A method is presented for facilitating oxygen vacancy generation in a resistive random access memory (RRAM) device. The method includes forming a RRAM stack having a first electrode and at least one sacrificial layer, encapsulating the RRAM stack with a dielectric layer, constructing a via resulting in removal of the at least one sacrificial layer of the RRAM stack, the via extending to a high-k dielectric layer of the RRAM stack, and forming a second electrode in the via such that the second electrode extends laterally into cavities defined by the removal of the at least one sacrificial layer.

A system includes a fuel control module and a valve control module. The fuel control module controls a fuel injector to stop fuel delivery to each cylinder of an engine in a vehicle when the vehicle is decelerating. The valve control module controls a valve actuator to actuate intake and exhaust valves of each cylinder of the engine between open and closed positions when fuel delivery to each cylinder of the engine is stopped. The valve control module controls the valve actuator to adjust an amount of airflow through each cylinder of the engine to a minimum amount when fuel delivery to each cylinder of the engine is initially stopped. The valve control module controls the valve actuator to adjust the amount of airflow through each cylinder of the engine to an amount greater than the minimum amount before fuel delivery to each cylinder of the engine is restarted.

An exhaust purification system of an internal combustion engine includes a catalyst arranged in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine and able to store oxygen, a storage amount calculating part configured to calculate an oxygen storage amount of the catalyst, a poisoning amount calculating part configured to calculate a poisoning amount of the catalyst, and an oxygen amount control part configured to control an amount of oxygen supplied to the catalyst based on the oxygen storage amount and the poisoning amount.

An automobile power system in a vehicle may include an intake pipe supplying external air to an engine supplying power to driving wheels, a canister connected with a fuel tank to absorb evaporation gas produced in the fuel tank, an active purging system compressing and supplying the evaporation gas absorbed in the canister to the intake pipe, a diverging line extending from the active purging system to the engine, a diverging valve mounted on the diverging line, and a starting motor rotating a crankshaft when the engine is started. In addition, the evaporation gas absorbed in the canister is supplied to the engine through the diverging line before the engine is restarted, and then the starting motor is operated.

A device and method for controlling an internal combustion engine having a catalytic converter. At least one actuating variable for the internal combustion engine is determined as a function of a system model of the catalytic converter and/or the internal combustion engine. The system model, a setpoint variable for the control and/or the actuating variable is adapted. Information about a modeled residual oxygen content in the exhaust gas downstream from the catalytic converter is determined using the system model. Information about an acquired residual oxygen content in the exhaust gas at the output of the catalytic converter is acquired. The information about the modeled residual oxygen content is compared with the information about the acquired residual oxygen content. A measure for an adaptation requirement is determined as a function of the result of the comparison.

A driving-side rotating body that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, a driven-side rotating body that is allowed to rotate relative to the driven-side rotating body and that rotates integrally with a camshaft that opens and closes an intake valve, and a phase adjustment mechanism for setting a relative rotation phase of the driving-side rotating body and the driven-side rotating body using a driving force of an electric motor are included. The phase adjustment mechanism is configured to be able to execute retarding control for setting the relative rotation phase to the retarding side until reaching a phase in which the internal combustion engine cannot be started and autonomous running is not possible even if fuel injection and ignition are performed in the internal combustion engine.

A state estimation apparatus includes: a rate calculating configured to calculate, based on both a flow rate and an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into an oxygen storage catalyst, a rate of change in an oxygen storage amount in the oxygen storage catalyst; a limit calculating unit configured to calculate a limit rate which is a limit value for the rate of change; and a storage-amount updating unit configured to update, based on the rate of change and the limit rate, an estimated value of the oxygen storage amount. Moreover, the storage-amount updating unit is further configured to: update, when the rate of change does not exceed the limit rate, the estimated value based on the rate of change; and update, when the rate of change exceeds the limit rate, the estimated value based on the limit rate.

Methods and systems are provided for a multicomponent aftertreatment device arranged in a vehicle exhaust gas passage. In one example, a system may include an oxygen storage catalyst and an underbody trap catalyst comprising metal modified zeolite, the oxygen storage catalyst arranged upstream of the underbody trap catalyst in an exhaust passage of the vehicle.

A control system of an internal combustion engine comprises an air-fuel ratio sensor 40, 41 detecting an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas, a current detecting device 61 detecting an output current of the air-fuel ratio sensor, a voltage applying device 60 applying voltage to the air-fuel ratio sensor, and a voltage control part 81 configured to control voltage applied to the air-fuel ratio sensor through the voltage applying device. The voltage control part is configured to set the applied voltage to a reference voltage determined so that the output current becomes zero when an air-fuel ratio of inflowing exhaust gas flowing into the air-fuel ratio sensor is a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, and correct the reference voltage so that the output current detected by the current detecting device becomes zero when it is judged that the air-fuel ratio of the inflowing exhaust gas is the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio.

A method for controlling a filling of an exhaust-gas component storage-device of a catalytic-converter in the exhaust-gas of an internal-combustion-engine, in which an actual fill level (θ.sub.mod) of the exhaust-gas component storage-device is ascertained using a first-system model to which signals (λ.sub.in,meas) of a first-exhaust-gas probe that extends into the exhaust-gas flow upstream from the catalytic-converter and that acquires a concentration of the exhaust-gas component are supplied, if this first exhaust-gas probe is ready for operation. A lambda-target-value (λ.sub.in,set) for a first control-loop is specified by a lambda-target-value pilot control, and that, if the first exhaust-gas probe is not ready for operation, a replacement signal for the signal of the first exhaust-gas probe is supplied to the system-model, and the replacement signal is used in the lambda-target-value pilot control as an initial-value for the lambda-target-value. Also described is a control device for the method.