A method to control the combustion of an internal combustion engine, which comprises determining a combustion model, which provides a spark advance depending on an objective value of the rate of water to be injected, on the rotation speed, on the intake efficiency and on an open-loop contribution of a combustion index; calculating a first closed-loop contribution of the spark advance depending on the combustion index; calculating a second closed-loop contribution of the spark advance depending on a quantity indicating the knocking energy; and calculating the objective value of the spark advance angle to be operated through the sum of the spark advance value provided by the combustion model and of the first closed-loop contribution or, alternatively, of the second closed-loop contribution.

A device is provided for injecting an emulsion of water and fuel into an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. The device includes a water tank (100) for storing water, a fuel tank (101) for storing fuel, first and second fluid lines (103), an emulsion mixer having a mixing chamber (102), first and second inlets (104), and an outlet (105). The water tank (100) is connected to the first inlet (104) via the first fluid line (103). The fuel tank (101) is connected to the second inlet (104) via the second fluid line (103). The emulsion mixer is configured to output an emulsion that comprises the fuel and the water via the outlet (105). A settable mixer is in the mixing chamber (102) and is configured to set a mixture ratio between the water and the fuel in the emulsion.

A mixing apparatus for producing a fuel/water mixture for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel line, where via the fuel line a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine is suppliable with fuel, a connecting region, a water line which opens into the fuel line in the connecting region where via the water line water is introducible via the connecting region into the fuel line and is mixable with the fuel, and a valve arrangement which is disposed on the water line. The valve arrangement prevents an entry of the fuel from the fuel line into the water line when a pressure of the fuel in fuel line is higher than a pressure of the water in the water line.

A fuel pump for a liquid fuel water injection system of a motor vehicle is provided. The fuel pump includes a low-pressure pump that mixes water from a water tank of the motor vehicle with liquid fuel from a fuel tank of the motor vehicle to a liquid fuel water emulsion and provides the liquid fuel water emulsion at a low pressure. A high-pressure pump is in fluid communication with the low-pressure pump and compresses the liquid fuel water emulsion from the low pressure to a high pressure for injecting the liquid fuel water emulsion into an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle via an injection rail of the motor vehicle. A pump drive drives the low-pressure pump and the high-pressure pump synchronously with a pump frequency independently from an engine speed of the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle.

A component, which can be in the form of a fuel line or fuel distributor, is used for a fuel injection system, which is used for injecting fuel or a mixture of fuel and water having a variable water content. The component has a main body on which is provided a high-pressure inlet and at least one high-pressure outlet, the fuel, respectively the mixture being passable from the high-pressure inlet through an inner space of the main body to the least one high-pressure outlet, and an insertion member being configured in the inner space. The insertion member is at least partially made of at least a material having a modulus of compression specified to at least substantially correspond to or be lower than that of the fuel, respectively the mixture and/or lower than 30 GPa.

A fuel supply valve for a slurry fuel injector valve comprises a fuel inlet in fluid communication with a slurry fuel reservoir. A fuel outlet is in fluid communication with a nozzle of the fuel injector valve. A pump chamber port is in fluid communication with a pump chamber of the fuel injector valve. A valve gate is moveable between a first position wherein the fuel inlet is in fluid communication along a first slurry fuel flow path with the pump chamber port and a second position wherein the fuel outlet is in fluid communication along a second slurry fuel flow path with the pump chamber port. Wherein the valve gate is arranged to not substantially exert a force opposing a flow on the slurry fuel into the valve chamber when the valve gate moves between the second position and the first position and/or between the first position and the second position.

A radially deformable volume splitter of an emulsion injection common rail for a fuel injection system of a spark ignition engine. The volume splitter may be tubular and elongate, extending along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end. The volume splitter may comprise: a deformable longitudinal slot operable to radially deform the volume splitter from a first state for insertion into a cavity of the emulsion injection common rail to a second state for use inside the cavity; and a set of grooves, arranged on an outer surface of the volume splitter, for connecting an inlet of the cavity to one or more outlets of the cavity, in use.

A method to control the combustion of an internal combustion engine, which comprises determining a combustion model, which provides a spark advance depending on an objective value of the rate of water to be injected, on the rotation speed, on the intake efficiency and on an open-loop contribution of a combustion index; calculating a first closed-loop contribution of the spark advance depending on the combustion index; calculating a second closed-loop contribution of the spark advance depending on a quantity indicating the knocking energy; and calculating the objective value of the spark advance angle to be operated through the sum of the spark advance value provided by the combustion model and of the first closed-loop contribution or, alternatively, of the second closed-loop contribution.

A component, which can be in the form of a fuel line or fuel distributor, is used for a fuel injection system, which is used for injecting fuel or a mixture of fuel and water having a variable water content. The component has a main body on which is provided a high-pressure inlet and at least one high-pressure outlet, the fuel, respectively the mixture being passable from the high-pressure inlet through an inner space of the main body to the least one high-pressure outlet, and an insertion member being configured in the inner space. The insertion member is at least partially made of at least a material having a modulus of compression specified to at least substantially correspond to or be lower than that of the fuel, respectively the mixture and/or lower than 30 GPa.

A compression ignition engine system allows use of hydrous fuels, in particular hydrous biofuels, with high water content (e.g., 20-85% water). The hydrous fuel is pressurized, and also preferably heated via the engine's exhaust gas, to increase its enthalpy, and is then directly injected into the engine cylinder(s) near top dead center. The system provides brake thermal efficiency increases of 20% or more versus a comparable system using conventional diesel fuel, while allowing the use of inexpensive undistilled or lightly distilled biofuels.