Patent ID: 7707978

Claim:
Multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising: at least one intake valve for each cylinder to control the communication between the respective intake pipe and the combustion chamber of the respective cylinder, wherein each intake valve is controlled by actuator means to feed a determined quantity of air into said combustion chamber, said actuator means being adapted to control the respective intake valve independently from the other cylinders and according to a variable actuation method, injector means for each cylinder adapted to inject a determined quantity of fuel into said combustion chamber, ignition means for each cylinder adapted to initiate the combustion process within said combustion chamber; and control means to control: said actuator means, for adjusting the opening time and stroke of the respective intake valve, said injector means, to adjust the quantity of fuel injected into the combustion chamber of each cylinder, said ignition means, to adjust the intervention time thereof, wherein said control means are such that during operation said control means control said actuator means, said injector means and said ignition means, so as to adjust the enthalpy value of the exhaust gases produced by each cylinder independently from the other cylinders, said control means being apt to control: said actuator means of at least one first cylinder, for feeding a greater quantity of air into the respective combustion chamber than that fed into a second cylinder; said injector means of said at least one first cylinder so as to inject a greater quantity of fuel into the respective combustion chamber than that injected into said second cylinder; said ignition means of said at least one first cylinder so as to have a lower spark advance than that of said second cylinder, for the purpose of carrying out within said at least one first cylinder a combustion process which is not optimized for torque generation, but rather for producing exhaust gases with high enthalpy, and wherein the control means are apt to control the actuator means, the injector means and the ignition means of the other cylinders for the purpose of carrying out combustion processes therein that guarantee that a requested torque is produced anyway by the engine.