A normal control unit performs a normal control to cause an injection apparatus to perform predetermined normal injection and subsequently cause an ignition plug to perform ignition. In a delay region in a combustion chamber, propagation of flame is retarded further than in another region when the normal control is performed. In a knock state, self-ignition occurs in the delay region when the normal control is performed. When the knock state is established, an adjustment control unit performs, to suppress the self-ignition, an adjustment control to perform main injection and subsequently perform sub-injection in a second half of a compression stroke to adjust a fuel distribution in the combustion chamber to facilitate propagation of flame to the delay region further than in the normal control and subsequently cause the ignition plug to perform the ignition.

Methods and systems are provided for injecting gaseous fuel during an engine start. In one example, a method comprises generating gaseous fuel via a fuel gasification device and injecting the gaseous fuel via a fuel injector. The fuel injector is configured to inject adjacent to an ignition device.

An internal combustion engine with at least one combustion chamber, at least one fuel delivery line for the delivery of fuel to at least one combustion chamber, and at least one differential pressure control valve for controlling the pressure in the at least one fuel delivery line. The at least one differential pressure control valve is configured to perform a valve opening or valve closing movement based on a pressure difference between the at least one fuel delivery line and a reference volume having a reference pressure. The internal combustion engine further includes at least one pressure relief valve, separate from the at least one differential pressure control valve, and configured to open to cause a pressure relief in the reference volume and a decrease in the reference pressure if a drop occurs in the power to be performed by the internal combustion engine.

Provided is a fuel control device for an internal combustion engine that is able to detect the correct boost voltage regardless of the temperature condition, and stabilize the boost voltage value, and is able to inject an accurate amount of fuel from a fuel injection valve. The boost voltage value detected when current is not flowing in a boosting capacitor at least during a boosting operation is taken as a legitimate boost voltage value, and this legitimate boost voltage value is compared with a prescribed boost voltage value to control the boosting operation. Thus, it is possible to stabilize the boost voltage at a legitimate boost voltage value regardless of the temperature condition, and it is possible to inject an accurate amount of fuel from a fuel injection valve, thereby improving fuel consumption.

An action of injection of the main injection fuel (QM) from the fuel injector (3) is started within a range of crank angle from 10 degree before the compression top dead center to 10 degree after the compression top dead center. A smaller amount of the auxiliary injection fuel (QN) than the main injection fuel (QM) is made to be injected from the fuel injector (3) before the main injection fuel (QM) so as to make the auxiliary injection fuel (QN) ignite by the premixed charge compression ignition. The injection timing of the auxiliary injection fuel (QN) is controlled to a timing whereby a heat generated by the premixed charge compression ignition of the auxiliary injection fuel (QN) causes the premixed charge compression ignition of the main injection fuel (QM) after the start of injection of the main injection fuel (QM).

Methods and systems are provided for improving engine knock control by accounting for a drop in charge cooling efficiency of a knock control fluid at higher temperatures. In response to the prediction of an elevated temperature of a knock control fluid at a time of release from a direct injector, a pulse width of the injection is adjusted. Any knock relief deficits are compensated for using alternate engine adjustments, such as boost or spark timing adjustments.

Methods and systems for optimizing fuel economy and maintaining particulate emissions below a threshold of an engine system in a vehicle. An engine system has port fuel injection, direct injection, variable compression ratio, and independent compression/expansion. A processor predicts settings for the four systems that optimize for a fuel economy that is maximized. A particulate rate of the engine system is computed based on the settings. A determination is made of whether the particulate rate is below a threshold. When the particulate rate is below the threshold, command signals are delivered to actuators of the systems to move to the settings. When the threshold is exceeded, the settings are revised to maintain the particulate below the threshold while optimizing for fuel economy.

A system for and a method of knock detection and control for an engine utilizes a knock sensor configured to generate a knock signal indicative of a vibration of the engine caused by abnormal combustion. A controller is configured to receive the knock signal, determine, with respect to a crank angle of the engine, distinct monitoring windows for low speed pre-ignition (LSPI) knock and spark knock, respectively, based on (i) spark timing and (ii) an appropriate mass fraction burn (MFB) location, monitor the knock signal using the distinct monitoring windows, detect one of LSPI knock and spark knock based on the monitoring, and control the engine to mitigate the detected LSPI knock or spark knock.

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.

The present invention refers to a method for operating an internal combustion engine in a transition operating mode, comprising the steps of determining an initial fuel oxidizer ratio threshold and a demanded fuel oxidizer ratio for a fuel mixture to be supplied to a combustion chamber of the engine. If the demanded fuel oxidizer ratio exceeds the initial fuel oxidizer ratio threshold, the engine is temporally operated in a raised response mode, in which a fuel oxidizer ratio threshold is increased from the initial fuel oxidizer ratio threshold to a raised fuel oxidizer ratio threshold, and a fuel mixture having the demanded fuel oxidizer ratio is supplied into the combustion chamber of the engine.