Abstract: A controller for controlling the operation of a fuel injector having a piezoelectric actuator which is operable by the application of a voltage drive profile across the actuator, the controller comprising inputs for receiving data relating to one or more engine parameters and a processor for determining a voltage drive profile for controlling the actuator in dependence upon the one or more engine parameters. The voltage drive profile is arranged to comprise an activating voltage component to initiate an injection event and a deactivating voltage component to terminate the injection event, the activating and deactivating voltage components being separated by a time interval TON. The controller further receives outputs for outputting the voltage drive profile as determined by the processor to the actuator, wherein the processor is arranged to set the time interval TON greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure wave time period (TP) of a pressure wave cycle within the injector.

Abstract: An air/fuel ratio control system is provided for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and an air/fuel ratio sensor. The air/fuel ratio sensor is disposed at an exhaust gas merging portion of an exhaust passage where exhaust gas discharged from the plurality of cylinders merges together. The system includes an air/fuel ratio control device, an abnormality diagnosis device, and an enabling device. The air/fuel ratio control device individually controls an air/fuel ratio of each of the plurality of cylinders based on an output of the air/fuel ratio sensor. The abnormality diagnosis device determines whether abnormality of the air/fuel ratio sensor exists. The enabling device enables the air/fuel ratio control device to execute the controlling of the air/fuel ratio of each of the plurality of cylinders when the abnormality diagnosis device determines that the abnormality of the air/fuel ratio sensor does not exist after starting of the engine.

Abstract: A position sensing system uses two sensing elements to sense the rotary position of target wheels mounted on two camshafts. The two sensing elements are mounted in a common sensor housing and preferably the two sensor elements share power and ground wires, and each sensor element has its own signal wire. The wires preferably are contained within a common conduit that extends from the housing to a location outside of the rocker cover. The end of the conduit may support one-half of an electrical connector that terminates the wires from the sensors. Mounting the two sensing elements in a common housing simplifies mounting the sensors on the engine, and reduces the number of wires required to power and derive signals from the two sensors. The target wheels are mounted directly on the camshafts and are positioned along the axis of the camshaft, spaced from the camshaft ends.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control device of an internal combustion engine is provided. The control device includes a learning section, a correction section, and an inhibiting section. When an execution condition is met, the learning section learns, as a deviation amount learned value, a constant deviation amount between a correction amount and its reference value in different manners between a case in which the lift amount of the intake valve is in a first lift amount region used only when the execution condition is not met and a case in which the lift amount is in a second lift amount region used only when the execution condition is met. The learning section computes and stores the relationship between the deviation amount and the lift amount based on the deviation amount learned value. A correction section computes the deviation amount correction value from the stored relationship based on the lift amount, and corrects the fuel injection amount command value using the deviation amount correction value.

Abstract: A fuel injection device (1) includes a fuel injection valve (2) that injects fuel, and is provided with a first nozzle hole (9) and the second nozzle hole (10), which are controlled independently of each other to inject the fuel. The fuel injection device further includes a controller (5) that performs a deposit removal fuel injection in accordance with an amount of deposits accumulated in the first nozzle hole and/or the second nozzle hole. The deposit removal fuel injection injects fuel to remove the deposits.

Abstract: A method of operating an internal combustion engine with direct gasoline injection and controlled self-ignition, wherein the internal combustion engine includes a combustion chamber, at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve each having an adjustable opening time. The method includes compressing an ignitable gas mixture that contains residual gas in the combustion chamber during a compression stroke, where the gas mixture self ignites, and altering step-wise over multiple combustion cycles at least one of a residual gas volume and a point of injection time to an interim value other than a value assigned to a target load during a load transfer from an initial load to the target load.

Abstract: A combustion control system for a vehicle comprises a pressure ratio (PR) module, a pressure ratio difference (PRD) module, and a pressure ratio difference rate (PRDR) module. The PR module determines fired PR values and measured motored PR values based on cylinder pressures measured by a cylinder pressure sensor when a cylinder of an engine is fired and motored, respectively. The PRD module determines PRD values for predetermined crankshaft angles, wherein each of the PRD values is determined based on one of the fired PR values and one of the measured motored PR values at one of the predetermined crankshaft angles. The PRDR module determines and outputs a PRDR value based on a rate of change of the PRD values over a range of the predetermined crankshaft angles.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a powertrain system and a traffic sensing system. Power flow in the vehicle is managed by determining a present location and a trajectory of the vehicle, and determining traffic level information based on the present location and trajectory. A speed profile for the vehicle is predicted based upon the traffic level information of the vehicle and the powertrain is operated to manage power flow in the vehicle based upon on the predicted speed profile.

Abstract: A method for controlling a fuel injector of a diesel engine having a predefined control time from a control start, in which a setpoint value of a combustion start of a combustion chamber charge of the diesel engine is ascertained. The method is characterized in that an ignition delay between the control start and the combustion start is estimated from performance parameters of the diesel engine using a computing model, and the control start is formed on the basis of the setpoint value of the combustion start and the estimated ignition delay. A control unit controls the sequence of the method.

Abstract: On the occasion of a cutoff of fuel supply to an engine in an accelerator-off state, the invention expands a throttle opening over a specific throttle opening set in the state of idling of the engine at the reference rotation speed. On resumption of fuel injection to the engine, the invention reduces the throttle opening to the specific throttle opening set in the state of idling of the engine at the reference rotation speed. Under no control of lowering the rotation speed of the engine by a motor or under the condition of low vehicle speed with control of lowering the rotation speed of the engine by the motor, the invention resumes fuel injection to the engine resumed with setting of a smaller correction amount to a fuel increase correction amount.

Abstract: A control apparatus includes a detection unit that detects a stop request to an engine, a throttle closing control unit that, when the stop request is detected, adjusts an opening amount of a throttle valve to an engine-stop throttle valve opening amount smaller than a current opening amount an engine stop detection unit that detects a stop of the engine, an engine-stop exhaust valve control unit that adjusts an opening/closing characteristic of an exhaust valve of a cylinder that will be placed initially in an intake stroke when the engine is restarted so that, when the opening amount of the throttle valve is adjusted to the engine-stop throttle valve opening amount and a stop of the engine is detected, the exhaust valve has an engine-stop exhaust valve opening/closing characteristic by which a closing timing of the exhaust valve is more delayed than a current closing timing of the exhaust valve.

Abstract: A diesel engine having: a reentrant type cavity 11 depressed in the top of a piston 4; fuel injection means 9 that injects fuel towards the cavity 11; exhaust gas recirculation means 19 that recirculates a part of the exhaust gas into a combustion chamber; and a control device 26 that controls the fuel injection timing by the fuel injection means 9 and the EGR ratio or EGR quantity by the exhaust gas recirculation means 19, wherein in a predetermined operating region, the control device 26 implements premixed combustion by controlling the fuel injection timing by the fuel injection means 9 so that fuel injection is completed before the compression top dead center of the piston 4 and so that all the injected fuel enters the cavity 11, as well as controlling the EGR ratio or the EGR quantity by the exhaust gas recirculation means 19 so that the fuel injected by the fuel injection means 9 is ignited near the compression top dead center of the piston 4 after injection of fuel is completed.

Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus is provided with a fuel injection nozzle, a crank angle detector, a timer, and a control computer. The crank angle detector outputs a pulse signal corresponding to each tooth portion of a signal rotor and a pulse signal corresponding to a tooth missing portion. The control computer sets, as a fuel injection timing, a point of time at which a predetermined standby time period has elapsed from a point of time at which a reference tooth portion is detected. The control computer recognizes a tooth missing zone based on the pulse signal corresponding to the tooth missing portion. The control computer determines whether the fuel injection timing is set in a specific section in the tooth missing zone. When the fuel injection timing is set in a section outside the specific section, the control computer sets, as the predetermined standby time period, a remaining time period shorter than one inter-signal time period.

Abstract: In a diesel engine equipped with an injector 1 having a plurality of intersections between an axis line of the injector 1 and the axes of injection holes 10a bored in the injector 1, an air intake valve 25 is controlled so that it is closed at timing before a BDC (at timing when a piston comes to a bottom dead center) by an ECU 50, which controls the timing of closing the air intake valve 25 based on operating conditions of the engine.

Abstract: An improved control and diagnostic algorithm for coordinating the operation and checking reliability of oil control valves for a vane-type camshaft phaser in an internal combustion engine. A first oil control valve governs the rotational position of the phaser rotor within the stator, and a second oil control valve controls the locking and unlocking of a locking pin operable between the rotor and the stator. The algorithm determines when a change is needed in the position of the locking pin, commands the rotor to a predetermined angular position to permit the position change to be carried out, determines whether the commanded change was carried out successfully, and reports instances wherein the commanded locking pin position change was unsuccessful.

Abstract: A method of controlling combustion of an internal combustion engine that use fuel injection and that uses lean and rich modes of operation. Combustion control values, such as for fuel injection timing and quantity are determined by a torque representative value. This value is obtained from estimated in-cylinder conditions and from engine speed.

Abstract: A method for controlling a common-rail fuel injection system, which avoids the adverse effect of the pilot injection on the main injection while driving an engine and maximizes the cleaning up of the exhaust gas by the pilot injection or the like, is provided. In the common-rail fuel injection system performing a multistage injection, a pilot injection timing ?p at a crankshaft angle and a main injection timing ?m at the crankshaft angle base are controlled by a ECU. The ECU calculates a pilot injection interval Tpin at a time base and adjusts the main injection timing ?m when the pilot injection interval Tpin is less than the predefined threshold (1 (ms) in the present embodiment).

Abstract: A requested injection time InjT necessary for a fuel injector to inject a fuel per one combustion cycle is computed in response to a position of an accelerator manipulated by a driver, an injectable time InjMax per one combustion cycle is computed on the basis of an engine speed, and whether or not the requested injection time InjT is larger than the injectable time InjMax is determined. Then, when it is positively determined that the requested injection time InjT is larger than the injectable time InjMax, it is estimated that an alternate fuel (for example an alcohol fuel) other than a regular fuel (for example gasoline) is blended with a fuel in a fuel tank.

Abstract: A controller, in electrical communication with the one or more of the injectors and a high-pressure fuel pump, generates a first signal responsive to which the valve in the injector opens or closes and a second signal responsive to which the high-pressure fuel pump increases or decreases the pressure level in the fuel accumulator. The system may also include one or more sensors for detecting a temperature of air in an air manifold, a pressure within the air manifold and a barometric pressure. The controller is programmed to estimate an in-cylinder gas density using data received from the sensors. The controller accesses a database having data representative of one or predetermined in-cylinder gas densities that are associated with one or more predetermined fuel injection parameters. The controller then generates one or more commands indicative of the fuel injection parameters that are associated with a predetermined in-cylinder gas density.

Abstract: In an in-cylinder injection type spark ignition internal combustion engine in which the intake air amount is controlled by use of an intake valve or an exhaust valve, which is provided with mainly a variable valve mechanism, instable combustion during a low-load operation is avoided without an increase in pumping loss (without a decrease in the thermal efficiency). In the in-cylinder injection type spark ignition internal combustion engine, during low-load operation, on the basis of the cooling water temperature of the engine the opening and closing timing of the intake valve is controlled in a retard angle manner and the opening and closing timing of the exhaust valve is controlled in an advance angle manner. Furthermore, the fuel injection timing is controlled in a retard angle manner on the basis of the retard angle amount of the intake valve opening and closing timing.

Abstract: A method, in certain embodiments, includes controlling a first parameter set (e.g., fuel injection timing, engine speed, etc.) of an engine to reduce specific fuel consumption to account for a plurality of different fuels alone or in combination with one another. The method also may include controlling a second parameter set (e.g., engine duration, engine speed, manifold air pressure, fuel supply temperature, fuel supply pressure, etc.) of the engine to reduce the possibility of exceeding design limits associated with the engine to account for the plurality of different fuels alone or in combination with one another.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a variable operation angle mechanism that can improve engine performance at transient operation by optimally setting a ratio between change amounts of opening and closing timings accompanying a variation in valve operation angle of intake valve, and relates to an apparatus for and a method of controlling an engine including the variable operation angle mechanism. In the variable operation angle mechanism, ratio RIVO of change amount of opening timing IVO of intake valve to change amount of valve operation angle is set to be 20% or more and 40% or less, and preferably, to be 30%. In engine including a variable valve timing mechanism varying a rotating phase of intake camshaft relative to crankshaft and the variable operation angle mechanism, a target phase change amount varied by the variable valve timing mechanism is corrected for phase change amount accompanying the variation in the valve operation angle.

Abstract: An engine system, comprising of a combustion chamber selectively communicating with an intake manifold via at least an intake valve and an exhaust manifold via at least an exhaust valve, a turbocharger including a compressor operatively coupled to the intake manifold and a turbine operatively coupled to the exhaust manifold, wherein the turbocharger is configured to selectively boost intake manifold pressure greater than exhaust manifold pressure during at least one operating condition, a direct fuel injector configured to inject fuel directly into the combustion chamber, a spark plug configured to provide an ignition spark to the combustion chamber, a valve actuation system coupled to the intake valve and the exhaust valve configured to vary a relative timing of the intake valve and the exhaust valve and a control system communicatively coupled to the valve actuation system, the direct fuel injector, and the spark plug wherein during said at least one operating condition, the control system is configured to

Abstract: An exemplary controller includes one or more processors, memory and control logic to individually control at least one of two exhaust valves of a cylinder of an internal combustion engine to either provide exhaust from the cylinder to a single exhaust turbine or to provide exhaust from the cylinder to two exhaust turbines where the two exhaust valves are mounted in a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine. For example, such a controller may call for operation of one exhaust valve to provide exhaust to a single exhaust turbine and call for operation of two exhaust valves to provide exhaust to two exhaust turbines. Various other exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.

Abstract: In a method for improving the running smoothness of an internal combustion engine (1) which has at least one combustion chamber and at least one controllable actuator whose position has an influence on the combustion in the at least one combustion chamber, an irregular running value (f) of the internal combustion engine (1) is determined and compared with a predefined first irregular running limit value (f1thres), and in the event of the irregular running value (f) exceeding a predefined first irregular running limit value (f1thres), the actuator is moved from a starting position into an end position while the combustion in all of the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine (1) is continued.

Abstract: A method for operating a fuel delivery system with a first pressure pump fluidly coupled to a second higher pressure pump and a fuel rail including adjusting pump operation of at least one of the first and second pumps during engine starting, the variation based on engine starting conditions. When the pressure rise during the start is correlated to an expected response, further adjusting pump operation based on measured fuel pressure, and when pressure rise during the start is less than the expected response, further adjusting pump operation independent from measured fuel pressure.

Abstract: A synchronization device for an engine is provided that has a first active sensor and a second active sensor. The first active sensor is adapted to determine an angular position of a first shaft and the second active sensor is adapted to determine the angular position of a second shaft. The first active sensor and the second active sensor are adapted to provide information on the state of the angular position of the first shaft and the second shaft or the angular position of the first shaft and the phase position between the first shaft and the second shaft to the control device. In addition, the control device is adapted to provide a control signal for setting a given phase difference between the first and the second shaft.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for controlling a thermal engine with valves, that comprises an engine control unit (1) and a plurality of valve actuators (3), wherein the engine control unit is connected to a communication bus (2) and the actuators are distributed into at least two sets each comprising a connection interface (4) to the communication bus, the engine control unit being designed so as to define actuator driving instructions and to transmit into the bus and for each set an individualised frame including the driving instructions for the related set.

Abstract: A valve timing control apparatus for a valve timing adjustment mechanism that adjusts timing of opening and closing an intake or exhaust valve of an engine includes an output-side rotor, a cam-side rotors a hydraulic pump, a control device, a control valve, a storage device. The control device outputs a signal associated with rotation of one of the rotors relative to the other one. The control valve controls the speed of the rotation. The storage device prestores standard data indicating a predetermined relation between a dead zone width and a parameter correlated with the dead zone width for each hydraulic oil temperature. A value of the parameter of the adjustment mechanism during a hold state is learned by changing the signal. The control device computes the signal based on the value learned, the standard data, and hydraulic oil temperature.

Abstract: A control system and method for improving vehicle fuel economy is provided. A base timing module generates a base timing signal. A trim module calculates a vehicle speed compensation factor and generates a timing trim signal based on the vehicle speed compensation factor. A vehicle speed trim module adjusts a calibration parameter (such as engine timing for example) based on the base timing signal and the timing trim signal. According to some implementations, the trim module includes a base trim module and a vehicle speed compensation module. The base trim module generates a base trim signal. The vehicle speed compensation module generates the vehicle speed compensation factor. The base trim signal can be based on a speed of the engine. The base trim signal can further be based on a quantity of fuel delivered to the engine.

Abstract: A fuel injection system designed to execute a learning operation to spray fuel through a fuel injector in a cycle to calculate an average of actual injection quantities for correcting an injection duration so as to minimize a deviation of the average from a target quantity. The system samples the actual injection quantities for a given period of time made up of a first and a second time section. In each of the first and second time sections, the system decides whether each of the actual injection quantities is suitable for use in calculating the average or not. When a desired number of the actual injection quantities decided to be suitable for the calculation of the average has been derived in the first time section, the system proceeds to the second time section to calculate the average. This enhances the accuracy in determining the quantity of fuel actually sprayed from the fuel injector.

Abstract: A fuel injection system for a direct fuel injection engine is provided. The system includes an injection mode module that selects a fuel injection mode to be one of a single injection mode and a dual injection mode during engine operation and a fuel injection command module that commands fuel injection events based on a crankshaft position, the fuel injection mode and a fuel percentage blending schedule.

Abstract: A valve timing adjusting apparatus includes a driving-side rotor, a driven-side rotor, and a directional control valve. The driven-side rotor is rotated in the advance direction when the advance and retard output ports communicate with the intake port and the retard drain port respectively, and the advance and retard output ports are disconnected from the advance drain port. The driven-side rotor is rotated in the retard direction when the advance and retard output ports communicate with the advance drain port and the intake port respectively, and the advance and retard output ports are disconnected from the retard drain port. A relay passage is provided at an exterior of the directional control valve for communication with the advance and retard drain ports. The drain relay passage closes the advance and retard drain ports relative to the exterior.

Abstract: A change in a torque request for an internal combustion engine during a prediction period is predicted as a change in a target torque. Further, a change in an outputtable upper-limit torque during the prediction period is calculated as an upper-limit torque change. When the target torque is greater than the upper-limit torque by more than a judgment value during the prediction period, control is exercised to increase an intake air amount. Moreover, the torque difference between the target torque and upper-limit torque at a second time, which is later than a first time, is calculated to correct the torque difference with higher responsiveness than exhibited for intake air amount control.

Abstract: A method for determining the optimum fuel injection timing angle in a CI engine provided with means disposed in one or more cylinders for measuring Indicated Mean Effective Pressure. The pressure level during the power stroke of a piston is a direct correlate of engine torque being generated, and the timing of fuel injection can increase or decrease the amount of torque. Thus, maximum torque can be obtained by optimizing the timing of fuel injection. An algorithm in the ECM varies the timing of fuel injection in a narrow range until a IMEP maximum is achieved, which timing is then retained and employed until the engine operating conditions change. Thus, the invention can optimize fuel economy by optimizing the torque obtained from each injection of fuel into the cylinders.

Abstract: An engine control system includes a fuel injector that injects a mixture of ethanol and gasoline directly into a combustion chamber of a spark-ignition direct-injection (SIDI) engine. A control module controls a start of injection of the fuel injector such that the start of injection occurs more than 335 crank angle degrees before a top dead center of a compression stroke of the engine (CAD bTDC).

Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of ensuring excellent fuel economy of the engine and enhancing the responsiveness of the output of the engine when acceleration is demanded. The control system calculates a lift control input for controlling a variable valve lift mechanism, based on a cam phase of a variable cam phase mechanism, and calculates a demanded acceleration indicative of the degree of acceleration demanded of the engine. Further, the control system calculates a value of phase control input for controlling the variable cam phase mechanism with priority to the engine output, and calculates a value of the same with priority to fuel economy of the engine, and selects between the values of phase control input, based on the demanded acceleration.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is employed for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. The control apparatus includes a variable valve operating mechanism which changes a valve characteristic of an engine valve; a valve stop mechanism which stops opening/closing of the engine valve in at least one cylinder; and a controller which executes a variable valve control that makes an actual value of the valve characteristic match a target value by executing a hydraulic pressure control for the variable valve operating mechanism, and which operates the valve stop mechanism so that a reduced-cylinder operation is performed when an engine operating state is in a preset reduced-cylinder operation region. If it is determined that a pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied to the variable valve operating mechanism satisfies a preset condition when the engine operating state is in the reduced-cylinder operation region, the controller prohibits the variable valve control.

Abstract: A method may include commanding operation of an engine in a first lift mode. The engine may include a valve lifter system that selectively operates a valve member in the first lift mode and a second lift mode through engagement with a camshaft. A first duty cycle of a cam phaser oil control valve (OCV) may be determined to maintain a first camshaft position corresponding to the first lift mode. The camshaft position may be maintained by a cam phaser that is coupled to the camshaft and in communication with the cam phaser OCV. Engine operation may be commanded to the second lift mode and a second duty cycle of the cam phaser OCV may be determined to maintain a second camshaft position corresponding to the second lift mode. A valve lifter system failure may be diagnosed based on a difference between the first and second duty cycles.

Abstract: An engine control system includes a cam phaser that introduces a cam phase angle ? between a camshaft intake lobe and an associated crankshaft. An engine control module communicates with the cam phaser to introduce the cam phase angle ? while an engine is being started. The cam phase angle ? is selected such that the camshaft intake lobe opens an intake valve during at least a portion of a compression stroke of a cylinder that is associated with the camshaft intake lobe.

Abstract: A system for controlling combustion phasing in an internal combustion engine is provided that includes, but is not limited to a first sensor positioned within a first variable volume combustion chamber and a vibration sensor positioned outside of the first and second variable volume combustion chambers. A first signal from the first sensor is used to control the combustion process in the first variable volume combustion chamber and a combination of the first signal from the first sensor and the second signal from the vibration sensor is used to control the combustion process in the at least one second variable volume combustion chamber.

Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus and method for an internal combustion engine are provided for appropriately calculating fuel injection times for an in-cylinder fuel injection valve and a port fuel injection valve, thereby accurately controlling the amounts of fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine from the in-cylinder fuel injection valve and the port fuel injection valve, respectively. The fuel injection control apparatus calculates an in-cylinder fuel injection amount which should be injected by the in-cylinder fuel injection valve, and calculates an in-cylinder fuel injection time which is a valve opening time of the in-cylinder fuel injection valve in accordance with the calculated in-cylinder fuel injection amount and an acquired cylinder internal pressure.

Abstract: An ECU executes a program including the steps of: controlling, when the phase of an intake valve is a phase advanced relative to a threshold value CA (FF) (NO in S106), an electric motor operating an intake VVT mechanism by feedback control (S202); and controlling, when the phase of the intake valve is a phase retarded relative to the threshold value CA (FF) (YES in S106), the electric motor by feed-forward control (S200). Under the feed-forward control, a duty command value is output that is smaller than an upper limit of a duty command value under the feedback control.

Abstract: A camshaft phasor control system for an engine includes a position control module. The position control module generates a position control signal based on a camshaft position command signal and a gain signal. A gain circuit generates the gain signal based on the position control signal and feeds the gain signal back to the position control module. The position control module positions a camshaft of the engine based on the gain signal.

Abstract: An ECU controls an internal combustion engine which generates a tumble flow inside a cylinder and strengthens the tumble flow by fuel injected near bottom dead center of an intake stroke. The ECU includes an injection timing changing device that changes the injection timing of fuel based on the amount of air drawn into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A control system for an engine includes a regulator with an output waveform which includes a plurality of waves, each wave having a peak portion, a first portion located on a front side of the peak portion, and a second portion located on the other side of the peak portion, the second portion exhibiting a more rapid change in voltage than the first portion. An ECU is configured to turn on a fuel injector of the engine at a first timing and turn off an ignition plug of the engine at a second timing, the first and second timings corresponding to a shift in waveform output from the peak portion toward the first portion of a first wave and a second wave, respectively. The waveform shift corresponds to a predetermined angular shift in the rotational position of a crankshaft of the motorcycle engine of preferably about 3°.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine provided with a variable compression ratio mechanism able to change a mechanical compression ratio and an actual compression action start timing changing mechanism able to change a start timing of an actual compression action. The mechanical compression ratio is made maximum so that the expansion ratio becomes 20 or more at the time of engine low load operation, while the actual compression ratio at the time of engine low load operation is made an actual compression ratio substantially the same as that at the time of engine high load operation.

Abstract: To provide a fuel injection control apparatus capable of reducing the minimum quantity of fuel injection without reducing the maximum quantity of injection. For fuel injector valve opening, a driving circuit 56 supplies an electric current from a high-voltage power supply VH to the fuel injector 53, then after valve opening, switches the high-voltage power supply VH to a low-voltage power supply LV, and retains the open state of the valve. A microcomputer 57 is adapted such that for opening the valve of the fuel injector, the microcomputer, after supplying the current from the high-voltage power supply to the injector 53, discharges the current rapidly for a decrease below a first current level Ihold1 at which the open state of the valve cannot be retained, and then controls the supply current to the injector 53 so as to supply a current of a second current level Ihold2 at which the open state of the valve can be retained.

Abstract: A method for determining the optimum fuel injection timing angle in a CI engine provided with means disposed in one or more cylinders for measuring Indicated Mean Effective Pressure. The pressure level during the power stroke of a piston is a direct correlate of engine torque being generated, and the timing of fuel injection can increase or decrease the amount of torque. Thus, maximum torque can be obtained by optimizing the timing of fuel injection. An algorithm in the ECM varies the timing of fuel injection in a narrow range until a IMEP maximum is achieved, which timing is then retained and employed until the engine operating conditions change. Thus, the invention can optimize fuel economy by optimizing the torque obtained from each injection of fuel into the cylinders.

Abstract: A method for controlling an amount of fuel reforming in an internal combustion engine configured to selectively operate in a homogeneous charge compression-ignition combustion mode with an exhaust recompression strategy includes monitoring in-cylinder pressures during a current combustion cycle, utilizing the monitored in-cylinder pressures to project reforming required in a next combustion cycle, and controlling the next combustion cycle based on the projected reforming required in the next combustion cycle.