Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine includes a step of providing an oxygen-containing gas having greater than 22 volume percent oxygen and combining the oxygen-containing gas with a fuel to form a combustible mixture. The combustible mixture is provided to an internal combustion engine wherein combustion of the combustible mixture drive the internal combustion engine. An internal combustion system executing the method is also provided.

Abstract: An outer circumferential surface of a piston ring has a cut surface forming a notched portion between an outer circumferential end surface and a lower surface, the cut surface including a first surface between the outer circumferential end surface and a bottom portion, and a second surface between the bottom portion and the lower surface. The second surface is inclined away from a central axis of the piston ring as it extends toward a crank chamber side, an angle of inclination of the second surface with respect to the bottom portion being greater than or equal to 50° and less than or equal to 85°. When an axial width of the piston ring is h1 and a distance in an axial direction between a connecting portion between the cut surface and the outer circumferential end surface and a connecting portion between the cut surface and the lower surface is H, H/h1 is greater than or equal to 0.2 and less than or equal to 0.4.

Abstract: A coating for reducing high-temperature oxidation of a piston for an internal combustion engine is provided. This coating is obtained by means of a composition containing titanate or zirconate, wherein at least one metal pigment is introduced into the coating.

Abstract: Apparatuses and systems for monitoring wheel alignment and/or for controlling vehicle suspension settings to adjust alignment. Described herein are alignment monitoring apparatuses for determining wheel alignment (e.g., camber, castor and/or toe). Also described herein are alignment adjusting or control apparatuses for adjusting one or more of camber, caster and/or toe.

Abstract: Internal combustion engines, including engines producing power from solid or slow burning fuel(s), such as biological-based or petroleum-based fuels, wood, corn, biomass, coal, and waste products, and/or possibly other liquid or gaseous fluids, as well as methods for operating or implementing such engines, are disclosed herein. In an example embodiment, the engine includes a crankshaft, a piston, a cylinder having an internal cavity and several ports, and an assembly having a chamber having a first region within which solid fuel can be situated and combusted. The assembly further includes a diverter valve so that, depending upon a setting of the valve and during engine operation, first and second amounts of compressed air respectively proceed to the first region and to bypass the first region, and a combination of combustion products and the second amount proceeds via one of the ports to the part of the internal cavity.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for transport vehicles using recyclable metallic fuels. The method includes capturing fuel products, including a metal oxide and unburnt fuel from the combustion of a metallic fuel, storing the unburnt metallic fuel and the fuel products, and recycling the metal oxide to recreate the metallic fuel and/or byproducts. Heat generated by the combustion and/or sintering of the metallic fuel may be transferred to a working fluid to drive the production of electricity and/or to provide propulsion in land, air and water vehicles and spacecraft. Furthermore, the thermal energy harvesting system may be used to generate electricity. The system includes a thermal (heat) engine having an induction heating assembly for heating the metallic fuel. Processes for complete combustion of the metallic fuel and recycling the metallic fuel in a sintering loop are described.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for automatically controlling braking and/or wheel speed at a dolly to increase maneuverability. In one form, a system comprises a memory, a first sensor, and at least one processor. The first sensor is configured to determine at least one of a distance from a dolly to a forward trailer or an angle from the dolly to the forward trailer. The at least one processor is configured to: determine that a forward trailer is moving in a reverse direction; determine a steering angle of a vehicle coupled to the forward trailer; measure a rotation of the forward trailer based on information received from the first sensor; and apply at least one of braking or wheel speed control to at least one wheel of the dolly based on the measured rotation of the forward trailer and the determined steering angle of the forward trailer.

Abstract: An intake manifold for an engine includes a premixing chamber, a pressure stabilizing chamber, and multiple intake passages. The intake passages are connected with a bottom of the pressure stabilizing chamber. A first end of the premixing chamber includes an intake end having an air inlet. A second end of the premixing chamber is communicated with the pressure stabilizing chamber and is close to a top of the pressure stabilizing chamber. An exhaust gas inlet is disposed on the premixing chamber and close to the air inlet. The engine includes an engine body and the intake manifold for the engine. The vehicle includes a vehicle body and the engine.

Abstract: A sorting system includes a first number of entry points configured to provide sorting goods. The sorting system further has a second number of terminal points configured to receive the sorting goods, and a third number of driverless sorting vehicles configured to transport the sorting goods between the first number of insertion points and the second number of terminal points. Further, a control device is provided, configured to control the driverless sorting vehicles between the first number of insertion points and the second number of terminal points.

Abstract: A GDi fuel pump comprising an inlet valve assembly arranged in an inlet passage of the pump housing. The inlet valve assembly comprises a check valve comprising a seat member cooperating with a valve member; and an actuator assembly having a needle assembly reciprocally moveable by means of a magnetic field to actuated the valve member. The needle assembly includes an actuating needle, an armature, a washer with a plurality of through holes and an obturating member. The obturating member comprises a plurality of flexible blades, each blade comprising an obturating pad configured to be moveable between a rest position, wherein the obturating pad rests on the washer and closes a respective through hole thereof, and a raised position, raised from the washer when the needle moves away from the check valve.

Abstract: A controller is used for an internal combustion engine including a cylinder and a direct injection valve that injects gaseous fuel into the cylinder. A CPU of the controller executes acquisition of an in-cylinder pressure that is a pressure in the cylinder during one combustion cycle and a supply fuel pressure that is a pressure of the gaseous fuel supplied to the direct injection valve, and calculation of a backflow rate that is an amount of combustion gas flowing into the direct injection valve from the cylinder during one combustion cycle of the cylinder. In the calculation of the backflow rate, the CPU calculates the backflow rate such that the backflow rate becomes larger as the in-cylinder pressure increases and the backflow rate becomes larger as the supply fuel pressure decreases.

Abstract: A travelling vehicle includes a body including a small marker and a large marker, an imager, a pattern recognizer, and a state determiner. The large marker includes a display pattern including a first region, a second region with a lower reflectance than a reflectance of the first region, and a region where the small marker is located. The small marker has a display pattern including a third region with a lower reflectance than the reflectance of the first region and a fourth region with a lower reflectance than the reflectance of the third region and a lower reflectance than the reflectance of the second region.

Abstract: When it is determined that there is no possibility of a driver performing a predetermined steering operation for moving a host vehicle in a lateral direction without involving a change in a final travel direction, a vehicle control device sets a steering reaction force to be greater than a standard reaction force. When it is determined that there is a possibility thereof, the vehicle control device sets the steering reaction force to be smaller than the standard reaction force, and sets an increase rate of the steering reaction force relative to an increase in the amount of steering operation from a predetermined point in time after it is determined that there is a possibility of the driver performing the predetermined steering operation and before the amount of steering operation in the predetermined steering operation becomes largest to be higher than an increase rate before the predetermined point in time.

Abstract: An intake assembly for an internal combustion engine, includes an intake manifold including a first plenum and a plurality of intake runners, the first plenum including an air supply inlet, the intake runners configured to be couplable to a cylinder head of the engine for supplying an air-fuel mixture thereto, the intake manifold configured such that, in use, air is supplied from the air supply inlet to the intake runners via the first plenum; a plurality of fuel injectors, each arranged to inject a fuel into one of the intake runners; and a fuel rail coupled to the plurality of fuel injectors, the fuel rail including a fuel supply inlet, and configured to supply fuel from the fuel supply inlet to the plurality of fuel injectors, in use. The fuel rail is mounted to the first plenum.

Abstract: A linear electric machine includes a shaft and at least one piston assembly operably coupled with the shaft. The piston assembly includes a piston, a piston body, and an expansion chamber. The piston body defines a dome structure at the expansion chamber. The piston is a domed piston corresponding to the dome structure. The linear electric machine also includes a heater body positioned at an outer end of the expansion chamber adjacent to the dome structure. The piston body further defines an exterior surface corresponding to a shape of the dome structure. The exterior surface includes a plurality of surface features protruding therefrom and is arranged between the heater body and the dome structure. The plurality of surface features decrease a heat load across the exterior surface of the piston body.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an engine block, a piston, and a cylinder head. The engine block includes a cylinder block having a cylinder bore, a crankcase defining a crankcase chamber with a crankshaft positioned within the crankcase chamber, and a cylinder sleeve fabricated from a self-lubricating plastic material. The cylinder head is coupled to the cylinder block to form a combustion chamber. The piston includes a piston top adjacent the combustion chamber, a piston body including a wrist pin hole configured to receive a wrist pin, a first piston ring positioned on the piston body, and a non-metallic gasket positioned on the piston body closer to the combustion chamber than the first piston ring and structured to prevent combustion gases from escaping the combustion chamber. The crankcase chamber is oilless.

Abstract: A navigation solution for a vehicle is provided by obtaining motion sensor data from a sensor assembly of the vehicle, detecting a static condition for the vehicle based at least in part on the motion sensor data, selectively enabling reduced power operation and providing the navigation solution for the vehicle while reduced power operation is enabled. While reduced power operation is enabled, motion may be detected so that reduced power operation is disabled and a subsequent navigation solution is provided for the vehicle while reduced power operation is disabled.

Abstract: A vehicle: finds a common central point at which a difference between a distance from a current position of a first tire and a distance from a target position of the first tire is within a predetermined range and a difference between a distance from a current position of a second tire and a distance from a target position of the second tire is within a predetermined range; and sets a steering angle of each of a plurality of tires so that the tire will be oriented in a direction of a tangent to a clearance circle whose center is the common central point or oriented in a direction whose angle difference from the direction of the tangent is within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for moving an occupant of a vehicle seat to open airway position after a vehicle crash event. The vehicle seat having a seat cushion, a backrest and a headrest. The method includes detecting occurrence of a vehicle crash event, and moving at least a portion of the backrest and/or headrest backwards and pulling an occupant of the vehicle seat backwards towards the backrest by powered retraction of a seat belt of the occupant by means of a seat belt retractor.

Abstract: An epicyclic power gear box for a gas turbine engine delivers torque from a low speed shaft to the primary fan. The gear box includes a planet gear and a bearing pin for the planet gear, sun gear and ring gear. The planet gear and bearing pin are arranged so that a clearance between the two is maintained during a takeoff condition for the gas turbine engine.