Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

David Bruce Reiche

Steven Wooldridge

Brad Alan VanDerWege

Jianwen James Yi

Alex O'Connor Gibson

Joseph Norman Ulrey

Cindy Zhou

Alexander O'Connor Gibson

Ethan D Sanborn

Stephen George Russ

Neal James Corey

Zheng Xu

Claudia Olivia Iyer

Gary Alan Coulson

Steven Paul Penkevich

Curtis McGuire

Xiaogang Zhang

Thomas A McCarthy

Foo Chern Ting

Claudia Olivia Lyer

Systems and methods for cold starting an internal combustion engine are described. In one example, fuel is delivered in four equal amounts into a cylinder during a cycle of the cylinder. The fuel is injected so as to reduce cylinder wall wetting, raise combustion stability, and increase exhaust system heating.

Methods and system for engine cold starting

Systems and methods for restarting an engine are presented. In one example, spark timing during engine starting is adjusted in response to engine speed and a second control parameter. The second control parameter may be correlated with crankshaft or rod degradation. Spark may be advanced from minimum spark for best torque when engine speed is greater than desired and when the second control parameter does not provide an indication of engine degradation.

Methods and systems for improving engine starting

A method and system for improving starting of an engine is presented. In one example, the method selects a first cylinder to receive fuel since engine stop based on intake valve closing time. The method also describes selecting the first cylinder to receive fuel since engine stop based on an end of fuel injection time.

Method and system for engine starting

A fuel injector having an injector axis, comprising a first nozzle aiming in a first radial direction; a first nozzle pair aiming in radial directions each equally angled relative to the first direction, closest to the first radial direction, and having a longest radial offset; a nozzle second pair in radial directions each equally angled relative to the first direction; and another nozzle aiming opposite the first radial direction and having a shortest radial offset.

Fuel injector spray pattern

A method for improving starting of an engine that may be automatically started is provided. In one example, spark timing of an automatically started engine is in advance of spark timing for an operator requested engine start. The approach may reduce vehicle driveline disturbances.

Method for starting an engine automatically

A method of forming a bowl in a top surface of a piston for an internal combustion engine includes machining the top surface of the piston to form a spherical depression in the top surface wherein the top surface comprises a dome prior to the machining and a center of the bowl is displaced from a center of the piston by at least one-quarter of a diameter of the piston. In one embodiment, the method includes machining recesses in the top surface aligned, respectively, with intake valves, an exhaust valve, and spark plug when installed. Because the bowl is smooth and shallow, the surface area of the combustion chamber is less than with a deeper bowl of complicated shape. Lowering surface area in the combustion chamber leads to improved fuel economy.

Shallow piston bowl and injector spray pattern for a gasoline, direct-injection engine

A method for engine starting is provided. The method may include performing idle-stop operation, and during a subsequent re-start, applying multi-strike ignition operation for a first combustion cycle. In this way, improved engine starting may be achieved with reduced emissions.

Direct-start engine operation utilizing multi-strike ignition

A method for improving starting of an engine that may be operated with fuels having varying alcohol concentrations is presented. In one embodiment, the method adjusts a compression ratio of an engine in response to a number of combustion events after an engine stop and a concentration of alcohol in a fuel supplied to the engine. The method may make engine starting more repeatable at lower engine temperatures.

Method for starting a mixed fuel engine

A combustion system for a direct-injection, spark-ignition engine is disclosed. A side-mounted fuel injector located outboard the intake valves directs multiple fuel jets into a shallow, spherical bowl formed in a domed piston. Both good mixing to facilitate good air utilization with early injection and an ignitable mixture at the spark plug with late injection to facilitate cold start are provided with such a combustion system. Because the bowl is smooth and shallow, the surface area of the combustion chamber is less than with a deeper bowl of complicated shape. Lowering surface area in the combustion chamber leads to improved fuel economy.

Direct-start engine operation utlizing multi-strike ignition

A method for operation of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine may include one or more combustion chambers, a fuel delivery system including a direct fuel injector coupled to each combustion chamber, an ignition system including one or more spark plugs coupled to each combustion chamber, a piston disposed within each combustion chamber, and an intake and an exhaust valve coupled to each combustion chamber, the internal combustion engine providing motive power to the vehicle. The method may include discontinuing combustion operation within the internal combustion engine responsive to idle-stop operation. The method may further include, during a direct-start, performing multi-strike ignition operation per combustion cycle via one or more selected spark plug(s) for at least a first combustion cycle in a combustion chamber following the discontinuation of combustion operation, the one or more selected spark plug(s) coupled to the combustion chamber.

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Livonia, MI, United States of America

David Bruce Reiche