In a flexible-fuel engine capable of using fuel containing alcohol as fuel to be combusted in a cylinder, the geometric compression ratio is set to 12 or more, the engine is started by using fuel containing alcohol, an intake valve closing timing at an engine start time is set to an advance angle side than a first reference timing being a timing corresponding to a most retarded angle position out of intake valve closing timings capable of starting the engine in combusting fuel of alcohol 100% in the cylinder at a first intake temperature, and is set to a timing on a retarded angle side than a second reference timing being a timing corresponding to a most advanced angle position out of intake valve closing timings capable of avoiding pre-ignition in combusting fuel of gasoline 100% at an engine start time at a second intake temperature.

A control device for a fuel injection system includes a CPU which generates a drive signal for instructing execution of compression by a feel pump; a fuel pump drive circuit which controls application of electric power to a solenoid of the feel pump based on the drive signal; a boost circuit provided with a capacitor for storing electric power to be used for driving an injector; a charging circuit which leads a current generated when the application of electric power to the solenoid is stopped to the capacitor; and an excess electric power consumption circuit which consumes excess electric power of the capacitor. While feel injection from the injector is stopped, the CPU counts the number of times the feel pump is driven and turns off the drive signal so as to stop driving the feel pump as soon as the drive count has exceeded a predetermined count value.

Systems and techniques for engine starter control may include determining a current speed band associated with an engine start for a current time increment, determining a previous speed band associated with the engine start for a previous time increment within the engine start, receiving a measured current value, determining a target current value based on the current speed band, the previous speed band, whether an acceleration or deceleration occurred between the current speed band and the previous speed band, and a mode of a system for engine starter control, and adjusting a current for the engine start based on the target current value.

Embodiments of the present invention provide An oxygen sensor (160) control module (100) for a vehicle, comprising input means (130) for receiving one or more signals (135) indicative of a likelihood of future engine cranking, an output means (140) to provide an output signal (145) to cause activation of a heater (150) associated with the oxygen sensor, and processing means (110) arranged to control, in dependence on the one or more signals (135) indicative of the likelihood of future engine cranking, the output means (140) to provide the output signal (145) to cause activation of the heater (150) associated with the oxygen sensor (160) prior to the engine cranking.

A hybrid vehicle includes powertrain components such as an engine, an automatic transmission, and a traction motor selectively coupled to the engine via a clutch and to the transmission. At least one controller is programmed to control these powertrain components. The vehicle is driven over a drive cycle that includes multiple engine starts and transmission gear shifts. An amount of fuel consumption used during these engine starts and transmissions gear shifts is stored on an on-board storage device. Subsequently, the engine is inhibited from starting and the transmission is inhibited from shifting gears based on the amount of fuel consumption associated with the engine starts and transmission gear shifts performed during the drive cycle as recalled from the storage device.

In an engine starting system, a first controller activates, in response to a driver's starting request, a first starting device to rotate the rotating shaft of an engine. A second controller is communicably connected to the first controller. The second controller recognizes rotation of the rotor of a second starting device resulting from an activation of the first starting device. The second controller starts a power running operation of the second starting device based on the recognition of the rotation of the rotor. The first controller determines whether the power running operation of the second starting device has been started. The first controller deactivates, when it is determined that the power running operation has been started, the first starting device before a rotational angular position of the rotating shaft of the engine arrives at a compression top dead center of the engine.

A method and system for controlling a fuel pressure valve of a vehicle are disclosed. The disclosed control method includes engine start entrance for controlling a controller to increase an allowable deviation between a current target fuel pressure and an actual fuel pressure when an ignition switch-on signal is received by the controller, fuel pressure determination for controlling the controller to determine whether a deviation value between the target fuel pressure and an actual fuel pressure measured by a sensor is greater than an allowable deviation, and valve control for controlling the controller to determine a duty value for control of opening of the fuel pressure valve, and then controlling the controller to open the fuel pressure valve using the determined duty value, thereby decreasing the actual fuel pressure.

In a system for controlling rotation of torque applied to a rotating shaft of an engine of a vehicle that uses the engine as a drive source thereof, a motor is provided. A main controller controls the engine and the motor. The main controller selectably activates the motor that applies first torque to the rotating shaft of the engine, and deactivates the motor. A rotary electric machine includes a rotor connected to the rotating shaft of the engine. A rotation parameter detector measures a rotation parameter associated with rotation of the rotor of the rotary electric machine. A sequence controller performs, in response to an occurrence of a trigger situation, a control sequence that controls, independently of the main controller, the rotary electric machine based on the rotation parameter measured by the rotation parameter detector, thus applying second torque to the rotating shaft of the engine.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a controller (104) and method (400) for controlling operation of an internal combustion engine (101). The controller (104) is configured to: receive a first request signal indicative of a request to stop fuel being supplied to the engine (101), and cause an intake valve (301) of a cylinder (103) of the internal combustion engine (101) to remain closed during the current revolution of the internal combustion engine (101) and revolutions of the internal combustion engine (101) immediately following the current revolution of the internal combustion engine (101) in dependence on at least one of: the intake valve (301) being closed at the time of receiving the first request signal; or a next opening of the intake valve having not been scheduled. The controller (104) is also configured to cause injection of fuel into the cylinder (103) and subsequently cause the intake valve (301) to remain closed during revolutions of the internal combustion engine (101) immediately following a next closing of the intake valve (301), in dependence on at least one of: the intake valve (301) being open at the time of receiving the first request signal; and a next opening of the intake valve (301) having already been scheduled at the time of receiving the first request signal and said next opening of the intake valve (301) is to be performed.

A method of controlling the fuel air mixture of an internal combustion engine following a cold restart includes determining a control parameter based on the value of current coolant temperature at time of current engine start, the value of coolant temperature at time of the previous engine start, a calibratable reference temperature, the total accumulated fuel mass injected during previous engine run time, the time the engine was off before the restart, and the time the engine was run after previous start. The method also includes controlling the fuel air mixture based on said control parameter.