An internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle includes a combustion chamber with a gas exchange valve which is movable between an open position and a first closed position. The gas exchange valve is movable on its path from the open position in a direction of the first closed position into an intermediate position located between the open position and the first closed position and is holdable in the intermediate position at least during a part of a compression cycle of the combustion chamber following the open position of the gas exchange valve and is movable into a second closed position following the intermediate position. The part comprises more than a half of the compression cycle and less than a whole of the compression cycle. The gas exchange valve is an inlet valve via which the combustion chamber is supplyable at least with air.

A split cycle internal combustion engine includes a combustion cylinder accommodating a combustion piston and a compression cylinder accommodating a compression piston. The engine also includes a controller arranged to receive an indication of a parameter associated with the combustion cylinder and/or a fluid associated therewith and to control an exhaust valve of the combustion cylinder in dependence on the indicated parameter to cause the exhaust valve to close during the return stroke of the combustion piston, before the combustion piston has reached its top dead centre position (TDC), when the indicated parameter is less than a target value for the parameter; and close on completion of the return stroke of the combustion piston, as the combustion piston reaches its top dead centre position (TDC), when the indicated parameter is equal to or greater than the target value for the parameter.

An internal combustion engine system includes an internal combustion engine and a control device. A difference of an intake valve closing timing with respect to a compression top dead center is referred to as a first crank angle difference; a difference of an exhaust valve closing timing with respect to an exhaust top dead center is referred to as a second crank angle difference; and a difference between the first crank angle difference and the second crank angle difference is referred to as an intake/exhaust closing timing difference. The control device is configured to execute: a fuel cut processing; and a valve driving processing to control at least one of the intake valve closing timing and the exhaust valve closing timing such that the intake/exhaust closing timing difference becomes smaller during a fuel cut operation than during a non-fuel cut operation.

A driving-side rotating body that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, a driven-side rotating body that is allowed to rotate relative to the driven-side rotating body and that rotates integrally with a camshaft that opens and closes an intake valve, and a phase adjustment mechanism for setting a relative rotation phase of the driving-side rotating body and the driven-side rotating body using a driving force of an electric motor are included. The phase adjustment mechanism is configured to be able to execute retarding control for setting the relative rotation phase to the retarding side until reaching a phase in which the internal combustion engine cannot be started and autonomous running is not possible even if fuel injection and ignition are performed in the internal combustion engine.

A split cycle internal combustion engine includes a combustion cylinder accommodating a combustion piston and a compression cylinder accommodating a compression piston. The engine also includes a controller arranged to receive an indication of a parameter associated with the combustion cylinder and/or a fluid associated therewith and to control an exhaust valve of the combustion cylinder in dependence on the indicated parameter to cause the exhaust valve to close during the return stroke of the combustion piston, before the combustion piston has reached its top dead centre position (TDC), when the indicated parameter is less than a target value for the parameter; and close on completion of the return stroke of the combustion piston, as the combustion piston reaches its top dead centre position (TDC), when the indicated parameter is equal to or greater than the target value for the parameter.

In a control apparatus, a calculation calculates an additional heating amount for an exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine in accordance with an activity of an exhaust purification catalyst in response to the internal combustion engine being required to be started after start of heating of the exhaust purification catalyst by an electric heating device. A drive control unit controls, in accordance with the additional heating amount for the exhaust gas, an amount of heat of the exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine.

A method for continuous variable valve duration (CVVD) startup control may include a duration time delay control to prevent an engine revolutions per minute (RPM) variation through applying of a delay time with respect to a startup duration in the case where the startup duration at an initial startup is switched to a driving region duration after the startup lapse by a CVVD controller.

The present disclosure relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine (IO). The method includes generating a pressure pulse in an exhaust gas system of the internal combustion engine (IO). The method also includes supplying exhaust gas from a combustion chamber of a cylinder during an exhaust outlet stroke of the cylinder into an inlet channel of the cylinder by propagating the pressure pulse from the exhaust gas system into the combustion chamber of the cylinder. The method further includes supplying the exhaust gas from the inlet channel of the cylinder into the combustion chamber of the cylinder during an intake stroke of the cylinder. By means of internal residual gas control (residual exhaust gas control), the method permits the exhaust gas temperature to be raised in at low load without negatively influencing the full load performance of the internal combustion engine (IO).

Methods and systems are provided for extending a duration of engine idle-stop while reducing a frequency of engine restart from idle-stop. In one example, in response to engine restart conditions where combustion torque is not necessary, an engine can be rotated electrically, without fuel delivery, via an electric motor. The unfueled engine spinning via the motor drives an FEAD which in turns drives an actuator coupled to the FEAD, such as an AC compressor or an automatic transmission oil pump.

Heat energy retainment systems and methods involve a set of devices configured to restrict or stop an upstream flow and release of heat energy from exhaust gas upstream from an exhaust burner upstream from a catalyst in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine and a controller configured to proximate to cold starts of the engine, control the exhaust burner to increase a temperature of the catalyst to a desired operating temperature and, during engine off periods, control the set of devices to retain the heat energy in the exhaust system proximate to the exhaust burner and the catalyst, wherein the retainment of the heat energy in the exhaust system during engine off periods decreases a duration of engine cold starts by decreasing catalyst light-off time.