A method and a controller for controlling spark timing in a cold start condition for an engine in a vehicle propulsion system. The method includes determining whether the engine is in a cold start condition, and advancing spark timing before top dead center in a combustion cycle such that combustion heat is primarily received by a surface in a combustion chamber in the engine if the engine is in a cold start condition.

A combined slip based driver command interpreter for a vehicle is provided which may be communicatively coupled to a steering wheel angle sensor, an acceleration pedal position sensor and a brake pedal position sensor, the combined slip based driver command interpreter including, but not limited to a memory configured to store a non-linear combined lateral slip model and a non-linear combined longitudinal slip model, and a processor, the processor configured to determine a driver's intended vehicle lateral velocity and a driver's intended vehicle yaw rate based upon the angle of the steering wheel, the position of the acceleration pedal, the position of the brake pedal, a longitudinal velocity of the vehicle, the non-linear combined lateral slip model and the non-linear combined longitudinal slip model.

An ignition timing control device for an internal combustion engine including: a setting unit configured to set a target ignition timing of the internal combustion engine based on a reference ignition timing and an advance correction amount; a start determination unit configured to determine, based on change in an alcohol concentration, whether or not the fuel injected from a fuel injection valve starts to switch from a first fuel to a second fuel higher in the alcohol concentration than the first fuel; a completion determination unit configured to determine whether or not switching to the second fuel is completed; a restriction unit configured to restrict the advance correction amount during a switching period to the advance correction amount corresponding to the alcohol concentration of the first fuel or lower; and a cancel unit configured to cancel restriction of the advance correction amount after the completion of the switching is determined.

A method for engine drivability robustness includes: dividing, by an engine controller, an engine state into a starting condition, a stop condition, and a deceleration condition; dividing an injection mode index of a fuel injection into a suction compression injection of the starting condition, a suction split injection of the stop condition, and a suction compression split injection of the deceleration condition, respectively, depending on a low volatile fuel condition; and performing a variable indexing mode to prevent an engine off by applying a lambda control factor for a rich lambda control by an increase in fuel amount to the deceleration condition.

An internal combustion engine is operated at fuel-rich conditions by adjusting one or more operating parameters such as, for example, a throttle, an ignition timing, a load coupled to the engine, a fuel pressure, power to a supercharger, and power to a preheater to maintain a specified engine speed and a temperature of an exhaust gas. Operating the engine under these conditions allows the engine to function as a reformer producing a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide.