Systems and methods for increasing engine vacuum production and catalyst heating of a hybrid powertrain are described. In one example, a motor/generator rotates an engine at idle speed while the engine combusts air and fuel without providing torque sufficient to rotate the engine so that spark timing may be advanced or retarded from minimum spark timing for best torque to heat a catalyst and generate vacuum for vacuum consumers.

A system for combusting volatile vapors includes: a carburetor having intake valves for receiving fuel from a fuel source, air from an external air intake, and volatile vapors from a vapor source, the carburetor configured to discharge a combustion mixture into a combustion engine; a plurality of sensors configured to generate sensor data based on a respective plurality of physical properties associated with the carburetor and the combustion engine; a programmable controller configured to receive the sensor data as input from each of the plurality of sensors and to control the intake valves to regulate respective ratios of the fuel, air, and the volatile vapors drawn through the carburetor in response to the received sensor data; and a display operatively coupled to the programmable controller to display at least a real-time portion of the sensor data.

A system for combusting volatile vapors includes: a carburetor having intake valves for receiving fuel from a fuel source, air from an external air intake, and volatile vapors from a vapor source, the carburetor configured to discharge a combustion mixture into a combustion engine; a plurality of sensors configured to generate sensor data based on a respective plurality of physical properties associated with the carburetor and the combustion engine; a programmable controller configured to receive the sensor data as input from each of the plurality of sensors and to control the intake valves to regulate respective ratios of the fuel, air, and the volatile vapors drawn through the carburetor in response to the received sensor data; and a display operatively coupled to the programmable controller to display at least a real-time portion of the sensor data.