Caterpillar Inc.

Rick Ian Zadoks

Andrew Duncan Rockwell

Mandar Arvind Joshi

James Wallace Harris

Richard L Havran

Murali Prasad Logendran

Prognostically warning of damper damage in a machine system includes monitoring a machine operating parameter linked with torsional loads on a crankshaft, and a temperature parameter. The prognostic warning strategy also includes populating an operating history of a machine system based on the monitored parameters, calculating a damper damage term based on the operating history, and triggering a damper damage warning where the damper damage term exceeds a threshold.

Prognostic torsional damper damage determination in machine system

A method and apparatus for controlling timing of an internal combustion engine having a piston located in a cylinder. The method and apparatus includes determining a first angular position of a crankshaft at a first location along a longitudinal axis of the crankshaft, determining a second angular position of the crankshaft at a second location along the longitudinal axis, determining a level of deformation of the crankshaft as a function of a difference between the first and second angular positions, determining an actual position of the piston as a function of the crankshaft deformation, comparing the actual piston position to a desired piston position, and controlling timing of an event to initiate combustion in the cylinder as a function of a difference between the actual and desired piston positions.

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Dunlap, IL, United States of America

Rick Ian Zadoks