# US 11,898,512 B1 · Methods and system for engine cold starting > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,898,512 B1 - Document ID: US11898512B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/168,816 - Filed: 2023-02-14 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2023-02-14 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Xiaogang Zhang; Steven Wooldridge; Gary Coulson; David Bruce Reiche - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898512B1 ## CPC - F02D 41/064: {at cold start (F02D41/067 takes precedence)} - F02D 13/0249: {changing the valve timing only} - F02D 37/02: one of the functions being ignition - F02D 41/0255: {to accelerate the warming-up of the exhaust gas treating apparatus at engine start} - F02D 41/402: {Multiple injections} - F02P 5/045: {combined with electronic control of other engine functions, e.g. fuel injection (in general F02D37/02)} - F02P 5/145: using electrical means - F02P 5/1506: {with particular means during starting} - F02D 2041/389: {for injecting directly into the cylinder} - F02D 2200/021: Engine temperature - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - F02P: IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES ({anti-pollution means for internal-combustion engines F02B17/00}; specially adapted for rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines F02B53/12; {ignition of gas turbine plants F02C7/26; ignition of jet propulsion plants F02K9/95; starting of combustion engines F02N9/00}; ignition of combustion apparatus in general, glowing plugs F23Q; measuring of physical variables in general G01; controlling in general G05; data processing in general G06; electrical components in general see Section H; {ignition coils H01F38/12}; sparking plugs H01T13/00) ## Abstract Systems and methods for cold starting an internal combustion engine are described. In one example, fuel is delivered in four equal amounts into a cylinder during a cycle of the cylinder. The fuel is injected so as to reduce cylinder wall wetting, raise combustion stability, and increase exhaust system heating. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating an engine, comprising: via a controller, injecting fuel at least three times into a cylinder during a cycle of the cylinder, where two of the at least three times are during an expansion stroke of the cylinder; and via the controller, initiating a spark in the cylinder between the two of the at least three times. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the fuel is injected during a cold engine start. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, where the cold engine start is when an engine temperature is less than 27 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where injecting fuel at least three times includes injecting fuel four times during the cycle of the cylinder. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the fuel is directly injected into the cylinder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising advancing exhaust valve opening into the expansion stroke. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, where during one of the at least three times, fuel is injected while an exhaust valve of the cylinder is open. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising rotating the engine at a cold engine idle speed via an electric machine while injecting the fuel at least three times. ### Claim 9 A system, comprising: an electric machine; an internal combustion engine; and a controller including executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that cause the controller to cause rotation of the internal combustion engine at a cold engine idle speed via the electric machine, injecting fuel to a cylinder of the internal combustion engine during a cycle of the cylinder, and combusting the fuel in the internal combustion engine such that indicated mean effective pressure of the cylinder during the cycle of the cylinder is less than 0.5 bar. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, where injecting fuel to the internal combustion engine includes supplying four separate injections of fuel during the cycle of the cylinder. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, where supplying four separate injections of fuel includes injecting twice during an expansion stroke of the cycle of the cylinder. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, where supplying four separate injections of fuel includes injecting once during an intake stroke of the cycle of the cylinder and injecting once during a compression stroke of the cycle of the cylinder. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising supplying a spark to the cylinder in between injecting twice during the expansion stroke of the cycle of the cylinder. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising additional instructions to advance exhaust valve opening into the expansion stroke of the cycle of the cylinder. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising a driveline disconnect clutch and additional instructions that cause the driveline disconnect clutch to close to rotate the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 16 A method for operating an engine, comprising: via a controller, injecting fuel into a cylinder before top-dead-center compression stroke of the cylinder during a cycle of the cylinder to produce a homogenous air-fuel mixture in the cylinder; via the controller, injecting fuel into the cylinder during an expansion stroke of the cylinder during the cycle of the cylinder to produce a stratified fuel rich cloud around a spark plug; and via the controller, injecting fuel into the cylinder while an exhaust valve of the cylinder is open after injecting the fuel during the expansion stroke. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising generating a spark in the cylinder during the cycle of the cylinder after injecting fuel during the expansion stroke of the cylinder during the cycle of the cylinder. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, where injecting fuel before top-dead-center compression stroke of the cylinder includes injecting fuel in two separate injections. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, where indicated mean effective pressure in the cylinder during the cycle of the cylinder is substantially zero. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, where the exhaust valve is open during the expansion stroke of the cylinder.