초록 ▼

Disclosed is an internal combustion engine which is to be mounted on automobiles or the like and in which an improvement has been achieved in terms of startability and combustion stability during warm-up operation. In an internal combustion engine of the type in which gas discharged from a combustio

Disclosed is an internal combustion engine which is to be mounted on automobiles or the like and in which an improvement has been achieved in terms of startability and combustion stability during warm-up operation. In an internal combustion engine of the type in which gas discharged from a combustion heater is introduced into an intake passage of the internal combustion engine, a fuel vaporizing glow plug is operated during the period from the starting of the internal combustion engine to the occurrence of complete explosion, whereby unburned vaporized fuel is supplied from the combustion heater to the internal combustion engine.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An internal combustion engine comprising:a combustion heater including: fuel ignition means for supplying a combustion gas; and fuel vaporizing means for vaporizing a fuel through heating for supplying a vaporized fuel; the internal combustion engine further comprising operation control means to

1. An internal combustion engine comprising:a combustion heater including: fuel ignition means for supplying a combustion gas; and fuel vaporizing means for vaporizing a fuel through heating for supplying a vaporized fuel; the internal combustion engine further comprising operation control means to control the combustion heater to selectively supply one of the combustion gas or the vaporized fuel to one of an exhaust passage or an intake passage of the internal combustion engine based on an operating condition of the internal combustion engine. 2. An internal combustion engine comprising:an exhaust gas purifying catalyst arranged in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine; fuel vaporizing means for vaporizing fuel through heating; vaporized fuel supply means for supplying the fuel vaporized by the fuel vaporizing means to an upstream side of the exhaust gas purifying catalyst in the exhaust passage without any burning of the fuel; fuel ignition means for supplying a combustion gas; and operation control means adapted to selectively supply one of the vaporized fuel or the combustion gas to one of the exhaust passage or an intake passage of the internal combustion engine based on an operating condition of the internal combustion engine. 3. The internal combustion engine according to claim 2, further comprising an exhaust gas re-circulation passage for circulating a portion of the exhaust gas from the exhaust passage on the upstream side of the exhaust gas purifying catalyst to an intake passage of the internal combustion engine,wherein the vaporized fuel supply means is adapted to supply fuel vaporized by the fuel vaporizing means to the upstream side of the exhaust gas purifying catalyst in the exhaust passage through the exhaust gas re-circulation passage. 4. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising vaporized fuel supply means, wherein the fuel vaporizing means and the vaporized fuel supply means are adapted to operate at least during a period until occurrence of complete explosion in the internal combustion engine.5. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising vaporized fuel supply means, wherein the fuel vaporizing means and the vaporized fuel supply means are adapted to operate at least during a period of time when the internal combustion engine is in a state of warm-up operation.6. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the fuel vaporizing means and the fuel ignition means are provided in a common combustion cylinder of the combustion heater.7. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the fuel vaporizing means includes a glow plug.8. An internal combustion engine comprising:a combustion heater equipped with a combustion chamber independent of the internal combustion engine; gas supply means for supplying gas within the combustion chamber to an intake passage of the internal combustion engine; and operation control means which is adapted to control the combustion heater so as to vaporize fuel supplied to the combustion chamber at least during a period until occurrence of complete explosion in the internal combustion engine without any burning of the fuel, and, at the same time, is adapted to control the gas supply means so as to supply the vaporized fuel in the combustion chamber to the intake passages; and wherein the operation control means is further adapted to control the combustion heater to selectively supply one of the vaporized fuel or a combustion gas to one of an exhaust passage or an intake passage of the internal combustion engine based on an operating condition of the internal combustion engine. 9. The internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein the combustion heater includes:fuel vaporizing means for vaporizing fuel through heating the fuel supplied to the combustion chamber; and fuel ignition means for igniting the fuel vaporized by the fuel vaporizing means, wherein the operation control means is adapted to operate only the fuel vaporizing means and the gas supply means during a period from a start of the internal combustion engine to occurrence of complete explosion therein. 10. An internal combustion engine comprising:a combustion heater equipped with a combustion chamber independent of the internal combustion engine; gas supply means for supplying gas in the combustion chamber to a position on an upstream side of exhaust gas purifying catalysts in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine; and operation control means which is adapted to control the combustion heater so as to vaporize fuel supplied to the combustion chamber when it is necessary to supply reducing agent to the exhaust gas purifying catalyst, without any burning of the fuel, and, at the same time, is adapted to control the gas supply means so as to supply the vaporized fuel in the combustion chamber to the exhaust passage on the upstream side of exhaust gas purifying catalysts; and wherein the operation control means is further adapted to control the combustion heater to selectively supply one of the vaporized fuel or a combustion gas to one of the exhaust passage or an intake passage of the internal combustion engine based on an operating condition of the internal combustion engine. 11. The internal combustion engine according to claim 10, further comprising an exhaust gas re-circulation passage for circulating a portion of the exhaust gas from the exhaust passage on the upstream side of the exhaust gas purifying catalyst to an intake passage of the internal combustion engine,wherein the gas supply means is adapted to supply vaporized fuel in the combustion chamber to the upstream side of the exhaust gas purifying catalyst in the exhaust passage through the exhaust gas re-circulation passage. 12. The internal combustion engine according to claim 10, wherein the combustion heater includes:fuel vaporizing means for vaporizing fuel through heating the fuel supplied to the combustion chamber; and fuel ignition means igniting the fuel vaporized by the fuel vaporizing means, wherein the operation control means is adapted to operate only the fuel vaporizing means and the gas supply means, when it is necessary to supply reducing agent to the exhaust gas purifying catalyst. 13. The internal combustion engine according to claim 11, wherein the combustion heater includes:fuel vaporizing means for vaporizing fuel through heating the fuel supplied to the combustion chamber; and fuel ignition means for igniting the fuel vaporized by the fuel vaporizing means, wherein the operation control means is adapted to operate only the fuel vaporizing means and the gas supply means, when it is necessary to supply reducing agent to the exhaust gas purifying catalyst. 14. The internal combustion engine according to claim 9, wherein the fuel vaporizing means and the fuel ignition means include independent respective glow plugs.15. The internal combustion engine according to claim 9, wherein the fuel vaporizing means and the fuel ignition means include a single glow plug-adapted to switch between the vaporization and ignition of fuel according to a magnitude of a voltage applied to the glow plug.16. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine is a compression ignition type internal combustion engine.17. The internal combustion engine according to claim 6, wherein the internal combustion engine is a compression ignition type internal combustion engine.18. The internal combustion engine according to claim 7, wherein the internal combustion engine is a compression ignition type internal combustion engine.19. The internal combustion engine according to claim 14, wherein the internal combustion engine is a compression ignition type internal combustion engine.20. The internal combustion engine according to claim 15, wherein the internal combustion engine is a compression ignition type internal combustion engine.21. An internal combustion engine comprising:a combustion heater equipped with a combustion chamber independent of the internal combustion engine; gas supply means for selectively supplying gas from the combustion chamber to a portion on an upstream side of exhaust gas purifying catalysts in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine or to an intake passage of the internal combustion engine; and operation control means which is adapted to control the combustion heater so as to vaporize fuel supplied to the combustion chamber at least during a period until occurrence of complete explosion in the internal combustion engine, without any burning of the fuel, and, at the same time, is further adapted to control the gas supply means so as to supply the vaporized fuel in the combustion chamber to the intake passage, and which is further adapted to control the combustion heater so as to vaporize the fuel supplied to the combustion chamber when it is necessary to supply a reducing agent to the exhaust gas purifying catalyst, without any burning of the fuel and, at the same time, is adapted to control the gas supply means so as to supply the vaporized fuel in the combustion chamber to the exhaust passage; and wherein the operation control means is further adapted to control the combustion heater to selectively supply one of the vaporized fuel or a combustion gas to one of the exhaust passage or an intake passage of the internal combustion engine based on an operating condition of the internal combustion engine. 22. An internal combustion engine comprising:a combustion heater equipped with a combustion chamber independent of the internal combustion engine; gas supply means for selectively supplying gas from the combustion chamber to a portion on an upstream side of exhaust gas purifying catalysts in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine or to an intake passage of the integral combustion engine; and operation control means which, at least during a period from a start to warm-up completion of the internal combustion engine, is adapted to control the combustion heater so as to vaporize fuel supplied to the combustion chamber without any burning of the fuel and, at the same time, is adapted to control the gas supply means so as to supply the vaporized fuel in the combustion chamber to the intake passage and the exhaust passage; and wherein the operation control means is further adapted to control the combustion heater to selectively supply one of the vaporized fuel or a combustion gas to one of the exhaust passage or the intake passage of the internal combustion engine based on an operating condition of the internal combustion engine. 23. The internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein the fuel vaporizing means and the fuel ignition means include independent respective glow plugs.24. The internal combustion engine according to claim 13, wherein the fuel vaporizing means and the fuel ignition means include independent respective glow plugs.25. The internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein the fuel vaporizing means and the fuel ignition means include a single glow plug adapted to switch between the vaporization and ignition of fuel according to a magnitude of a voltage applied to the glow plug.26. The internal combustion engine according to claim 13, wherein the fuel vaporizing means and the fuel ignition means include a single glow plug adapted to switch between the vaporization and ignition of fuel according to a magnitude of a voltage applied to the glow plug.27. The internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein the internal combustion engine is a compression ignition type internal combustion engine.28. The internal combustion engine according to claim 10, wherein the internal combustion engine is a compression ignition type internal combustion engine.