In an ignition apparatus, an ignition plug is provided. In the ignition plug, a tubular outer conductor surrounds an inner conductor, and a dielectric member is disposed in the tubular outer conductor to define a plasma formation region between the inner conductor and the dielectric member. The plasma formation region has opposing first and second ends in the axial direction of the tubular outer conductor, and the first end of the plasma formation region communicates with the combustion chamber. A power source is connected between the inner and tubular outer conductors. A controller causes a power source to apply electromagnetic power pulses with intervals therebetween across the inner and tubular outer conductors during an ignition cycle of an engine. Each of the electromagnetic power pulses forms at least a corresponding plasma in the plasma formation region.

An engine control apparatus includes an ignition control section and an injection control section. When the partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the ignition control section causes an ignition plug to carry out: main ignition in which a spark is generated in a late period of a compression stroke or an initial period of a expansion stroke to initiate the SI combustion; and preceding ignition in which the spark is generated at earlier timing than the main ignition. Also, when the partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the injection control section causes the injector to inject fuel at such timing that the fuel exists in a cylinder at an earlier time point than the preceding ignition. The energy of the preceding ignition is set to be higher when fuel concentration specified by a fuel concentration specification section is low than when the fuel concentration is high.

An engine apparatus includes an ignition control section and an injection control section. When the partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the ignition control section causes an ignition plug to carry out: main ignition in which a spark is generated in a late period of a compression stroke or an initial period of an expansion stroke to initiate the SI combustion; and preceding ignition in which the spark is generated at earlier timing than the main ignition. Also, when the partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the injection control section causes the injector to inject fuel at such timing that the fuel exists in a cylinder at an earlier time point than the preceding ignition. Energy of the preceding ignition is set to be lower when a swirl flow is gentle than when the swirl flow is intense.

A control apparatus for a compression-ignition type engine is applied to an engine capable of carrying out partial compression ignition combustion in which an air-fuel mixture is subjected to CI combustion by self-ignition. The control apparatus creates a lean A/F environment where an air-fuel ratio as a ratio between air and fuel in a cylinder exceeds 20 and is lower than 35, or a lean G/F environment where a gas air-fuel ratio as a ratio between entire gas and the fuel in the cylinder exceeds 18 and is lower than 50 and the air-fuel ratio substantially matches a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. Prior to planned timing of the CI combustion, in the lean A/F environment or the lean G/F environment, the control apparatus causes an ignition plug to generate a spark and to generate a high-temperature portion.

In an ignition control device for an internal-combustion engine, signal separation circuitry receives and separates an ignition control signal that is an integrated signal of a main ignition signal for controlling the main ignition operation, an energy input signal for controlling the energy input operation, and a target secondary current command signal. The ignition control signal is formed of a first signal and a second signal that are pulsed signals. The signal separation circuitry is configured to generate, from the ignition control signal, the main ignition signal based on rising edges of the first signal and the second signal as pulse-waveform information of the first signal and the second signal, generate the energy input signal based on a pulse width of the second signal as pulse-waveform information of the second signal, and generate the target secondary current command signal based on pulse-waveform information of the first signal.

An object herein is to provide, with respect to a spark ignition-type internal combustion engine in which the pressure of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber becomes high, an ignition device which can suppress occurrence of a creeping discharge and thus contributes to highly efficient operation of the internal combustion engine. The ignition device according to this application includes: an ignition plug having a high-voltage side electrode and a ground side electrode; a high voltage generation device that applies a voltage to the high-voltage side electrode of the ignition plug; and an extension device that extends a dielectric breakdown-reaching time period that is a time period from when the voltage is applied to the high-voltage side electrode of the ignition plug, to when a voltage between the high-voltage side electrode and the ground side electrode of the ignition plug reaches a dielectric breakdown voltage.

An ignition system has an ignition plug and an ignition control unit that controls the ignition plug. When an engine is in a predetermined operating state, the ignition control unit performs ignition control after top dead center to perform ignition after the compression top dead center. The ignition system has an airflow support structure that facilitates the flow of airflow through a discharge gap at least after the compression top dead center. The ignition system is configured such that due to the airflow support structure and the timing of the ignition, airflow at a flow rate of 5 m/s or more flows through the discharge gap during a spark period after top dead center, which is the generation period of the discharge spark in the ignition control after top dead center.

An electronic circuit (101) for controlling a spark of a spark plug (SP1) in a capacitor discharge ignition system (100) for a combustion engine. The electronic circuit (101) comprises an ignition coil (110) dimensioned and configured to provide current to the spark plug (SP1), an ignition capacitor (C1) dimensioned and configured to supply energy to the primary winding (L1), an voltage source (130) dimensioned and configured to supply energy to at least one of the ignition capacitor (C1) and the primary winding (L1), a first switch (SW1) connected to the first primary terminal (TL1) and the first source terminal (TS1), a second switch (SW2) connected to the second capacitor terminal (TC2) and the second source terminal (TS2), and a third switch (SW3) connected to the second capacitor terminal (TC2) and the first source terminal (TS1). A capacitor discharge ignition system (100) including the electronic circuit (101) and a combustion engine including the capacitor discharge ignition system (100).

Methods, systems, and devices for managing motor torque smoothing for internal combustion engine cylinder recharging events are described herein. An engine controller in a vehicle for managing motor torque smoothing for internal combustion engine cylinder recharging events may be configured to operate the internal combustion engine at a firing fraction that is less than a value of 1.0, wherein one or more cylinders are not designated to be fired, determine a recharge event time period where a particular one of the cylinders that have not been designated to be fired is recharged, identify a disruption quantity of torque during the recharging event time period, and actuate an additional motor to initiate a supplemental quantity of torque during the recharge event time period based on the disruption quantity of torque.

An engine control apparatus includes an ignition control section and an injection control section. When partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the ignition control section causes an ignition plug to carry out: main ignition in which a spark is generated in a late period of a compression stroke or an initial period of a expansion stroke to initiate the SI combustion; and preceding ignition in which the spark is generated at earlier timing than the main ignition. Also, when the partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the injection control section causes the injector to inject fuel at such timing that the fuel exists in a cylinder at an earlier time point than the preceding ignition. Energy of the preceding ignition is set to be lower when an in-cylinder temperature specified by an in-cylinder temperature specification section is high than when the in-cylinder temperature is low.