Internal combustion engine and method of controlling the same
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKazuhiro Wakao, Kazuhiro Sakurai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The internal combustion engine includes a reformer for reforming a fuel air mixture of a predetermined fuel and air to produce a reformed fuel, a bypass pipe for supplying air to the reformer, an on-off valve provided in the bypass pipe, and an ECU. The ECU makes the on-off valve open to start a fuel reforming operation in the reformer when a pressure at a position downstream of the on-off valve is lower than a pressure at a position upstream of the on-off valve.
Claims10
An internal combustion engine generating power by combustion of a fuel air mixture of a reformed fuel and air in a combustion chamber, comprising:
- a reformer for producing said reformed fuel by reforming a fuel air mixture of a predetermined fuel and air;
- a reforming air supply line for supplying atmospheric air to said reformer, the atmospheric air excluding exhaust gas exiting the internal combustion engine;
- a valve provided in said reforming air supply line;
- and
- control means for making said valve open when a pressure at a predetermined position downstream of said valve is lower than a pressure at a predetermined position upstream of said valve.
A method of controlling an internal combustion engine for generating power by combustion of a fuel air mixture of a reformed fuel and air in a combustion chamber, said internal combustion engine comprising a reformer for producing said reformed fuel by reforming a fuel air mixture of a predetermined fuel and air;
- a reforming air supply line connected to the reformer;
- and a valve provided in said reforming air supply line, the method comprising steps of:
- (a) supplying atmospheric air through the reforming air supply line to said reformer, the atmospheric air excluding exhaust gas exiting the internal combustion engine;
- and
- (b) making said valve open, when a pressure of the atmospheric air at a predetermined position downstream of said valve is lower than a pressure of the atmospheric air at a predetermined position upstream of said valve, to supply the atmospheric air excluding the exhaust gas exiting the engine, to said reformer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.