System and process for detection of weak or non-functioning cylinders in engines
First Claim
1. A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder engine, wherein said engine is supported on a motor vehicle, wherein the method is performed when said motor vehicle is in operational travel, the method comprising:
- operating the engine in an analysis mode at a substantially constant operating condition;
gathering data of a parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating on a subset of all cylinders in said analysis mode;
gathering data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested in said analysis mode until data gathering has been performed with a subset of all cylinders having been arrested; and
analyzing said gathered data to identify the effect on engine operations due to the arrest of cylinder operation and to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.
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Abstract
A system for detecting conditions indicative of substandard performance of cylinders in an internal combustion engine includes an engine control unit disposed in operable communication with the engine and a computer disposed in informational communication with the engine control unit. A method for utilizing the system includes comparing fuel requirements of the engine operating under power of all cylinders and under the successive arrest of each of the cylinders or sets of cylinders. The process is repeated until each cylinder or set of cylinders is arrested and all of the data can be compiled and considered to determine the performance of each cylinder or set of cylinders. The system measures the required fuel with all cylinders operating and enables a recommendation to be made with respect to corrective or maintenance measures that should be undertaken with respect to the isolation of the individual cylinder(s) which may be determined to be weak or non-functioning.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder engine, wherein said engine is supported on a motor vehicle, wherein the method is performed when said motor vehicle is in operational travel, the method comprising:
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operating the engine in an analysis mode at a substantially constant operating condition; gathering data of a parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating on a subset of all cylinders in said analysis mode; gathering data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested in said analysis mode until data gathering has been performed with a subset of all cylinders having been arrested; and analyzing said gathered data to identify the effect on engine operations due to the arrest of cylinder operation and to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder engine, wherein said engine is supported on a motor vehicle, wherein the method is performed when said motor vehicle is in operational travel, the method comprising:
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(a) gathering a first set of data of a parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating on a first subset of all cylinders; (b) gathering a second set of data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating on the first subset of all cylinders; (c) comparing the first set of data to the second set of data, and, if not equivalent, obtaining a third set of data, comparing the third set of data to the second set of data, and so on until an n+1 set of data is equivalent to an n set of data; (d) gathering and comparing first and second sets of data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested, and, if not equivalent, gathering a third set of data of the parameter indicative engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested and comparing to the second set of data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested, and so on until an n+1 set of data is equivalent to an n set of data; (e) repeating step (d) until a subset of all cylinders have been arrested; and
,(f) analyzing the gathered data to identify effect on engine operations due to the arrest of cylinder operation and to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer having software for analyzing operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder engine, the computer implementing a method comprising:
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gathering data indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating on a subset of all cylinders in an analysis mode, wherein the engine is operated in the analysis mode at a substantially constant operating condition; gathering data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested in the analysis mode until data gathering has been performed with a subset of all cylinders having been arrested; and analyzing said gathered data to identify effect on engine operations due to the arrest of cylinder operation and to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.
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21. A computer having software for analyzing operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder engine, the computer implementing a method comprising:
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(a) gathering a first set of data of a parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating on a first subset of all cylinders; (b) gathering a second set of data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating on the first subset of all cylinders; (c) comparing the first set of data to the second set of data, and, if not equivalent, obtaining a third set of data, comparing the third set of data to the second set of data, and so on until an n+1 set of data is equivalent to an n set of data; (d) gathering and comparing first and second sets of data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested, and, if not equivalent, gathering a third set of data of the parameter indicative engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested and comparing to the second set of data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested, and so on until an n+1 set of data is equivalent to an n set of data; (e) repeating step (d) until a subset of all cylinders have been arrested; and
,(f) analyzing the gathered data to identify effect on engine operations due to the arrest of cylinder operation and to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.
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22. A method of analyzing operation of a fuel-injected, multi-cylinder engine, wherein said engine is supported on a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
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measuring a parameter related to engine output while the motor vehicle is in operational travel; gathering data indicative of the parameter; and
,analyzing the gathered data to identify any cylinder delivering substandard performance. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer having software for analyzing operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder engine, wherein said engine is supported on a motor vehicle, the computer implementing a method comprising:
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measuring a parameter related to engine output while the motor vehicle is in operational travel; gathering data indicative of the parameter; and
,analyzing the gathered data to identify any cylinder delivering substandard performance.
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27. A method of analyzing operation of a fuel-injected, multi-cylinder engine, wherein said engine is supported on a motor vehicle, the method utilizing a system for detecting conditions indicative of substandard performance of the engine while the engine is operating at a steady state and at operational temperature and while the vehicle is traveling for at least one of a set load or a set speed, the system including an engine control unit disposed in operable communication with the engine to control the engine while the vehicle is traveling, and a computer disposed in informational communication with said engine control unit, the computer having the ability to communicate with the engine control unit while the vehicle is traveling, the method comprising:
measuring a parameter related to engine output while the vehicle is in operational travel. - View Dependent Claims (28)
Specification