A direct-injection internal combustion engine is described and includes a pressure sensor that is disposed to monitor in-cylinder combustion pressure. A method, executed as a control routine in an attached controller, includes monitoring engine speed, engine load, temperature and combustion pressure. Combustion variation parameters are determined based upon the combustion pressure. A desired state for a combustion parameter can be determined based upon the engine speed, the engine load, and the temperature, and an adjustment to the desired state for the combustion parameter can be determined based upon the combustion variation parameters, wherein the adjustment to the desired state is selected to achieve acceptable states for the combustion variation parameters. Operation of the internal combustion engine is controlled based upon the desired state for the combustion parameter and the adjustment to the desired state for the combustion parameter.

Methods and systems are provided for selecting a location for water injection during a water injection event based on engine operating conditions. In one example, a method may include selecting a location for water injection from each of an intake port of each cylinder, an intake manifold upstream of all engine cylinders, and directly into each cylinder based on engine operating conditions. Further, the method may include adjusting water injection at the selected location and engine operating parameters in response the evaporated and/or condensed portion of water.

Systems and methods for diagnosing operation of a sensor of an exhaust system are presented. In one example, the systems and methods may diagnose operation of the sensor when an engine is combusting air and fuel. Further, operation of the sensor may be diagnosed when the engine is not combusting air and fuel so that vehicle occupants may not be disturbed by the diagnostic.

A direct-injection internal combustion engine is described and includes a pressure sensor that is disposed to monitor in-cylinder combustion pressure. A method, executed as a control routine in an attached controller, includes monitoring engine speed, engine load, temperature and combustion pressure. Combustion variation parameters are determined based upon the combustion pressure. A desired state for a combustion parameter can be determined based upon the engine speed, the engine load, and the temperature, and an adjustment to the desired state for the combustion parameter can be determined based upon the combustion variation parameters, wherein the adjustment to the desired state is selected to achieve acceptable states for the combustion variation parameters. Operation of the internal combustion engine is controlled based upon the desired state for the combustion parameter and the adjustment to the desired state for the combustion parameter.

A process for measuring methane emissions by an internal combustion engine includes connecting a methane sensor to an exhaust line of the internal combustion engine such that a portion of the gas in the exhaust line can enter the methane sensor, operating the internal combustion engine so as to produce the exhaust, measuring a methane concentration of the gas from the portion of the gas from the exhaust line with the methane sensor, and producing an output from the methane sensor corresponding to the methane concentration. The methane sensor is plumbed to the exhaust line. The methane concentration is continuously sampled by the methane sensor. The methane sensor can be an electrochemical cell, a catalytic methane sensor, or an infrared methane sensor.

The deterioration of combustion due to condensed water flowing into a cylinder is suppressed as much as possible. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is applied to an internal combustion engine which includes a fuel injection valve that directly injects fuel into a cylinder and a spark plug. The internal combustion engine is constructed so that the fuel goes to the spark plug. The control apparatus comprising a controller configured to: predict whether condensed water flows into the cylinder during an intake stroke; and carry out first injection control to perform fuel injection in a predetermined period of time within a period of time which is after closure of an exhaust valve and before the condensed water flows into the cylinder, and second injection control to perform fuel injection in a compression stroke before ignition, if an inflow of the condensed water into the cylinder is predicted.

A method for ascertaining a mean value of a gas-mass flow in a combustion engine. The method includes measuring a gas-mass flow impinged upon by a pulsation, smoothing a sensor signal obtained by the measurement, applying a correction quantity to the smoothed sensor signal in order to obtain the mean value of the gas-mass flow, and ascertaining the correction quantity as a function of the operating state of the combustion engine with the aid of a data-based, non-parametric function model.

An engine control system and method includes sensing the quality of fuel in the engine relative to emissions, by for example sensing the level of an emission related constituent, such as sulfur. A fuel quality sensor detects a fuel quality of a fuel, such as the sulfur level the fuel, and provides a signal in response to the fuel quality. The engine control system also includes a navigation device to determine whether an engine is located in a regulated or non-regulated region. The engine control system receives the signal and controls engine operation by, for example, enabling or disabling one or more engine algorithms to improve performance of the engine based on the fuel quality signal or, in other embodiments, the combination of the fuel quality and the location of the engine.

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting an amount of water injected upstream of a group of cylinders based on a determined maldistribution of water among cylinders during a water injection event. In one example, a method may include injecting a first amount of water upstream of a first group of cylinders and a different, second amount of water upstream of a second group of cylinders based on operating conditions of the respective cylinder groups. Further, the method may include adjusting water injection and engine operating parameters in response the evaporated and/or condensed portion of water.

A gas detection device includes a temperature control part configured to control an amount of energization to a heater so that an impedance of an element part matches a target impedance, to thereby control a temperature of the heater. The temperature control part is configured to set a first target impedance as the target impedance while performing application voltage control for air-fuel ratio detection, and set a second target impedance as the target impedance while performing application voltage control for SOx detection.