Method and apparatus to control combustion in a spray-guided direct injection spark-ignited engine
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsGerald A. Szekely, Jr., Mark S. Huebler, Scott E. Parrish, Gerald J. Schimelfening, Andreas M. Lippert
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Abstract
A method and apparatus to operate a spray-guided spark-ignition direct fuel injection internal combustion engine are provided. The invention comprises injecting a first quantity of fuel during a combustion cycle. Spark ignition is initiated, and, injection of a second quantity of fuel is controlled effective to propagate a flame kernel generated by the spark ignition, after the initiation of the spark ignition during the combustion cycle.
Claims21
Method to operate a spray-guided spark-ignition direct fuel injection internal combustion engine, comprising:
- injecting a first quantity of fuel during a combustion cycle;
- initiating spark ignition;
- controlling injection of a second quantity of fuel during the combustion cycle effective to propagate a flame kernel generated by initiating the spark ignition.
Method to minimize combustion variation of a spray-guided, spark-ignition, direct fuel injection internal combustion engine, comprising the following steps in the order set forth:
- injecting a first quantity of fuel during a combustion cycle;
- initiating spark ignition;
- controlling injection of a second quantity of fuel during the combustion cycle effective to propagate a flame kernel generated by initiating the spark ignition.
Method to control spark ignition timing independently of fuel injection timing in a spark-ignition, direct fuel injection internal combustion engine during each combustion cycle, comprising:
- injecting a first quantity of fuel at an optimal time for fuel/air mixture preparation;
- initiating spark ignition at a spark advance effective to achieve an engine output optimized based upon engine torque and combustion variation;
- and,
- injecting a second quantity of fuel effective to propagate a flame kernel generated by initiating the spark ignition of the combustion charge resulting from injecting the first quantity of fuel.
Article of manufacture, comprising a storage medium having machine-executable code encoded therein to control operation of a spark-ignition, direct fuel injection internal combustion engine effective to minimize combustion variation, the code comprising:
- code to inject a first quantity of fuel during a combustion cycle;
- code to initiate and control the spark ignition;
- code to control injection of a second quantity of fuel during the combustion cycle effective to propagate a flame kernel generated by initiating the spark ignition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.