Systems and methods for improving engine torque response are presented. In one example, engine idle speed is increased to shorten engine torque response based on engine operating conditions. The methods and systems may be useful for operating an engine that is supplied a gaseous fuel.

When a catalytic converter in an exhaust passage is in an un-activated state, an intake air amount is increased, as compared to when the converter is in an activated state under the same engine operation condition, and an ignition timing is retarded beyond a TDC of a compression stroke. The ignition timing is set such that a retard amount thereof from the TDC becomes larger as an external load causing a rotational resistance of an engine becomes lower. A valve opening start timing of an exhaust valve is set such that, when the external load is lower than a given reference load, the valve starts opening, before an in-cylinder pressure reaches a peak, according to combustion of an air-fuel mixture ignited at the above ignition timing, in a subsequent expansion stroke, wherein the in-cylinder pressure is based on an assumption that the valve is maintained in a valve-closed state.

Due to changes in a flow of an air-fuel mixture in a cylinder, reliable ignition due to spark discharge may not be possible. Therefore, an ignition control unit 24 includes a secondary voltage calculation unit 31 that calculates an average value of a secondary voltage generated on a secondary side of an ignition coil, an irregular flow ratio calculation unit 32 that calculates a ratio of cycles in which the average value of the secondary voltage is equal to or less than a set average value with respect to a cycle of the internal combustion engine in a predetermined period as an irregular flow ratio indicating that the flow of the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder is irregular, and an ignition operation amount correction unit 37 that corrects an ignition operation amount so that the irregular flow ratio is equal to or less than the set ratio value that is the target to be reached of the irregular flow ratio.

A combustion chamber structure for an internal combustion engine includes a recessed portion formed in a pent roof of a cylinder head on an upstream side of a tumble flow with respect to a spark plug.

An engine is provided, which includes a combustion chamber defined by a crown surface of a piston, an inner wall surface of a cylinder in which the piston is slidably accommodated, and a pentroof-type ceiling surface formed in a cylinder head and formed with an intake port and an exhaust port. The crown surface includes an exhaust-side bottom part, an intake-side bottom part, an exhaust-side sloped surface rising toward a center part of the crown surface from the exhaust-side bottom part, an intake-side sloped surface rising toward the center part from the intake-side bottom part, and a flat surface provided continuously between upper ends of the exhaust-side and intake-side sloped surfaces, and extending perpendicularly to a cylinder axial direction in the center part of the crown surface. A surface area of the flat surface is larger than a surface area of the exhaust-side sloped surface.

Due to changes in a flow of an air-fuel mixture in a cylinder, reliable ignition due to spark discharge may not be possible. Therefore, an ignition control unit 24 includes a secondary voltage calculation unit 31 that calculates an average value of a secondary voltage generated on a secondary side of an ignition coil, an irregular flow ratio calculation unit 32 that calculates a ratio of cycles in which the average value of the secondary voltage is equal to or less than a set average value with respect to a cycle of the internal combustion engine in a predetermined period as an irregular flow ratio indicating that the flow of the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder is irregular, and an ignition operation amount correction unit 37 that corrects an ignition operation amount so that the irregular flow ratio is equal to or less than the set ratio value that is the target to be reached of the irregular flow ratio.

A method of injection of liquid or gaseous ammonia fuel into a reciprocating engine that includes at least two cylinders, each cylinder including a piston that moves reciprocally within that cylinder, each cylinder having a head location at one end located opposite to a compression end of the piston and defining a combustion chamber therebetween, the cylinder including at least one inlet valve through which combustion gases are fed into the combustion chamber and at least one exhaust valve through which spent combustion gases egress the combustion chamber, the piston moving the cylinder in a cycle between top dead center where the piston is located closest to the head location and bottom dead center where the piston is located furthest from the head location, and including at least one fuel injector located at or in the head location, and wherein the method comprises: injecting the ammonia fuel into the combustion chamber of each cylinder as at least one fuel jet with a timing of: after the at least one exhaust valve of the respective cylinder is substantially closed; and before the respective piston moves to at most 35 degrees, preferably at most 45 degrees, prior to top dead centre.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to internal combustion engines, combustion systems that include such internal combustion engines, and controls for controlling operation of the combustion engine. The internal combustion engine may include one or more mechanisms for injecting fuel, air, fuel-air mixture, or combinations thereof directly into one or more cylinders, and controls may operate or direct operation of such mechanisms.

A method is disclosed for injecting a gaseous fuel in an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber and an inlet valve assigned to the combustion chamber. The method includes determining a torque output of the combustion chamber, specifying a comparative value for the torque output, and determining a difference between the torque output and the comparative value. When the difference is less than a given threshold value, the method reduces a first injection quantity of the gaseous fuel depending on the determined difference, which is injected temporally before the inlet valve is closed. When the difference is greater than the given threshold value, the method increases the first injection quantity of the gaseous fuel depending on the determined difference. Also described is a device which may carry out the method.

An engine is provided, which includes a combustion chamber defined by a piston crown surface, an inner wall surface of a cylinder, and a pentroof ceiling surface formed in a cylinder head, and an ignition part of a spark plug disposed at the ceiling surface to achieve flame propagation combustion inside the combustion chamber. A cavity recessed in a spherical cap shape is formed in a central area of the crown surface. An opening of an intake port is formed in the ceiling surface (intake side) and an opening of an exhaust port is formed in the ceiling surface (exhaust side). When seen in a cross-sectional view taken along a cylinder axis, the ignition part is located above the cavity to be offset toward the exhaust side with respect to a cylinder axial line whereas a cavity center point is located to be offset toward the intake side.