A throttle valve 11 that adjusts an amount of air flowing into an intake passage of an internal combustion engine 1, a fuel injection valve 9 that injects fuel into the internal combustion engine 1, and a generator-motor 6 that drives the internal combustion engine 1 via a drive belt 5 are controlled by an internal combustion engine control unit 13. The internal combustion engine control unit 13 opens the throttle valve 11 to a first throttle opening after detecting a request to start the internal combustion engine 1, then causes the fuel injection valve 9 to inject fuel while maintaining the first throttle opening, and then opens the throttle valve 11 to a second throttle opening that is larger than the first throttle opening.

An engine control device is provided, which includes an engine body where a cylinder is formed, an exhaust passage through which exhaust gas discharged from the engine body circulates, a NO.sub.x sensor disposed in the exhaust passage and configured to detect a concentration of NO.sub.x in the exhaust gas, an injector configured to change an air-fuel ratio inside the cylinder, an in-cylinder temperature changer configured to change a temperature inside the cylinder, and a controller configured to control the injector and the exhaust shutter valve. The controller controls the injector based on a detection value of the NO.sub.x sensor to variably set the air-fuel ratio inside the cylinder, and when a particular condition that the air-fuel ratio inside the cylinder is leaner than a preset upper limit is satisfied, and causes the in-cylinder temperature changer to raise the temperature inside the cylinder.

A solenoid valve drive control circuit includes: a timing generator circuit that outputs a timing signal for controlling a driver circuit, in accordance with a solenoid valve opening and closing instruction signal; and a valve closing detector circuit that detects a valve closing timing after the timing generator circuit outputs the timing signal for instructing a solenoid valve to close, by monitoring a solenoid valve outflow terminal voltage in the solenoid valve as a signal voltage. The valve closing detector circuit includes a measurement circuit that (i) detects each timing signal reaching a threshold voltage sequentially outputted from a threshold voltage selector circuit, and (ii) outputs a signal indicating the valve closing timing when a change in a measurement value that is obtained through measurement of a time interval of each timing satisfies a predetermined condition.

The present invention relates to a diagnosis method for an ethanol sensor of a flexible fuel vehicle, the diagnosis method including: a) the fuel refilling detection step of detecting whether fuel is filled to a fuel tank; b) the maximum changeable content range calculation step of calculating a content range of ethanol in the fuel stored in the fuel tank; c) the ethanol sensor value acquirement step of determining whether the data detected from an ethanol sensor converges into a given value; d) the oxygen sensor value acquirement step of determining whether the data detected from an oxygen sensor converges into a given value; and e) the ethanol sensor abnormality determination step of determining that an error is generated from the ethanol sensor if the data acquired at the ethanol sensor value acquirement step or the data acquired at the step is not a value in the calculated range.

An electronic carburetor injection system is provided for an internal combustion engine. The electronic carburetor injection system is a standalone, user programmable fuel injection system that delivers additional fuel to the engine whenever a lean fuel/air mixture is delivered by a carburetor. The electronic carburetor injection system includes a fuel injector that delivers liquid fuel in the form of a spray discharge. A plate supports the fuel injector between the carburetor and an intake manifold of the engine. The plate includes an injector port that allows the spray discharge to enter the intake manifold without interfering with operating the carburetor. An engine control unit operates the fuel injector according to signals received from an oxygen sensor that is disposed within an exhaust system of the engine. During operation, the electronic carburetor injection system maintains the fuel/air mixture within a proper range across multiple driving conditions and changing environmental conditions.

A method of operating an arrangement includes using a rotating drive machine, wherein a value characteristic of a change of a power output of the arrangement is provided by measuring at least one parameter and/or calculation. The rotating drive machine is open and/or closed loop controlled depending on the value characteristic of the change of the power output of the arrangement and/or a load of the rotating drive machine is changed depending on the value characteristic of the change of the power output of the arrangement, such that the change of the power output of the arrangement is substantially compensated.

A method for matching the performance of a plurality of electronic fuel injectors, includes: applying a supply voltage to a control module; applying an operating voltage signal having a pulse width to each of the plurality of electronic fuel injectors individually via the control module; measuring an amount of time that each of the plurality of electronic fuel injectors supplies fuel; individually adjusting an operating voltage supplied to each of the plurality of electronic fuel injectors to cause each of the electronic fuel injectors to deliver fuel for a substantially same amount of time.

An electrical connector includes two lateral mounting bush. A knock sensor which delivers data representative of the operation of a fuel injector is integrally overmoulded in one of the mounting bush. The knock sensor includes a piezoelectric member arranged between a base member and a seismic member.

A multi-cylinder engine includes first and second subsets of cylinders. A dedicated-cylinder exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system is associated with the second subset of cylinders. A plasma ignition system is disposed in the second subset of cylinders. A controller operates the plasma ignition system to control the plasma igniters to execute plasma discharges in the second subset of cylinders to generate residual exhaust gas, which is recirculated through the dedicated-cylinder EGR system to the intake air system for introduction into intake air.

A method and system improving vehicle operation is presented. In one example, the vehicle data is transmitted between a vehicle and a cloud computer. The cloud computer adjusts engine control parameters and the vehicle is operated based on the adjusted engine control parameters.