The present invention describes a fuel-management system for minimizing particulate emissions in turbocharged direct injection gasoline engines. The system optimizes the use of port fuel injection (PFI) in combination with direct injection (DI), particularly in cold start and other transient conditions. In the present invention, the use of these control systems together with other control systems for increasing the effectiveness of port fuel injector use and for reducing particulate emissions from turbocharged direct injection engines is described. Particular attention is given to reducing particulate emissions that occur during cold start and transient conditions since a substantial fraction of the particulate emissions during a drive cycle occur at these times. Further optimization of the fuel management system for these conditions is important for reducing drive cycle emissions.

Fuel management system for enhanced operation of a spark ignition gasoline engine. Injectors inject an anti-knock agent such as ethanol directly into a cylinder. It is preferred that the direct injection occur after the inlet valve is closed. It is also preferred that stoichiometric operation with a three way catalyst be used to minimize emissions. In addition, it is also preferred that the anti-knock agents have a heat of vaporization per unit of combustion energy that is at least three times that of gasoline.

An internal combustion engine assembly comprises: a fuel tank for containing fuel comprising alcohol, a reformer unit being in heat exchanging contact with exhaust gases from an exhaust system, for steam reforming of alcohol, a water supply unit connected to a water steam inlet of the reformer unit, and a distiller unit being with a fuel inlet connected to a distiller supply duct that is connected to the fuel tank, an alcohol outlet of the distiller unit being connected to the inlet of the reformer unit. The increased alcohol concentrations at the inlet of the steam reformer result in improved efficiency of the reforming process.

A sensor device system for detection of a liquid adjacent to the sensor having a glass fiber laminate substrate, at least one pair of comb electrodes formed on the glass fiber laminate substrate, a first of the pair of comb electrodes being interdigitated with a second of the pair of comb electrodes, the pair of comb electrodes defining geometric parameters; and a passivation coating covering the pair of comb electrodes.

The present invention describes a fuel-management system for minimizing particulate emissions in turbocharged direct injection gasoline engines. The system optimizes the use of port fuel injection (PFI) in combination with direct injection (DI), particularly in cold start and other transient conditions. In the present invention, the use of these control systems together with other control systems for increasing the effectiveness of port fuel injector use and for reducing particulate emissions from turbocharged direct injection engines is described. Particular attention is given to reducing particulate emissions that occur during cold start and transient conditions since a substantial fraction of the particulate emissions during a drive cycle occur at these times. Further optimization of the fuel management system for these conditions is important for reducing drive cycle emissions.

A control apparatus for a fuel supply apparatus is used in an engine system. The engine system includes an engine including a fuel injection valve, and the fuel supply apparatus including a fuel pump configured to supply fuel in a fuel tank to a supply pipe connected to the fuel injection valve, and a relief valve provided in the supply pipe. The control apparatus for the fuel supply apparatus includes an executor configured to execute, when the fuel is supplied to the fuel tank, relief pressure control for driving the fuel pump to open the relief valve until a predetermined termination condition is satisfied.

A storage device stores a first mapping that receives, as an input, first input variables including a previously estimated value for a fuel temperature variable, a pump variable on a state of a fuel pump, a first engine variable on a state of an engine, and an outside air temperature variable on an outside air temperature, and outputs the fuel temperature variable. Further, an execution device is configured to acquire the first input variables and estimate the fuel temperature variable by applying the acquired first input variables to the first mapping. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the fuel temperature variable by applying the first input variables to the first mapping even without providing a temperature sensor.

A fuel pressure estimation system estimates a fuel pressure variable on a fuel pressure in a supply pipe for an engine apparatus including an engine having a fuel injection valve, and a fuel supply device having a fuel pump that supplies the fuel in a fuel tank to the supply pipe, and includes a storage device and an execution device. The storage device stores a first mapping that receives, as an input, first input variables including a pump variable, a consumption flow rate variable on a consumption flow rate of the fuel, and a property variable on a property of the fuel, and outputs the fuel pressure variable. The execution device acquires the first input variables and estimates the fuel pressure variable by applying the first input variables to the first mapping.

A fuel type estimation system configured to estimate a type variable related to a type of fuel in an engine system including an engine and a fuel supply apparatus includes a storage device and an execution device. The storage device is configured to store a mapping that uses, as inputs, input variables including an engine variable related to a condition of the engine and outputs the type variable. The execution device is configured to acquire the input variables, and estimate the type variable by applying the acquired input variables to the mapping.

Also disclosed is a method for determining the actual ethanol content of a fuel including: a step of collecting data on the instantaneous fuel consumption and on the ethanol content; a step of determining the current cumulative fuel consumption; a step of storing data in two matrices, an ethanol content matrix and a cumulative consumption matrix; a step of determining the value of the actual ethanol content of the fuel to be applied to the injector, the actual content being the value of the ethanol content of the ethanol content matrix having the same abscissa as the lowest cumulative consumption value of the cumulative consumption matrix for which the difference between the current cumulative consumption value and the cumulative consumption value is smaller than the value of a volume V of the duct located between the sensor and the injector.