Patent ID: 7503315

Claim:
A method of controlling the power of an internal combustion engine ( 1 ) comprising: in a first, lower power phase of operation of the engine ( 1 ), supplying a mixture of air ( 8 ) and fuel to the combustion chamber, a majority of the fuel being supplied as fuel vapour, the power output of the engine ( 1 ) being increased by progressively opening a combustion air control means to increase the volume of air ( 8 ) supplied to the combustion chamber and at the same time progressively increasing the volume of fuel supplied; and characterised by: in a second, higher power phase of operation of the engine ( 1 ), maintaining the combustion air control means in a substantially constant state, the power output of the engine ( 1 ) being increased by supplying an increasing volume of liquid fuel to the combustion chamber and at the same time reducing the volume of fuel vapour supplied such that, at maximum power of the second higher power phase substantially all the fuel is supplied in liquid state.