A method to estimate the temperature of an electromagnetic actuator, which entails a preliminary step in which to define a first threshold value for the current or for the voltage; and define a characteristic curve of the actuator family in the plane temperature/time needed to reach the threshold value; a step in which to carry out a reference measurement, in which, using the characteristic curve, a reference time needed by the electromagnetic actuator to reach the first threshold value is associated with a known reference temperature; and a step in which to carry out a series of measurements in which to determine the time needed by the electromagnetic actuator to reach the first threshold value, calculate the deviation between the time needed by the electromagnetic actuator to reach the first threshold value and the reference time; and determine the temperature of the electromagnetic actuator, using the characteristic curve, by associating the temperature of the electromagnetic actuator with the sum of the deviation and of the reference time.

Disclosed is a method for determining a temperature of a solenoid injector including a coil and a needle when the solenoid injector is in a non-injection phase, the method being characterized in that it includes the following steps: powering the solenoid injector coil using an electric generator for a period of time tvoltage strictly shorter than a period of time tlim corresponding to a time for which the coil is under power causing the needle to open; measuring at least one value icoil of the current of the solenoid injector coil using a current measurement sensor when the coil is powered; and determining a temperature of the solenoid injector from the at least one value icoil of the current of the solenoid injector coil.

A method to estimate the temperature of an electromagnetic actuator, which entails a preliminary step in which to define a first threshold value for the current or for the voltage; and define a characteristic curve of the actuator family in the plane temperature/time needed to reach the threshold value; a step in which to carry out a reference measurement, in which, using the characteristic curve, a reference time needed by the electromagnetic actuator to reach the first threshold value is associated with a known reference temperature; and a step in which to carry out a series of measurements in which to determine the time needed by the electromagnetic actuator to reach the first threshold value, calculate the deviation between the time needed by the electromagnetic actuator to reach the first threshold value and the reference time; and determine the temperature of the electromagnetic actuator, using the characteristic curve, by associating the temperature of the electromagnetic actuator with the sum of the deviation and of the reference time.

A fuel heating apparatus and method are disclosed where a conductive coil is wrapped around an outer surface of at least a portion of a nozzle of a fuel injector. The coil and the nozzle are inductively cooperative with each other such that the coil, in response to a variable current through the coil, induces a heating of the nozzle. The inductively heated nozzle can heat fuel passing into an engine so as to cause the fuel to combust as it exits the heated nozzle. This arrangement allows for sparkles combustion of fuel in an internal combustion engine.

An injection control device for a fuel injection valve includes: a current detection unit, a current area correction control unit, a storage unit, and a reference current value correction unit. The current area correction control unit corrects, based on an energization current profile, an area correction amount of an energization time to equalize the integrated current value of the energization current profile and an integrated current value of the detected current, and obtains the integrated current value of the current based on an attainment time from a start of energization of the fuel injection valve to an attainment of each of plural reference current values. The storage unit stores a reference attainment time. The reference current value correction unit corrects each reference current value based on a difference between the reference attainment time and a detected attainment time at a time of actual drive.

The magnetic coil driving circuit of the magnetic contactor according to the present invention comprises a semiconductor switch configured to open or close a circuit for magnetizing or demagnetizing a magnetic coil; a pulse width modulation unit configured to output a pulse signal as a control signal for turning on or off the semiconductor switch; a control unit configured to output a control signal for changing a pulse width of the pulse signal to the pulse width modulation unit; and a temperature detection and protection unit configured to detect a temperature inside the magnetic contactor, output an output signal for turning off the semiconductor switch when the temperature exceeds an allowable temperature, and control the semiconductor switch by the pulse signal from the pulse width modulation unit when the temperature is within the allowable temperature.

An internal combustion engine control device (1) includes an injector-temperature calculation unit (21a), an engine-temperature calculation unit (21b), an operating-state control unit (21c), a cold/warmed-up state determination unit (21d), an ambient-temperature calculation unit (21e), and a correction unit (21f). The correction unit (21f) corrects an engine temperature calculated based on an injector temperature, when it is determined that an engine is in a cold state and a difference between the injector temperature and an ambient temperature is equal to or larger than a first predetermined value.

The invention relates to a cooling module for a vehicle control unit, comprising a cooling element, connections for conducting a coolant through the cooling element, a turbulence insert placed in the cooling element comprising at least first cooling fins, and at least one first bimetal located in the cooling element, wherein the at least one first bimetal is placed such that it displaces the at least one group of first cooling fins depending on a temperature-dependent shape change of the at least one first bimetal. The invention also relates to a vehicle control unit with a cooling module and a method for water cooling a vehicle control unit.

A liquid coolant injector for injecting a liquid coolant into a cylinder of a split cycle engine, wherein the liquid coolant has been condensed into a liquid phase via a refrigeration process, the injector comprising, a thermally insulating housing, a liquid coolant inlet, a liquid coolant outlet in fluid communication with the liquid coolant inlet via a liquid coolant flow path wherein the liquid coolant flow path extends through the thermally insulating housing, the thermally insulating housing configured to inhibit vaporisation of the liquid coolant within the liquid coolant flow path, a valve closure member, moveable between a first position in which the valve closure member blocks the liquid coolant flow path and a second position in which the liquid coolant may flow from the liquid coolant inlet to the liquid coolant outlet, and, a driver operable to move the valve closure member between the first and second position in response to a control signal.

Methods and systems are provided for a fuel system. In one example, a method includes comparing a resistance of a solenoid coil of a direct injector to a threshold resistance. The method further includes selecting one of a transient or a steady-state pressure-based injector balancing (PBIB) model in response to the comparison.