System and process for detection of weak or non-functioning cylinders in engines

• US 20030236609A1
• Filed: 03/17/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Handler, Laurence Richard, Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair, Cryer, Robert Douglas, Volpe, Rocco Jr., Kostrubanic, James, Daniel, Cecil, Escobar, Dario Patricio, Dunsworth, Vince
• Granted Patent: US 6,889,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/1856 fourteen
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/22 with cylinders in V, fan, or star arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1015 Engines misfires
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1498 measuring engine roughness
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/38 of the high pressure type
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 1/00 Cylinders; Cylinder heads
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/04 Testing internal-combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/044 by monitoring power, e.g. by operating the engine with one of the ignitions interrupted; by using acceleration tests

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.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising:

operating the engine to attain steady-state;

operating the engine in an analysis mode at a substantially constant operational condition;

gathering data indicative of fuel usage of the engine cylinders when the engine is operating on all cylinders in said analysis mode;

gathering data indicative of the fuel usage of the engine cylinders 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 all cylinders having been arrested; and

analyzing said gathered data to identify the engine operations for which fuel usage was affected to a lesser degree by the arrest of cylinder operation to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the operation of only one cylinder at a time is arrested.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the operation of an inquiry set of at least two cylinders at a time is arrested.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising analyzing said gathered data at a site adjacent the engine.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting said data to a remote location and analyzing said data at said remote location.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising displaying information representative of the results of the analysis of said data at a graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the method while the engine is in normal operation.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the method while the engine is in test diagnosis operation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the engine is carried on and powers a vehicle, and the method is performed while the vehicle is traveling.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating said method from a remote location.

11. A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising:

operating the engine in an analysis mode at a substantially constant operational condition;

gathering data indicative of fuel usage of the engine cylinders when the engine is operating on all cylinders in said analysis mode;

gathering data indicative of the fuel usage of the engine cylinders 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 all cylinders having been arrested wherein the data gathered is representative of fuel usage of all operating cylinders for a series of cylinder firings of a selected number; and

analyzing said gathered data to identify the engine operations for which fuel usage was affected to a lesser degree by the arrest of cylinder operation to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the cylinder firings in said series are those that are most current in time.

13. A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising:

operating the engine in an analysis mode at a substantially constant operational condition wherein the engine comprises a fuel injection system for each cylinder and wherein the duration of time during which each system delivers fuel is measured, with the duration of time being indicative of fuel usage at the respective cylinder;

gathering data indicative of fuel usage of the engine cylinders when the engine is operating on all cylinders in said analysis mode;

gathering data indicative of the fuel usage of the engine cylinders 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 all cylinders having been arrested; and

analyzing said gathered data to identify the engine operations for which fuel usage was affected to a lesser degree by the arrest of cylinder operation to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.

14. A method for analyzing the performance of sets of cylinders of a fuel injected multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, the method comprising:

maintaining the engine at a substantially constant operational condition;

arresting a first set of cylinders of the engine for a period of time while remaining cylinders operate;

simultaneously flowing fuel to the first set of cylinders while arresting a second set of cylinders, and continuing to simultaneously flow fuel to an already arrested set of cylinders while arresting a next set of cylinders until all sets of cylinders have been arrested and restored;

calculating an average fuel volume required by operating cylinders during said period of time when a set of cylinders is arrested; and

comparing said average fuel volume with an average fuel volume of each of the other sets of cylinders.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising comparing an average fuel volume of at least one cylinder within one set of cylinders with an average fuel volume of another at least one cylinder within the one set of cylinders.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein each set of cylinders is limited to one cylinder.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising making a determination of a net value of each of the sets of cylinders.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said determination of said net value of each of the sets of cylinders includes making a recommendation regarding service of the set of cylinders based on a result obtained from said comparing of said average fuel volumes.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said calculating of said average fuel volume required by operating cylinders during said period of time when a set of cylinders is arrested comprises:

acquiring a set of fuel value data points;

determining a standard deviation of said set of fuel value data points; and

comparing said standard deviation with a preselected value.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein said calculating of said average fuel volume required by operating cylinders during said period of time when a set of cylinders is arrested comprises:

acquiring a set of fuel value data points;

determining a statistical calculation of said set of fuel value data points; and

comparing said statistical calculation with a preselected value.

21. A system for detecting conditions indicative of substandard performance of an engine cylinder of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine while the engine is operating at steady state and at a predetermined operational condition, the system comprising:

an engine control unit disposed in operable communication with the engine to independently control the fuel delivery for each cylinder, while the engine is operating;

a first computer disposed in informational communication with said engine control unit, the computer having the ability to communicate with the engine control unit while the engine is in operation;

wherein said informational communication with said engine control unit comprises a dynamic signal controlling which cylinders receive fuel so that the engine operates with all cylinders operating or with selective cylinders arrested, the dynamic signal transmitted from said computer and received by said engine control unit; and

,

a second computer disposed in informational communication with said engine control unit, the second computer being able to communicate with the engine control unit while the engine is in operation, the second computer receiving a feedback signal providing a quantitative determination of an amount of fuel dispensed to the engine in maintaining substantially constant operational condition until data gathering has been performed with all cylinders having been arrested, the feedback signal transmitted from said engine control unit and received by said second computer for analyzing the data so as to identify the cylinders generating substandard performance.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said engine control unit is in operable communication with the engine through a communication link.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said communication link is in communication with cylinders of the engine.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said communication link is in communication with a fuel pump injection system.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein said communication link includes fuel injection valves.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein said communication link is a wiring harness.

27. The system of claim 21 wherein said feedback signal comprises data indicative of the fuel usage of each cylinder of the engine.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein the engine is carried on and powers movement of a vehicle.

29. The system of claim 21 wherein the second computer is located off board and the communication link is a wireless connection.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising creating an electronic work order to flag said weak or non-functioning cylinder for replacement.

30. A method for assessing the performance of cylinders of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, said method comprising:

maintaining said engine at a substantially constant operational condition;

analyzing each of said cylinders of said engine with an algorithm which compares fuel value readings taken at a baseline condition and at an arresting of each of said cylinders;

determining an operability of each of said cylinders; and

archiving the resultant operability determination for later access and comparison against later fuel value readings.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said analyzing of each of said cylinders is effected via an interfacing of an engine control unit with a computer.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said determining said operability of each of said cylinders comprises determining the absence or presence of a weak or non-functioning cylinder.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said archiving of the resultant operability determination from a determination of the absence of a weak or non-functioning cylinder comprises uploading data indicative of an engine in which all cylinders are operational into a first database.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said archiving of the resultant operability determination from a determination of the presence of a weak or non-functioning cylinder comprises uploading data indicative of an engine in which a cylinder is defective into a second database.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein said archiving of the resultant operability determination from a determination of the presence of a weak or non-functioning cylinder comprises locally storing data indicative of an engine in which all cylinders are operational.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein said archiving of the resultant operability determination from a determination of the presence of a weak or non-functioning cylinder comprises locally storing data indicative of an engine in which a cylinder is defective.

38. A method for detecting a weak or non-functioning cylinder in a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, said method comprising:

operating said engine at a substantially constant operational condition;

establishing a baseline condition for a first steady state operating condition;

establishing a second steady state operating condition, wherein at least one cylinder has been arrested;

testing individual cylinders of said engine sequentially;

reestablishing said base line condition; and

determining a functionality of each of said individual cylinders by analyzing a fuel value requirement for each of said cylinders at a point at which each cylinder is arrested and comparing the fuel value requirement, of any arrested cylinder, with a fuel value requirement for the second steady state operating condition.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said establishing of said baseline condition comprises obtaining a series of substantially constant fuel value readings, said fuel value readings being indicative of the volumes of fuel received by said engine over corresponding time periods.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein said testing of said individual cylinders comprises sequentially arresting a group of less than all of said individual cylinders.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said sequential arresting of said cylinders comprises simultaneously flowing fuel to a first cylinder and arresting a second cylinder.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein said analyzing of said fuel value requirement comprises determining the presence of a difference in a fuel value requirement of said first steady state operating condition and said second steady state operating condition.

43. A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising:

(a) gathering a first set of data indicative of fuel usage of the cylinders when the engine is operating on all cylinders;

(b) gathering a second set of data indicative of fuel usage of the cylinders when the engine is operating on 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 indicative of fuel usage of the cylinders when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested, and, if not equivalent, gathering a third set of data indicative of fuel usage of the cylinders when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested and comparing to the second set of data indicative of fuel usage of the cylinders 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 all cylinders have been arrested; and

,

(f) analyzing the gathered data to identify any arrest configurations for which fuel usage was affected to a lesser degree to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.

44. A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising:

(a) arresting cylinder z from a time t_x to a time t_x+1;

(b) gathering data indicative of fuel usage of the engine cylinders when the engine is operating with the operation of cylinder z arrested;

(c) calculating a first fuel volume difference by subtracting a fuel volume reading at time t_x from a fuel volume reading at time t_x+1;

(d) rendering the cylinder z operational from time t_x+1 to time t_x+2;

(e) calculating a second fuel volume difference by subtracting a fuel volume reading at time t_x+2 from the fuel volume reading at time t_x+1;

(f) if the first volume difference is not substantially equal to the second volume difference, then repeating steps (a) through (e);

(g) when the first volume difference is substantially equal to the second volume difference, then cylinder z=cylinder (z+1), and x=x+1;

(h) repeating steps (a) through (g) until data gathering has been performed with all cylinders having been arrested; and

,

(i) analyzing gathered data to identify engine operations for which fuel usage was affected to a lesser degree by the arrest of cylinder operation to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.