Abstract: A method of controlling a high pressure gas injection internal combustion engine includes injecting, in a first combustion mode, by a first as injection system, a first gaseous fuel into a cylinder of the engine, and accumulating in a container of a second gas injection system excess gaseous fuel from the first fuel system, shifting, in the cylinder, from the first combustion mode to a second combustion mode including determining a value of an air flow related parameter indicative of an air mass flow into the cylinder, determining, based on the determined air flow related parameter value, a value of a fuel flow related parameter indicative of a mass flow of the excess gaseous fuel, and supplying from the container, in accordance with the determined fuel flow related parameter value, the excess gaseous fuel to provide a premix of air and the excess gaseous fuel to the cylinder.

Abstract: Feedback control of combustion in a gas diesel dual-fuel engine (20), based on the measured cylinder pressure, has been invented. The center of combustion and pressure rise rate is controlled by manipulating the start of diesel injection and duration of diesel injection. Measurements of transient engine operation show, that the proposed controller is able to control the center of combustion and the maximum pressure rise rate. The influence of changing intake manifold pressure, changing exhaust gas recirculation rate and changing air-fuel ratio can be compensated by the controller (10). Steady state measurements show that the gas diesel dual fuel engine reaches efficiencies around 40% with stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and diesel ratios below 5%. The results have been obtained on a slightly modified production type common-rail diesel engine with four cylinders and a displacement volume of 2 liters.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for detecting an auto-ignition in a spark-ignited internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, wherein values for the combustion chamber pressure are measured during a compression stroke of the internal combustion engine at defined crankshaft angles within an evaluation window, a filtered pressure value is determined from the measured values for the combustion chamber pressure, theoretical pressure values in the combustion chamber that would arise if no combustion took place in the combustion chamber are determined for the defined crankshaft angles, the value of the pressure difference between the filtered pressure value and the theoretical pressure values is calculated, the value of the pressure difference is compared with a specified threshold value, and, if the threshold value is exceeded, an auto-ignition in the combustion chamber is inferred.

Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for controlling pre-ignition in a boosted engine in a newly manufactured vehicle. One method comprises, during a pre-delivery phase of the vehicle, operating the boosted engine in a pre-delivery calibration with a first, higher enrichment, in response to a pre-ignition event. The pre-delivery calibration is deactivated during a post-delivery phase and the boosted engine is operated with a second, lower enrichment in response to a pre-ignition event.

Abstract: A method for adapting an engine to an octane number of fuel by decrementing an initial octane number. Starting with a reference setting of the spark advance in an engine operating range for a given octane number, the engine operating range being divided into a plurality of zones, each including an anti-pinking corrective value of the spark advance of the reference setting, the engine is switched to a reference setting that corresponds to a lower octane number: when a threshold value of the advance correction loop is exceeded in at least one zone, or when a counter of the number of zones, in which another threshold value of the advance correction loop is exceeded, exceeds a multi-zone threshold.

Abstract: An ignition timing control device for an internal combustion engine includes a retarding portion and a prohibiting portion. The retarding portion retards ignition timing according to a parameter that correlates with temperature inside a combustion chamber. The prohibiting portion prohibits the retarding portion from retarding the ignition timing when alcohol concentration in blended fuel is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The internal combustion engine uses the blended fuel in which an alcohol fuel and a gasoline fuel are blended at arbitrary proportion.

Abstract: A method for setting a lead-angle value of a motor drive control circuit is disclosed. The motor drive control circuit energizes and drives the windings of a motor with an energizing timing based on a stored lead-angle value. The method includes the steps of: rotating a rotor at a given rpm (step S102), energizing and driving the windings during the rotation at the given rpm with the lead-angle value being switched (step S110); calculating an average value of current amount that energizes and drives the windings (step S114); calculating a total value of consecutive multiple average values for each lead-angle value (step S120); finding a smallest total value among the total values, and setting a lead-angle value corresponding to the smallest total value as a stored lead-angle value (step S122).

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving fluid usage while addressing knock by adjusting the use of spark retard and direct injection of a fluid based on engine operating conditions and the composition of the injected fluid. One or more engine parameters, such as EGR, VCT, boost, throttle position, are coordinated with the direct injection to reduce torque and EGR transients.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving fluid usage while addressing knock by adjusting the use of spark retard and direct injection of a fluid based on engine operating conditions and the composition of the injected fluid. One or more engine parameters, such as EGR, VCT, boost, throttle position, are coordinated with the direct injection to reduce torque and EGR transients.

Abstract: A method is described for an engine having a delivery system configured to deliver fuel and a fluid to an engine cylinder, said fluid containing at least some water. In one example, an engine operating parameter may be varied based on an amount of water in said fluid, where said amount is determined based on an operating condition.

Abstract: Fuel management system for operation of a spark ignition gasoline engine. The system includes a gasoline engine powering the vehicle and a source of gasoline for introduction into the engine. A source of an anti-knock fuel such as ethanol is provided. An injector directly injects the anti-knock fuel into a cylinder of the engine and the control system shuts down the engine by stopping gasoline and anti-knock agent flow into the engine during vehicle deceleration and idling and restarts the engine upon driver demand. Direct ethanol injection and engine shutdown results in efficiencies similar to those of full hybrid vehicles.

Abstract: A spark advance controller capable of controlling spark advance in an internal combustion engine with high accuracy without requiring a larger number of data maps and performing laborious optimization tests using an actual engine. In the spark advance controller, map data for controlling the spark advance is computed by a numerical simulator simulating an internal combustion engine, and the map data for spark advance control is approximated with a regression model. The spark advance is computed by using the regression model depending on the detected operating conditions.

Abstract: Proposed is a method for adjusting an adaptive characteristics map of an adaptive engine-knock control system and a method for adaptively controlling engine knock, the adaptive characteristics map being defined by at least one operating parameter, the adaptive characteristics map for each operating-parameter range being made up of a precontrol component that characterizes the ambient conditions, and a residual component that results from the engine-knock control, the value of the adaptive characteristics map for each operating-parameter range being given by the sum of the precontrol component corresponding to the specific operating-parameter range, and the residual component corresponding to the specific operating-parameter range.

Abstract: A process for determining an operating parameter of an internal combustion engine as a function of three control parameters (N, P, &lgr;) of this motor, comprises: a) establishing a first map of the operating parameter as a function of two control parameters, the third control parameter being fixed at a first value; b) establishing a second map of the operating parameter as a function of the two same control parameters, the third control parameter being fixed at a second value; c) establishing a relationship between the operating parameter and the third control parameter over all the range of variation of this parameter at at least one specific operating point; and d) using this relationship to determine the operating parameter as a function of the three control parameters at all points of operation of the motor.

Abstract: A conversion system for converting a spark ignition engine to operate on gaseous fuel is disclosed. The conversion system includes an electronic controller which operates on several novel principles to provide superior performance/responsiveness and to reduce exhaust emissions. The controller in accordance with the invention assumes complete control of spark ignition timing when gaseous fuel mode is enabled and generates independent spark ignition signals tailored to the gaseous fuel. The controller also generates an independent pulse width modulated gaseous fuel injection signal that controls a high performance electronic solenoid injector valve to supply gaseous fuel to the engine. Variable injector speed is used to compensate for the dynamic range of the engine. A novel dual array block learn scheme is used to provide efficient fuel control in engines equipped with closed-loop monitoring systems and exhaust gas recirculation.