Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Fulvio Brosio

Nando Vennettilli

Luca Giuseppe Pairolero

Carlo Daniele Ceriani

Domenico Rampone

A sensor for exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine includes a sensing element enclosed in a sensor housing. The sensor housing includes a protective cap having a plurality of openings formed therein for allowing flow of exhaust gases through the protective cap towards the sensing element. The sensor further includes at least one heating element for burning exhaust gas deposits on the sensor.

Exhaust sensor for internal combustion engines

A method is provided for operating an electromechanical actuator comprising a movable element, a position sensor for detecting the position of the movable element, a logic unit connected to the position sensor, and exactly one output line for the logic unit to transmit a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal having a predetermined frequency value, the method providing for the logic unit to perform detecting a position of the movable element, determining a value of a duty cycle of the pulse width modulated (PWM) signal on the basis of the detected position of the movable element, and transmitting a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal indicative of the position of the movable element having the determined value of the duty cycle.

Method for operating an electromechanical actuator

A method is provided for diagnosing the integrity of a swirl generating system for an internal combustion engine. The swirl generating system includes, but is not limited to swirl controlling elements that are individually located in a respective air passage connecting the intake manifold of the engine to an intake port of an engine combustion chamber, an actuator having a movable shaft, a cinematic chain for mechanically connecting the swirl controlling elements to the actuator movable shaft, an actuator control unit for normally moving the actuator movable shaft in a first direction towards a first final position, and in a second opposite direction towards a second final position, and actuator sensor for sensing the position of the actuator movable shaft. The method providing to arrange at least a mechanical stop for directly acting on one component of the cinematic chain, in order to indirectly limit the movement of the actuator movable shaft in the first direction at a first checking position coincident or beyond the first final position, command the actuator control unit for moving the actuator movable shaft in the first direction towards the first checking position, and verify through the position sensing means whether the actuator movable shaft stops in the first checking position (CP) or goes beyond.

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Turin, Italy

Fulvio Brosio