Caterpillar Inc.

Chris Hoops

James Jay Cress

Aaron Ness

Stuart Niese

Andrew Gaarder

Fabio Menotti

Robert Nacke

An ignition system for an engine includes a sparkplug, ignition circuitry electrically connected to the sparkplug, and an ignition control unit structured to energize the ignition circuitry to fire the sparkplug at an ignition timing, detect a fault condition caused by an abnormal response of the sparkplug to the energizing, and to energize the ignition circuitry to dry fire the sparkplug at an offset timing such as during an exhaust, stroke based on the detection of the fault condition. Dry firing the sparkplug reduces a break down voltage required to subsequently fire the sparkplug and extends sparkplug service life.

Engine ignition system and method using sparkplug dry firing to extend service life

A piston for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The piston includes an upper surface configured to at least partly face a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine. The upper surface includes a combustion bowl surface, and a squish face having an internal edge disposed a first distance from the longitudinal axis along a radial direction. The combustion bowl surface includes a planar surface extending radially outward from the longitudinal axis of the piston, a first concave surface disposed outside the planar surface in the radial direction, the first concave surface having a first radius of curvature, and a second concave surface disposed outside the first concave surface in the radial direction, the second concave surface having a second radius of curvature, the second radius of curvature being smaller than the first radius of curvature.

Combustion engine piston and engine using same

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Bellingham, WA, United States of America

Chris Hoops