Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – With indicator or control of power plant
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-18
2001-03-06
Yuen, Henry C. (Department: 3747)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
With indicator or control of power plant
C123S436000, C073S116070, C073S117020, C701S102000, C701S110000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199007
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to a reciprocating internal combustion engine, and more particularly, to a method and system for determining an absolute power loss condition in an internal combustion engine.
BACKGROUND ART
Power loss conditions in internal combustion engines present several problems, including increased down time and excess exhaust emissions. Excess exhaust emissions are extremely problematic since government regulations are making more stringent demands or limits on the exhaust emissions of internal combustion engines (diesel or spark ignited). Power loss can be caused by complete and/or partial misfires or clogged fuel injectors. The detection of an all-cylinder or absolute power loss condition in each cylinder requires numerous data sets being available for training in order to evaluate each and every cylinder. The presence of these vast training data sets creates an extraordinary burden in determining a multiple-cylinder or all-cylinder power loss condition.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, a method for detecting absolute power loss in a cylinder of a reciprocating internal combustion engine is disclosed. The internal combustion engine has at least one cylinder and a rotatable crankshaft. The method includes the steps of sensing rotational crankshaft speed for a plurality of designated crankshaft rotational positions over a predetermined number of cycles of rotation for each of the crankshaft positions and determining an average crankshaft speed fluctuation for each of the crankshaft positions and determining information representative of crankshaft kinetic energy variations due to each firing event or each firing event and each compression event in said cylinder and determining information representative of an average fuel flow rate and determining information representative of power loss for the cylinder as a function of the crankshaft kinetic energy variations due to each firing event, the average crankshaft speed and the average fuel flow rate and responsively producing a representative power loss signal and determining information representative of crankshaft torque as a function of the crankshaft kinetic energy variations due to each firing event and each compression event and the average crankshaft speed and responsively producing a representative crankshaft torque signal and determining information representative of absolute power loss for each cylinder.
In another aspect of the present invention, a system for detecting absolute power loss in a cylinder of reciprocating internal combustion engine is disclosed. The engine has a plurality of reciprocating components including, but not limited to, at least one cylinder and a rotatable crankshaft. The system includes an input mechanism that generates a signal, including a value for rotational crankshaft speed for a plurality of designated crankshaft rotational positions over a predetermined number of cycles of rotation for each of the crankshaft positions and an electronic controller for determining an average crankshaft speed fluctuation for each of the crankshaft positions and determining information representative of crankshaft kinetic energy variations due to each firing event or each firing event and each compression event in the cylinder and determining information representative of an average fuel flow rate and determining information representative of power loss for the cylinder as a function of the crankshaft kinetic energy variations for each firing event, the average crankshaft speed and the average fuel flow rate and responsively producing a representative power loss signal and determining information representative of crankshaft torque as a function of the crankshaft kinetic energy variations due to each firing event and each compression event and the average crankshaft speed and responsively producing a representative crankshaft torque signal and determining information representative of absolute power loss for each cylinder.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4292670 (1981-09-01), Reid et al.
patent: 4532592 (1985-07-01), Citron et al.
patent: 4562728 (1986-01-01), Timmerman
patent: 5528931 (1996-06-01), James et al.
patent: 5878366 (1999-03-01), Schricker et al.
patent: 6082187 (2000-07-01), Schricker et al.
Schricker David R.
Zavarehi Masoud K.
Caterpillar Inc.
Kercher Kevin M.
Kibby Steven G.
Vo Hieu T.
Yuen Henry C.
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