Apparatus and method for engine performance evaluation
First Claim
1. An internal combustion engine comprisinga variable volume internal combustion engine including an intake with air flow therethrough;
- an air density sensor disposed in the intake and producing an output signal that is a function of the density of the air in the intake;
a display in communication with the air density sensor displaying the output signal in units selected from a group consisting of density, density divided by a predetermined value, percent density gain or loss, power output, power output divided by a predetermined value and power output gain or loss.
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Abstract
A system that measures the density of the air in the intake of an internal combustion engine and calculates the gain or loss in performance provides a display to an operator in real time in a single, quickly assimilated reading. A display can indicate the combined power increasing effects of turbo/superchargers that increase density and power by compressing the air, as well as charge air coolers that increase density by decreasing the temperature. Density can be measured directly, or calculated from sensor readings. Densities, as well as temperatures and pressures can be displayed as absolute values, as percentage gains or losses verses a known reference such as ambient, or as a loss or gain between density increasing devices to indicate the individual performance of the component. One embodiment incorporates a cradle mounted PDA type handheld computing device on the dashboard to provide the display, input/output and processing hardware.
15 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An internal combustion engine comprising
a variable volume internal combustion engine including an intake with air flow therethrough; -
an air density sensor disposed in the intake and producing an output signal that is a function of the density of the air in the intake; a display in communication with the air density sensor displaying the output signal in units selected from a group consisting of density, density divided by a predetermined value, percent density gain or loss, power output, power output divided by a predetermined value and power output gain or loss. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for indicating the performance of an internal combustion engine having an intake with air flow therethrough, comprising
an air density sensor disposed in the intake and producing an output signal that is a function of the density of the air in the intake; a display in communication with the air density sensor displaying the output signal in units selected from a group consisting of density, density divided by a predetermined value, percent density gain or loss, power output, power output divided by a predetermined value and power output gain or loss. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for displaying the performance level of an internal combustion engine having an intake, comprising
sensing the density of the air flowing in the intake; -
generating a signal that is a function of the density sensed; converting the density signal into the units to be displayed, selected from a group consisting of density, density divided by a predetermined value, percent density gain or loss, power output, power output divided by a predetermined value and power output gain or loss; presenting the converted density signal on a display.
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22. A method for displaying the performance level of an internal combustion engine having an intake, comprising
sensing the density of the airflow entering the internal combustion engine at locations selected from a group consisting of intake air flow in an intake manifold, intake air flow upstream of a density changing device, intake air flow downstream of a density changing device, and the intake air flow in between any two density changing devices; -
generating signals that are a function of at least the density at the sensor locations; calculating any combination of internal combustion engine performance based upon the signals generated using predetermined formulas for the density and the power output of the internal combustion engine, the values calculated being selected from a group consisting of the density, the difference between any two densities, the density divided by a predetermined value, percent density gain or loss, power output, percent power output divided by a predetermined value, percent power gain of loss, the compressor efficiency, the charge air cooler effectiveness; presenting the converted density signal on a display. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification