Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Graham Hoare

Gopichandra Surnilla

Ralph Wayne Cunningham

Michael Howard Shelby

Donald James Lewis

Diana D Brehob

Oliver Berkemeier

Nicholas Dashwood Crisp

Walt Joseph Ortmann

David Skipp

Systems and methods are provided for an engine. The system comprises a direct injection engine having a cylinder in which a piston is slidingly supported to form in combination with a cylinder head a combustion chamber; a fuel injector for the cylinder having a catalytic coated tip portion that projects into the combustion chamber; and an electronic controller to control the operation of the engine and operates the engine in a heating mode of operation if heating of the fuel injector tip is requested. Various methods for heating the fuel injector tip are proposed including operating the engine on a reduced number of cylinders and varying one or both of fuel injection timing and quantity of fuel injected and the ignition timing in order to increase the temperature of combustion.

Engine system and a method of operating a direct injection engine

An engine system, comprising of a combustion chamber selectively communicating with an intake manifold via at least an intake valve and an exhaust manifold via at least an exhaust valve, a turbocharger including a compressor operatively coupled to the intake manifold and a turbine operatively coupled to the exhaust manifold, wherein the turbocharger is configured to selectively boost intake manifold pressure greater than exhaust manifold pressure during at least one operating condition, a direct fuel injector configured to inject fuel directly into the combustion chamber, a spark plug configured to provide an ignition spark to the combustion chamber, a valve actuation system coupled to the intake valve and the exhaust valve configured to vary a relative timing of the intake valve and the exhaust valve and a control system communicatively coupled to the valve actuation system, the direct fuel injector, and the spark plug wherein during said at least one operating condition, the control system is configured to operate the valve actuation system to increase an overlap between exhaust valve opening and intake valve opening to increase an amount of air flowing through the combustion chamber from the intake manifold via the opened intake valve to the exhaust manifold via the opened exhaust valve, initiate an injection of fuel directly into the combustion chamber via the direct fuel injector after the exhaust valve has closed, and ignite said injected fuel by operating the spark plug to provide an ignition spark.

System and method for boosted direct injection engine

A method for controlling a first and second injector of an engine, the first injector located in a first cylinder of the engine and the second injector located upstream of, and configured to inject fuel into, the first and a second cylinder of the engine, the method comprising of decreasing total injection from the first and second injectors when decreasing injection from the second injector, and increasing total injection from the first and second injectors when increasing injection of the second injector.

Engine having multiple injector locations

A method for operating and engine having a cylinder with at least an intake and exhaust valve, comprising of performing a combustion cycle in the cylinder in which exhaust valve closing occurs after intake valve opening thereby creating valve overlap, boosting intake air above exhaust pressure, where said boosted intake air is inducted into said cylinder while said intake valve is open and at least a first portion of said inducted boosted intake air flows past the exhaust valve with both said intake and exhaust valves are open during said overlap, directly injecting fuel to said cylinder that is combusted in said cylinder, where a beginning of said fuel injection occurs after said exhaust valve closing and said directly injected fuel is mixed with at least a second portion of said inducted boosted intake air, and combusting said mixture at a rich air-fuel ratio.

A method for controlling operation of a diesel engine having a plurality of cylinders, the engine including a first group of cylinders and a second group of cylinders, the method comprising of operating the first group of cylinders with a first intake and exhaust valve timing, the first group of cylinders inducting air and performing diesel compression ignition combustion of injected fuel; and operating the second group of cylinders with a second intake and exhaust valve timing, the second group of cylinders inducting air and performing diesel compression ignition combustion of injected fuel, wherein said second intake valve timing is retarded compared to said first intake valve timing or said second exhaust valve timing is advanced compared to said first exhaust valve timing.

Diesel engine with differential cylinder group operation

A hybrid electric vehicle powertrain has an engine and a motor at the torque input side of a power transmission. The motor has a single stator and dual rotors. A selectively engageable rotor clutch connects the rotors together for torque delivery during a driving mode. During a key start and a rolling start of the engine, the rotor clutches are selectively engaged and released.

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Bulphan, United Kingdom

Graham Hoare