An apparatus (201) and method for controlling intake valves (23) in an internal combustion engine (5), as well as an internal combustion engine and a vehicle comprising the apparatus, and an electronic processor for performing the method is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a hydraulic system (3) configured to hydraulically actuate a first intake valve (23a) and a second intake valve (23b) of a first combustion chamber (25) of an internal combustion engine (5). The apparatus also includes a controller (9) configured to control the hydraulic system (3) in at least a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation. In the first mode of operation, the controller (9) is configured to control the hydraulic system (3) to cause lifting of the first and second intake valves (23a, 23b) of the first combustion chamber (25) during each intake stroke of a respective cylinder piston (27). In the second mode of operation, the controller (9) is configured to control the hydraulic system (3) to cause lifting of the first intake valve (23a) of the first combustion chamber (25) during an intake stroke of the respective cylinder piston (27) and disable actuation of the second intake valve (23b) of the first combustion chamber (25) during that intake stroke.

A method is provided for monitoring the operation of intake valves of an internal combustion engine, where at least one or more cylinders of the engine have more than one intake valve, and adapted to operate in different modes where at least one of the intake valves for a particular cylinder can be selectively activated, or deactivated so as not to open during a firing sequence for the cylinder. The method includes a) monitoring the intake manifold air pressure; b) during a time window with respect to the intake phase for said respective cylinder, determining the condition of whether the manifold pressure drops by a threshold or to a particular threshold level; and c) determining the functionality of the intake valves dependent on the outcome of step b).

An internal combustion engine includes a first intake valve, a second intake valve, an accelerator open degree sensor that detects a load state, and an ECU 26 that controls the valve opening timing of the first and second intake valves and an amount of intake gas introduced to a combustion chamber from the first and second intake valves. When a load of a vehicle increases, the ECU reduces the ratio of the amount of intake gas from, among the two or more intake valves, the second intake valve having a later valve opening timing, whereas when the load decreases, the ECU increases the ratio.

When an amount of a backward tumble flow is smaller than an amount of a forward tumble flow, the intake-side valve recess is used as a first valve recess and the exhaust-side valve recess is used as a second valve recess. When the amount of the backward tumble flow is larger than the amount of the forward tumble flow, the exhaust-side valve recess is used as a first valve recess and the intake-side valve recess is used as a second valve recess. An inclination angle of the first valve recess is larger than an inclination angle of the second valve recess when comparing the inclination angle such that a height of the recess decreases gradually toward an inner side of a cross-section.

The internal combustion engine comprises a swirl control valve able to change a strength of a swirl generated in a combustion chamber; a load sensor for detecting an engine load; and a control device for controlling the swirl control valve. The control device controls the swirl control valve, when the engine load detected by the load sensor is lower than a predetermined load, so that the swirl ratio is higher when a suction intake gas amount is increasing, compared to when it is decreasing.

An air intake duct includes an air intake duct body (11) which includes an air intake part (111) and a connecting part (112) connected with the air intake part (111). A first channel is formed inside the air intake part (111), a second channel intercommunicating with the first channel is formed inside the connecting part (112), one side of the connecting part (112) is provided with a connecting surface (112a) which inclines towards an axis of the air intake duct body (11), the connecting surface (112a) is inclined and extended from a connection joint of the connecting part (112) and the air intake part (111) to an end portion of the connecting part (112), and the first channel has a larger cross section area than the second channel.

A control device for an engine is provided, which includes a fuel injector attached to the engine, a spark plug disposed to be oriented into a combustion chamber, a swirl control valve provided in an intake passage, and a controller connected to the fuel injector, the spark plug, and the swirl control valve and configured to control the fuel injector, the spark plug, and the swirl control valve. The swirl control valve closes in a given operating state of the engine. The fuel injector injects fuel after the swirl control valve is closed, between intake stroke and an intermediate stage of compression stroke. The fuel injector injects the fuel after the first fuel injection. The spark plug performs the ignition after the second fuel injection so that the mixture gas starts combustion by flame propagation and then unburned mixture gas self-ignites.

A control system for a pre-mixture compression-ignition engine is provided, configured such that in a first combustion mode, the control unit controls the fuel injection valve to have a fuel amount within a mixture gas in an outer circumferential portion of the combustion chamber larger than in the center portion, the swirl generating part to generate a swirl flow in the outer circumferential portion, and the spark plug to ignite the mixture gas in the center portion. In a second combustion mode, the control unit controls the fuel injection valve to start a fuel injection on intake stroke so that the mixture gas is formed in the entire combustion chamber, the swirl generating part so that a swirl flow becomes weaker than in the first combustion mode, and the spark plug to ignite the mixture gas before CTDC.

An internal combustion engine includes an ignition plug and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: (i) execute a lean-burn operation in a first operation region, (ii) execute an operation in a second operation region at an air-fuel ratio lower than an air-fuel ratio during the lean-burn operation, and (iii) control a gas flow in a cylinder so that a ratio of a change in a gas flow speed around the ignition plug during ignition to a change in an engine rotation speed in a first engine rotation speed region within the first operation region is smaller than the ratio in a second engine rotation speed region within the second operation region.

The internal combustion engine comprises a swirl control valve able to change a strength of a swirl generated in a combustion chamber; a load sensor for detecting an engine load; and a control device for controlling the swirl control valve. The control device controls the swirl control valve, when the engine load detected by the load sensor is lower than a predetermined load, so that the swirl ratio is higher when a suction intake gas amount is increasing, compared to when it is decreasing.