitude of operational status temperature (more particularly, cooling water temperature THW) is judged (Step 1015). Then, when the alcohol concentration is large and the operational status temperature is low, generation of an intermediate product which is an oxide of alcohol contained in the alcohol-blended fuel in an unburnt state after main injection and alcohol contained in the alcohol-blended fuel in an unburnt state after post injection (more particularly, aldehyde) is promoted, and the generated intermediate product is trapped in an intake passage by making an intake valve into an opened state in an exhaust stroke of the internal-combustion engine (Step 1055).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Matsuda, Kouji Morita, Takahiro Tsukagoshi
  • Patent number: 9376980
    Abstract: A fuel injection device is provided with a fuel injection valve to inject fuel into a combustion chamber of an engine, and an electronic control unit to operate the fuel injection valve to inject the fuel in multiple separate injections. The electronic control unit controls a timing of a first fuel injection by the fuel injection valve to carry out the first fuel injection on the retard side with respect to a timing when a premix duration immediately after the first fuel injection is minimum, and controls a timing of a second fuel injection by the fuel injection valve in such a manner that a heat release rate waveform produced by the first fuel injection and the second fuel injection carried out thereafter has a double-peaked shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kuzuyama, Tsutomu Kawae, Masahiro Machida, Takehito Hamamatsu
  • Patent number: 9376996
    Abstract: A problem exists that in the case that a prior injection (a pilot injection B or a previous injection C) before a main injection A is executed when an engine is driven at a low load, a defective ignition and a defective combustion tend to be caused, an amount of carbon monoxide (CO) in an exhaust gas becomes excessive, and the carbon monoxide is discharged as white smoke. An engine device is mounted to a working vehicle, and a common rail type fuel injection device which injects fuel to the engine at multiple stages during one combustion cycle. The common rail type fuel injection device does not execute the prior injections B and C coming before the main injection A in the case that a load applied to the engine is in a low load state in which a load is lower than that at a working time by the working vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Seki
  • Patent number: 9376955
    Abstract: A compression ignition engine uses two or more fuel charges having two or more reactivities to control the timing and duration of combustion. In a preferred implementation, a lower-reactivity fuel charge is injected or otherwise introduced into the combustion chamber, preferably sufficiently early that it becomes at least substantially homogeneously dispersed within the chamber before a subsequent injection is made. One or more subsequent injections of higher-reactivity fuel charges are then made, and these preferably distribute the higher-reactivity matter within the lower-reactivity chamber space such that combustion begins in the higher-reactivity regions, and with the lower-reactivity regions following thereafter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Rolf Deneys Reitz, Reed M. Hanson, Derek A. Splitter, Sage L. Kokjohn
  • Patent number: 9359934
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control device which switches between a first operation of compression-igniting a premixed gas in a combustion chamber and a second operation of forcibly igniting the premixed gas through a spark plug in the combustion chamber. When switching between the first operation and the second operation, the control device inserts a transitional operation between the first operation and the second operation for the purpose of reducing torque variations in an internal combustion engine. In the transitional operation, the spark plug does not perform electric discharging, instead, the spark plug emits an electromagnetic wave to increase the temperature of the premixed gas, and subsequently, the premixed gas is compression-ignited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: IMAGINEERING, INC.
    Inventor: Yuji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9353697
    Abstract: A control unit for an internal combustion engine includes a load detector to detect a load on the engine, an injection volume calculator to calculate a cylinder injection volume indicating a volume of fuel injected from a direct injector, a first controller to perform a first control for increasing the frequency of the injection by the direct injector upon a reduction in the cylinder injection volume, a second controller to perform a second control for increasing a port injection volume indicating a volume of fuel injected from a port injector upon a reduction in the cylinder injection volume, and a switching controller to switch between the first control with the first controller and the second control with the second controller depending on the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kawabe, Fumiaki Hiraishi, Kiyotaka Hosono
  • Patent number: 9347410
    Abstract: A fuel injection device of a direct injection engine is provided. The device includes an engine body, a fuel injection valve, and a controller for controlling a fuel injection by the fuel injection valve. The fuel injection valve has a nozzle hole, a valve body for opening and closing the nozzle hole, and first and solenoid coils for stroking the valve body by first and second stroke amounts, respectively. The controller performs the fuel injection by the first solenoid coil in an intake stroke period within an engine operating range with an engine load below a predetermined load. The controller performs the fuel injection with a fuel pressure of 40 MPa or above by the second solenoid coil in a period between a compression stroke late stage and an expansion stroke early stage within a low-engine-speed range with an engine speed below a predetermined speed within a high-engine-load range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masami Nishida, Yuki Shimogawa
  • Patent number: 9341133
    Abstract: A fuel control system of a vehicle includes an injection control module and a command module. The injection control module determines a first target amount of fuel for a combustion event of an engine. A command module selectively command the injection control module to provide two fuel injections when a torque request decreases. In response to the command, the injection control module: determines second and third target amounts of fuel based on the first target amount; provides a first fuel injection during the combustion event based on the second target amount; and provides a second fuel injection during a compression stroke of the combustion event based on the third target amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Sanjeev M. Naik, Vijay Ramappan, Martino Casetti
  • Patent number: 9316307
    Abstract: A hydraulic pressure supply system may supply low hydraulic pressure generated at a low-pressure hydraulic pump to a low pressure portion through a low-pressure regulator valve, may supply a portion of the low hydraulic pressure to a high-pressure hydraulic pump, and may supply high hydraulic pressure generated at the high-pressure hydraulic pump to a high pressure portion through a high-pressure regulator valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Taehwan Wi, Jin Young Hwang, Se Hwan Jo
  • Patent number: 9309811
    Abstract: This invention concerns a fuel delivery system for an engine, in which two or more discrete fuel compositions are made available to the engine. The system has a vapor trail detection sensor configured to generate a detection signal indicative of a characteristic of a vapor trail. A regulator is configured to regulate a percentage of a first and a second fuel composition delivered to the engine as resultant fuel composition. A controller is arranged to undertake a search of trial fuel compositions by controlling the regulator to deliver to the engine a plurality of trial fuel compositions having different ratios of the first and second fuel compositions. The controller controls delivery of a resultant fuel composition to the engine in response to the vapor trail characteristic detection signals for said plurality of trial fuel compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Peter Swann
  • Patent number: 9303573
    Abstract: A system for controlling a diesel internal combustion engine including a circuit for partially recirculating exhaust gases, including a mechanism estimating set values of intake-air parameters; a mechanism estimating richness of the exhaust gas; a mechanism determining a set value of the intake richness according to set values of the intake-air parameters; and a mechanism correcting at least one of the set values of the intake-air parameters according to the estimation of the richness of the exhaust gas and the richness set value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Laurent Fontvieille, Yohann Petillon, Philippe Moulin, Olivier Grondin
  • Patent number: 9284922
    Abstract: A method for a vehicle having a fuel vapor canister coupled between a fuel tank and an engine intake manifold via an electronically controlled purge valve, comprises initiating a vapor leak test under predetermined conditions and in response to the initiation, fully opening the purge valve from a closed position to a fully open position for a predetermined time, and then fully closing the purge valve after the predetermined time and commencing the leak test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark W. Peters, Matthew Werner, Scott A. Bohr, Aed M. Dudar
  • Patent number: 9267485
    Abstract: In one embodiment a method of controlling an engine system includes providing a first cylinder with a first inlet valve, a first outlet valve, and a first throttle, controlling the first inlet and the first outlet valve in accordance with an SI valve lift profile, activating a first spark in the first cylinder while controlling the first inlet and the first outlet valve in accordance with the SI valve lift profile, controlling the first inlet and the first outlet valve in accordance with an HCCI valve lift profile, activating a second spark in the first cylinder while controlling the first inlet and the first outlet valve in accordance with the HCCI valve lift profile, and controlling the SOI timing of the first throttle in an HCCI SOI mode while controlling the first inlet valve and the first outlet valve in the HCCI valve lift profile after activating the second spark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Nikhil Ravi, Joel Oudart, Nalin Chaturvedi, David Cook
  • Patent number: 9249740
    Abstract: An engine includes variable valve mechanisms and a variable compression ratio mechanism. An ECU executes temperature balance control when a fuel-cut operation is executed. In the temperature balance control, valve opening characteristics of an exhaust valve are controlled based on a magnitude relation between an actual catalyst temperature and a target catalyst temperature and a magnitude relation between a water temperature and a required cylinder wall temperature. When executing a fuel-cut operation, it is thereby possible to control both the actual catalyst temperature and the water temperature in a well-balanced manner so that the actual catalyst temperature falls within a temperature range suitable for operation of the catalysts, and the water temperature becomes close to the required cylinder wall temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Matsuda, Kouji Morita, Takahiko Fujiwara, Takahiro Tsukagoshi
  • Patent number: 9145843
    Abstract: A spark-ignition direct injection engine is provided. The engine includes an engine body, a fuel injection valve, a fuel pressure setting mechanism, an ignition plug, and a controller. Within a low engine speed operating range of a predetermined high engine load range, the fuel pressure setting mechanism sets a fuel pressure to 30 MPa or above, the fuel injection valve injects fuel between late stage of compression stroke and early stage of expansion stroke, and the ignition plug performs spark-ignition after the fuel injection completes. Within a high engine speed operating range of the high engine load range, the fuel injection valve injects fuel between intake stroke to mid-stage of compression stroke, and the ignition plug performs the spark-ignition. The ignition timing is changed according to an octane number, the changing width of the ignition timing is shorter within the low engine speed range than the high engine speed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kouhei Iwai, Masahisa Yamakawa, Kazuhiro Nagatsu, Takashi Youso, Keiji Araki
  • Patent number: 9140203
    Abstract: An apparatus for fresh airflow determination includes an operating conditions module that interprets a MAF value, a current operating condition and a charge flow value. The apparatus further includes a volume estimation module that determines an apparent plumbing volume of an air intake assembly in response to the MAF value, the current operating condition and the charge flow value. The apparatus further includes a volume reporting module that provides the apparent plumbing volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Govindarajan Kothandaraman, Vivek Sujan, Andrew Osburn, Ashwin Vyas
  • Patent number: 9127607
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for cleaning out condensate stored at a charge air cooler. In response to increased condensate accumulation at a charge air cooler, airflow through the engine is increased to purge the condensate while an engine actuator is adjusted to maintain engine torque. Combustion stability issues of engine cylinders are addressed by adjusting fueling of each cylinder individually during condensate ingestion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Kristofor Robert Norman, Shuya Shark Yamada, James Matthew Kindree, Claire Steele
  • Patent number: 9115655
    Abstract: A system includes a net mean effective pressure (NMEP) error module, a correction determination module, a mean effective pressure (MEP) correction module, and an actuator control module. The NMEP error module determines an NMEP error for a combustion cycle of a cylinder based on an expected NMEP for the combustion cycle, a measured NMEP for the combustion cycle, and a difference between an expected change in an engine speed for the combustion cycle and a measured change in the engine speed for the combustion cycle. The correction determination module determines an offset correction and a slope correction based on the NMEP error. The MEP correction module that generates a corrected NMEP for the combustion cycle based on the measured NMEP, the offset correction, and the slope correction. The actuator control module controls an engine operating parameter based on the corrected NMEP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Inventor: Allen B. Rayl
  • Patent number: 9115659
    Abstract: A method for reducing the particle emissions of a spark-ignition, direct-injection internal combustion engine is provided. The method comprises operating at least one cylinder superstoichiometrically, responsive to an injector coking level and sufficiently high cylinder temperature, for a duration to increase oxidation of coking residues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Lorenz, Moritz Klaus Springer, Helmut Hans Ruhland, Jan Mehring
  • Patent number: 9038613
    Abstract: As one example, a fuel rail assembly for supplying pressurized fuel to a plurality of cylinders of an engine is provided. The fuel rail assembly includes a fuel rail housing defining an internal fuel rail volume having at least a first region and a second region; a fuel separation membrane element disposed within the fuel rail housing that segregates the first region from the second region. The membrane element can be configured to pass a first component of a fuel mixture such as an alcohol through the membrane element from the first region to the second region at a higher rate than a second component of the fuel mixture such as a hydrocarbon. The separated alcohol and hydrocarbon components can be provided to the engine in varying relative amounts based on operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Mark Allen Dearth, Tom G. Leone
  • Patent number: 9032930
    Abstract: For providing a combustion control device capable of decreasing unburned HC caused by a fuel attaching to a bore wall of a cylinder and unburned HC/CO produced by excessive diffusion of the fuel in premixed charge compression ignition combustion, an injector control unit controls an injector so as to start an initial fuel injection when a crank angle corresponds to an initial fuel injection start time when a piston arrives at such a position that the fuel injected from the injector reaches a lip but falls short of reaching a bore wall face of a cylinder, and terminate a final injection when the crank angle corresponds to a final fuel injection end time, when the piston arrives at such a position that the fuel injected from the injector reaches the lip but falls short of reaching a region below the lip in a cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kuzuyama
  • Publication number: 20150122217
    Abstract: A direct fuel injection method and an internal combustion engine provided with appropriate sensors and data input lines to an Engine Control Unit (ECU) for performing this method. The method includes inputting at least data inputs representing a piston position, a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, and a torque demand into an ECU, calculating in the ECU a calculated start of injection (SOI) for the direct fuel injection that is next based on the data inputs, calculating based on the data inputs and the calculated SOI a desired fuel temperature prior to the direct fuel injection that is next, heating fuel with a system delay not to exceed 5 seconds to the desired heated fuel temperature prior to a direct fuel injection, injecting the heated fuel, and repeating the aforementioned method steps for subsequent direct fuel injections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: Transonic Combustion, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Bullmer, Michael J. Frick, Lutz Lehmann
  • Publication number: 20150114338
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine in which the power output is controlled by modulating at least one of the compression ratio, expansion ratio, ratio of expansion rate to compression rate, air to fuel ratio, and steam to air ratio. Continuous isobaric catalytic combustion followed by isothermal expansion and the use of separate compressor and expander devices are used. Control dynamically maximizes fuel efficiency for the given power demand conditions. Power output is controlled by modulating flame temperature and/or pressure instead of by throttling. Lean combustion, high compression ratio, exhaust heat recuperation, and high power density and fuel economy are provided. External cooling is minimized or eliminated. Insulation of the engine effectively reduces energy losses to friction. Interchangeable use of gasoline, hydrogen and ammonia at high fuel efficiency is made possible for transitional periods of fuel availabilities. An injector suitable for isothermal expansion is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventor: Jonathan Jay FEINSTEIN
  • Publication number: 20150114341
    Abstract: A system includes an internal combustion engine having a number of cylinders, with at least one of the cylinders plumbed to have a complete recycle of the exhaust gases from the cylinder. The system further includes the completely recycled cylinder having an EGR stroke cycle, and the non-recycled cylinders of the engine having an exhaust stroke cycle. The system includes the EGR stroke cycle being distinct from the exhaust stroke cycle. An amount and composition of the exhaust gases from the recycled cylinder are distinct from the amount and composition of the exhaust gases from the non-recycled cylinders, at least at certain operating conditions of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Samuel C. Geckler, Madhuri Gandikota, Rajkumar Subramanian, Axel Otto zur Loye
  • Patent number: 9016259
    Abstract: A process controls the combustion of an internal combustion engine with controlled ignition and liquid fuel direct injection. The engine includes at least one cylinder with a combustion chamber, at least one intake, at least one exhaust and at least one direct injector for liquid fuel in order to obtain a fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber. The process includes determining the operational zone of the engine in which particulates are emitted during combustion of the fuel/air mixture and, for operation of the engine in this determined zone, introducing into the combustion chamber another fuel/air mixture resulting from indirect injection of a gaseous fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: IFP Energies Nouvelles
    Inventor: Jérôme Obiols
  • Publication number: 20150096531
    Abstract: A method for achieving a hybrid combustion mode of an internal combustion engine, a controller thereof, and an internal combustion engine. The hybrid combustion mode of an internal combustion engine comprises: directly injecting fuel in a cylinder; using homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion mode when the internal combustion engine is run; and when the internal combustion engine is low in load, or when it cannot be determined, that a compression ignition condition is met, switching a combustion control mode from ignition to compression ignition, if a compression ignition state can be switched to smoothly, maintaining the compression ignition combustion mode, and if the compression ignition state cannot be switched to smoothly and therefore the rotation speed of the engine decreases abnormally, quickly recovering the ignition combustion control mode. Cool start of low-octane gasoline internal combustion engine in a low-temperature environment can be implemented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventor: Xiangjin Zhou
  • Patent number: 9002623
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a mode control module and a valve control module. The mode control module selectively sets a desired ignition mode for an engine to one of a spark ignition (SI) mode and a homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) mode. Using a fully flexible valve actuator, the valve actuator module selectively adjusts closing timing of an exhaust valve in response to: the desired ignition mode transitioning from the HCCI mode to the SI mode; and the desired ignition mode transitioning from the SI mode to the HCCI mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Joel Cowgill
  • Patent number: 8989935
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for extending an engine-off period of a hybrid vehicle while reducing engine cold-start emissions. During an engine pull-up to meet operator demand, the engine is held at a higher power for a longer duration to aggressively heat the exhaust catalyst. Subsequently, the engine is pulled up to a lower power and held at the lower power for shorter bursts of time to activate the exhaust catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Raymond Martin, Ted Haladyna, Kenneth James Miller, Scott James Thompson
  • Patent number: 8977474
    Abstract: A diesel-gasoline dual fuel powered combustion engine system is provided with spark-assisted fouling free EGR system in which gasoline and air are homogeneously combined and supplied to cylinders and then a diesel fuel is injected and combusted together. The system may include: a plurality of cylinders each having a fuel injector; and an exhaust line through which flows an exhaust gas discharged as a fuel from each cylinder is combusted; wherein gasoline fuel combustion type is adapted to one or more cylinder of the plurality of the cylinders, and diesel-gasoline fuel pre-mixed combustion type is adapted to the other cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Dae Choi, Hyunsung Jung, Minyoung Ki, Hyeungwoo Lee
  • Publication number: 20150034045
    Abstract: A compression ignition (diesel) engine uses two or more fuel charges during a combustion cycle, with the fuel charges having two or more reactivities (e.g., different cetane numbers), in order to control the timing and duration of combustion. By appropriately choosing the reactivities of the charges, their relative amounts, and their timing, combustion can be tailored to achieve optimal power output (and thus fuel efficiency), at controlled temperatures (and thus controlled NOx), and with controlled equivalence ratios (and thus controlled soot). At low load and no load (idling) conditions, the aforementioned results are attained by restricting airflow to the combustion chamber during the intake stroke (as by throttling the incoming air at or prior to the combustion chamber's intake port) so that the cylinder air pressure is below ambient pressure at the start of the compression stroke.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Rolf Deneys Reitz, Reed M. Hanson, Derek A. Splitter, Sage Kokjohn
  • Patent number: 8918268
    Abstract: A malfunction detecting device for an internal combustion engine is mounted on a vehicle and includes an engine and a control unit. The engine is a multi-cylinder engine and is a bi fuel-enabled engine which is capable of switching plural kinds of fuels including a gas fuel and which can use bifuel. The control unit detects, in case of detecting a malfunction with respect to an imbalance of an air fuel ratio among the cylinders at a time of an operation based on the gas fuel, the malfunction based on variation of pressure pulsations of the gas fuel due to a fuel injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Shinoda