Abstract: A duct structure for a fuel injector assembly of an engine includes a first ring structure, a plurality of ducts, a plurality of posts, and an engagement structure. The fuel injector assembly includes a fuel injector having a plurality of orifices to discharge fuel. The first ring structure is configured to be coupled to a cylinder head of the engine, and defines a central axis. The ducts are circularly arrayed around the central axis, and are configured to provide passages to the fuel discharged from the fuel injector. The posts connect the ducts to the first ring structure. Further, the engagement structure is configured to engage with the fuel injector to align the ducts with the orifices such that each of the plurality of ducts is configured to receive fuel discharged from a corresponding one of the plurality of orifices.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder case forming a cylinder bore having a centerline and an inner bore surface. A piston disposed within the cylinder bore forms a crown surface. A region defined between the piston and the cylinder bore in a radial direction has an annularly shaped mouth opening surrounding the crown surface. A cylinder head is disposed to cover an open end of the cylinder bore such that a variable volume is defined within the cylinder bore between the cylinder head and the piston. The cylinder head also forms a flame deck in fluid contact with the variable volume. A deflector structure forms a portion of the inner bore surface adjacent the flame deck surface, and is disposed between the flame deck and a topmost ring seal groove of the piston when the piston is at a TDC position.

Abstract: A gaseous fuel-powered engine includes a fuel injector configured to selectively inject a plurality of gas plumes into the combustion chamber, and a laser ignition system configured to selectively ignite the gas plumes within the combustion chamber. The laser ignition system includes a laser source configured to generate at least one laser beam, and a beam splitter for splitting the laser beam into a plurality of partial laser beams. A focusing unit is provided to direct each partial laser beam to corresponding focal points in the gas plumes within the combustion chamber. A controller is configured to determine an operating state of the gaseous fuel-powered engine, regulate an intensity of each partial laser beam, and operate the focusing unit for directing the partial laser beams within the combustion chamber to ignite the gas plumes at the focal points during injection of the gas plumes within the combustion chamber.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes an engine cylinder, a piston, a cylinder head, a combustion chamber, and a fuel injector. The cylinder head has a depression of predefined shape such that an effective width of the depression of cylinder head is greater than a diameter of the engine cylinder. The combustion chamber is defined as an enclosure between the depression of the cylinder head and a crown of the piston. The fuel injector is adapted to supply fuel to the combustion chamber via a number of orifices. In an alternate embodiment, the combustion chamber is provided with a number of ducts adapted to provide a passage to the fuel exiting from the orifices. The ducts extend at a predefined angle with an axis of the engine cylinder to facilitate injection of the fuel towards the depression of the cylinder head within the combustion chamber.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder case forming a cylinder bore having a centerline and an inner bore surface. A piston disposed within the cylinder bore forms a crown surface. A region defined between the piston and the cylinder bore in a radial direction has an annularly shaped mouth opening surrounding the crown surface. A cylinder head is disposed to cover an open end of the cylinder bore such that a variable volume is defined within the cylinder bore between the cylinder head and the piston. The cylinder head also forms a flame deck in fluid contact with the variable volume. A deflector structure forms a portion of the inner bore surface adjacent the flame deck surface, and is disposed between the flame deck and a topmost ring seal groove of the piston when the piston is at a TDC position.

Abstract: A fuel injector includes a body and a needle that is disposed within an internal bore defined by the body. The needle includes a distal surface that intersects with a longitudinal axis of the needle. Moreover, the distal surface also faces the internal surface of the body. The needle further includes a sealing surface that is configured to seat on a sealing surface of the body. The internal surface of the body includes an axial bearing surface disposed between a distal end of the body and the sealing surface of the body. The needle includes an axial bearing surface at least partly facing the axial bearing surface of the internal bore. The axial bearing surface of the body cooperates with the axial bearing surface of the needle to guide movement of the needle relative to the body along an axial direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the needle.

Abstract: In a method for regenerating s catalyzed diesel particulate filter (DPF) via active NO2-based regeneration with enhanced effective NO2 supply, a NOx containing gas is introduced into the DPF, and a temperature of at least one of the DPF, the NOx containing gas, and soot in the DPF is controlled while control Sing NOx levels at an inlet of the DflF so that the NOx containing gas reacts with the catalyst to form N 02 molecules that thereafter react with soot particles to form CO, CO2, and NO molecules and a N02 efficiency is greater than 0.52 gC/gNO2 and so that less than two thirds of the soot mass that is removed from the DPF is oxidized by 02 molecules in the gas to form CO and CO2 molecules.

Abstract: A method for estimating soot loading of a diesel particulate filter includes establishing a soot loading model for estimating soot loading of a nominal diesel particulate filter, adjusting the soot loading model for a subject filter to account for differences between the nominal filter and the subject filter, and estimating soot loading of the subject filter using the adjusted soot loading model. An engine with a diesel particulate filter is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining a diesel particulate filter (DPF) is provided. A pressure drop across the DPF is measured and an initial estimate of soot loading in the DPF is provided to a recursive filter. Using the recursive filter, the initial estimate of soot loading is updated in view of the measured pressure drop to provide an updated estimate of soot loading in the DPF. Active regeneration of the DPF is triggered when an earliest one of at least one triggering condition occurs, the updated estimate of soot loading reaching a predetermined value being one of the at least one triggering condition.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating engine exhaust gas includes comprising an exhaust conduit for leading exhaust gases from an engine to an outlet, a particulate filter connected in the exhaust conduit to receive exhaust gas, a heat source connected in the exhaust conduit upstream of the particulate filter, and, a heat exchanger connected to receive exhaust gas exiting the particulate filter and arranged to heat a portion of the exhaust conduit upstream of the heat source and particulate filter. Heating the exhaust gases prior to entry into the particulate filter helps ensure oxidation of the trapped particulate matter.

Abstract: A method for estimating soot loading of a diesel particulate filter includes establishing a soot loading model for estimating soot loading of a nominal diesel particulate filter, adjusting the soot loading model for a subject filter to account for differences between the nominal filter and the subject filter, and estimating soot loading of the subject filter using the adjusted soot loading model. An engine with a diesel particulate filter is also provided.

Abstract: In a method for performing NO2-based regeneration of a diese! particulate filter (DPF) using recirculated NOx, the DPF is regenerated by oxidizing soot in the DPF with NO2 so that CO, CO2, and NO are formed, at least some NOx is recirculated from a takeoff point to a point upstream of the takeoff point. NO2 can be formed by reacting the recirculated NO with 02. During regeneration of the DPF, at least some of the NO2 that oxidizes soot in the DPF is recirculated ISI 02 or formed from recirculated NO that is reacted with 02 to form NO2. An exhaust aftertreatment system for performing NO2-based regeneration of a diesel particulate filter (DPF) using recirculated NOx is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a method for regenerating s catalyzed diesel particulate filter (DPF) via active NO2-based regeneration with enhanced effective NO2 supply, a NOx containing gas is introduced into the DPF, and a temperature of at least one of the DPF, the NOx containing gas, and soot in the DPF is controlled while control Sing NOx levels at an inlet of the DflF so that the NOx containing gas reacts with the catalyst to form N 02 molecules that thereafter react with soot particles to form CO, CO2, and NO molecules and a N02 efficiency is greater than 0.52 gC/gNO2 and so that less than two thirds of the soot mass that is removed from the DPF is oxidized by 02 molecules in the gas to form CO and CO2 molecules.

Abstract: A method for starting an engine includes reciprocating a piston in a cylinder through a plurality of reciprocating movements between the TDC and the BDC positions with the exhaust valve closed for longer than during the normal combustion cycle and the intake valve open for at least part of at least one of a compression movement and an exhaust movement while the exhaust valve is closed. An engine is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating engine exhaust gas includes comprising an exhaust conduit for leading exhaust gases from an engine to an outlet, a particulate filter connected in the exhaust conduit to receive exhaust gas, a heat source connected in the exhaust conduit upstream of the particulate filter, and, a heat exchanger connected to receive exhaust gas exiting the particulate filter and arranged to heat a portion of the exhaust conduit upstream of the heat source and particulate filter. Heating the exhaust gases prior to entry into the particulate filter helps ensure oxidation of the trapped particulate matter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining a diesel particulate filter (DPF) is provided. A pressure drop across the DPF is measured and an initial estimate of soot loading in the DPF is provided to a recursive filter. Using the recursive filter, the initial estimate of soot loading is updated in view of the measured pressure drop to provide an updated estimate of soot loading in the DPF. Active regeneration of the DPF is triggered when an earliest one of at least one triggering condition occurs, the updated estimate of soot loading reaching a predetermined value being one of the at least one triggering condition.