Abstract: A method for detecting emissions from an internal combustion engine generally including determining a reference air/fuel mixture signal based on an engine speed and an airflow into the engine. The method includes determining an actual air/fuel mixture signal from an air/fuel mixture sensor and comparing the reference air/fuel mixture signal to the actual air/fuel mixture signal. The method also includes determining whether an air/fuel imbalance condition occurs based on the comparison and setting a service indicator based on the determination of whether the air/fuel imbalance condition occurred.

Abstract: At least one section of structured packing characterised in that: (a) the length of said section is from about 1 m to about 6 m; and (b) the specific surface area of the structured packing of said section is greater than 500 m2/m3, is used in a vapour/liquid contact column operating in locations where environmental conditions adversely affect steady state operation of said column to reduce maldistribution of liquid in said column under motion. The structured packing section has particular application offshore on a buoyant platform where tilt of the column out of vertical alignment due to the rolling motion of the platform can significantly affect the efficiency of the column.

Abstract: A fluid-filled structure, such as a bladder, is disclosed. The bladder has a first surface and an opposite second surface that are peripherally joined to define various edges. The bladder encloses a fluid between the first surface and the second surface. A portion of the edges may have a concave configuration, or the edges may have both concave and convex configurations. A shape of the bladder may be a tessellation pattern so that a plurality of the bladder may be efficiently.

Abstract: A method of controlling fuel input to an engine of a vehicle. A feedback signal is received from a sensor that senses engine exhaust. A dither signal having the same frequency as the feedback signal is applied to a fuel control signal controlling fuel to the engine. A proportional/integral correction is applied to the fuel control signal based on the frequency.

Abstract: A method of controlling engine operation in a vehicle in response to a misfire of one of a plurality of engine cylinders fueled through fuel injectors. The vehicle includes a fuel vapor storage canister. The method includes disabling at least one of the fuel injectors, using an open loop to control fuel delivery by the injectors to the cylinders, and disabling purging of the canister. The disabling and using steps are performed while the misfire continues.

Abstract: A method of controlling engine operation in a vehicle in response to a misfire of one of a plurality of engine cylinders fueled through fuel injectors. The vehicle includes a fuel vapor storage canister. The method includes disabling at least one of the fuel injectors, using an open loop to control fuel delivery by the injectors to the cylinders, and disabling purging of the canister. The disabling and using steps are performed while the misfire continues.

Abstract: A method of generating a metric data set for determining a performance of a catalytic converter includes sampling data from a post catalytic converter oxygen sensor to provide a raw data set and generating a revised data set based on the raw data set. Data within the revised data set is eliminated based on characteristics of data points of the revised data set and the revised data set is filtered to provide the metric data set.

Abstract: A method of controlling fuel input to an engine of a vehicle. A feedback signal is received from a sensor that senses engine exhaust. A dither signal having the same frequency as the feedback signal is applied to a fuel control signal controlling fuel to the engine. A proportional/integral correction is applied to the fuel control signal based on the frequency.

Abstract: Higher molecular weight hydrocarbon compounds or oxygenates are produced from a gas comprising methane in a process comprising the steps of generating synthesis gas (“syngas”) comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen by reaction of a gas comprising methane with steam and/or an oxidant gas comprising oxygen, producing higher molecular weight hydrocarbon compounds or oxygenates in a syngas conversion process, removing offgas comprising unreacted hydrogen and unreacted carbon monoxide from said syngas conversion process and separating cryogenically unreacted hydrogen from said offgas or from a gas derived therefrom to produce separated hydrogen product that is is substantially free of unreacted carbon monoxide and a first cryogenic liquid comprising unreacted carbon monoxide. The unreacted hydrogen is preferably separated from the offgas in a liquid methane wash column.

Abstract: A method of generating a metric data set for determining a performance of a catalytic converter includes sampling data from a post catalytic converter oxygen sensor to provide a raw data set and generating a revised data set based on the raw data set. Data within the revised data set is eliminated based on characteristics of data points of the revised data set and the revised data set is filtered to provide the metric data set.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the equivalence ratio in an internal combustion engine to improve catalytic converter performance including varying an equivalence ratio setpoint between a rich and a lean state periodically, and introducing a fuel enrichment pulse to the equivalence ratio that sweeps the equivalence ratio across stoichiometry.

Abstract: An engine catalytic converter misfire protection method and apparatus which controls engine parameters in response to the detection of potentially damaging cylinder misfire. A misfire counter responsive to engine cylinder misfires, counts misfires over a predetermined time period, with the positive changes in the counter output integrated and then compared with a threshold count to determine if the count corresponds to a damaging misfire condition. The apparatus and method simultaneously samples a short term fuel correction signal and compares the short term fuel correction signal with a second threshold. When both thresholds are exceeded substantially at the same time, the apparatus and method shut off fuel to the misfiring cylinder and shuts off the short and long term fuel control. Verification that the proper cylinder has the fuel shut off is made by repeating the control sequence to determine if the fuel has been shut off to the same cylinders.

Abstract: An engine catalytic converter misfire protection method and apparatus which controls engine parameters in response to the detection of potentially damaging cylinder misfire. A misfire counter responsive to engine cylinder misfires, counts misfires over a predetermined time period, with the positive changes in the counter output integrated and then compared with a threshold count to determine if the count corresponds to a damaging misfire condition. The apparatus and method simultaneously samples a short term fuel correction signal and compares the short term fuel correction signal with a second threshold. When both thresholds are exceeded substantially at the same time, the apparatus and method shut off fuel to the misfiring cylinder and shuts off the short and long term fuel control. Verification that the proper cylinder has the fuel shut off is made by repeating the control sequence to determine if the fuel has been shut off to the same cylinders.

Abstract: Internal combustion engine air/fuel ratio regulation in which closed-loop air/fuel ratio control responsive to a pre-converter oxygen sensor feedback signal is further regulated in accord with a feedback signal from a post-converter oxygen sensor signal operative under certain engine operating conditions to provide an average actual engine air/fuel ratio signal. A pre-converter oxygen sensor rich/lean threshold is adjusted in accord with the post-converter signal to drive or maintain such post-converter signal within a preferred range corresponding to an average engine air/fuel ratio of stoichiometry.

Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle engine includes predicting an engine parameter with a controller that determines measures of various engine parameters, determines a prediction set including at least one predicted value of a measurable engine parameter, determines an estimation set including at least one estimated value of the engine parameter and controls the engine in response to the estimated engine parameter.

Abstract: A method for accurately determining the measure of mass airflow into an internal combustion engine is implemented with a controller that determines measures of various engine parameters, determines a prediction set including at least one predicted value of a measurable engine parameter and at least one predicted value of mass airflow into the engine, determines an estimation set including at least one estimated value of mass airflow into the engine and controls the engine in response to the estimated value of mass airflow.

Abstract: A method for accurately determining the measure of mass airflow into an internal combustion engine determines measures of various engine parameters and implements the mathematical modeling technique of prediction and estimation.