In various aspects, internal combustion engines, engine controllers and methods of controlling engines are described. The engine includes a camshaft and a two cylinder sets. Cylinders in the first are deactivatable and cylinders in the second set may be fired at high or low output levels. The air charge for each fired working cycle is set based on whether a high or low torque output is selected. In some implementations, the camshaft is axially shiftable between first and second positions. First cam lobes are configured to cause their associated cylinders to intake a large air charge during intake strokes that occur when the camshaft is in the first position. Second cam lobes for cylinders in the second set cause their associated cylinders to intake a smaller air charge when the camshaft is in the second position. Second cam lobes for cylinders in the first set deactivate their associated cylinders.

In an opposed-piston engine which includes a catalytic aftertreatment device in its exhaust system an exhaust gas condition indicating a catalyst temperature of the aftertreatment device is monitored. When the catalyst temperature is near or below a light-off temperature, a catalyst light-off procedure is executed to elevate the temperature of the catalyst.

Methods and systems are provided for increasing vehicle maneuverability when operating on sand, snow, or rocky terrain, as well as while performing cornering and sliding maneuvers. Boost path actuators are held in positions that enable manifold pressure to be held above barometric pressure as torque demand changes, including when torque demand drops. Engine torque is reduced or raised via adjustments to one or more of fuel delivery, spark timing, and intake throttle opening.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling an engine speed in a hybrid vehicle system during steady-state conditions and in response to transient acceleration and/or deceleration requests. In one example, an engine speed is controlled to an optimal engine speed for fuel economy during steady-state conditions, and in response to an acceleration or deceleration request, a target engine speed is obtained from a rate-limited optimal engine speed to vehicle speed ratio, and the engine is controlled to the target engine speed provided the target speed is below a threshold difference from optimal engine speed. In this way, the vehicle system may simulate a fixed ratio transmission during accelerations and decelerations, while maintaining optimal engine speed for fuel economy at steady state.

In order to adequately suppress both an increase in NOx emission amount and deterioration of fuel consumption rate, the present invention provides a fuel injection control information generation device equipped with: a test point information storage unit for holding test point information including a plurality of test points constituted by sets of engine speed, fuel injection amount, and oxygen concentration; and a control information generation unit for generating, for each test point included in the test point information, fuel injection control information in which the engine speed, fuel injection amount, and oxygen concentration of the test point are associated with an optimum fuel injection timing at which an index pertaining to the total of a fuel consumption rate and an NOx emission amount in the test point becomes the smallest.

A control device of an internal combustion engine calculates an abnormal combustion prevention torque for preventing an abnormal combustion due to self-ignition whose heat source is a mixture of supplied fuel to the internal combustion engine and lubricant oil, on the basis of a cylinder wall temperature of the internal combustion engine or a temperature of a parameter in correlation with the cylinder wall temperature, and controls a torque of the internal combustion engine to prevent the torque of the internal combustion engine from becoming equal to or more than the abnormal combustion prevention torque.

In various aspects, internal combustion engines, engine controllers and methods of controlling engines are described. The engine includes a camshaft and a two cylinder sets. Cylinders in the first are deactivatable and cylinders in the second set may be fired at high or low output levels. The air charge for each fired working cycle is set based on whether a high or low torque output is selected. In some implementations, the camshaft is axially shiftable between first and second positions. First cam lobes are configured to cause their associated cylinders to intake a large air charge during intake strokes that occur when the camshaft is in the first position. Second cam lobes for cylinders in the second set cause their associated cylinders to intake a smaller air charge when the camshaft is in the second position. Second cam lobes for cylinders in the first set deactivate their associated cylinders.

Methods and systems are provided for boosted engine systems. In one example, a system may include a pressurized air induction system with two pathways, the first for delivering ambient and the second for delivering boosted air to the engine. The pressurized air induction system is also adapted to store boosted air for faster supply of boost pressure in the event of demand for greater engine torque.

A control device for a vehicle includes an upper limit value setting unit configured to set an upper limit value of an acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, and a vehicle controller configured to control the vehicle such that the acceleration or deceleration does not exceed the upper limit value. The upper limit value setting unit is configured to change the upper limit value according w at least one predetermined condition.

Methods and systems are disclosed for operating an engine that includes a knock control system that may determine contributions of individual transient and steady-state noise sources to an engine background noise level. The contributions of the transient and steady-state individual noise sources may be the basis for establishing the presence or absence of knock in one or more engine cylinders.