Methods of operation for controlled temperature combustion engines using gasoline-like fuel, particularly multicylinder homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines

A method of operating a multicylinder homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) internal combustion engine, comprising:

• taking into each of a plurality of combustion chambers in an internal combustion engine a quantity of fuel and a quantity of charge-air;
• determining the temperature of the charge-air;
• determining the pressure of the charge-air;
• determining the oxygen concentration of the charge-air;
• combusting a mixture of said fuel and said charge-air;
• determining one or more combustion parameters of the combustion of said mixture of fuel and charge-air, said combustion parameters characterizing the combustion event and reflecting at least changes in timing, duration or rates of said combustion from cycle to cycle;
• adjusting one or more of the temperature, the pressure, or the oxygen concentration of charge-air to be taken into said combustion chambers for subsequent combustion events, so that the determined combustion parameter(s) will fall within a targeted range for a given engine speed and load;
• and
• controlling the quantity of fuel used in combustion, responsive to one or more of said determined combustion parameter(s), to offset or limit changes in the combustion parameter(s) during said adjustments to the temperature, the pressure, or the oxygen concentration of the charge-air.