A first intake manifold is connected to a first group of cylinders, a second distinct intake manifold is connected to a second group of cylinders and a first, respectively a second, exhaust manifold for receiving the exhaust gas emitted from the first, respectively the second, group of cylinders. An EGR line is connected to the first and second exhaust manifolds. A mixing unit includes a four-way valve having a first inlet connected to an air line, a second inlet connected to the EGR line, a first outlet connected to the first intake manifold and a second outlet connected to the second intake manifold. The first inlet is connected to the air line, the second inlet is connected to the EGR line. The first outlet and said second outlet form a substantially X-shape. The first inlet and said second inlet are coaxial. The first outlet and second outlet are coaxial such that the first inlet is diagonally facing the second inlet and the first outlet is diagonally facing the second outlet.

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine system. The system includes a mixing unit comprising a four-way valve. The four-way valve having a first inlet connected to the EGR line, a second inlet connected to the air inlet line, a first outlet connected to the first intake manifold and a second outlet connected to the second intake manifold. The four-way valve is designed so that, in said normal operating mode, the intake gases supplied to the first intake manifold and to the second intake manifold have approximately the same proportion of exhaust gas and fresh air and so that, in said cylinder deactivation mode, the intake gas supplied to the first intake manifold only includes exhaust gas and the fresh air is directed exclusively to the second intake manifold.

A controller executes a first suspending process or a second suspending process when a vehicle satisfies a predetermined first condition or a predetermined second condition. The controller executes an integration process that, during execution of the first suspending process or the second suspending process, obtains an integrated value of an intake air amount of the internal combustion engine from when the first suspending process or the second suspending process that is being executed was started. When the integrated value is greater than or equal to a threshold, the controller stops the first suspending process or the second suspending process that is being executed. When the amount of particular matter deposited in a filter is the same, a first threshold, which is the threshold for the first suspending process, is greater than a second threshold, which is the threshold for the second suspending process.

A CPU of a control device is configured to perform a specific cylinder fuel cutoff process of causing an internal combustion engine to operate such that supply of fuel to some cylinders out of a plurality of cylinders is stopped and supply of fuel to the other cylinders is maintained and a fastening force decreasing process of decreasing a fastening force of a lockup clutch of a torque converter. The CPU is configured to start the specific cylinder fuel cutoff process in a state in which the fastening force has been decreased through the fastening force decreasing process when the specific cylinder fuel cutoff process is performed in a state in which the internal combustion engine operates with a load.

Systems and methods for operating an engine with deactivating and non-deactivating valves are presented. In one example, valves of a cylinder are deactivated in a closed state in response to an indication of degradation of a valve of the cylinder. Further, fuel flow to the cylinder may be stopped via ceasing to inject fuel to the cylinder.

Systems and methods are provided for operating a port fuel and direct injection fuel system of a rolling variable displacement engine (rVDE). In one example, a method may include selecting between controlling a lift pump of the fuel system to output fuel at a mechanically limited pressure and controlling the lift pump to output fuel at a pressure lower than the mechanically limited pressure based on whether port fuel injection is used. In this way, the lift pump may be controlled without feedback from a pressure sensor, reducing system costs, while electrical power consumption increases due to operating the lift pump to output fuel at the mechanically limited pressure are minimized due to the rVDE technology, which reduces port fuel injection usage.

A method of operating a dual fuel engine includes conveying intake air, and a first fuel as a vapor and as a liquid, into a combustion cylinder in an engine, and directly injecting a second fuel into the combustion cylinder to form a first combustion charge of the first fuel as a vapor and as a liquid, the second fuel, and intake air. The second fuel is ignited to initiate combustion of the first combustion charge. Operating the dual fuel engine further includes varying at least one of, a vapor proportion of the first fuel or a total proportion of the first fuel, in a subsequent combustion charge to mitigate undesired combustion. The first fuel can include a liquid alcohol fuel. The second fuel can include a liquid compression-ignition fuel. Related apparatus and control logic is also disclosed.

Systems and methods for starting an engine of a hybrid vehicle are described. In one example, the method uses the engine to generate larger amounts of thermal energy while the engine is rotated under power of an electric machine. The systems and methods described herein may be applied to series and parallel hybrid vehicles.

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine system (100), comprising: —an internal combustion engine (2) comprising a cylinder block (3) housing a plurality of cylinders (4), a first intake manifold (6a) connected to a first group of cylinders (4a) a second distinct intake manifold (6b) connected to a second group of cylinders (4b) and a first, respectively a second, exhaust manifold (8a, 8b) for receiving the exhaust gas emitted from the first, respectively the second, group of cylinders (4a, 4b); —an air inlet line (10); —an EGR line (20) connected to the first and second exhaust manifolds (8a, 8b); wherein the internal combustion engine system is operable in at least two operating modes, respectively a normal operating mode in which all cylinders are supplied with fuel and a regeneration operating mode, in which the cylinders of the first group of cylinders (4a) are no longer supplied with fuel, characterized in that: —the system also includes a mixing unit (30) comprising a four-way valve, said four-way valve (30) having a first inlet (31) connected to the EGR line (20), a second inlet (32) connected to the air inlet line (10), a first outlet (33) connected to the first intake manifold (6a) and a second outlet (34) connected to the second intake manifold (6b); —the four-way valve is designed so that, in said normal operating mode, the intake gases supplied to the first intake manifold (6a) and to the second intake manifold (6b) have approximately the same proportion of exhaust gas and so that, in said regeneration operating mode, the intake gas supplied to the first intake manifold (6a) only includes exhaust gas.

An internal combustion engine having an engine control configured to operate in first and second operating modes. The first operating mode is configured to leave as many ignition devices deactivated per cycle in dependence on the currently present power demand. The second operating mode is configured to reduce a risk of deflagration due to unburned gas-air mixture present in an exhaust stroke. After a first number (N.sub.1) of cycles, for a second number (N.sub.2) of cycles, the second operating mode has more piston-cylinder units produce power per cycle than required for the currently present power demand. After the second number (N.sub.2) of cycles, for a third number (N.sub.3) of cycles, in dependence on a currently present power demand per cycle, the second operating mode has so many piston-cylinder units produce power that this results in a torque of the crankshaft adapted to the currently present power demand.