A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of calculating engine parameters required for controlling the engine, particularly a combustion parameter, based on a result of detection by an in-cylinder pressure sensor, accurately in real time, thereby making it possible to improve the controllability of the engine. The control apparatus includes an in-cylinder pressure sensor for detecting in-cylinder pressure PCYL in a cylinder, a plant model provided in an electronic control unit and including a combustion model for calculating a heat release rate using the detected in-cylinder pressure PC for calculating engine parameters (the heat release rate, intake manifold pressure Pin, EGR temperature Iegr, EGR pressure Pegr) indicative of states of the engine, including the heat release rate, and an engine controller provided in the electronic control unit, for controlling the engine using the engine parameters calculated by the plant model.

A torque requesting module generates a torque request for an engine based on driver input. A model predictive control (MPC) module: identifies sets of possible target values based on the torque request, each of the sets of possible target values including target effective throttle area percentage; determines predicted operating parameters for the sets of possible target values, respectively; determines cost values for the sets of possible target values, respectively; selects one of the sets of possible target values based on the cost values; and sets target values based on the possible target values of the selected one of the sets, respectively, the target values including a target pressure ratio across the throttle valve. A target area module determines a target opening area of the throttle valve based on the target effective throttle area percentage ratio. A throttle actuator module controls the throttle valve based on the target opening.

An internal-combustion engine control apparatus is obtained which can accurately perform the control toward an output target value by calculating an exhaust gas temperature more accurately, and eliminating discrepancies of a turbine flow-rate and a waste-gate-valve opening-degree. In the apparatus, a thermal efficiency calculation unit calculates thermal efficiency based on a combination in any of ignition timing, charging efficiency, an air-fuel ratio and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) ratio being change factors in thermal efficiency of the internal-combustion engine; an exhaust-gas loss calculation unit calculates exhaust gas loss based on thermal efficiency calculated by the thermal efficiency calculation unit, and on a combination in any of the change factors of the exhaust gas loss; and an exhaust port temperature calculation unit calculates an exhaust gas temperature at an exhaust port portion based on exhaust gas loss calculated by the exhaust-gas loss calculation unit.

An internal combustion engine has a cylinder configured to combust an air-fuel mixture and expel an exhaust gas and a turbocharger for generating a pressurized airflow to the cylinder. The turbocharger includes a turbine scroll defining an inlet and an outlet, an exhaust gas driven rotating assembly having a turbine wheel disposed inside the turbine scroll, and a waste-gate defining an opening. A first sensor detects turbine outlet pressure. A second sensor detects turbine inlet temperature. A controller determines an effective area of the waste-gate opening and an exhaust gas mass flow-rate. The controller also determines a turbine inlet pressure in response to the detected turbine outlet pressure and the turbine inlet temperature, and the determined waste-gate opening effective area and the exhaust gas mass flow-rate. The controller additionally regulates a supply of fuel to the cylinder corresponding to the pressurized airflow affected by the determined turbine inlet pressure.

Advanced combustion modes, such as PCCI, operate near the system stability limits. In PCCI, the combustion event begins without a direct combustion trigger in contrast to traditional spark-ignited gasoline engines and direct-injected diesel engines. The lack of a direct combustion trigger encourages the usage of model-based controls to provide robust control of the combustion phasing. The nonlinear relationships between the control inputs and the combustion system response often limit the effectiveness of traditional, non-model-based controllers. Accurate knowledge of the system states and inputs is helpful for implementation of an effective nonlinear controller. A nonlinear controller is developed and implemented to control the engine combustion timing during diesel PCCI operation by targeting desired values of the in-cylinder oxygen concentration, pressure, and temperature during early fuel injection.

The abnormality diagnosis system 1, 1, 1 of an ammonia detection device 46, 71 comprises: an air-fuel ratio detection device 41, 72 arranged in the exhaust passage 22 at the downstream side of the catalyst 20; an air-fuel ratio control part 51 configured to control an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas; and an abnormality judgment part 52 configured to judge abnormality of the ammonia detection device. The air-fuel ratio control part performs rich control making the air-fuel ratio of the inflowing exhaust gas richer than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. The abnormality judgment part judges that the ammonia detection device is abnormal if, after start of the rich control, an output value of the ammonia detection device does not rise to a reference value before the air-fuel ratio detected by the air-fuel ratio detection device falls to a rich judged air-fuel ratio richer than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio.

The exhaust purification system of an internal combustion engine comprises: a catalyst arranged in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine and able to store oxygen; an ammonia detection device arranged in the exhaust passage at a downstream side of the catalyst in a direction of flow of exhaust; and an air-fuel ratio control part configured to control an air-fuel ratio of inflowing exhaust gas flowing into the catalyst to a target air-fuel ratio. The air-fuel ratio control part is configured to perform rich control making the target air-fuel ratio richer than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, and make the target air-fuel ratio leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio when an output value of the ammonia detection device rises to a reference value in the rich control.

The exhaust purification system of an internal combustion engine 100, 100, 100 comprises: a catalyst 20 arranged in an exhaust passage 22 and able to store oxygen; an ammonia detection device 46, 71 and an air-fuel ratio detection device 41, 72 arranged in the exhaust passage at a downstream side of the catalyst; and an air-fuel ratio control part configured to control an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the catalyst to a target air-fuel ratio. The air-fuel ratio control part performs rich control making the target air-fuel ratio richer than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, in the rich control, reduces a rich degree of the target air-fuel ratio when an output value of the ammonia detection device rises to a reference value, and ends the rich control when an air-fuel ratio detected by the air-fuel ratio detection device falls to a rich judged air-fuel ratio.

A control system for use in a fluid flow application includes a heater and a control device. The heater includes at least one resistive heating element having a relationship between resistance and temperature defining a non-monotonic curve. The heater is to heat fluid flow. The control device is to determine a flow characteristic of the fluid flow and a temperature of the at least one resistive heating element along the non-monotonic curve between resistance and temperature based on a change in resistance of the at least one resistive heating element.

A method for controlling an internal combustion engine including at least one exhaust-gas aftertreatment component having an electric heating element, the electric heating element heating the exhaust-gas aftertreatment component and the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust-gas aftertreatment component, the electric heating element briefly or permanently being acted upon by a heating current, a gas, in particular fresh air and/or exhaust gas, flowing downstream through the exhaust-gas path. In the method, a first temperature upstream from the at least one exhaust-gas aftertreatment component is ascertained, a second temperature downstream from the exhaust-gas aftertreatment component is ascertained, and the exhaust-gas mass flow of the internal combustion engine is ascertained as a function of a first temperature difference between the first and the second temperature and a heating power of the electric heating element, and the internal combustion engine is controlled as a function of the exhaust-gas mass flow.