International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC

Caterpillar Inc.

Puning Wei

Zhengbai Liu

Ning Lei

Xilin Yang

Dennis Kelly Sullivan

Pengfei Ma

Xinqun Gui

James H Yager

Aleksander Gust

Zhengbal Liu

Mark J Glodowski

A slack adjuster and systems, components, and methods can comprise a base enclosure, a pair of floating piston assemblies, and a pair of sensing piston assemblies. The base enclosure can define an internal chamber that extends along a longitudinal axis of the base enclosure and an inlet channel that extends along a transverse axis of the base enclosure perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The internal chamber can have a first chamber portion, a second chamber portion, and a center chamber portion that intersects the inlet channel. The floating piston assemblies can be respectively provided in the first and second chamber portions. Likewise, the sensing piston assemblies can be respectively provided in association with the floating piston assemblies.

Dual brake slack adjuster and systems, components, and methods thereof

A slack adjuster assembly and systems, components, and methods can comprise a sensing piston assembly that includes a housing, a piston slidably provided in the housing, and a biasing member provided in the housing. The biasing member can be configured to bias the piston away from an end wall of the housing. The piston can have an end wall opposite the end wall of the housing, where the end wall of the piston can have at least one orifice that extends from a first side of the end wall of the piston to a second side of the end wall of the piston.

Brake slack adjuster having sensing piston with orifice and systems, components, and methods thereof

A compression ignition engine () has a control system () for processing data, one or more combustion chambers (), and fuel injectors () for injecting fuel into the chambers (). The control system () controls fueling using a result of the processing of certain data, such as engine speed and engine load, to select one of three fueling modes (HCCI, HCCI+CD, CD) for operating the engine (). When the result of the processing selects the HCCI mode, the engine () is fueled to cause homogeneous-charge compression-ignition (HCCI) combustion in all combustion chambers (). When the result of the processing selects the HCCI+CD mode, the engine () is fueled to cause HCCI combustion in some chambers () and CD (conventional diesel) combustion in the remaining chambers (). When the result of the processing selects the CD mode, the engine () is fueled to cause CD combustion in all chambers ().

Strategy for fueling a diesel engine by selective use of fueling maps to provide HCCI, HCCI+CD, and CD combustion modes

In a conventional diesel combustion mode, one or more cylinders () of an engine () is or are fueled to cause conventional diesel combustion in each such cylinder. The resulting exhaust gas is treated by a diesel particulate filter () in an exhaust system () before exiting the exhaust system. In an alternative diesel combustion mode, such as HCCI, one or more cylinders of the engine are fueled to create in each such cylinder an in-cylinder fuel-air charge that ignites by auto-ignition as the charge is increasingly compressed. Also a bypass valve () is opened so that the resulting exhaust gas bypasses the DPF as the exhaust gas passes through the exhaust system.

Strategy for selectively bypassing a DPF in a hybrid HCCI combustion engine

A compression ignition engine () has a control system (), one or more combustion chambers (), and fuel injectors () for injecting fuel into the combustion chambers. The control system controls fueling using a result of the processing of engine speed and engine load to select a particular domain for engine operation (HCCI, HCCI+CD, or CD, &#x2014;FIG.). When the processing selects HCCI, the engine is fueled to cause alternative diesel combustion (such as HCCI) in all combustion chambers. When the processing selects CD, all combustion chambers are fueled for conventional diesel combustion. When the processing selects HCCI+CD, a first group of combustion chambers are fueled for HCCI combustion and a second group for CD combustion. Each group (G, G) has its own EGR valve () and turbocharger ().

Hybrid combustion in a diesel engine

An internal combustion engine () includes a coolant pump () having a pump outlet (), and a first exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler () fluidly connected to the pump outlet (). A crankcase () is fluidly connected in parallel with the EGR cooler () to the pump outlet () for receiving coolant therefrom. A cylinder head () is fluidly connected to the crankcase () for receiving coolant therefrom. A thermostat () is fluidly connected between the cylinder head () and the coolant pump (). A valve system () has a first selectable position fluidly connecting the flow from the first EGR cooler () to the flow in the cylinder head (), and a second selectable position fluidly connecting the flow from the first EGR cooler () to the thermostat () in bypassing relation to the cylinder head (). Each of the first or second position is effected in response to an engine operating parameter.

Coolant valve system for internal combustion engine and method

An engine () utilizes 'regular EGR cooling' when operating in HCCI mode within a low load range and 'enhanced EGR cooling' that allows the engine to continue to operate in HCCI mode when engine load increases beyond the low load range. When engine load increases to a high load range, the combustion mode changes over to conventional diesel combustion, and exhaust gas recirculation reverts to &#x201c;regular EGR cooling&#x201d;. In a first embodiment, cooling is provided by two heat exchangers, one being a regular EGR cooler always used when cooling is needed and the other, an enhancing EGR cooler that is selectively used. In a second embodiment, cooling is also provided by two heat exchangers, one being an EGR cooler through which liquid coolant always flows when cooling is needed, and the other being a radiator used selectively to cool the liquid coolant before it enters the EGR cooler.

Control strategy for expanding diesel HCCI combustion range by lowering intake manifold temperature

An engine system () has a valve system (). An inlet of a turbine () is fluidly connected to a first inlet () of the valve system (). An outlet of the turbine () is fluidly connected to a second inlet () of the valve system (). An outlet of a compressor () is fluidly connected to a first outlet () of the valve system (). An inlet of the compressor () is fluidly connected to a second outlet () of the valve system (). An inlet of an exhaust gas recirculation system () is fluidly connected to a third outlet () of the valve system (), and an outlet of the exhaust gas recirculation system is fluidly connected to a third inlet () of the valve system ().

Engine valve system and method

A vortex mixing system mixes intake air with exhaust gases for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) in an internal combustion engine. The vortex mixing system may have a vortex mixing device connected to an intake air conduit, a supply conduit, and an EGR conduit. The vortex mixing device may have a plenum disposed around a mixing conduit, which is connected to the intake air conduit and the supply conduit. The plenum is connected to one or more cross conduits and to the EGR conduit. The cross conduits extend across a mixing chamber formed by the mixing conduit. The cross conduits generate one or more vortices in the intake air. Each cross conduit has one or more outlets. The cross conduits direct the exhaust gases through the outlets into the vortices. The exhaust gases mix with the intake air in the vortices.

Vortex mixing system for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)

A compression ignition engine () has a control system () for processing data, one or more combustion chambers (), and fuel injectors () for injecting fuel into the chambers. The control system controls fueling by processing engine speed and load, to select one of four fueling modes (HCCI+RVT, HCCI+IVC, HCCI+IVC+EVC, and CD+RVT) for operating the engine (FIG.). When HCCI+RVT mode is selected, intake valves operate with regular valve timing (RVT), and the engine is fueled to cause homogeneous-charge compression-ignition (HCCI) combustion. When HCCI+IVC mode or HCCI+IVC+EVC mode is selected, intake valve timing is changed relative to RVT, and the engine is fueled to cause HCCI combustion. When the processing selects the CD+RVT mode, the intake valves operate with RVT, and the engine is fueled to cause CD combustion. In HCCI+IVC+EVC mode, exhaust valve closing is retarded relative to its timing in HCCI+IVC mode to reduce cylinder pressure and temperature.

Strategy for fueling a diesel engine by selective use of fueling maps to provide HCCI+RVT, HCCI+IVC, HCCI+IVC+EVC, and CD+RVT combustion modes

A compression ignition engine () has a control system () for processing data, one or more combustion chambers (), and fuel injectors () for injecting fuel into the combustion chambers. The control system controls fueling using a result of the processing of certain data, such as engine speed and engine load.

Emission reduction in a diesel engine using an alternative combustion process and a low-pressure EGR loop

A two stage mixing system mixes intake air with exhaust gases for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) in an internal combustion engine. The two stage mixing system may have a two stage mixing device connected to an intake air conduit, a supply conduit, and an EGR conduit. The two stage mixing device may have a plenum disposed around a mixing conduit, which is connected to the intake air conduit and the supply conduit. The plenum is connected to one or more cross conduits and to the EGR conduit. The cross conduits extend across a mixing chamber formed by the mixing conduit. The cross conduits generate a higher velocity region in the intake air. The cross conduits direct the exhaust gases through one or more outlets into the higher velocity region. The cross conduits generate a vortex field in the exhaust gases and intake air. The exhaust gases mix with the intake air in the higher velocity region and in the vortex field.

Two stage mixing system for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)

A compression ignition engine () has a control system () for processing data, one or more combustion chambers (), and fuel injectors () for injecting fuel into the combustion chambers. The control system controls fueling using a result of the processing of certain data, such as engine speed and engine load, to select one of two fueling modes (HCCI, HCCI-CD) for operating the engine. When the result of the processing selects the HCCI mode, the engine is fueled to cause homogeneous-charge compression-ignition (HCCI) combustion within the combustion chambers. When the result of the processing selects the HCCI-CD mode, the engine is fueled to create a substantially homogeneous combustible charge within each combustion chamber that is compressed to auto-ignition, and after auto-ignition, more fuel is injected to provide additional combustion in the manner of the conventional diesel combustion.

Control strategy for HCCI-CD combustion in a diesel engine using two fuel injection phases

An engine () utilizes 'regular EGR cooling' when operating in HCCI mode at loads within a low load range () and 'enhanced EGR cooling' that allows the engine to continue to operate in HCCI mode when engine load increases beyond loads in the low load range (). When engine load increases further to a point where it enters a high load range, the combustion mode changes over to conventional diesel combustion, and exhaust gas recirculation reverts to &#x201c;regular EGR cooling&#x201d; ().

A controller for controlling a needle valve of a spring closing type fuel injector includes a fluid assist selectively exerting a force on the needle valve, the force acting in cooperation with a bias exerted by a return spring on the needle valve to effect a relatively low valve opening pressure of the needle valve and relatively very high valve closing pressure. A spring closing type fuel injector and a method for controlling a needle valve of a spring closing type fuel injector are further included.

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Puning Wei