A method, an apparatus, a computer program, an engine intake system, and a vehicle are provided. The method is for controlling an air charge provided to a vehicular engine. The method comprises determining a target valve lift of an inlet valve in a continuously variable valve lift system based, at least in part, on: a required air charge for a given torque request; and an estimate of a variable pressure of an engine intake manifold for a time when the inlet valve is to be actuated in accordance with the target valve lift. The method also comprises controlling actuation of the inlet valve in the continuously variable valve lift system in accordance with the determined target valve lift.

A method is provided for monitoring the operation of intake valves of an internal combustion engine, where at least one or more cylinders of the engine have more than one intake valve, and adapted to operate in different modes where at least one of the intake valves for a particular cylinder can be selectively activated, or deactivated so as not to open during a firing sequence for the cylinder. The method includes a) monitoring the intake manifold air pressure; b) during a time window with respect to the intake phase for said respective cylinder, determining the condition of whether the manifold pressure drops by a threshold or to a particular threshold level; and c) determining the functionality of the intake valves dependent on the outcome of step b).

A control system of a compression-ignition engine includes an intake variable mechanism and a controller. In a second operating range, the controller controls the intake variable mechanism so that, while partial compression-ignition combustion is performed under an air-fuel ratio (A/F) lean environment, an intake valve open timing takes timing at an advanced side of an exhaust TDC. In a first operating range on a lower load side, the controller controls the intake variable mechanism so that, while the partial compression-ignition combustion is performed under the A/F lean environment, under the same engine speed condition, the intake valve close timing is more retarded within a range on a retarded side of an intake BDC as the engine load decreases, and an absolute value of a change rate of the intake valve close timing to the engine load becomes larger than in the second range.

An internal combustion engine control device is provided. The internal combustion engine control device is provided with a generator that is driven by exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine control device is capable of increasing the power generation of the generator. The internal combustion engine control device includes an exhaust amount control unit. The exhaust amount control unit increases the amount of the exhaust gas supplied to the generator in a coasting state.

A method for controlling the air-fuel ratio of a vehicle includes: calculating the air amount charged in a cylinder of an engine by using a fresh air amount, a residual air amount remaining inside the cylinder of the engine, and a backflow gas amount flowing back into the cylinder upon the valve overlap of an intake vale and an exhaust valve of the engine, correcting it with the purge gas flow rate supplied to an intake manifold of the engine when the active purge system is operated, calculating the final fuel amount by correcting the fuel amount injected by a fuel injection device with the amount of the fuel component contained in the purge gas when the active purge system is operated, and controlling the air-fuel ratio based on the final air amount and the final fuel amount.

A variable valve lift (VVL) system for an internal combustion engine is provided that utilizes hydraulic fluid supply pressure feedback to provide noise free operation. The VVL system includes a high pressure pump, a solenoid valve, a pressure translating device, a one-way valve, and a hydraulic fluid pressure sensor. The high pressure pump is fluidly connected to the solenoid valve and pressure translating device by at least one fluid gallery that forms a high pressure chamber. The solenoid valve selectively fluidly connects the high pressure chamber to a middle pressure chamber formed by at least one fluid gallery that fluidly connects the one-way valve to the solenoid valve. The hydraulic fluid pressure sensor is arranged to detect a hydraulic fluid supply pressure of the one-way valve and provides feedback to an electronic controller that determines a proper fluid intake opening timing of the solenoid valve.

An operating range boundary for switching a cam for driving an intake valve (drive cam) is changed in a direction of decreasing an engine load if a target EGR rate is predicted to increase across the contour line of the EGR rate. By changing the boundary, the drive cam is switched from a large cam to a small cam before an operating point is transferred from a partitioned range with a low target EGR rate to a partitioned range with a high target EGR rate.

An electro-mechanical variable valve mechanism includes a variable valve mechanism body, a latching pin arranged in front of the variable valve mechanism body, and an inner body arranged inside the variable valve mechanism body. The latching pin reciprocates in a longitudinal direction of the variable valve mechanism body and the inner body to latch the variable valve mechanism body and the inner body.

Provided is a control device for controlling an internal combustion engine including a fuel injection valve, an ignition device, and a variable valve operating device configured to switch between a base opening/closing mode of an intake valve and a continuous valve opening mode. The control device is configured to execute a cold start control at a cold start. The cold start control includes: a startability improvement processing executed in a predetermined number of cycles after the start of cranking; and a combustion start processing executed after this predetermined number of cycles. In the startability improvement processing, the continuous valve opening mode is selected in at least an expansion stroke and an exhaust stroke, and fuel injection is executed without ignition. In the combustion start processing, the base opening/closing mode is selected continuously during one cycle, and ignition is executed.

A method and apparatus for continually and rapidly adjusting the output torque of an engine according to a torque demand uses an active tappet to vary the instant air charge in a combustion chamber. The invention allows substantially efficient combustion throughout the engine operating map. Various methods of changing the charge of air are disclosed.