An internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes a control device, and at least one injector for liquid fuel that includes a discharge opening for the liquid fuel. The at least one injector is connected to a collection volume by means of a line for liquid fuel. Liquid fuel can flow through the line for liquid fuel from the at least one injector to the collection volume. A control element that can be adjusted by the control device via a control signal is also provided. Via the control element, a back pressure in the line for liquid fuel can be adjusted in order to adjust an amount of liquid fuel discharged through the discharge opening of the at least one injector. Also provided is a method for operating an internal combustion engine and an injector.

The present invention relates generally to techniques for improving fuel efficiency of a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine capable of operating at various displacement levels. An autonomous driving unit or cruise controller selects when possible an engine torque output that corresponds to a fuel efficient displacement level. The resultant vehicle speed profile and NVH level is acceptable to vehicle occupants.

A V-type internal combustion engine has a first cylinder bank with four first cylinders and a second cylinder bank with four second cylinders. A first fresh gas line is provided for the first cylinder bank and a second fresh gas line for the second cylinder bank. An exhaust gas system has a first turbocharger, which has a first compressor and a first turbine having two first exhaust gas inlets, and a second turbocharger, which has a second compressor and a second turbine having two second exhaust gas inlets. The first fresh gas line is connectable to the first four cylinders downstream of the first compressor in the flow direction of a fresh gas so as to conduct fresh gas, and the second fresh gas line is connectable to the second four cylinders downstream of the second compressor in the flow direction of the fresh gas so as to conduct fresh gas. A first cylinder and a second cylinder can be connected via the exhaust gas system to the first first exhaust gas inlet, a first cylinder and a second cylinder can be connected via the exhaust system to the second first exhaust gas inlet, a first cylinder and a second cylinder can be connected via the exhaust gas system to the first second exhaust gas inlet, and a first cylinder and a second cylinder can be connected via the exhaust gas system to the second second exhaust gas inlet. A single third compressor is arranged in the first fresh gas line between the first compressor and the first four cylinders.

A method for predicting a future camshaft position includes approximating a regulating circuit or a part of a regulating circuit that includes at least an adjusting device by a transfer function, and ascertaining a future camshaft position on the basis of the transfer function. An engine control unit is also provided.

An LPV/MPC engine control system is disclosed that includes an engine control unit connected to multiple sensors. The engine control unit receives, from the sensors, signals indicative of desired engine torque and engine torque output, and determines, from these signals, optimal engine control commands using a piecewise LPV/MPC routine. This routine includes: determining a nonlinear and a linear system model for the engine assembly, minimizing a control cost function in a receding horizon for the linear system model, determining system responses for the nonlinear and linear system models, determining if a norm of an error function between the system responses is smaller than a calibrated threshold, and if the norm is smaller than the predetermined threshold, applying the linearized system model in a next sampling time for a next receding horizon to determine the optimal control command. Once determined, the optimal control command is output to the engine assembly.

A control device for an internal combustion engine includes at least one processor and a memory configured to store a program. The at least one processor is configured to execute, by executing the program, a process of deciding a manipulated variable of the internal combustion engine from a control input value, in accordance with a predetermined conversion rule, a process of calculating a sample value of the controlled variable, a process of calculating a reference expectation value of the controlled variable from the control input value, a process of performing a hypothesis test for a null hypothesis that an average value of a predetermined number of recent sample values of sample values of the controlled variable is equal to the reference expectation value, and a process of modifying the conversion rule by an adaptive control when the null hypothesis is rejected.

A method controls multiple continuous actuators to achieve a discrete mode of operation in a system. The method may include determining a desired output state of the system, including processing a control input set for the multiple continuous actuators via a dynamical predictive model of the system, and then processing the control input set via the dynamical predictive model to determine possible control solutions for achieving the desired output state of the system at a calibrated future time point. The method may include using a cost function logic block to identify, from among the possible control solutions, a lowest-cost control solution for executing the discrete mode at the future time point, processing the lowest-cost control solution through a real-time optimization logic block to determine an optimized solution for the discrete mode, and then executing the optimized solution at the future time point.

Method, apparatus and mobile user appliance for adapting an energy utilization process of a vehicle. At least one value of an energy utilization characteristic quantity is ascertained that represents a first energy utilization process in a first vehicle, and a value of a parameter is ascertained that represents at least one constraint of the energy utilization in the first vehicle during the energy utilization process. A mathematical relationship between at least one of the provided values of an energy utilization characteristic quantity, the values of the parameters of the first vehicle and parameters for a possible second energy utilization process of a second vehicle is ascertained. Further, a data record is provided on the basis of the ascertained mathematical relationship, and a profile data record is provided that comprises the data record. Depending on the profile data record of the first vehicle and second parameter, a fuel composition and/or a split of energy types for a drive system of a second vehicle and/or control data for an energy distribution process in a second vehicle is/are ascertained for the second energy utilization process.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards free-piston combustion engines. As described herein, a method and system are provided for displacing a free-piston assembly to achieve a desired engine performance by repeatedly determining position-force trajectories over the course of a propagation path and effecting the displacement of the free-piston assembly based, at least in part, on the position-force trajectory. In a dual-piston assembly free-piston engine, synchronization of the two piston assemblies is provided.

A closed-loop control device includes: the closed-loop control device which is configured for: detecting a generator frequency (f.sub.G) of the generator as a controlled variable; determining a control deviation (e.sub.f) as a difference between the generator frequency (f.sub.G) which is detected and a target generator frequency (f.sub.soll); determining a target torque (M.sub.soll) as a manipulated variable for controlling an internal combustion engine as a function of the control deviation (e.sub.f); using a control rule for determining the target torque (M.sub.soll); and adapting the control rulewhich is used to determine the target torque (M.sub.soll)as a function of at least one adaptation variable, the at least one adaptation variable being selected from a group consisting of the generator frequency (f.sub.G) which is detected, a target torque variable, and a generator power.