A control method can be used for securing continuously variable valve duration (CVVD) startability when a CVVD error is recognized by a CVVD controller during an operation of a CVVD system. The control method includes performing engine startability securing control for solving the CVVD error by applying a starting air volume to starting of an engine through at least one of a valve position fixing value, a valve position threshold, or an immediately previous valve position value.

A throttle valve heating control apparatus of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system for a combustion engine includes a heat source installed in a valve housing and operated when receiving a voltage from a battery of a vehicle, a first sensor unit configured to measure a temperature of outside air of the vehicle, a second sensor unit configured to measure the voltage of the battery, and a controller configured to selectively control an operation of the heat source when the temperature of the outside air and the voltage satisfy a predetermined condition in a state in which the vehicle is turned on, and to determine whether an operation of the heat source is maintained through re-comparison of the temperature of the outside air in a state in which the heat source is operated.

Methods and system are provided to heat a catalyst of an after-treatment system for a vehicle. The after-treatment system comprises a heating module having a plurality of heating elements. Each of the plurality of heating elements is independently operable to provide thermal energy to the catalyst of the after-treatment system. One or more of the heating elements of the heating module are selectively operated to provide heat to the catalyst based on an operational parameter of the after-treatment system.

Provided is an injector control unit capable of preventing unintended fuel injection other than an engine drive period. The injector control unit includes a cutoff mechanism for cutting off current supply to the injector from at least the ignition OFF to the next ignition ON.

A method of reducing cold start emissions in a series mode hybrid electric vehicle, including an internal combustion engine with an exhaust duct having a catalyst and a downstream oxygen sensor, an output of the combustion engine being connected to an electric generator with a power output of at least 10 kW that is connected to an electric motor which is coupled to a drive shaft of two or more wheels. The method includes detecting a cold start condition, injecting fuel into the engine such that combustion at a lambda value, λ, is achieved for which λ>1, running the engine at a speed of 1000 rpm or higher, determining if the efficiency of the catalyst reaches a first level, setting λ to about 1 after the predetermined efficiency level of the catalyst has been reached, and reducing the speed to working conditions when the catalyst efficiency reaches a second level.

The invention relates to a method for starting operation of an internal combustion engine, wherein the method comprises the steps of: when the internal combustion engine is not operating, providing pressurized gas in the air intake duct; opening the intake valve in a first cylinder while keeping the exhaust valve of the first cylinder closed so as to allow the pressurized gas to enter the first cylinder, press onto the corresponding piston and thereby move the corresponding piston and rotate the crank shaft; supplying fuel to at least one of the cylinders where the corresponding piston has performed or is performing a compression step so as to ignite the fuel and start operation of the engine.

Methods and systems are provided for cylinder deactivation to reduce tailpipe emissions and increase exhaust temperature. In one example, a method may include operating a first set of cylinders in a first combustion cycle over modified eight strokes and a second set of cylinders in a second combustion cycle over modified four strokes. Each cylinder in the first set of cylinders may be selectively deactivated via a variable displacement engine (VDE) mechanism while each cylinder in the second set of cylinders may be selectively deactivated via an active decompression technology (ADT) mechanism.

Systems and methods for starting an engine of a hybrid vehicle are described. In one example, the method uses the engine to generate larger amounts of thermal energy while the engine is rotated under power of an electric machine. The systems and methods described herein may be applied to series and parallel hybrid vehicles.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to systems and methods of operating internal combustion (IC) engines, and more specifically to systems and methods of starting compression ignition (CI) engines when the surrounding environment is significantly colder than the normal operating temperature of the engine (i.e., “cold-starting”). In some embodiments, the CI engine can include an ignition-assist device. In some embodiments, a method of operating a CI engine during cold-start can include opening an intake valve to draw a volume of air into the combustion chamber, moving a piston from a bottom-dead-center position to a top-dead-center position in a combustion chamber at a compression ratio of between about 15 and about 25, injecting a volume of fuel, the fuel having a cetane number of less than about 30, closing the intake valve, and combusting substantially all of the volume of fuel.

Provided is a control device of a vehicle including an alternator that generates power using a driving force of an internal combustion engine, wherein when the alternator is cold and a request power of an accessory is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control device increases the number of revolutions of the internal combustion engine compared with the number of revolutions when the alternator is not cold.