Patent ID: 6840211

Claim:
A diesel engine comprising: a fuel injector which injects fuel into a cylinder; and fuel injection control means for controlling the amount of fuel that is injected from this fuel injector and the timing of this fuel injection; wherein said fuel injection control means performs an early-stage injection of a relatively small amount of fuel divided into a plurality of injections in the compression stroke, and performs a main injection of a relatively large amount of fuel after a specified period has elapsed following the completion of the early-stage injection, said early-stage injection is performed using a fuel injection amount and fuel injection timing which are such that the generation of heat caused by fuel of said early-stage injection occurs in the vicinity of compression top dead center, and said main injection is performed using a fuel injection amount and fuel injection timing which are such that the generation of heat caused by fuel of said main injection occurs after the generation of heat caused by fuel of said early-stage injection has been completed.