Abstract: A piston for a direct injection engine is provided, the piston having a bowl at an upper end, the bowl forming a portion of a combustion chamber. The bowl includes an inner surface and a dome that defines a volume configured to receive a fuel-air mixture, the inner surface of the bowl and the dome each including at least one surface feature as a target for the fuel spray. The surface feature may protrude from the inner surface of the bowl or may be recessed into the inner surface. Such surface features may reduce soot and improve fuel-air mixing.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to lubricant oil compositions formed from base stock oils to optimize internal combustion engine performance. Base stock oils are identified that have selected cetane number characteristics and relatively reduced reactivity to improve their associated combustion characteristics and reduce engine knock without the need to modify the engine fuel or engine parameters such as compression ratio and/or ignition timing. The base stocks may specifically include esters of dicarboxylic acids, esters of trimellitic anhydride and/or alklyated naphthalene compounds.

Abstract: A piston for a direct injection engine is provided, the piston having a bowl at an upper end, the bowl forming a portion of a combustion chamber. The bowl includes an inner surface and a dome that defines a volume configured to receive a fuel-air mixture, the inner surface of the bowl and the dome each including at least one surface feature as a target for the fuel spray. The surface feature may protrude from the inner surface of the bowl or may be recessed into the inner surface. Such surface features may reduce soot and improve fuel-air mixing.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to lubricant oil compositions formed from base stock oils to optimize internal combustion engine performance. Base stock oils are identified that have selected cetane number characteristics and relatively reduced reactivity to improve their associated combustion characteristics and reduce engine knock without the need to modify the engine fuel or engine parameters such as compression ratio and/or ignition timing. The base stocks may specifically include esters of dicarboxylic acids, esters of trimellitic anhydride and/or alklyated naphthalene compounds.

Abstract: A fuel for a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine having a 95 V % distilled temperature by boiling point measurement in the range of about 35.degree. C. to about 350.degree. C., a cetane number in the range of about 2 to about 120, and an octane number in the range of 10 to about 110. The invention also relates to a method of operating a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine of mixing a fuel with air and feeding the fuel into a combustion chamber.

Abstract: A fuel for a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine having a 95 V % distilled temperature by boiling point measurement in the range of about 35.degree. C. to about 350.degree. C., a cetane number in the range of about 2 to about 120, and an octane number in the range of 10 to about 110. The invention also relates to a method of operating a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine of mixing a fuel with air and feeding the fuel into a combustion chamber.

Abstract: A compact x-ray source includes an electron beam source with a metallic film on a diamond window. The metallic film, which may be copper or scandium, absorbs the electron beams and produces k-alpha x-rays. The diamond window is a single crystal of diamond with a crystallographic orientation to diffract the x-rays, thereby producing a monochromatic and well collimated x-ray beam. The orientation of the crystal lattice may be configured to produce multiple x-ray beams. A plurality of electron beam sources may also be used to generate multiple x-ray beams. A detector is used to receive the x-ray beam after it interacts with a sample to be measured.

Abstract: A fuel property adaptive control system for controlling the performance of an engine, such as an internal combustion engine. An on-board fuel classifier classifies the fuel that the engine is running. Based on stored properties for that fuel, the system selects optimal engine control parameters.

Abstract: This invention includes a lubricant composition comprising a base oil and one or more additives, wherein the composition has an elevated pressure auto ignition temperature of at least about 500 K. This invention also includes a lubricant composition comprising a base oil and one or more additives, wherein the composition has an octane number ((R+M)/2) of at least about 80. This invention also includes a lubricant composition for reducing the propensity of end gas knock in a flame propagation engine, comprising: a base oil and one or more additives, wherein the composition has an average boiling point in excess of 200° C.

Abstract: A method for controlling the temperature and/or space velocity of exhaust gas passing through an aftertreatment device disposed in the exhaust system of a diesel engine provides an optimal environment for efficient conversion of NOx and undesirable emissions during transient and steady state engine operation. The method includes controlling intake and/or exhaust valve timing, either singly or in combination with fuel injection timing and selective individual cylinder cutout, in response to sensed engine operating parameters.

Abstract: This invention includes a lubricant composition comprising a base oil and one or more additives, wherein the composition has an elevated pressure auto ignition temperature of at least about 500 K. This invention also includes a lubricant composition comprising a base oil and one or more additives, wherein the composition has an octane number ((R+M)/2) of at least about 80. This invention also includes a lubricant composition for reducing the propensity of end gas knock in a flame propagation engine, comprising: a base oil and one or more additives, wherein the composition has an average boiling point in excess of 200° C.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for laser ignition in an internal combustion engine. Laser radiation is directed to an ignition location within a combustion chamber with adaptive optics, and the position of the ignition location is adaptively adjusted during operation of the engine using the adaptive optics. Multiple ignition locations may be provided during a cycle of an internal combustion engine. A first pulse of laser radiation is directed to a first ignition location within a combustion chamber with adaptive optics, and a second pulse of laser radiation is directed to a second ignition location within the combustion chamber using the adaptive optics.

Abstract: A method for controlling the temperature and/or space velocity of exhaust gas passing through an aftertreatment device disposed in the exhaust system of a diesel engine provides an optimal environment for efficient conversion of NOx and undesirable emissions during transient and steady state engine operation. The method includes controlling intake and/or exhaust valve timing, either singly or in combination with fuel injection timing and selective individual cylinder cutout, in response to sensed engine operating parameters.

Abstract: A fuel for a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine having a 95 V% distilled temperature by boiling point measurement in the range of about 35° C. to about 350° C., a cetane number in the range of about 2 to about 120, and an octane number in the range of 10 to about 110.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for laser ignition in an internal combustion engine. Laser radiation is directed to an ignition location within a combustion chamber with adaptive optics, and the position of the ignition location is adaptively adjusted during operation of the engine using the adaptive optics. Multiple ignition locations may be provided during a cycle of an internal combustion engine. A first pulse of laser radiation is directed to a first ignition location within a combustion chamber with adaptive optics, and a second pulse of laser radiation is directed to a second ignition location within the combustion chamber using the adaptive optics.

Abstract: An operating characteristic representative of a first stage reaction in HCCI combustion is sensed and used as a control event for injecting water into the combustion chamber to delay the start of combustion of the primary HCCI reaction.

Abstract: An operating characteristic representative of a first stage reaction in HCCI combustion is sensed and used as a control event for injecting water into the combustion chamber to delay the start of combustion of the primary HCCI reaction.

Abstract: At least two separate fuels, having different volatility characteristics, are used to control the combustion phasing in a compression ignition engine. Desirably, the separate fuels are produced by distillation by which a parent fuel is separated into separate fractions having different reactivity. The provision multiple fuels by distillation and the control method embodying the present invention are particularly useful in controlling the combustion phasing of homogenous charge compression ignition combustion processes.

Abstract: A plurality of piezoelectric sensors are disposed in a spatial array around the ports of an injection nozzle. Separate electrical signals proportional to the instantaneous momentum of fluid discharged from the injection nozzle and impacting on each of the sensors are used to calculate the instantaneous momentum and mass flow rate of fluid impacting each of the sensors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus under software control for pattern recognition utilizes a neural network implementation to recognize two dimensional input images which are sufficiently similar to a database of previously stored two dimensional images. Images are first image processed and subjected to a Fourier transform which yields a power spectrum. An in-class to out-of-class study is performed on a typical collection of images in order to determine the most discriminatory regions of the Fourier transform. A feature vector consisting of the highest order (most discriminatory) magnitude information from the power spectrum of the Fourier transform of the image is formed. Feature vectors are input to a neural network having preferably two hidden layers, input dimensionality of the number of elements in the feature vector and output dimensionality of the number of data elements stored in the database. Unique identifier numbers are preferably stored along with the feature vector.