The present disclosure relates to dual fuel internal combustion engines with multiple cylinder banks and/or cylinder subsets, and exhaust aftertreatment systems associated therewith. Systems and methods are disclosed that relate to engine operations involving fuelling control for fuel cutout of one or more of the cylinder banks and/or cylinder subsets in response to a fuel cutout event to increase gaseous fuel substitution on the other cylinder banks and/or cylinder subsets to satisfy the torque request and thermal management conditions of the aftertreatment system.

An internal combustion engine and a method of controlling an internal combustion engine are provided, that are more efficient than existing engines. The internal combustion engine includes a combustion chamber, and the engine is configurable to operate in: a compressionless operating mode where the engine is driven by combustion of fuel and oxidant in the combustion chamber without compression of the fuel and oxidant; and a compression generating operating mode where the engine is used to compress fluid in the combustion chamber.

A mixing structure can include a body having first conduits, mixture conduits, and second conduits extending through the body to the internal volume. The first conduits may be closer to a first side of the body than the mixture conduits and the second conduits. The second conduits may closer to another side of the body than the first conduits and the mixture conduits. The internal volume may receive liquid streams from an injector. The first conduits and the second conduits may receive gas streams from outside the body. The body may thermally modify the gas streams and entrain the gas streams into the liquid streams in the internal volume. The mixture conduits may be positioned to direct the gas streams entrained into the liquid streams out of the body in directions directed toward the second side of the body and away from the first side of the body.

A mixing structure can include a body having first conduits, mixture conduits, and second conduits extending through the body to the internal volume. The first conduits may be closer to a first side of the body than the mixture conduits and the second conduits. The second conduits may closer to another side of the body than the first conduits and the mixture conduits. The internal volume may receive liquid streams from an injector. The first conduits and the second conduits may receive gas streams from outside the body. The body may thermally modify the gas streams and entrain the gas streams into the liquid streams in the internal volume. The mixture conduits may be positioned to direct the gas streams entrained into the liquid streams out of the body in directions directed toward the second side of the body and away from the first side of the body.

A fuel and gas mixing structure for an engine is provided. This mixing structure includes a body configured to be positioned between a fuel injector and a cylinder of an engine. The body defines an interior volume that is configured to receive gas (e.g., air) from outside the body and to receive one or more streams of fuel from the fuel injector in the interior volume. The body also includes one or more upper channels and one or more lower channels that are configured to provide a substantially similar amount of flow relative to each other to the interior volume The body also defines one or more mixture conduits configured to conduct plumes of the fuel and gas, while mixing, from the interior volume to one or more exit ports and therethrough to the cylinder.

A fuel and gas mixing structure for an engine is provided. This mixing structure includes a body configured to be positioned between a fuel injector and a cylinder of an engine. The body defines an interior volume that is configured to receive gas (e.g., air) from outside the body and to receive one or more streams of fuel from the fuel injector in the interior volume. The body also includes one or more upper channels and one or more lower channels that are configured to provide a substantially similar amount of flow relative to each other to the interior volume The body also defines one or more mixture conduits configured to conduct plumes of the fuel and gas, while mixing, from the interior volume to one or more exit ports and therethrough to the cylinder.

The engines include compression cylinders, combustion cylinders, an air rail, and a heat exchanger. The methods of operating a compression ignition engine include taking air into a compression cylinder of the engine, compressing the air in the compression cylinder to raise the pressure and temperature of the air, passing the compressed air through a heat exchanger, and from the heat exchanger into a combustion cylinder, further compressing the compressed air during a compression stroke of the combustion cylinder, igniting fuel in the combustion cylinder at or near the end of the compression stroke by compression ignition, followed by a power stroke, and opening an exhaust valve at the end of the power stroke and passing at least some of the exhaust in the combustion cylinder through the heat exchanger to heat air that has been compressed in the compression cylinder and is then passing through the heat exchanger.

The engines include compression cylinders, combustion cylinders, an air rail, and a heat exchanger. The methods of operating a compression ignition engine include taking air into a compression cylinder of the engine, compressing the air in the compression cylinder to raise the pressure and temperature of the air, passing the compressed air through a heat exchanger, and from the heat exchanger into a combustion cylinder, further compressing the compressed air during a compression stroke of the combustion cylinder, igniting fuel in the combustion cylinder at or near the end of the compression stroke by compression ignition, followed by a power stroke, and opening an exhaust valve at the end of the power stroke and passing at least some of the exhaust in the combustion cylinder through the heat exchanger to heat air that has been compressed in the compression cylinder and is then passing through the heat exchanger.

A method for operating an internal combustion engine of a drive system for a motor vehicle, the internal combustion engine being designed for operation using various types of fuel, has the following steps: querying operating parameters of fuel-relevant functions of the drive system by means of a central fuel coordination device of a central engine coordination device, determining possible types of fuel for operating the internal combustion engine, based on the queried operating parameters and predefined fuel release conditions, by means of the central fuel coordination device, selecting a type of fuel for operating the internal combustion engine, based on the determined possible types of fuel and at least one predefined selection criterion, by means of the central fuel coordination device, transmitting information identifying the selected type of fuel from the central fuel coordination device to a central engine control unit of the central engine coordination device, and operating the internal combustion engine with the selected type of fuel by means of the central engine control unit.

An internal combustion-type engine or powertrain that is capable of burning wet-alcohol fuel mixture and including a piston reciprocating within a cylinder attached to a cylinder head and connecting to a crank shaft via a connecting rod. An intake cam and valve is mounted within an intake port formed in the cylinder head and an exhaust cam and valve is mounted within an exhaust port also formed in the cylinder head. A pressurized fuel source is introduced into the cylinder by a fuel injector and the percentage of water in the alcohol/water mix operates to prolong the cylinder pressure in order to increase a mean effective pressure (IMEP), leading to a higher torque (improved Brake Mean Effective Pressure—BMEP) of the engine via a longer pressure pulse attained during the period of preferred mechanical advantage of the crank-arm of the engine.