Mazda Motor Corporation

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Hiroshima University

Fumihiko Saito

Hiroyuki Yamashita

Yoshihisa Nou

Noriyuki Ohta

Masakazu Matsumoto

Keiji Araki

Masatoshi Seto

Noboru Hashimoto

Takehiko Yasuoka

Akihide Takami

Hiroyuki Yoshida

Junichi Taga

Tomomi Watanabe

Tatsuya Uesugi

Mikihito Fujii

Masashi Marubara

Kazuhiko Hashimoto

Masanori Misumi

Shinsuke Shimizu

Seiji Nomura

Hidetoshi Kudou

Toru Shiraishi

Yoshihiko Imamura

Yoshihisa Noh

Hiroyuki Ohta

Atsushi Sakamoto

Takashi Yamamoto

Kumiko Okazaki

Koichi Hori

A method of controlling an engine is provided, which includes, during motoring of the engine, injecting, by an injector, fuel for analysis into a cylinder of the engine at a specific timing after an intake valve of the cylinder is closed. The method includes acquiring, by a controller, a crank angle period from a start timing of the fuel injection to a timing of a pressure inside the cylinder reaching a reference pressure, in response to signals of a crank angle sensor and an in-cylinder pressure sensor. The method includes determining, by the controller, a property of the fuel injected by the injector by comparing the acquired crank angle period with a reference crank angle period, the reference crank angle period being from an injection start timing when a standard fuel is injected into the cylinder to a timing of the pressure inside the cylinder reaching the reference pressure.

Motoring an engine and injecting fuel to determine fuel properties by measuring cylinder pressure

A method of controlling an engine is provided, which includes the steps of, during motoring of the engine, injecting, by an injector, fuel for analysis into a cylinder at a specific timing after an intake valve of the cylinder of the engine is closed, outputting to a controller, by an in-cylinder pressure sensor, a signal corresponding to a pressure inside the cylinder at least at a timing when a specific crank angle period has passed from the fuel injection timing, and determining, by the controller, a property of the fuel injected by the injector, by comparing a pressure value measured by the in-cylinder pressure sensor with a reference pressure value inside the cylinder measured at a timing when the specific crank angle period has passed after a standard fuel is injected into the cylinder at the specific timing.

Engine controlling method and engine system

An engine controlling method is provided, which includes, during motoring of the engine, outputting, by an in-cylinder pressure sensor, to a controller a signal indicative of a reference pressure corresponding to a pressure change after an intake valve of a cylinder of the engine is closed when not performing fuel injection, and then injecting, by an injector, fuel for analysis into the cylinder at a specific timing after the intake valve is closed. The method includes, by the controller, acquiring a crank angle period from the intake valve close timing, through the fuel injection, to a timing of the in-cylinder pressure reaching the reference pressure based on signals from the in-cylinder pressure sensor and a crank angle sensor, and determining a property of the injected fuel by comparing the acquired crank angle period with that of a standard fuel based on stored information on a property of the standard fuel.

A microorganism having at least one SPX gene encoding SPX protein responsive to phosphorus deficiency, and characterized in that a function of the SPX protein is decreased or lost by introducing gene mutation into the SPX gene.

Microorganism and method for producing triacylglycerol

A direct-injection spark-ignition engine includes a spark plug provided approximately at the center of the ceiling of a combustion chamber, and an injector having at its downstream end a nozzle which is located in an upper peripheral area of the combustion chamber, in which multiple openings are formed in the nozzle of the injector. Fuel is injected from the nozzle of the injector directly toward the proximity of an electrode of the spark plug. The directions of axis lines of the individual openings are set such that central points of fuel jets spewed out of the individual openings do not lie on the spark plug but are distributed around the electrode, slightly separated therefrom.

Direct-injection spark-ignition engine

A fuel spray and a tumble collide with each other from approximately opposite directions in a cavity formed in a piston head so that a combustible mixture stays around a spark plug for an extended period of time. An upper opening of the cavity is elongated to both the left and right sides of a cylinder axis. The distance between a ceiling of the combustion chamber and a bottom surface of the cavity is smaller on the right side of the cylinder axis than on the left side thereof and largest at least at a point where the cylinder axis crosses the bottom surface of the cavity, and a portion of the cavity to the left of the cylinder axis has a larger volumetric capacity than a portion of the cavity to the right of the cylinder axis, whereby a strong tumble is maintained up to a fuel injection point.

During stratified-charge combustion operation of a direct-injection spark ignition engine, at the cylinder compression stroke, a tumble is generated which flows between a spark plug electrode and a piston crown surface toward an injector. A fuel is injected from the injector in correspondence with the cylinder ignition timing by controlling the penetration of fuel spray from the injector to correspond to the tumble flow rate so that the fuel spray may go against the tumble, become a flammable mixture at the cylinder ignition timing and stay near the spark plug electrode. In the late stage of the compression stroke, diffusion of the flammable mixture is suppressed with squishes. Thus, fuel spray behavior in the combustion chamber is controlled to allow suitable mixture stratification over a wide engine operating condition range. This improves combustion quality and extends a stratified-charge combustion zone thereby providing enhanced fuel economy and power output.

Direct-injection spark ignition engine

A control device for a direct injection engine having a catalyst provided in an exhaust passage for converting exhaust gases and an injector for injecting fuel directly into a combustion chamber, includes a temperature state identifier for judging the temperature state of the catalyst, a load condition detector for sensing engine load conditions, and a fuel injection controller for controlling fuel injection from the injector. The fuel injection controller performs quick light-off control operation by causing the injector to inject fuel in one-time injection mode during a compression stroke in a specific low-load operating range of the engine when the catalyst is in its unheated state where its temperature is below its activation temperature, and switching the mode of fuel injection to intake-compression stroke split injection mode in a specific high-load operating range of the engine.

Control device for direct injection engine

An air-fuel control system for an internal combustion engine is equipped with an exhaust system having a catalytic converter, a linear O.sub.2 sensor and a .lambda.O.sub.2 sensor for feedback controlling an air-fuel ratio on the basis of output representative of oxygen content from at least the linear O.sub.2 sensor. The system delivers a target air-fuel ratio of a fuel mixture. A determinant output, based on which the air-fuel ratio is feedback controlled, is shifted from output from the linear O.sub.2 sensor to output from the .lambda.O.sub.2 sensor before the linear O.sub.2 sensor is effectively active.

Air-fuel ratio control system for engines

An engine intake system includes a primary port for introducing intake gas throughout an entire engine operating condition. A secondary port is provided with a gate valve which is opened in a high engine load condition for introducing the intake gas. A ratio of a tumble flow to a swirl flow is gradually increased as the gate valve is operated from an entirely closed condition to a fully open condition. According to this invention, ignition and combustion characteristics can be improved.

Intake system for engine

An intake system, for use with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of intake valves for each cylinder, includes a plurality of intake ports, opening into the combustion chamber side of the internal combustion engine at different distances from a spark plug of the cylinder. The intake valves are controlled to keep an intake port located at the shortest distance from the spark plug opened only slightly in an early intake cycle stage while opening the other intake ports at their desired timings. The intake port located at the shortest distance from the spark plug is subsequently opened at a desired timing, thereby aspirating a substantial quantity of air through the closest intake port at a later time than through the other intake ports.

Engine control system for multi-valve engine

An intake system for with an internal combustion engine, having a plurality of intake valves for one cylinder, includes a plurality of intake ports, opening into a combustion chamber, with openings which extend toward one side of the internal combustion engine. At least one exhaust port, opening into the combustion chamber, has an opening which extends toward another side of the engine, and is formed in the cylinder head on the other side, which is opposite to the one side of the internal combustion engine. The intake ports are arranged so that the center intake port is inclined at an angle larger than an angle at which other, side intake ports are inclined, so as to direct fuel mixture flows, introduced through the side intake ports, toward an inner surface of the cylinder bore above a top of the piston at a lower dead point.

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Fuchu-cho, Japan

Fumihiko Saito