A method for operating a supercharged internal combustion engine. Before a cold start of the engine, an electric drive device of an electrically assisted exhaust-gas turbocharger of the engine is activated such that fresh air is compressed by a compressor of the turbocharger and, in the process, is heated and is conveyed via an open overrun air recirculation valve arranged downstream of the compressor, through a short circuit back to a suction side of the compressor of the turbocharger. A proportion of the air that is heated by way of the short-circuit operation of the compressor is, downstream of the compressor and upstream of a closed throttle flap of the engine, conducted via a secondary air system into an exhaust manifold and from there via a wastegate of the turbocharger into the catalytic converters of an exhaust-gas aftertreatment device of the engine.

New and/or alternative approaches to physical plant performance control that can account for the health of the physical plant. In one example, a control algorithm is enhanced by inclusion of terms related to optimized performance and terms related to physical plant health. In another example, a performance optimized control solution is determined, a maximum allowed deviation is defined, and a final solution for physical plant control is determined taking into account health factors to minimize health impacts within the maximum allowed deviation from optimized performance, using for example a two-stage analysis. Another example uses a two level system with a low level controller and a supervisory controller, in which the supervisory controller observes health impacts of ongoing operations managed by the low level controller, and modifies one or more parameters used by the low level controller.

New and/or alternative approaches to physical plant performance control that can account for the health of the physical plant. In one example, a control algorithm is enhanced by inclusion of terms related to optimized performance and terms related to physical plant health. In another example, a performance optimized control solution is determined, a maximum allowed deviation is defined, and a final solution for physical plant control is determined taking into account health factors to minimize health impacts within the maximum allowed deviation from optimized performance, using for example a two-stage analysis. Another example uses a two level system with a low level controller and a supervisory controller, in which the supervisory controller observes health impacts of ongoing operations managed by the low level controller, and modifies one or more parameters used by the low level controller.

Various methods and systems are provided for controlling air flow through an engine by adjusting an electric turbocharger of a vehicle. In one embodiment, a system for a vehicle comprises an electric turbocharger comprising a compressor, an exhaust turbine coupled to the compressor via a shaft, and an electric machine mechanically coupled to the shaft; and a controller including a processor and instructions stored on a non-transient memory of the controller that, when executed, cause the controller to: adjust an amount of power provided to or extracted from the shaft by the electric machine based on at least one of a speed of the electric turbocharger, a cylinder pressure, and an exhaust gas temperature. By adjusting the amount of power provided to or extracted from the electric machine, the exhaust gas temperature and the speed of the electric turbocharger may be efficiently maintained within a desired operating range.

Various methods and systems are provided for controlling air flow through an engine by adjusting an electric turbocharger of a vehicle. In one embodiment, a system for a vehicle comprises an electric turbocharger comprising a compressor, an exhaust turbine coupled to the compressor via a shaft, and an electric machine mechanically coupled to the shaft; and a controller including a processor and instructions stored on a non-transient memory of the controller that, when executed, cause the controller to: adjust an amount of power provided to or extracted from the shaft by the electric machine based on at least one of a speed of the electric turbocharger, a cylinder pressure, and an exhaust gas temperature. By adjusting the amount of power provided to or extracted from the electric machine, the exhaust gas temperature and the speed of the electric turbocharger may be efficiently maintained within a desired operating range.

A watercraft propulsion system includes a propulsion unit to be driven by an engine. The engine includes a cylinder block, an air intake channel, an exhaust channel, a supercharging device, and a fuel injector. The watercraft propulsion system includes the engine, the propulsion unit to be driven by the engine, a rotation speed sensor to detect a rotation speed of the engine, an air intake pressure sensor to detect an air intake pressure of the engine, and a controller. The controller is configured or programmed to compute a command fuel injection amount so that the engine performs a combustion operation at an air/fuel ratio in a lean-burn range (lean-combustion range) according to the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed sensor and the air intake pressure detected by the air intake pressure sensor, and to drive the fuel injector based on the computed command fuel injection amount.

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine that comprises a first Brayton cycle comprising a mixed ionic-electronic conducting (MIEC) membrane that separates the O.sub.2 from the air such that the suctioned air current is free from N.sub.2; a second Brayton cycle combined in a binary manner with the first Brayton cycle and nested with a cycle selected from an Otto cycle and a diesel cycle performed by means of oxy-combustion. The second Brayton cycle transmits mechanical energy and thermal energy from exhaust gases to the first Brayton cycle. The first Brayton cycle provides to the second Brayton cycle compressed O.sub.2 from the MIEC membrane. By means of the present engine, the NOx emission into the atmosphere is prevented by the separation of N.sub.2 in the MIEC membrane.

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine that comprises a first Brayton cycle comprising a mixed ionic-electronic conducting (MIEC) membrane that separates the O.sub.2 from the air such that the suctioned air current is free from N.sub.2; a second Brayton cycle combined in a binary manner with the first Brayton cycle and nested with a cycle selected from an Otto cycle and a diesel cycle performed by means of oxy-combustion. The second Brayton cycle transmits mechanical energy and thermal energy from exhaust gases to the first Brayton cycle. The first Brayton cycle provides to the second Brayton cycle compressed O.sub.2 from the MIEC membrane. By means of the present engine, the NOx emission into the atmosphere is prevented by the separation of N.sub.2 in the MIEC membrane.

An assembly (2) is described for the electrical connection of two components, in particular of a power electronics switch (58) to an electric motor (56) of a charging device (48), wherein a first component (24) has a first contact element (4) made from a conductive material and formed along a longitudinal axis (6) and designed with an outer surface (8) at least partially surrounding the longitudinal axis (6), and a second component (30) has a second contact element (14) made from a conductive material and is designed with a cavity (18) formed along the longitudinal axis (6), whose inner surface (20) corresponds to the outer surface (8) of the first contact element (4), wherein either the inner surface (20) of the second contact element (14) or the outer surface (8) of the first contact element (4) is provided with a profile (22) which has a plurality of projecting elements, wherein the inner surface (20) and the outer surface (8) are selected with respect to their lateral dimensions such that the projecting elements of the profile (22) penetrate in an area close to the surface during insertion of the first contact element (4) into the second contact element (14).

An assembly (2) is described for the electrical connection of two components, in particular of a power electronics switch (58) to an electric motor (56) of a charging device (48), wherein a first component (24) has a first contact element (4) made from a conductive material and formed along a longitudinal axis (6) and designed with an outer surface (8) at least partially surrounding the longitudinal axis (6), and a second component (30) has a second contact element (14) made from a conductive material and is designed with a cavity (18) formed along the longitudinal axis (6), whose inner surface (20) corresponds to the outer surface (8) of the first contact element (4), wherein either the inner surface (20) of the second contact element (14) or the outer surface (8) of the first contact element (4) is provided with a profile (22) which has a plurality of projecting elements, wherein the inner surface (20) and the outer surface (8) are selected with respect to their lateral dimensions such that the projecting elements of the profile (22) penetrate in an area close to the surface during insertion of the first contact element (4) into the second contact element (14).