Patent ID: 6651614
Filing Date: 2003-11-25
Classification: F02B,F02D,F02M,Y02T

Abstract:
A method of operating a Diesel internal combustion engine including a cylinder with a combustion space delimited in the cylinder by a cylinder head, and a piston with a crank mechanism for operating the piston, the cylinder head further including air inlet and exhaust gas outlet passages with engine inlet and outlet valves, a fuel injector for injecting fuel into the combustion space and a flow control valve arranged in said air inlet passage, said method comprising the steps of admitting combustion air to said combustion space in a swirling flow pattern about the axis of said cylinder and injecting a quantity of fuel into the combustion space in an injection pattern controlled by a control unit for mixing with the combustion air and also controlling the swirling flow pattern in said cylinder by controlling said flow control valve in coordination with the fuel injection quantity into said combustion space to form a predetermined fuel/air mixture pattern as a function of the instant engine operating point, at least in certain engine operating ranges, in which a largely homogeneous mixture is to be formed in the combustion space before a spontaneous ignition of the mixture occurs.