Compression ignition engine, commercial vehicle, and method for improving starting behaviour

A compression ignition engine with a plurality of cylinders, comprising:

• a valve actuation system, arranged for opening and closing intake valves and exhaust valves of each cylinder of said plurality of cylinders;
• a fuel injection system, arranged for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of each cylinder;
• and
• a controller, arranged for controlling the valve actuation system and the fuel injection system;
• wherein the controller is arranged for selecting between a normal mode or a cold start mode for operating the compression ignition engine;
• wherein, in the normal mode, the controller is arranged for controlling the fuel injection system to inject a main fuel injection in a single pulse between 3.5 degrees crank angle before and 4.5 degrees crank angle after top dead center (TDC) in the power stroke, to power the engine;
• wherein, in the cold start mode, the controller is arranged for splitting the single main fuel injection pulse into distinct first and second split main pulses;
• and
• wherein the controller is arranged for controlling the fuel injection system to inject the first split main pulse at a delayed timing for initiating a diffusion combustion phase and providing a combusting air-fuel mix in the pressurized combustion chamber, and to inject the second split main pulse during the diffusion combustion phase into the combusting air-fuel mix.