A method for determining the quantity of filling components in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The cylinder is connected to an air supply via an inlet valve and to an exhaust gas conduit via an outlet valve. The method includes the steps of obtaining an exhaust gas back pressure at a specified point in time when the outlet valve is opened during a work cycle of the internal combustion engine and calculating the quantity of the filling components at the specified point in time on the basis of the obtained exhaust gas back pressure. A controller is also provided for carrying out the method and a motor vehicle is also provided that includes the controller.

A method for adjusting an actual value of a quantity of fuel injected into an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle to a target value is provided, wherein a deviation of the actual quantity of fuel injected from the target value is determined based on a ratio of the component of the combusted quantity of gas in the induction system to the concentration of oxides of nitrogen in the exhaust system and the injected quantity of fuel is readjusted according to the deviation. Furthermore, an arrangement for carrying out the method is provided.

A method of phasing the opening and closing of internal combustion engine intake and exhaust valves relative to the rotation of the crankshaft is based upon changes in engine speed, engine load and ambient relative humidity. During certain conditions of higher humidity, in order to maintain good combustion stability and thus overall engine operation, it is necessary to reduce intake and exhaust valve overlap by adjusting the phase of the intake and exhaust camshafts. This is achieved by utilizing a set of cam position reference values and constraints based upon engine speed, engine load and humidity that are contained in lookup tables that adjust and limit cam position and valve overlap. Generally speaking, in order to maintain optimum engine performance, intake and exhaust valve overlap is reduced with higher ambient humidity and vice versa.

Provided is a control device for an internal combustion engine, which can ensure a stable combustion state of the internal combustion engine even under a high-humidity environment condition, thereby improving the merchantability. The control device for the internal combustion engine includes an ECU (electronic control unit). The ECU calculates a basic target EGR amount according to an operating state of the internal combustion engine, calculates a water vapor amount in air drawn into an intake passage of the internal combustion engine, calculates an EGR conversion amount by using the water vapor amount, calculates a target EGR amount by subtracting the EGR conversion amount from the basic target EGR amount, and controls internal EGR and external EGR of the internal combustion engine by using the target EGR amount.

Based on an internal EGR ratio and desired external and internal EGR ratios, an EGR valve opening degree is feedback-controlled based on a desired EGR ratio, calculated in such a way as to perform correction so that a total EGR ratio becomes constant, and an EGR effective opening area obtained through learning of the relationship between an EGR valve opening degree and an effective opening area; thus, a correct characteristic of EGR valve opening degree vs. effective opening area can be maintained and hence it is made possible to absorb variations, changes with time, and even environmental conditions, while making an EGR valve and an intake/exhaust VVT collaborate with each other; therefore, an EGR flow rate can accurately be estimated.

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which, in the case of intake-side and exhaust-side cleaning controls being performed, is capable of ensuring stable combustion of a mixture when the engine is returned from a decelerating FC operation to a normal operation, thereby making it possible to enhance marketability. The control apparatus for the engine includes an ECU. The ECU performs intake-side cleaning control for controlling an intake cam phase CAIN to a predetermined most advanced value CAIN_ADV so as to increase a valve overlap period of an intake valve and an exhaust valve, and performs exhaust-side cleaning control for controlling an exhaust cam phase CAEX to a predetermined most retarded value CAEX_RET so as to increase the valve overlap period of the intake valve and the exhaust valve. Further, during execution of one of the intake-side and exhaust-side cleaning controls, the ECU inhibits execution of the other.

A neat-fuel direct-injected compression ignition engine having a thermal barrier coated combustion chamber, an injection port injects fuel that satisfies a stoichiometric condition with respect to the intake air, a mechanical exhaust regenerator transfers energy from exhaust gas to intake compression stages, an exhaust O.sub.2 sensor inputs to a feedback control to deliver quantified fuel, a variable valve actuation (VVA) controls valve positions, an exhaust gas temperature sensor controls exhaust feedback by closing the exhaust valve early according to the VVA, or recirculated to the chamber with an exhaust-gas-recirculation (EGR), heat exchanger, and flow path connecting an air intake, a load command input, and a computer operates the EGR from sensors to input exhaust gas according exhaust temperature signals and changes VVA timing, the load control is by chamber exhaust gas, the computer operates a fuel injector to deliver fuel independent of exhaust gas by the O.sub.2 signals.

Advanced combustion modes, such as PCCI, operate near the system stability limits. In PCCI, the combustion event begins without a direct combustion trigger in contrast to traditional spark-ignited gasoline engines and direct-injected diesel engines. The lack of a direct combustion trigger encourages the usage of model-based controls to provide robust control of the combustion phasing. The nonlinear relationships between the control inputs and the combustion system response often limit the effectiveness of traditional, non-model-based controllers. Accurate knowledge of the system states and inputs is helpful for implementation of an effective nonlinear controller. A nonlinear controller is developed and implemented to control the engine combustion timing during diesel PCCI operation by targeting desired values of the in-cylinder oxygen concentration, pressure, and temperature during early fuel injection.

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting spark and/or fuel injection to a cylinder based on late combustion, partial burn, or misfire in a neighboring cylinder. A pressure sensor coupled to a cylinder exhaust port is used to sample exhaust pressure pulsations over a cylinder exhaust valve event, and accurately estimate an amount of residuals generated in and released from the cylinder as well as residuals received from the neighboring cylinder. Mitigating actions are performed in the cylinder in accordance before the occurrence of a pre-ignition event.

A method of phasing the opening and closing of internal combustion engine intake and exhaust valves relative to the rotation of the crankshaft is based upon changes in engine speed, engine load and ambient relative humidity. During certain conditions of higher humidity, in order to maintain good combustion stability and thus overall engine operation, it is necessary to reduce intake and exhaust valve overlap by adjusting the phase of the intake and exhaust camshafts. This is achieved by utilizing a set of cam position reference values and constraints based upon engine speed, engine load and humidity that are contained in lookup tables that adjust and limit cam position and valve overlap. Generally speaking, in order to maintain optimum engine performance, intake and exhaust valve overlap is reduced with higher ambient humidity and vice versa.