Patent ID: 7810463

Claim:
An internal combustion engine operable in homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion mode and in conventional spark ignited combustion mode provided with at least one cylinder and comprising: a fuel injector, for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber, of each cylinder; a piston, arranged for reciprocating action within said cylinder; at least one intake valve for admitting oxygen containing gas into said cylinder; at least one exhaust valve for exhausting combusted gases from said cylinder; at least one spark plug arranged to selectively produce a spark within said combustion chamber; and a control system, after one or more cycles without combustion, the control system to crank the engine to a restart position where the at least one exhaust valve is arranged to be closed before top dead center during an exhaust stroke of the piston and the at least one intake valve is arranged to be opened after top dead center during an induction stroke of the piston, to perform a first fuel injection ending after closing of the at least one exhaust valve and before top dead center of the piston exhaust stroke and to perform a spark event to ignite fuel of the first fuel injection before the opening of the at least one intake valve, and to perform at least a second fuel injection occurring in the interval after top dead center of the piston exhaust stroke and before top dead center of a subsequent piston compression stroke.