In a flexible-fuel engine capable of using fuel containing alcohol as fuel to be combusted in a cylinder, the geometric compression ratio is set to 12 or more, the engine is started by using fuel containing alcohol, an intake valve closing timing at an engine start time is set to an advance angle side than a first reference timing being a timing corresponding to a most retarded angle position out of intake valve closing timings capable of starting the engine in combusting fuel of alcohol 100% in the cylinder at a first intake temperature, and is set to a timing on a retarded angle side than a second reference timing being a timing corresponding to a most advanced angle position out of intake valve closing timings capable of avoiding pre-ignition in combusting fuel of gasoline 100% at an engine start time at a second intake temperature.

A hybrid vehicle includes powertrain components such as an engine, an automatic transmission, and a traction motor selectively coupled to the engine via a clutch and to the transmission. At least one controller is programmed to control these powertrain components. The vehicle is driven over a drive cycle that includes multiple engine starts and transmission gear shifts. An amount of fuel consumption used during these engine starts and transmissions gear shifts is stored on an on-board storage device. Subsequently, the engine is inhibited from starting and the transmission is inhibited from shifting gears based on the amount of fuel consumption associated with the engine starts and transmission gear shifts performed during the drive cycle as recalled from the storage device.

A method of controlling the fuel air mixture of an internal combustion engine following a cold restart includes determining a control parameter based on the value of current coolant temperature at time of current engine start, the value of coolant temperature at time of the previous engine start, a calibratable reference temperature, the total accumulated fuel mass injected during previous engine run time, the time the engine was off before the restart, and the time the engine was run after previous start. The method also includes controlling the fuel air mixture based on said control parameter.

At a time of a startup in a non-lock state (at the time of a next startup in a case where an internal combustion engine is stopped in a non-lock state in which a VCT phase is not locked in an intermediate lock phase), it is determined whether or not the engine can be started up by most delayed startup processing. In a case where it is determined that the engine can be started up by the most delayed startup processing, the most delayed startup processing is performed. In this most delayed startup processing, the engine is cranked in a high rotation range not less than a specified rotation speed and a fuel injection and an ignition are started in a state in which the VCT phase is controlled to a vicinity of the most delayed phase (most delayed phase or within a specified range from the most delayed phase) to thereby start up the engine. In this way, at the time of the startup in the non-lock state, the engine can be quickly started up without locking the VCT phase.

A surgical stapler including an anvil, a staple cartridge, and a buttress material removably retained to the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In various embodiments, the staple cartridge can include at least one staple removably stored therein which can, when deployed, or fired, therefrom, contact the buttress material and remove the buttress material from the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In at least one embodiment, the anvil can include at least one lip and/or groove configured to removably retain the buttress material to the anvil until deformable members extending from the surgical staple are bent by the anvil and are directed toward and contact the buttress material.

There is provided a configuration in which a cylinder which is in an inlet stroke when an internal combustion engine is in a stop (automatic stop) state is determined and stored, and when starting the engine upon detection of a start request, the fuel injection of an initial cycle to the cylinder, which has been determined as having been stopped in the inlet stroke when the engine was in the stop state before starting, is split into a plurality if injections at least including an injection before engine rotation, to thereby perform injections. As a result, startability is improved while suppressing pre-ignition at the time of starting.

An electronic control unit is configured to calculate an amount of divergence of an actual MG rotational speed with respect to a reference rotational speed at the start-up of an internal combustion engine, and correct a generation timing of a compensation torque at the next start-up of the internal combustion engine based on the amount of divergence.

An internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle includes an exhaust passage provided with a catalyst. A controller for the internal combustion engine includes a processor. The processor is configured to perform an auto-stopping process on the engine when the engine is idling, perform an auto-restarting process on the engine when the engine is automatically stopped, correct an amount of fuel injected into the engine so that the fuel injection amount of the engine is increased by a correction amount after the auto-restarting process is started, and change the correction amount in accordance with an amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst at a point of time when the auto-stopping process is started.

A vehicle control device includes a controller configured to perform: ignition starting of an engine when a detected crank angle is within a first area in which the ignition starting of the engine may be performed with probability not smaller than a first predetermined value; and the ignition starting of the engine while increasing an engine speed by engaging a clutch to transmit torque of a drive wheel to a crankshaft when the crank angle is within a second area in which the ignition starting of the engine may be performed with probability not smaller than a second predetermined value smaller than the first predetermined value and smaller than the first predetermined value, the instruction is output based on a signal indicating that a braking unit is turned on, and a gear of a transmission is not in neutral.

Disclosed are a vehicle and an engine control method for more conveniently restarting an engine in the state in which a function of automatically turning off the engine is activated during braking for improving fuel efficiency. The engine control method includes turning off an engine through an idle stop and go (ISG) system during braking due to manipulation of a brake pedal, determining whether at least one preset starting condition is satisfied based on information on a forward environment, and turning on the engine irrespective of whether manipulation of the brake pedal is released when any one of the at least one starting condition is satisfied.