An ignition control system includes a spark plug including a cylindrical ground electrode, a cylindrical insulator having a protruding portion held inside the ground electrode and protruding toward a tip side the spark plug relative to the ground electrode, and a center electrode held inside the insulator and exposed from the insulator, an ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil, and a primary current control unit performing creeping discharge control for generating a creeping discharge along a surface of the insulator, and air discharge transition control for stopping the creeping discharge occurring in the spark plug after the creeping discharge control is performed, and cutting off primary current after a discharge stop period ends, in one combustion cycle of the engine.

A CPU advances ignition timing within a range in which knocking can be suppressed by feedback control based on an output signal of a knocking sensor. The CPU sets the igniting timing based on a feedback adjustment amount and a learning value. The CPU limits timing advancing update of the learning value when an exhaust pressure is higher than or equal to a threshold.

An ignition performance increasing method of an automobile may include inputting a crank position sensor signal to detect a rotational position of a crankshaft of an engine, generating an engine angle tick, acquiring an engine synchronization by determining a position of the crankshaft and a position of a cam, setting a sync task at a specified position, and performing fuel injection and ignition.

An internal combustion engine is operated at fuel-rich conditions by adjusting one or more operating parameters such as, for example, a throttle, an ignition timing, a load coupled to the engine, a fuel pressure, power to a supercharger, and power to a preheater to maintain a specified engine speed and a temperature of an exhaust gas. Operating the engine under these conditions allows the engine to function as a reformer producing a synthesis gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

Various embodiments include a method for controlling a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine with a crankshaft and a drivetrain separable from the internal combustion engine using a releasable clutch comprising: propelling the vehicle in a first operating state in a predetermined range around a speed while the internal combustion engine is off and is separated from the drivetrain by the releasable clutch; sensing a braking operation while in the first operating state; predicting whether a power demand is expected within a predetermined time interval; and, if the power demand is expected, setting the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine in rotation, or increasing a rotational speed of the crankshaft in preparation for an engine restart.

A CPU advances ignition timing within a range in which knocking can be suppressed by feedback control based on an output signal of a knocking sensor. The CPU sets the igniting timing based on a feedback adjustment amount and a learning value. The CPU limits timing advancing update of the learning value when an exhaust pressure is higher than or equal to a threshold.

An ignition performance increasing method of an automobile may include inputting a crank position sensor signal to detect a rotational position of a crankshaft of an engine, generating an engine angle tick, acquiring an engine synchronization by determining a position of the crankshaft and a position of a cam, setting a sync task at a specified position, and performing fuel injection and ignition.

An ignition control system includes a spark plug including a cylindrical ground electrode, a cylindrical insulator having a protruding portion held inside the ground electrode and protruding toward a tip side the spark plug relative to the ground electrode, and a center electrode held inside the insulator and exposed from the insulator, an ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil, and a primary current control unit performing creeping discharge control for generating a creeping discharge along a surface of the insulator, and air discharge transition control for stopping the creeping discharge occurring in the spark plug after the creeping discharge control is performed, and cutting off primary current after a discharge stop period ends, in one combustion cycle of the engine.

A combined slip based driver command interpreter for a vehicle is provided which may be communicatively coupled to a steering wheel angle sensor, an acceleration pedal position sensor and a brake pedal position sensor, the combined slip based driver command interpreter including, but not limited to a memory configured to store a non-linear combined lateral slip model and a non-linear combined longitudinal slip model, and a processor, the processor configured to determine a driver's intended vehicle lateral velocity and a driver's intended vehicle yaw rate based upon the angle of the steering wheel, the position of the acceleration pedal, the position of the brake pedal, a longitudinal velocity of the vehicle, the non-linear combined lateral slip model and the non-linear combined longitudinal slip model.

Disclosed are model-based combustion timing systems and control logic for engine assemblies, methods for making/operating such engine assemblies, and motor vehicles with spark-ignited engine assemblies implementing model-based combustion timing. A method for controlling torque output of an engine assembly includes receiving a requested torque demand for the engine, and determining a current fuel command and valve timing for the engine's power cylinder(s). A first math model is used to determine a desired CA50 based on the requested torque demand, a power cylinder indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP), an expander cylinder IMEP, and the current fuel command/valve timing. A second math model is used to determine a maximum brake torque (MBT) CA50 based on power cylinder and expander cylinder IMEPs, and current fuel command/valve timing. An engine control unit determines a final spark timing based on a correlation between the desired CA50 and MBT CA50, modified by a spark timing gain.