A multi-chamber assembly safely stores enhancement gas for efficient and complete combustion of a carbonaceous fuel is presented. The multi-chamber assembly safely stores the enhancement gas, for example, for use by the internal combustion engine such as an internal combustion engine of a vehicle and/or a generator.

Engine-control-apparatus includes: engine including injector injecting fuel into combustion-chamber and ignition-plug igniting air-fuel-mixture in combustion-chamber; and controller controlling injector/ignition-plug to switch combustion-mode based on required-torque of engine. Combustion-mode includes: SI-combustion of gasoline-fuel with ignition; first-HCCI-combustion of reformed-fuel without ignition, reformed-fuel being obtained by reforming portion of gasoline-fuel into peroxide; second-HCCI-combustion of reformed-fuel with ignition; and diffusion-combustion of reformed-fuel without ignition. Controller controls injector/ignition-plug to switch combustion-mode: to second-HCCI-combustion when required-torque is less than first-predetermined-value; to first-HCCI-combustion when required-torque is first-predetermined-value or more and less than second-predetermined-value larger than first-predetermined-value; to SI-combustion when required-torque is second-predetermined-value or more and less than third-predetermined-value larger than second-predetermined-value; and to diffusion-combustion when required-torque is third-predetermined-value or more.

Engine control apparatus includes: engine including injector configured to inject fuel into combustion chamber and ignition plug configured to ignite air-fuel mixture of fuel and air in combustion chamber; temperature sensor configured to detect temperature of engine; and controller configured to control injector based on temperature detected by temperature sensor. Fuel injected by injector is at least one of gasoline fuel and reformed fuel obtained by reforming part of gasoline fuel into peroxide. Controller controls injector so as to inject gasoline fuel at first target injection timing when temperature detected by temperature sensor exceeds predetermined temperature at starting of engine, and controls injector so as to inject reformed fuel at second target injection timing retarded from first target injection timing when temperature detected by temperature sensor is equal to or lower than predetermined temperature.

A system for efficient combustion of a carbonaceous fuel is presented. An ultra low quantity of enhancement gas may be introduced to an internal combustion engine to improve at least one operating metric of the internal combustion engine such as fuel economy and/or reduce engine-out emissions, for example in a vehicle or generator.

An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses a switching rail in combination with a first fuel rail to operate the internal combustion engine of the system. The first fuel rail receives the first fuel for combustion within one or more of the combustion cylinders of the internal combustion engine. The switching rails are configured to receive either the first fuel or a second fuel. A controller is used to operate a switching valve that, depending on the position of the switching valve, routes or directs either the second fuel or the first fuel from their respective fuel tanks. In a switching condition, such as startup, shutdown, or when the second fuel is not available, the controller can use the first fuel as the alternate source of fuel provided through the switching rail.

An engine device (21) including: an intake manifold (67) configured to supply air into a cylinder (77), an exhaust manifold (44) configured to output exhaust gas from the cylinder; a gas injector (98) which mixes a gaseous fuel with the air supplied from the intake manifold; and a main fuel injection valve (79) configured to inject a liquid fuel into the cylinder for combustion. At the time of switching the operation mode from one to another between a gas mode and a diesel mode, a supply amount of a first fuel to be supplied in a post-switching operation mode is increased to a switching threshold value through an increase control which monotonously increases the supply amount, and then is controlled by a speed-governing control based on the engine rotation number. The switching threshold value is set based on the engine rotation number or the engine load.

Various methods and systems are provided for maintaining combustion stability in a multi-fuel engine. In one example, a system comprises a first fuel system to deliver liquid fuel to at least one cylinder of an engine, a second fuel system to deliver gaseous fuel to the at least one cylinder, and a controller. The controller is configured to supply the gaseous fuel to the at least one cylinder, inject the liquid fuel to the at least one cylinder thereby to ignite the liquid fuel and the gaseous fuel in the at least one cylinder via compression-ignition, and adjust an amount of the gaseous fuel relative to an amount of the liquid fuel based on a measured parameter associated with auto-ignition of end gases subsequent to the compression-ignition of the liquid fuel.

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.

Engine control apparatus includes: engine including injector configured to inject fuel into combustion chamber and ignition plug configured to ignite air-fuel mixture of fuel and air in combustion chamber; temperature sensor configured to detect temperature of engine; and controller configured to control injector based on temperature detected by temperature sensor. Fuel injected by injector is at least one of gasoline fuel and reformed fuel obtained by reforming part of gasoline fuel into peroxide. Controller controls injector so as to inject gasoline fuel at first target injection timing when temperature detected by temperature sensor exceeds predetermined temperature at starting of engine, and controls injector so as to inject reformed fuel at second target injection timing retarded from first target injection timing when temperature detected by temperature sensor is equal to or lower than predetermined temperature.

In a method of controlling a dual fuel engine in which power in the form of a first gaseous fuel and in the form of a self-igniting second fuel is fed to at least one combustion chamber, a knock signal representative of the combustion chamber is detected. When a knock signal indicating a knock of at least a first intensity is detected, the amount of first fuel fed to the combustion chamber of the engine is increased, the increased introduction of power into the combustion chamber caused by the increase in the amount of first fuel being compensated by a corresponding reduction in the power contribution of the second fuel. When a knock signal indicating a knock of at least a second intensity greater than the first intensity is detected, the amount of first fuel is reduced.