Internal combustion engines having super knock mitigation controls and methods for their operation

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• an engine cylinder comprising a cylinder head and cylinder sidewalls;
• a piston that reciprocates within the engine cylinder, wherein the piston, the cylinder head and the cylinder sidewalls at least partially define a combustion chamber;
• a spark plug that is positioned to extend into the combustion chamber;
• at least one sensor comprising a pressure sensor, a crank angle sensor, a crank speed sensor and a crank accelerometer;
• and
• an engine control module in electronic communication with the at least one sensor and the spark plug, the engine control module comprising a processor and a memory storing a computer readable instruction set that, when executed by the processor:
• cooperates with at least one of a pressure sensor, a crank angle sensor, a crank speed sensor and a crank accelerometer to detect pre-ignition of the air-fuel mixture during an intake or compression stroke of the piston;
• analyzes the detected pre-ignition of the air-fuel mixture to determine that the internal combustion engine is operating at a condition at which a super knock condition could occur;
• discharges the spark plug during a time corresponding to the same one of the detected intake or compression stroke to burn all that remains of the air-fuel mixture that is present in the combustion chamber before the piston reaches top dead center;
• and
• upon a determination that the internal combustion engine is operating at a condition at which a super knock condition could occur, deploys a super knock countermeasure before the piston reaches top dead center, the super knock countermeasure comprising advancing the discharge timing of the spark plug within a time corresponding to the same one of the detected intake or compression stroke.