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.

Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for converting an alcohol and water mixture to hydrogen-rich gas inside a gasoline engine to power the gasoline engine vehicle. In one aspect of the disclosed technology, an electronic control module installed on a gasoline engine vehicle for controlling the gasoline engine vehicle to run on an alcohol and water mixture as fuel is disclosure. This electronic control module includes a processor, a memory, and an interface coupled to the ECU of the gasoline engine vehicle to receive various sensor signals from the ECU. The electronic control module also includes interconnects coupled to various modules of the gasoline engine vehicle to control a process of running the vehicle on the alcohol and water mixture stored in the gasoline tank of the vehicle. The said process includes converting catalyzed alcohol and water mixture to a hydrogen-rich gas inside a cylinder of the gasoline engine.

For controlling injection of a mixture fuel of ethanol and gasoline in an internal combustion engine, ethanol concentration of the mixture fuel supplied to the engine is detected, target operation information related to the engine is obtained, a division scheme of a plurality of injection regions is determined based on the ethanol concentration, an injection region corresponding to the target operation information is determined in the determined division scheme of injection regions corresponding to the ethanol concentration, and while performing injection of the mixture fuel corresponding to the determined injection region, at least one of injection timing and injection duration of the mixture fuel is varied according to the ethanol concentration.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a system for allowing spark ignition fuel injected engines to function on a plurality of fuels. The system may include an engine system including an engine control module operatively attached to a fuel injector, and a fuel tank attached to the fuel injector, a fuel content sensor configured to sense a content of a fuel in the engine system before combustion of the fuel, and a fuel control module placed inline with the fuel injector and the fuel content sensor, the fuel control module configured to receive fuel content information from the fuel content sensor and make a change to the fuel injector pulse width based on the fuel content information, if necessary.

A compression ignition gasoline engine includes a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel containing gasoline as a main component into a cylinder; an EGR device operative to perform high-temperature EGR of introducing burnt gas generated in the cylinder into the cylinder at a high temperature; an octane number determination unit for determining whether fuel injected from the fuel injection valve has a prescribed octane number; and a combustion control unit for controlling the fuel injection valve and the EGR device in such a way that HCCI combustion occurs within the cylinder. The combustion control unit controls the EGR device, in at least a partial load operating range in which HCCI combustion is performed, in such a way that the EGR rate increases, as compared with a case where fuel is determined to have a prescribed octane number, when fuel is determined not to have a prescribed octane number.

A computer system includes a processor and a memory configured with instructions executable by the processor to determine a fuel configuration in response to input received by the HMI, determine fuel composition constituents in response to at least the fuel configuration, determine one or more fuel properties in response to at least one or more fuel composition constituents, determine one or more engine controller adjustments in response to the one or more fuel properties, and provide the one or more adjustments to an engine control system. A human-machine interface (HMI) is operatively coupled with the processor, and a memory and may be utilized to provide commissioning or service inputs.

An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The internal combustion engine system uses one or more fuels that may be hydrophilic. The system uses a water measuring sensor to determine the concentration of water in the hydrophilic fuel. To meet power demands, the system uses the measured water concentration to modify data stored in a fuel map. The fuel map provides a controller the pump speeds and mixing ratio of the fuels for a given power level. The system receives that data and modifies it based on the measured concentration of water.

A method for operating an internal combustion engine with detection of the fuel used for injection is described. In the method, the elasticity modulus of the fuel to be injected is determined at a first and a second injection pressure. A difference value is calculated from the difference between the two elasticity modulus values related to the pressure difference and is compared with a differentiating value. The fuel being used is detected depending on whether the difference value is above or below the differentiation value. In particular, the method is used for differentiating diesel fuel EN590 and biodiesel.

A method for operating an internal combustion engine includes a step of providing an oxygen-containing gas having greater than 22 volume percent oxygen and combining the oxygen-containing gas with a fuel to form a combustible mixture. The combustible mixture is provided to an internal combustion engine wherein combustion of the combustible mixture drive the internal combustion engine. An internal combustion system executing the method is also provided.

Methods and systems are provided for accurately determining the composition of a knock control fluid using sensors already present in the engine system. An intake or an exhaust oxygen sensor is used to estimate the water and the alcohol content of a knock control fluid that is direct injected into an engine cylinder responsive to an indication of abnormal combustion. A change in the pumping current of the oxygen sensor due to the water content of the knock control fluid is distinguished from a change in the pumping current of the oxygen sensor due to the alcohol content of the knock control fluid.