Abstract: An electric power generation system is disclosed, which includes a back-up electric power generator driven by a four-cycle internal combustion engine. The engine includes a plurality of reciprocating cylinders each rotatably coupled to a crankshaft, which drives the electric power generator. The engine also includes a compressor along an intake pathway to deliver pressurized air to the cylinders and a turbine along an exhaust pathway to power the compressor when driven by exhaust discharged from the cylinders. The engine is prepared to accept a generator load by increasing boost pressure provided by the compressor. This increase is accomplished by skip-firing the cylinders in a selected pattern, retarding ignition timing for the cylinders, or a combination of these techniques. A unique skip-fueling control pattern is also disclosed.

Abstract: A valvetrain with a single camshaft is disclosed. The valvetrain has one or more intake valves, and one or more exhaust valves per cylinder of an engine block. The valvetrain comprises a cylinder head. The valve head of each intake valve is removably seated within a corresponding intake valve seat of the cylinder head, and the stem of each intake valve is movably positioned within the cylinder head. The valve head of each exhaust valve is removably seated within a corresponding exhaust valve seat of the cylinder head, and the stem of each exhaust valve is movably positioned with the cylinder head. For each cylinder, an intake crosshead and an exhaust crosshead are pivotally mounted upon the cylinder head. Each intake crosshead is operatively mounted upon the stem top of a corresponding intake valve. Each exhaust crosshead is operatively mounted upon the stem top of a corresponding exhaust valve. For each cylinder, an intake rocker arm and an exhaust rocker arm are pivotally coupled to the cylinder head.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved servomechanism for regulating the spark gap in micro electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM). The present invention utilizes a hybrid two actuator servo system for positioning the micro-EDM electrode. The hybrid system comprises a fast, easily controllable, short stroke actuator (such as a piezoelectric actuator) for good instantaneous response, and a second, slower actuator for positioning the fast actuator and for providing the required long stroke. This allows the slower actuator to “feed” the electrode into the work-piece utilizing its long stroke, and the fast, short stroke actuator to respond quickly to instantaneous variations in the spark gap, such as short circuits.

Abstract: A real-time mass flow measurement system that accurately measures fuel mass delivered to each cylinder per stroke of an injection pump or a fuel injector in an internal combustion engine. In accordance with preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mass flow measurement system and method includes a fuel measuring device that measures fuel delivered by one of the plurality of fuel injectors or fuel pumps. The preferred embodiment also includes a fuel transfer circuit for directing fuel flow to the fuel measuring device and a plurality of fuel diverting devices positioned along the fuel transfer circuit for diverting fuel flow from the plurality of fuel injectors or pumps into the fuel transfer circuit and a fuel routing device positioned along the fuel transfer circuit for routing the diverted fuel flow to either the fuel measuring device or a fuel drain.

Abstract: The invention provides a software method to correct for non-fuel injection induced errors in measured engine speed. This invention provides a means to calculate a least squares regression of the measured engine speed data when the engine is motoring without combustion or load. The motoring test is to avoid the effect of unbalanced cylinder power, thus detecting only the static errors in engine speed measurements. Recognizing that the average cylinder speed should form a straight line within an engine cycle, the lease squares regression of the measured speed data therefore represents the theoretical performance of the engine. A residual between this theoretical performance and the actual measured engine speed can therefore be determined. A table of mean residuals which are averages of individual residuals measured in consecutive engine cycles is constructed for each engine at a reference engine speed.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) enhancement system for a turbocharged internal combustion engine includes a throttle valve arranged in the exhaust duct of the engine, downstream of the EGR system. The throttle valve is controlled in response to engine load and engine speed to selectively provide back pressure upstream of the throttle valve to selectively drive an EGR exhaust flow through an EGR duct to the intake manifold. An embodiment of the EGR system includes a cooler that lowers the temperature of the EGR exhaust flow to provide better reductions in nitric oxide emissions. The exhaust turbine of the turbocharger may be of the fixed geometry type or the variable geometry type to provide a turbine with a fixed or variable swallowing capacity. The fixed geometry turbine is preferably equipped to allow excess pressure to be released through a wastegate duct arranged in fluid parallel with the exhaust turbine, thereby allowing for higher power and higher speeds.

Abstract: A unitary combustion deck for an internal combustion engine includes a main body portion having a cylinder-facing surface and a coolant-side facing surface. The combustion deck further includes a plurality of bolt bosses which are integrally cast as part of the coolant-side surface and each bolt boss defines a bolt-receiving aperture which extends through the main body portion and which is designed to receive a mounting bolt for securing the combustion deck to a cylinder block for sealing against the leakage of combustion gases. Further included as part of the combustion deck is a load distribution rib which is constructed and arranged to extend in a ring-like form around the at least one cylinder while integrally connecting with each bolt boss of the plurality of bolt bosses.

Abstract: A unitary cylinder head casting for an engine includes a plurality of valve guide bore casting portions, each valve guide bore casting portion defining a valve guide bore and a plurality of head bolt bore casting portions, each head bolt bore casting portion defining a head bolt bore. The cylinder head casting is constructed and arranged such that there is at least one head bolt bore corresponding to each valve guide bore. The cylinder head casting also defines an upper water jacket and a lower water jacket. In order to eliminate fillets in the area of the upper water jacket which represent likely locations for fatigue cracks to initiate, gusset ribs are included as part of the cylinder head casting. There is at least one gusset rib extending between at least one combination of one head bolt bore casting portion and its corresponding valve guide bore casting portion.

Abstract: A replaceable cylinder liner for an internal combustion engine. The position of the liner within the block is established by a midstop. An interference fit below the midstop seals the bottom end of a cooling passage that extends around the liner. The top end of the cooling passage is sealed by an o-ring, and when the engine is warmed up by an interference fit also. The top of the cooling passage is close to the top dead center position of the top piston ring, and reduces the temperature of the top piston ring.

Abstract: An intake system for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprises an intake manifold 18 having a plenum chamber 20 common to a plurality of engine cylinders and an intake pipe 22 opening into the plenum chamber to supply ambient air to the plenum chamber. An electric heater 26 is located within the plenum chamber 20 in the path of at least part of the air entering the plenum chamber from the intake pipe 22.

Abstract: A pneumatic throttle system for maintaining sufficient exhaust pressure to maintain exhaust flow through an EGR system. The throttle system includes an apertured throttle plate positioned to selectively restrict the flow of exhaust gasses exiting the engine. Movement of the plate is controlled by a pneumatic piston assembly connected thereto. The piston assembly includes a piston movably mounted within a gas-tight chamber. The piston head functionally divides the chamber into two variable-volume portions. The first chamber portion is pneumatically connected to the intake manifold, while the second portion is pneumatically connected to the exhaust manifold. The gas pressure in one chamber portion relative the other determines the relative volume of each chamber portion according to P1V1=P2V2. The piston moves within the chamber to satisfy the above relationship.

Abstract: A system for programming a vehicle control computer with selectable features and/or trim values includes a first computer maintaining a web site containing vehicle control computer calibration information and a second computer operable to access the web site whereby the first computer is responsive to information provided by a user to generate a set of feature and/or trim values and to create a file of the set of feature and/or trim values along with a loading program therefore. In one embodiment, the file and loading program may be loaded onto a memory disk for subsequent transfer to a third computer configured for communicating with a vehicle control computer. In another embodiment, the file and loading program may be transferred directly to the third computer via a wired or wireless communications link. In still another embodiment, the third computer may access the web site and the file and loading program may accordingly be transferred directly to the third computer from the web site.

Abstract: A reprogrammable electronic step timing control system having a fuel pressure threshold that is discretely variable as a function of engine speed. The fuel pressure threshold is increased for engine speeds above rated speed by a predetermined amount. A programming key is provided in a wiring harness to allow fuel pressure and speed thresholds to be readily changed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for controlling loading of an internal combustion engine based on a an adjusted load bias signal produced by an engine control computer. The engine control computer is responsive to engine speed and commanded fueling to produce a load bias signal, is responsive to engine speed, engine intake air pressure and the load bias signal to produce an acceleration-adjusted load bias value, and is responsive to engine speed, a reference engine speed and the load 10 bias signal to produce a deceleration-adjusted load bias value. The engine control computer is thereafter operable to compare the load bias value, the acceleration-adjusted load bias value and the deceleration-adjusted load bias value and produce the adjusted load bias signal as one of these three signals based on a comparison therebetween. The adjusted load bias signal is provided to an external load generator operable to control loading of the engine based thereon.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) enhancement system for a turbocharged internal combustion engine includes a throttle valve arranged in the exhaust duct of the engine, downstream of the EGR system. The throttle valve is controlled in response to engine load and engine speed to selectively provide back pressure upstream of the throttle valve to selectively drive an EGR exhaust flow through an EGR duct to the intake manifold. An embodiment of the EGR system includes a cooler that lowers the temperature of the EGR exhaust flow to provide better reductions in nitric oxide emissions. The turbine is equipped to allow excess pressure to be released through a wastegate duct arranged in fluid parallel with the exhaust turbine, thereby allowing for higher power and higher speeds.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for determining an effective throttle value of an internal combustion engine for controlling automatic transmission shift points. In one embodiment, the system is operable to determine an effective throttle value as a function of commanded fueling and engine speed under operating conditions wherein engine torque is requested by a system/component other than manual throttle control to thereby provide a throttle value indicative of what throttle position or percentage would be under present operating conditions if engine torque was being requested via manual throttle control. The present invention accordingly overcomes deficiencies in known automatic transmission shift point control systems by continuously computing an equivalent throttle percentage whenever fueling or requested torque values are not dominated by actual throttle (e.g. accelerator pedal) percentage.

Abstract: A camshaft 10 has alignment formations at one axial end for enabling the camshaft 10 to be correctly aligned with another component during assembly. In the invention, the alignment formations comprise two bores 18 of the same diameter but different depth.

Abstract: An apparatus for sensing engine speed and engine angular position. A tone wheel with a plurality of reference indicators and a position indicator is mounted to a camshaft gear. The reference and position indicators rotate past a Hall Effect sensor which generates a sensor signal suitable for use by a controller for determination of engine speed and engine angular position. Other embodiments do not include a controller.

Abstract: A system for controlling internal combustion engine performance in accordance with driver behavior includes a vehicle control computer operable to receive a plurality of vehicle operating parameter signals and control engine fueling based thereon. In accordance with an operational status, or an operational state determined over a predefined time interval, of one or more of the vehicle operating parameter signals, the system is operable to control available engine performance. Both the operational status and operational state of the various vehicle operating parameters are the result of the manner in which the driver operates the vehicle. The control system of the present invention is thus operable to reward/penalize driver performance by correspondingly adding/subtracting available engine performance in the form of available engine output power and/or available vehicle speed.

Abstract: An engine control system is operable to provide an engine fueling rate equal to the larger of a first engine fueling rate at which the resulting engine torque is limited by a maximum input torque capacity of a presently engaged gear ratio of the transmission and a second engine fueling rate at which the resulting engine torque is limited by a nominal input torque capacity of the transmission. The foregoing technique can be enabled at all times, or alternatively only after determination that the vehicle is experiencing deceleration under heavy engine load conditions. The engine control system may be further operable to determine a third engine fueling rate at which the resulting engine output torque is limited by a maximum operating torque capacity of the transmission propeller shaft, as well as a fourth engine fueling rate at which the resulting engine output torque is limited by a maximum operating torque capacity of the drive axle connected thereto.