Abstract: A system and method for controlling an internal combustion engine monitor exhaust back pressure and take remedial action when the exhaust back pressure exceeds a corresponding threshold. The system and method respond to increased exhaust back pressures attributable to various causes to alert the vehicle operator and/or engage engine protection mechanisms depending on the back pressure severity level in an effort to avoid engine/component damage. Fault timers are provided for tracking time fault conditions are present and time that faults are active, with active faults being latched for the current ignition cycle. Available engine torque may be reduced in response to excessive exhaust back pressure. Anti-tampering logic is provided to detect attempts to defeat the protection feature.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a block having a plurality of cylinders. An intake manifold is fluidly connected to the block for supplying charge air to the cylinders. An exhaust manifold is fluidly connected to the plurality of cylinders for conducting exhaust gas away from the cylinders. A turbocharger including a turbine having an exhaust gas inlet is fluidly connected with the exhaust manifold. The turbocharger also includes a compressor having a compressor air inlet and air outlet. The compressor air outlet is fluidly connected to the intake manifold to pressurize the charge air during high power levels of engine operation. An EGR bypass is fluidly connected between the turbine exhaust gas inlet and the intake manifold to recirculate a portion of the exhaust gases to the cylinders. An intake air bypass is fluidly connected between the compressor air outlet and the compressor air inlet.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an intake manifold supplying charge air to the cylinders. An exhaust manifold conducts exhaust gas away from the cylinders. A turbocharger including a turbine has an exhaust gas inlet connected with the exhaust manifold and also includes a compressor having an air inlet and outlet. The compressor air outlet is connected to the intake manifold to pressurize charge air during high power levels of engine operation. An EGR bypass connected between the turbine exhaust gas inlet and the intake manifold recirculates a portion of the exhaust gases to the cylinders. An intake air bypass adapted to recirculate a portion of compressor outlet air back to the compressor air inlet to reduce compressor outlet pressure and aid EGR flow through the EGR bypass to the cylinders during high power operation of the engine is connected between the compressor air outlet and the compressor air inlet.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling an internal combustion engine to reduce or eliminate formation of EGR condensate monitor current ambient and operating conditions to determine whether conditions are favorable for condensation of EGR gases, and control the engine accordingly to avoid condensation, preferably by increasing the intake manifold temperature. The intake manifold temperature may be increased by redirecting some or all of the EGR flow to avoid the EGR cooler. Alternatively, or in combination, some or all of the charge air may be redirected to bypass the charge air cooler and/or redirected from the outlet of the turbocharger compressor to the intake, effectively increasing the intake air temperature and resulting in a corresponding increase of the intake manifold temperature. Conditions favorable for condensation may be determined based on engine speed and load, ambient temperature, manifold pressure, scheduled or actual EGR flow rate and scheduled or actual air/fuel ratio.

Abstract: A system, storage medium, and method for controlling an engine in a vehicle which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a specified time period, which time period is reestablished at a predefined interval, including determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain additional time for the particular operating capability. The system, storage medium, and method monitor the system clock and utilize one or more criteria to determine whether tampering has occurred. If the system clock has been tampered with, one or more additional steps are taken, including logging the tampering event, suspending any steps which would provide the particular operating capability to the operator for any additional time until the next interval, or until the engine has been returned to personnel authorized to reprogram the engine control.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring engine operating data include monitoring various engine operating parameters and periodically storing engine data when corresponding criteria are met. In one embodiment, engine operating parameters may include engine speed, powertrain demand, or a fluid temperature, for example. Engine operating data such as oil pressure, turbo boost pressure, battery voltage, fuel economy, oil temperature, coolant temperature, maximum RPM, maximum vehicle speed, and throttle position sensor voltage, for example may be stored for trending and analysis. In addition, engine components may be monitored to determine service or replacement.

Abstract: An oil circulation system that monitors filter life and can notify the operator of the oil filter life status. The oil filter life is calculated based upon oil pressure sensors on the inlet and outlet of the oil filter. Pressure drop, oil temperature, and engine speed from the tachometer are factored into an algorithm to calculate the percentage of oil filter life remaining. If the percentage is below the predetermined level, the system will warn the operator to change the filter. If the percentage is above the predetermined level, the system will record the extent of oil filter life remaining and repeat the process.

Abstract: A system for providing exhaust gas recirculation in a multi-cylinder compression ignition internal combustion engine include an EGR valve in communication with an exhaust side of the engine to selectively direct exhaust gases to the EGR system. Charge air is directed through the engine and/or EGR system to purge exhaust gases from the EGR system. Charge air may be supplied to the EGR system by maintaining the intake manifold pressure above the pressure in the exhaust manifold.

Abstract: A snow blower, vehicle having a blower engine and a propulsion engine is provided with a drvice for limiting the speed of operation of the snow blower vehicle if the blower engine is overloaded. A first signal is transmitted to the propulsion engine when the blower engine is overloaded and a second signal is transmitted to the propulsion engine when the blower engine is no longer being overloaded. The first signal may be provided to the propulsion engine to automatically limit the output thereof or it may be provided to generate an operator perceptible warning to the operator of the vehicle. The second signal may be provided to the propulsion engine to discontinue the limitation of the output of the propulsion engine or to stop the generation of the warning. A method of improving snow blower performance by increasing the ability of the blower engine to blow snow by limiting the output of the propulsion engine.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system and method for simple and rapid introduction of EGR gas to an internal combustion engine include a pump, tank, and valve connected to the engine. Exhaust gas is pressurized by operation of the pump under predetermined operating conditions and stored in the tank. The valve is selectively controlled to meter amounts of the EGR gas to the engine. The EGR tank can be separate or integrally formed within tubing used to direct EGR gas flow.

Abstract: A system and method for determining EGR flow in a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine include determining specific heat of the exhaust gas based on current engine operating conditions and determining EGR flow rate based on the determined specific heat and a signal provided by a sensor. In one embodiment, a species tracking model is used to determine the amount of various species within the exhaust gas which may include oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water, for example, to determine the current specific heat, which is compared to a reference specific heat for the sensor, the difference being used to adjust the sensor value and determine the EGR mass flow rate. The species tracking model uses a simplified combustion model to estimate the amount of each specie in the exhaust gas based on various engine operating parameters, such as fuel, air/fuel ratio, and turbo boost, for example.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation system for a compression ignition engine is provided wherein the exhaust gas recirculation is shut off depending upon the sensed or calculated humidity in the intake manifold relative to the dew point of the exhaust/intake air mixture. The humidity of the exhaust/intake air mixture may be measured in the intake manifold, charge air mixer or the ambient humidity may be sensed. If humidity is measured in the air charge mixer or in the ambient air, other factors such as engine speed and load, intake manifold pressure, EGR flow and air/fuel ratio may be used to calculate the humidity in the intake manifold. When the temperature of the mixture in the intake manifold is less than the dew point of the mixture, the engine control strategy may be shut off the EGR to prevent condensation in the exhaust gas recirculation system or engine.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a compression ignition internal combustion engine having an electronic control module with an idle shutdown feature to automatically stop the engine after idling for a period of time include determining whether the engine is being loaded and overriding the idle shutdown feature to keep the engine running when the engine is being loaded. In one embodiment, the present invention includes monitoring operating conditions to determine that the vehicle is stationary, monitoring the engine to determine the engine is idling, initiating a timer/counter to provide an indication of idling time, determining that the engine is operating in an auxiliary power mode, determining engine load, and automatically stopping the engine when the idling time exceeds a first threshold and the engine load is less than a second threshold.

Abstract: A cylinder head elevator tool developed and constructed to expedite the replacement of cylinder head gaskets, pistons, connecting rods, liners or sleeves, intake valves, exhaust valves, and many other associated components in diesel engines. The cylinder head elevator includes a lower bracket or support bracket engageable with the diesel engine cylinder block, an upper bracket or cylinder head bracket, including a collar assembly, engageable with the cylinder head, and a hydraulic jack or hydraulic ram engageable at it's base with said lower bracket and engageable at its moveable shaft end with said upper bracket.

Abstract: A thrust and journal bearing assembly is presented that provides for separate thrust and journal segments that are joined together and held in place by interlocking tabs and slots.

Abstract: A system for providing exhaust gas recirculation in a multi-cylinder compression ignition internal combustion engine include an EGR valve in communication with an exhaust side of the engine to selectively direct exhaust gases to the EGR system. Charge air is directed through the engine and/or EGR system to purge exhaust gases from the EGR system. Charge air may be supplied to the EGR system by maintaining the intake manifold pressure above the pressure in the exhaust manifold.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring the flow rate of recirculated exhaust gas in a compression ignition engine including a plurality of engine sensors having outputs indicative of current engine conditions and a turbocharger. The system includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve mounted in the exhaust pipe upstream of the turbocharger for diverting a selectable portion of the exhaust gas for recirculation and combination with the charge air, one or more sensors for sensing current conditions of the recirculated exhaust gas, including temperature and pressure, one or more sensors for sensing current conditions of the intake air, and control logic for determining the flow rate of the recirculated exhaust gas as a function of the sensed conditions.

Abstract: A real-time maintenance alert system for use in a heavy duty truck having an engine including an engine controller having a communications data link is provided. The system includes an engine item sensor and a non-engine item sensor. Control logic at the engine controller produces an output signal at the data link in response to the presence of an engine item real-time fault condition. A display device transmits and receives information over the data link, and processes the control logic output signal. The display device generates an output signal indicative of the engine item status. Further, the display device directly receives and processes the non-engine item sensor output signal, and generates an output signal indicative of the non-engine item status.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting tampering with a vehicle speed sensor by calculating an average speed based upon global positioning system data. A first position of a vehicle is learned from a global positioning system at a first time. After a time interval the system learns a second position from the GPS at a second time. Based on this information, the average speed is calculated and is then compared to a maximum speed limit value. The system checks to determine if anyone has tampered with the GPS if no over speed condition is detected. If an over speed condition is detected or if there is an indication of tampering with the global positioning system, the system integrates a vehicle speed sensor tampering system that is either logged in memory or may be used to limit engine speed by controlling the engine control module.

Abstract: An engine with transport delay represented by a delay period is controlled with a controller in the feed-forward path and a compensator in a negative inner feedback loop around the controller. The controller generates a control signal so as to control the engine as if the engine was without the delay. A compensation signal is generated as the sum of the control signal only over the delay period. The control signal is based on an error signal generated as the difference between a desired input and the sum of a controlled engine output and the compensation signal.