A vehicle control device controls a hybrid vehicle including: an internal combustion engine having an EGR device; an electric drive device that drives the vehicle and performs an engine-based power generation; a power storage device; and a travel route acquisition device. The vehicle include an EV drive mode and an HV drive mode. The vehicle control device is configured to: where the vehicle is started under a cold condition, calculate, based on the travel route information, an average vehicle driving power in a vehicle running section under a warm condition after the start; and limit the amount of power generated by the engine-based power generation in the cold condition to be smaller when the calculated average vehicle driving power is high than when it is low, and, during the HV drive mode after a transition to the warm condition, execute the engine-based power generation accompanied by the EGR.

A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, an electrical storage device, a rotary electric machine, and a controller. The internal combustion engine includes a variable valve actuating device. The variable valve actuating device is configured to change an operation characteristic of an intake valve. The electrical storage device is configured to be charged. The rotary electric machine is configured to generate driving force for propelling the hybrid vehicle by using electric power that is supplied from the electrical storage device. The controller is configured to cause the hybrid vehicle to travel in a selected one of a charge sustaining mode and a charge depleting mode. The charge sustaining mode is a mode in which a state of charge of the electrical storage device is kept within a predetermined range. The charge depleting mode is a mode in which consumption of the state of charge is given a higher priority as compared to the charge sustaining mode. The controller is configured to change a switching condition for switching from the charge depleting mode to the charge sustaining mode such that a first state of charge is higher than a second state of charge. The first state of charge is an state of charge at which the controller switches from the charge depleting mode to the charge sustaining mode at the time when the operation characteristic of the intake valve is unchangeable to a desired operation characteristic. The second state of charge is an state of charge at which the controller switches from the charge depleting mode to the charge sustaining mode at the time when the operation characteristic of the intake valve is changeable to a desired operation characteristic.

A system and method for controlling an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system in a hybrid vehicle using an intrusive monitor include adjusting EGR flow through an EGR valve based on an average pressure difference between pressure measured from a manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor and inferred pressure determined from mass air flow (MAF) into an intake of an engine when engine speed, throttle and camshaft timing position change is below a corresponding threshold. The measured pressure and inferred pressure are determined when the EGR valve is in a closed position and an open position.

Methods and systems are provided for synergizing the benefits of an engine exhaust driven fuel reformer in a hybrid vehicle system. A vehicle controller may hold the engine in a narrow operating range where fuel reformer operation is optimal while using motor and/or CVT adjustments to address transients generated as driver demand varies. The controller may also adjust an operating range of temperatures of the reformer to enable extended fuel reforming even after the engine of the hybrid has been shutdown.

A system and method for providing torque-assist to a rotary shaft of an internal combustion engine control an electric machine in response to operation of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve to assist the rotation of the rotary shaft. The system and method facilitate periodic operation of the EGR valve to purge condensation without objectionable torque reduction when the engine is operating near full load.

Methods and systems are provided for using compression heating to heat a cylinder piston before cylinder combustion is resumed. Cylinder heating is achieved using combinations of slow unfueled engine rotation where the engine cylinders are heated via compression stroke heating, and slow compressor rotation where the cylinders are heated via compression heating. One or more intake or exhaust heaters may be concurrently operated to expedite cylinder heating.

An apparatus for controlling a low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (LP-EGR) system for freezing prevention includes an intake air temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of intake air introduced from outside, at least one engine driving sensor used to diagnose and learn a driving state of an engine, the LP-EGR system configured such that at least a portion of exhaust gas flows into the LP-EGR system as intake air, and a controller configured to perform diagnosis and learning of the driving state of the engine using the at least one engine driving sensor or to operate the LP-EGR system depending on the temperature of the intake air measured by the intake air temperature sensor when coasting conditions of a vehicle are satisfied.

A method of controlling a split inflow of condensate water in a hybrid engine includes: determining whether condensate water is generated from an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) device of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV); determining an amount of the condensate water introduced into an hybrid engine; determining whether a vehicle speed of the HEV is within a predetermined speed range; determining whether a request torque of the HEV is within a predetermined torque range; determining whether a duration time of the vehicle speed within the predetermined speed range, and a duration time of the request torque within the predetermined torque range are greater than or equal to a predetermined duration time, respectively; and when the determined duration times are greater than or equal to the predetermined duration time, increasing an engine torque of the HEV.

A controller for a hybrid vehicle controls a first motor generator and a second motor generator such that electric power input to a battery does not exceed an input upper limit value and electric power output from the battery does not exceed an output upper limit value. The controller executes motoring to rotate an output shaft using the first motor generator with combustion operation of an engine stopped, thereby causing a braking force generated by friction of the engine to act on a driven wheel. The controller executes a valve-opening limitation process that limits an increase in a throttle open degree in correspondence with the input upper limit value upon issuance of an increase request for the throttle open degree that is not based on an operation of requesting a change in the braking force performed by a driver during the execution of the motoring.

An engine unit includes: an engine that is able to independently inject fuel into cylinders; an exhaust gas recirculation device that recirculates exhaust gas of the engine to intake air; a cleaning device that cleans exhaust gas from the engine; and a control device that controls the engine and the exhaust gas recirculation device. The control device performs control such that an amount of exhaust gas recirculated to intake air is less when fuel cutoff is performed for some cylinders out of all cylinders of the engine than when fuel is injected into all the cylinders of the engine.