Patent ID: 7162994

Claim:
A method of operating a gaseous-fueled internal combustion engine comprising at least one cylinder partially defining a combustion chamber, the method comprising: determining whether a load demand on the engine is within a high-load range, when the load demand is within the high-load range, selecting a high-load operating mode for the engine, said high-load operating mode comprising: directing an intake charge into said combustion chamber, compressing said intake charge within said combustion chamber during a compression stroke of said piston, during said compression stroke of said piston, directly injecting a first quantity of a gaseous fuel into said compressed intake charge within said combustion chamber, igniting said first quantity of said gaseous fuel, burning said first quantity of said gaseous fuel to assist in raising the intake charge temperature to a temperature at or above the auto-ignition temperature of said gaseous fuel wherein a majority of said first quantity of said gaseous fuel has burned prior to commencement of a piston power stroke, directly injecting a second quantity of said gaseous fuel into said intake charge when the intake charge temperature is at or above the auto-ignition temperature or the gaseous fuel, wherein combustion of said second quantity of said gaseous fuel contributes to drive a piston power stroke.