Patent ID: 7742867

Claim:
A compression ignition engine comprising: a control system for processing data; one or more combustion chambers; and a fueling system for injecting fuel into the one or more combustion chambers; wherein the control system controls the fueling system using a result of the processing of certain data by the control system to select one of plural fueling modes for operating the engine such that a) when the result of the processing selects a first fueling mode, each of multiple combustion chambers is fueled to create a substantially homogeneous air-fuel charge within each such combustion chamber during a corresponding engine cycle and each such charge is compressed to auto-ignition without the introduction of any additional fuel after auto-ignition during that corresponding engine cycle, b) when the result of the processing selects a second fueling mode, i) a first group of the combustion chambers is fueled to create a substantially homogeneous air-fuel charge within each combustion chamber of the first group during a corresponding engine cycle such that for any given engine speed, the amount of fuel delivered into each combustion chamber of the first group is a function of engine speed but not engine load, and each charge is compressed to auto-ignition without the introduction of any additional fuel after auto-ignition during that corresponding engine cycle, and ii) a second group of the combustion chambers is fueled by the introduction of fuel at a time during the engine cycle when air in the corresponding combustion chamber of the second group has been compressed sufficiently to cause the fuel to combust as it is being introduced, and c) when the result of the processing selects a third fueling mode, each of the combustion chambers is fueled by the introduction of fuel at a time during the engine cycle when air in the corresponding combustion chamber has been compressed sufficiently to cause the fuel to combust as it is being introduced.