This invention relates to an engine for a vehicle using alternative fuel, preferably gas, comprising an engine (5) having a spark ignited ignition system (2) wherein said ignition system (2) includes misfire detection by means of a sensor device (4) providing information to a control system (20), connected to or within said ignition system (2), and wherein said combustion includes diluted operation to optimize emissions wherein said sensor device (4) includes an ion sensing measurement means (40) arranged to measure an ion current in said engine (5) and that said ignition system (2) has a built-in function to detect misfiring through an analysis of the ion current of the engine (5) during combustion.

This invention relates to an engine for a vehicle using alternative fuel, preferably gas, comprising an engine (5) having a spark ignited ignition system (2) wherein said ignition system (2) includes misfire detection by means of a sensor device (4) providing information to a control system (20), connected to or within said ignition system (2), and wherein said combustion includes diluted operation to optimize emissions wherein said sensor device (4) includes an ion sensing measurement means (40) arranged to measure an ion current in said engine (5) and that said ignition system (2) has a built-in function to detect misfiring through an analysis of the ion current of the engine (5) during combustion.

A method for detecting glow ignition of a fuel-air mixture in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine having at least one first cylinder and at least one second cylinder, the at least one first and second cylinders being connected by a crankshaft, according to which method partial segment times of the at least one first cylinder are measured. The method is characterized in that partial segment times of the at least one second cylinder are measured and a reference characteristic for the glow ignition is formed by a comparison of partial segment times of the at least one first cylinder with partial segment times of the at least one second cylinder and subsequently a signal is generated for the detection of the glow ignition on the basis of the comparison.

A method for detecting glow ignition of a fuel-air mixture in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine having at least one first cylinder and at least one second cylinder, the at least one first and second cylinders being connected by a crankshaft, according to which method partial segment times of the at least one first cylinder are measured. The method is characterized in that partial segment times of the at least one second cylinder are measured and a reference characteristic for the glow ignition is formed by a comparison of partial segment times of the at least one first cylinder with partial segment times of the at least one second cylinder and subsequently a signal is generated for the detection of the glow ignition on the basis of the comparison.

A method is provided for avoiding incorrect combustion misfire fault detection in an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle with a dual mass flywheel. In order to detect combustion misfiring, a characteristic variable, which is dependent on the acceleration of the internal combustion engine, is determined continuously during the ongoing operation of the internal combustion engine and compared with a predefined irregular running threshold value. When the irregular running threshold value is exceeded, a combustion misfire is detected, wherein the frequency of detected combustion misfiring, for example at a specific number of crank shaft revolutions, is detected. When a defined frequency threshold is exceeded, a combustion misfire fault detection is activated. When a dual mass flywheel bounce is detected with the simultaneous detection of combustion misfiring, the injection of at least one cylinder is reduced or switched off for a predefined frequency or for a predefined time.

A method is provided for avoiding incorrect combustion misfire fault detection in an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle with a dual mass flywheel. In order to detect combustion misfiring, a characteristic variable, which is dependent on the acceleration of the internal combustion engine, is determined continuously during the ongoing operation of the internal combustion engine and compared with a predefined irregular running threshold value. When the irregular running threshold value is exceeded, a combustion misfire is detected, wherein the frequency of detected combustion misfiring, for example at a specific number of crank shaft revolutions, is detected. When a defined frequency threshold is exceeded, a combustion misfire fault detection is activated. When a dual mass flywheel bounce is detected with the simultaneous detection of combustion misfiring, the injection of at least one cylinder is reduced or switched off for a predefined frequency or for a predefined time.

A method of determining the instantaneous acceleration of an internal combustion engine comprising one or more cylinders, with respect to a combustion event, n, comprising: a) providing a signal indicative of crankshaft speed, said signal comprising a series of minima and maxima with respect to each successive combustion event; b) determining the accelerations based on: the initial speed value of the minima, Min(n) just before the combustion event, n, and the subsequent speed value of the maximum immediately subsequent to the combustion event, Max (n), as well as the speed of the minima for the subsequent combustion event, Min (n+1).

A method of determining the instantaneous acceleration of an internal combustion engine comprising one or more cylinders, with respect to a combustion event, n, comprising: a) providing a signal indicative of crankshaft speed, said signal comprising a series of minima and maxima with respect to each successive combustion event; b) determining the accelerations based on: the initial speed value of the minima, Min(n) just before the combustion event, n, and the subsequent speed value of the maximum immediately subsequent to the combustion event, Max (n), as well as the speed of the minima for the subsequent combustion event, Min (n+1).

A misfire detection device for an internal combustion engine is provided. A mapping takes time series data of instantaneous speed parameters as inputs. Each instantaneous speed parameter corresponds to one of a plurality of successive second intervals in a first interval. The instantaneous speed parameters correspond to the rotational speed of the crankshaft. The first interval is a rotational angular interval of the crankshaft in which compression top dead center occurs. The second interval is smaller than an interval between compression top dead center positions. The mapping outputs a probability that a misfire has occurred in at least one cylinder that reaches compression top dead center in the first interval. The mapping data defining the mapping has been learned by machine learning.

A misfire detection device for an internal combustion engine is provided. A mapping takes time series data of instantaneous speed parameters as inputs. Each instantaneous speed parameter corresponds to one of a plurality of successive second intervals in a first interval. The instantaneous speed parameters correspond to the rotational speed of the crankshaft. The first interval is a rotational angular interval of the crankshaft in which compression top dead center occurs. The second interval is smaller than an interval between compression top dead center positions. The mapping outputs a probability that a misfire has occurred in at least one cylinder that reaches compression top dead center in the first interval. The mapping data defining the mapping has been learned by machine learning.