Methods and systems for heating an emission control device are provided. In one example, a method for a vehicle comprises during an engine cold start, heating an emission control device of the engine using a dual heat exchanger to heat secondary air and cool exhaust gas, and further heat secondary air with an electric heater. The method further comprises directing the heated secondary air to each exhaust runner of the engine via individual air injectors to mix with exhaust gas. In this way, an improved mixture of air and exhaust reduces catalyst light-off time and increases conversion efficiency, thereby reducing hydrocarbon emissions during engine cold start.

An embodiment system for mild hybrid starter and generator (MHSG) failure diagnosis of a mild hybrid vehicle includes a data detection part configured to detect data for determining whether to activate a catalyst, and a controller configured to determine whether there is an MHSG failure using a deviation between a required torque and an actual operating torque of an MHSG after determining whether catalyst activation is needed and whether to start a stage of the MHSG failure diagnosis based on the data detected by the data detection part.

In exemplary embodiments, methods and systems are provided for controlling emissions for a drive system for a vehicle. In one embodiment, the system includes: one or more first sensors configured to measure an engine temperature pertaining to an engine of the vehicle; one or more second sensors configured to measure an ambient temperature surrounding the vehicle; one or more third sensors configured to detect an amount of running time in which the engine has been running; and a processor coupled to the one or more first sensors, the one or more second sensors, and the one or more third sensors and configured to at least facilitate controlling emissions for the drive system based on the engine temperature, the ambient temperature, and the amount of running time in which the engine has been running.

The invention relates to a method of controlling operation of an ICE arrangement (1), comprising acquiring (100) a first signal indicative of a required torque; acquiring (102) a second signal indicative of a temperature (T) of an EATS (23); and when the second signal indicates that the temperature (T) of the EATS (23) is lower than a predefined first threshold temperature (T.sub.1): determining (108; 118) an amount of second fuel (17) needed to deliver the required torque; supplying the amount of second fuel (17); controlling (112; 122) an inlet valve (19) to allow flow of a second fuel-air mix into the cylinder (3); injecting first fuel (13) into the cylinder (3) when the second fuel-air mix is compressed by the piston (9), resulting in flame propagation ignition of the second fuel-air mix; and controlling (116; 126) and outlet valve (21) to allow flow of exhaust from the cylinder (3) during an exhaust stroke (ES) of the piston (9).

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a control means which, with respect to injection control of a fuel injection valve, reduces deviation between an injection quantity of fuel injected by the fuel injection valve and a target value, the deviation being caused due to a pressure in a combustion chamber, as an injection timing in a compression stroke of an engine is retarded. The present invention pertains to a fuel injection valve that performs a plurality of injections in one engine cycle, and performs control in such a manner that injection pulse signals and are transmitted to a drive circuit, and from the drive circuit for the fuel injection valve that outputs drive current waveforms for fuel injection, the injection pulse signal in the compression stroke when the injection timing is retarded is shortened.

In a catalyst warming-up control, a first time injection is performed by an injector in an intake stroke. A second time injection is performed with an amount smaller than the first time injection in an expansion stroke after a compression top dead center. In the catalyst warming-up control, an interval from the start of the ignition period of an spark plug to the completion of the second time injection is controlled by the ECU so that the initial flame generated from an air-fuel mixture containing the fuel spray injected by the first time injection is brought into contact with the fuel spray injected by the second time injection.

A control device for an internal combustion engine is programmed, during a catalyst warm-up control, to perform first fuel injection by an injector in an intake stroke, control an ignition device so as to generate a discharge spark in a predetermined period in an expansion stroke, and perform second fuel injection, at a timing retarded from a compression top dead center, such that its injection period overlaps with at least a part of the predetermined period and an end timing of the injection period is advanced from an end timing of the predetermined period. Further, the control device is programmed, during the catalyst warm-up control, to control an actual tumble ratio depending on a result of determination using a first index value representing a speed of initial combustion accompanying an ignition by the ignition device and a second index value representing a speed of main combustion accompanying the ignition.

An intake stroke injection and a compression stroke injection are performed during catalyst warm-up control (upper section in FIG. 7). During the catalyst warm-up control, a discharge period at an electrode portion is set on a retard side of compression top dead center, and an expansion stroke injection is performed during the discharge period. However, when a distance between a spray contour surface and the electrode portion increases, an additional injection (first injection) is performed in advance of the expansion stroke injection (second injection) (lower section in FIG. 7). The additional injection is performed at a timing that is on the retard side of compression top dead center and is on an advance side relative to a start timing of the discharge at the electrode portion.

A control device is configured to perform, when it is estimated that a combustion fluctuation increases, estimation related to an ignition delay for initial flame generated from a discharge spark and an air-fuel mixture containing fuel spray injected by intake stroke injection. When it is estimated that the ignition delay for the initial flame is increased from that before the increase in the combustion fluctuation, an injection amount in expansion stroke injection is reduced in a next time cycle. When it is estimated that the ignition delay for the initial flame is reduced from that before the increase in the combustion fluctuation, the injection amount in expansion stroke injection is increased in a next time cycle.

Switchable radiative energy harvesting systems and methods of harvesting radiation are disclosed. A system includes an optical filter that includes at least one of an active material and a passive material. The optical filter is switchable between a shield mode and a harvesting mode such that the at least one of the active material and the passive material is in a reflecting state during the shield mode such that the optical filter blocks passage of radiation from a thermal emitter to a thermophotovoltaic cell and a transmitting state during the harvesting mode such that that the optical filter allows the radiation to pass from the thermal emitter to the thermophotovoltaic cell.