Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technology, LLC

Michael Damian Czekala

Chris Paul Glugla

Garlan J Huberts

Thomas George Leone

Michael Howard Shelby

James Alfred Hilditch

Daniel Joseph Styles

Daniel Lawrence Meyer

Nelson William Morrow, Jr

Ross Dykstra Pursifull

Qiuping Qu

Jeffrey Allen Doering

Joseph Lyle Thomas

Ben Allen Strayer

Gopichandra Surnilla

Alex O'Connor Gibson

Michael John Cullen

Gregory McConville

David Andrew Ord

James Donald McCoy

Joseph Norman Ulrey

Xiaogang Zhang

David Karl Bidner

Adam Nathan Banker

Jianwen James Yi

Christopher Paul Glugla

Mark Meinhart

Steven Wooldridge

Robert Baskins

Ulrich Kramer

Douglas James McEwan

James Yi

Russell Senior

Kelvin Lee Dobbins

James B Maurer

Marc G Mrjoian

Thomas Evans Jones

Rodney Schook

Phil William Husak

Michelle M Hutchison

Methods and systems are provided for a pre-chamber. In one example, a system includes a pre-chamber and a piston arranged in a combustion chamber. The piston and/or combustion chamber comprise one or more features configured to force squish flow into the pre-chamber.

Methods and systems for prechamber

System and methods for operating a vehicle that includes a boosted engine are described. In one example, a spark plug may be adjusted between two operating states to reduce a possibility of pre-ignition and spark plug fouling. A first operating state may be conducive to operating the engine at light loads. The first operating state may be conducive to operating the engine at higher loads.

Spark plug for boosted engine

Systems and methods for starting and operating a direct injection engine are described. In one example, the air and fuel are injected into a pre-chamber of a cylinder of an engine while the engine is not rotating. The air and fuel are combusted in the pre-chamber to improve ignition of an air and fuel mixture in the cylinder.

Methods and system for cold starting an engine

Methods and systems are provided for an engine, including an engine cylinder coupled to a cylinder head, and a pre-chamber. The pre-chamber includes a first end proximal to the cylinder head, a spark gap, and pre-chamber walls enclosing an internal volume including a dead volume. The dead volume includes all of the internal volume positioned between the first end and the spark gap. A moveable element is positioned in the internal volume and fluidly coupled to the dead volume, wherein moving the moveable element changes a ratio of the dead volume to the internal volume. In this way, combustion conditions may be enhanced at a plurality of engine conditions.

Systems and methods for adjustable pre-chamber

Methods and systems are provided for a pre-chamber. In one example, the pre-chamber includes a moveable element configured to adjust an orifice opening area of the pre-chamber in response to conditions.

Methods and systems are provided for operating an engine with a series gap igniter. In one example, a system may include a series gap igniter coupled to a cylinder head of a cylinder, the series gap igniter including a first spark gap in an internal volume of the series gap igniter and a second spark gap of the series gap igniter external to the internal volume of the series gap igniter and within a clearance volume of the cylinder. In this way, a cylinder with a series gap igniter may be operated to efficiently and reliably initiate combustion over a range of engine operating conditions.

Methods and systems for a series gap igniter with a passive prechamber

Methods and systems are provided for multiplexing ignition signals in an engine system based on engine operating conditions, each cylinder of the engine system including a main chamber spark plug and a pre-chamber system. In one example, a method may include multiplexing spark signals to a first spark plug and a second spark plug, the first spark plug coupled to a pre-chamber of a first cylinder and the second spark plug coupled to a main chamber of a second cylinder. In this way, one ignition coil may be used to actuate two different spark plugs coupled to separate cylinders.

Systems and methods for ignition coil multiplexing in a prechamber system

Methods and systems are provided for operating a cylinder with a series gap igniter coupled to an ion sensing module. In one example, a method may include determining a location of an initial combustion in a cylinder from a series gap igniter based on a pressure rise rate in the cylinder, the ignition spark initiating combustion in the cylinder; and adjusting at least one setting of the cylinder based on the determined location. In this way, combustion stability and efficiency may be increased without increasing a cost and complexity of the engine.

Methods and systems for a series gap igniter with a passive pre-chamber

Methods and systems are provided for operating a cylinder of an engine including a pre-chamber ignition system during a cold start condition. In one example, a method may include performing a post-injection in the cylinder, and then performing a pre-chamber combustion during an exhaust stroke of the cylinder. In this way, a temperature of a catalyst of the engine may be increased, which may decrease vehicle emissions during the cold start condition.

Systems and methods for catalyst heating during cold-start with an active pre-chamber

Systems are provided for a pre-chamber. In one example, a pre-chamber comprises a passage outside of a primary combustion chamber for flowing fuel directly from a fuel injector to an interior volume of the pre-chamber.

Systems for a pre-chamber

Systems and methods are provided for a variable volume pre-chamber igniter, which may be coupled in an engine system. In one example, a system may include a pre-chamber igniter coupled to a cylinder of an engine, the pre-chamber igniter including a movable cap enclosing an internal volume of the pre-chamber igniter and separating the internal volume of the pre-chamber igniter from an internal volume of the cylinder. By adjusting a position of the cap, the internal volume of the pre-chamber igniter may be adjusted to provide reliable ignition to the cylinder across a wide range of operating conditions.

Systems and methods for a variable volume pre-chamber igniter

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting multiplexed ignition signals in an engine system based on engine operating conditions, each cylinder of the engine system including a main chamber spark plug and a pre-chamber system. In one example, a method may include multiplexing spark signals to a first spark plug, a second spark plug, a third spark plug, and a fourth spark plug, the first spark plug coupled to a pre-chamber of a first cylinder, the second spark plug coupled to a pre-chamber of a second cylinder, the third spark plug coupled to a main chamber of the first cylinder, and the fourth spark plug coupled to the main chamber of the second cylinder. In this way, one ignition coil may be used to actuate two different spark plugs coupled to separate cylinders.

Systems and methods for ignition coil multiplexing in a pre-chamber system

Methods and systems are provided for combusting an air-fuel mixture in a pre-chamber of a cylinder during an exhaust stroke of the cylinder responsive to fouling of the pre-chamber. In one example, a method may include injecting air into the pre-chamber during the exhaust stroke, injecting fuel into the pre-chamber during the exhaust stroke, and actuating a pre-chamber spark plug in order to combust the air-fuel mixture during the exhaust stroke. In this way, a temperature of the pre-chamber may be increased, which may decrease a soot load of one of a pre-chamber air-injector, a pre-chamber fuel injector, and the pre-chamber spark plug.

Systems and methods for fouling reduction in a pre-chamber

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Michael Damian Czekala