Cold start engine control apparatus and method

A cold start apparatus for vaporizing fuel before it is supplied to a cylinder of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a fuel supply, and an air intake passageway having a throttle valve comprising a pivotally secured throttle plate disposed in a tapered bore within the air intake passageway, said cold start apparatus comprising:

• a housing fluidly coupled on one end to the air intake passageway;
• a cold start fuel injector having an outlet and disposed in said housing;
• an idle air conduit fluidly coupled on one end to the air intake passageway, and fluidly coupled on the other end to said housing for delivering air adjacent to the outlet of said cold start fuel injector for intermixing air with fuel ejected from said cold start fuel injector;
• and
• a heating chamber having a longitudinal lumen and disposed at the outlet of said cold start fuel injector for vaporizing the air-fuel mixture before it is delivered to the engine cylinder,
• wherein said tapered bore in said air intake passageway further comprises a least one aperture adjacent to and downstream of the throttle plate when the throttle plate is in a closed position, and said idle air conduit being fluidly coupled through said aperture to said air intake passageway as the throttle plate is rotated open passed said aperture.

A method for reducing automobile exhaust emissions during the cold start of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a fuel supply, a plurality of fuel injectors located adjacent to separate engine cylinders, a cold start fuel injector and heater, having a plurality of separately controlled independent heating element sections, fluidly coupled to the engine cylinders, and an air passageway having a pivotally secured throttle valve disposed therein, said method comprising the steps of:

• initiating power to the heater for a period of time before the engine is started;
• supplying fuel to the engine cylinders through the cold start injector;
• mixing the fuel from the cold start injector with air to produce an air-fuel mixture;
• passing said air-fuel over said heater elements to cause the fuel to be vaporized;
• supplying the vaporized air-fuel mixture to the engine cylinders when the engine is started;
• and
• switching from fuel supplied by the cold start injector to fuel supplied by the plurality of fuel injectors after the engine reaches a pre-established threshold measured by temperature or time.

A method for reducing automobile exhaust emissions during the cold start of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a fuel supply, a plurality of fuel injectors located adjacent to separate engine cylinders, a cold start fuel injector and heater fluidly coupled to the engine cylinders, and an air passageway having a pivotally secured throttle valve disposed therein, said method comprising the steps of:

• initiating power to the heater for a period of time before the engine is started;
• supplying fuel through the cold start injector;
• mixing the fuel from the cold start injector with air to produce an air-fuel mixture;
• passing said air-fuel mixture over the heater to cause the fuel to be vaporized;
• supplying the vaporized air-fuel mixture to the engine cylinders when the engine is started;
• switching from fuel supplied by the cold start injector to fuel supplied by the plurality of fuel injectors after the engine reaches a pre-established threshold measured by temperature or time;
• discontinuing power to the heater;
• and
• cleaning deposits off the heater by momentarily spraying fuel on the heater from the cold start fuel injector.

A method for reducing automobile exhaust emissions during the cold start of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a fuel supply, a plurality of fuel injectors located adjacent to separate engine cylinders, a cold start fuel injector and heater fluidly coupled to the engine cylinders, and an air passageway having a pivotally secured throttle valve disposed therein, said method comprising the steps of:

• initiating power to the heater for a period of time before the engine is started;
• supplying fuel through the cold start injector;
• mixing the fuel from the cold start injector with air to produce an air-fuel mixture;
• passing said air-fuel mixture over the heater to cause the fuel to be vaporized;
• supplying the vaporized air-fuel mixture to the engine cylinders when the engine is started;
• switching from fuel supplied by the cold start injector to fuel supplied by the plurality of fuel injectors after the engine reaches a pre-established threshold measured by temperature or time;
• measuring the maximum amount of current used to initially power the heater;
• comparing the measured maximum current to a preset threshold current level;
• and
• triggering a malfunction indicator if the measured maximum current is different from the threshold current level.