In one aspect, an engine ignition apparatus for a natural gas engine may include a housing including a drive piston, a floating piston, a controllable hydraulic fluid chamber located between the drive piston and the floating piston, and an ignition chamber acted on by the floating piston, the ignition chamber having an outlet formed by a plurality of orifices, the outlet being in direct communication with a combustion chamber of the engine. In another aspect, an engine ignition apparatus for a natural gas engine may include, among other features, a controllable valve connected to a hydraulic fluid chamber, and configured to open and release a hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic fluid chamber, and to close. In still another aspect, a method for controlling an engine ignition apparatus for an engine includes, among other features, controlling a volume of a hydraulic fluid chamber of an ignition apparatus.

In one aspect, an engine ignition apparatus for a natural gas engine may include a housing including a drive piston, a floating piston, a controllable hydraulic fluid chamber located between the drive piston and the floating piston, and an ignition chamber acted on by the floating piston, the ignition chamber having an outlet formed by a plurality of orifices, the outlet being in direct communication with a combustion chamber of the engine. In another aspect, an engine ignition apparatus for a natural gas engine may include, among other features, a controllable valve connected to a hydraulic fluid chamber, and configured to open and release a hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic fluid chamber, and to close. In still another aspect, a method for controlling an engine ignition apparatus for an engine includes, among other features, controlling a volume of a hydraulic fluid chamber of an ignition apparatus.

An exhaust gas recirculation system for a multi-cylinder engine is provided, which includes an exhaust manifold connected to a cylinder head, a catalyst connected to a downstream end of the exhaust manifold in terms of an exhaust gas flow, an EGR gas outlet provided downstream of the catalyst, an in-head EGR passage penetrating the cylinder head, and an EGR pipe extending from the EGR gas outlet and directly connected to an inlet of the in-head EGR passage to lead EGR gas thereto. The catalyst is disposed so that the exhaust gas flows therein from a first side to a second side in an engine cylinder lined-up direction. The EGR gas outlet is located on the second side with respect to the center of the engine in the cylinder lined-up direction, and the inlet of the in-head EGR passage is located in the first side with respect to the engine center.

An exhaust gas recirculation system for a multi-cylinder engine is provided, which includes an exhaust manifold connected to a cylinder head, a catalyst connected to a downstream end of the exhaust manifold in terms of an exhaust gas flow, an EGR gas outlet provided downstream of the catalyst, an in-head EGR passage penetrating the cylinder head, and an EGR pipe extending from the EGR gas outlet and directly connected to an inlet of the in-head EGR passage to lead EGR gas thereto. The catalyst is disposed so that the exhaust gas flows therein from a first side to a second side in an engine cylinder lined-up direction. The EGR gas outlet is located on the second side with respect to the center of the engine in the cylinder lined-up direction, and the inlet of the in-head EGR passage is located in the first side with respect to the engine center.

An engine EGR system is provided, which includes an engine body, an intake passage, an exhaust passage and an EGR passage configured to recirculate exhaust gas as EGR gas to the intake passage. The EGR passage includes an EGR cooler and an EGR internal passage constituting the EGR passage upstream of the EGR cooler, and including a passage passing through a cylinder head. The EGR internal passage has a bent pipe part including a first bent portion at which an upstream portion of the EGR internal passage is bent away from a gas inflow port of the EGR cooler, a second bent portion located downstream of the first bent portion and bending the EGR internal passage toward the gas inflow port, and an intermediate portion connecting the first and the second bent portions by being disposed therebetween. The water-cooling passage is disposed around the bent pipe part.

An engine EGR system is provided, which includes an engine body, an intake passage, an exhaust passage and an EGR passage configured to recirculate exhaust gas as EGR gas to the intake passage. The EGR passage includes an EGR cooler and an EGR internal passage constituting the EGR passage upstream of the EGR cooler, and including a passage passing through a cylinder head. The EGR internal passage has a bent pipe part including a first bent portion at which an upstream portion of the EGR internal passage is bent away from a gas inflow port of the EGR cooler, a second bent portion located downstream of the first bent portion and bending the EGR internal passage toward the gas inflow port, and an intermediate portion connecting the first and the second bent portions by being disposed therebetween. The water-cooling passage is disposed around the bent pipe part.

A switching finger follower for an engine valve train utilizes an adjustable support assembly that eliminates potential for partial engagement during operation. A lever engagement member or latch is disposed for movement on the follower body and interacts with a lever to provide a constant contact geometry. The finger follower may be configured as a lost motion device and may include a biasing assembly and a travel limiter. The latch may support the lever in at least one precise position and may support the lever in a second position for partial lost motion, or permit the lever to pivot free of the latch for complete lost motion, as in cylinder deactivation applications.

One embodiment is a system comprising an engine including a dedicated EGR cylinder configured to provide EGR to the engine via an EGR loop, a non-dedicated cylinder, a plurality of injectors structured to inject fuel into the dedicated EGR cylinder and the non-dedicated EGR cylinder, and an electronic control system operatively coupled with the fueling system and the ignition system. The electronic control system is configured to evaluate engine operating parameters including an engine load and an engine speed. The electronic control system is responsive to variation of the engine operating parameters to control operation of the fueling system to vary combustion in the at least one dedicated cylinder between rich of stoichiometric and stoichiometric.

One embodiment is a system comprising an engine including a dedicated EGR cylinder configured to provide EGR to the engine via an EGR loop, a non-dedicated cylinder, a plurality of injectors structured to inject fuel into the dedicated EGR cylinder and the non-dedicated EGR cylinder, and an electronic control system operatively coupled with the fueling system and the ignition system. The electronic control system is configured to evaluate engine operating parameters including an engine load and an engine speed. The electronic control system is responsive to variation of the engine operating parameters to control operation of the fueling system to vary combustion in the at least one dedicated cylinder between rich of stoichiometric and stoichiometric.

Internal combustion engine and method for buffering of combustion gases and fresh air in a storage tank and producing power, torque and other functions by consuming buffered gases from storage tank for improved efficiency, improved power and torque, reduced emissions, immediate response to increase or decrease power and torque requests, new and improved functionality, kinetic energy recovery, thermal energy recovery and increased ECM flexibility.