Caterpillar Inc.

Anthony T Petrou

Austin P Roe

David Andrew Pierpont

Christopher Ronald Gehrke

Michael J Campagna

Scott A Thompson

Travis E Barnes

Jay Hamilton Cline

Matthew Rowan

Steven C Zoz

Timothy Edward McGreevy

Kevin J D'Sa

A system for estimating engine performance is configured to receive, via a cylinder combustion model, a cylinder pressure of a cylinder associated with operation of an internal combustion engine. The system estimates a liner bending moment based at least in part on the cylinder pressure, generates a piston side load associated with the cylinder based at least in part on the liner bending moment, and estimates a piston friction value for a piston associated with the cylinder. The piston friction value may be based at least in part on the cylinder pressure and an engine speed of the internal combustion engine. The system receives, via a convective heat transfer model, an exhaust heat transfer value indicative of a cumulative heat transfer from an exhaust manifold, and estimates an engine torque value based at least in part on the exhaust heat transfer value.

System and method for estimating engine performance

A system may include at least one processor configured to receive a fuel signal indicative of an amount of fuel supplied to a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, receive an air signal indicative of a quantity of air supplied to the cylinder, and estimate a mean effective pressure in the cylinder based at least in part on the fuel signal and the air signal. The system may estimate an exhaust gas temperature for exhaust gas entering an exhaust manifold associated with the internal combustion engine, generate a rate of temperature change value for the exhaust manifold based at least in part on the exhaust gas temperature, generate an estimated exhaust manifold temperature based at least in part on the rate of temperature change value for the exhaust manifold, and estimate an exhaust gas temperature for exhaust gas exiting the exhaust manifold and entering a turbine of a turbocharger.

System and method for estimating exhaust manifold temperature

A method for estimating a peak cylinder pressure associated with operation of an internal combustion engine may include receiving, in a cylinder combustion model, a fuel signal and an air signal. The cylinder combustion model may be configured to estimate at a first crankshaft angle, a first mass fuel burn rate and a first burned fuel-air ratio associated with combustion. The cylinder combustion model may also be configured to estimate at a second crankshaft angle, a combustion ignition delay associated with the combustion, and estimate at the second crankshaft angle, a start of combustion associated with the combustion of the fuel and the air supplied to the cylinder. The cylinder combustion model may be further configured to estimate, based at least in part on the start of combustion, a peak cylinder pressure associated with the combustion of the fuel and the air supplied to the cylinder.

System and method for estimating cylinder pressure

A machine may comprise a memory configured to store liner polish information; and an electronic control module. The electronic control module may be configured to: determine a load factor based on an amount of load on the engine; determine an end of injection factor associated with the engine; determine a liner polish rate based on the load factor and the end of injection factor; obtain, from the liner polish information stored in the memory, information identifying a previous amount of damage to the engine; determine an amount of time between a current time and a time when the previous amount of damage was calculated; calculate a current amount of damage to the engine based on the previous amount of liner polish, the amount of time, and the liner polish rate; and take a remedial action based on the current amount of damage.

System for determining damage based on liner polish

An imbedded control system is disclosed for use with an engine having a combustion chamber and an associated piston. The control system may have at least one sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a combustion process occurring inside the combustion chamber, and a controller in communication with the at least one sensor. The controller may be configured to determine an amount of heat and a pressure generated inside the combustion chamber based on the signal and a combustion model, to determine a heat flux through the piston based on the amount of heat and a heat flux model, and to determine a temperature at a rim of the piston based on the heat flux and a thermal model. The controller may be further configured to track a time at the temperature and the pressure, and to determine a damage count of the piston based on the time.

Control system having piston rim damage counting

A machine may comprise a piston; a memory; and an electronic control module. The electronic control module may be configured to obtain information identifying a previous amount of wear of the piston pin bore and information identifying a wear limit; determine a base piston pin bore wear rate; calculate an effective piston pin bore wear rate based on the base piston pin bore wear rate; determine an amount of time between a current time and a time when the previous amount of wear of the piston pin bore was calculated; and calculate a current amount of wear of the piston pin bore based on the previous amount of wear, the amount of time, and the effective piston pin bore wear rate. The electronic control module may further be configured to calculate an amount of damage to the piston pin bore based on the current amount of wear and the wear limit.

System for determining piston pin bore wear

An imbedded control system is disclosed for use with an engine having a cylinder liner and a seal. The control system may have at least one sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a combustion process occurring inside the cylinder liner, and a controller in communication with the sensor. The controller may be configured to determine an amount of heat generated inside the cylinder liner based on the signal and a combustion model of the engine, to determine a heat flux through the engine based on the amount of heat and a heat flux model of the engine, and to determine a temperature at the seal based on the heat flux and a thermal model of the cylinder liner. The controller may also be configured to track a time at the temperature, and to determine a damage count of the seal based on the time at the temperature.

Control system having seal damage counting

A machine may comprise a piston; a memory; and an electronic control module. The electronic control module may be configured to determine a temperature of a bowl rim of the piston; calculate a temperature of an oil gallery of the piston based on the temperature of the bowl rim; determine a carbon deposit growth rate of the piston based on the temperature of the oil gallery; determine an amount of time between a current time and the time when the previous carbon deposit growth was calculated; calculate a current carbon deposit growth on the piston; and take a remedial action based on the current carbon deposit growth. The current carbon deposit growth may be calculated based on: a previous carbon deposit growth on the piston, an amount of time between a current time and a time when the previous carbon deposit growth was calculated, and the carbon deposit growth rate.

Growing community of inventors

Peoria, IL, United States of America

Anthony T Petrou