Thermo King Corporation

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Thomas R Sem

Jay L Hanson

Doyle G Herrig

Donald G Knauff

Ricardo Spiro DeGrego

Curtis G Yaeger

Bruce E Jungquist

Steve Brenneman

Michael E McBroom

The present invention provides an apparatus and method of operating a refrigeration system. The apparatus and method includes providing a fuel pressure monitoring device that is disposed along a fuel line, automatically shutting down the engine if the fuel pressure meets a first condition, restarting the engine, and operating the engine in an unrestricted mode if the fuel pressure monitoring device records a second condition and shutting down the engine if the fuel pressure monitoring device does not record the second condition. An apparatus and method of operating a diesel engine of a refrigeration system that is coupled to an inline fuel injection system is also disclosed.

Refrigeration system with low-fuel shutdown

Apparatus and method of monitoring operation of a temperature control apparatus. The apparatus includes a controller, a refrigeration circuit extending between a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator, and a drive unit operably connected to the compressor. The drive unit has a fuel supply, a plurality of cylinders, a fuel line extending between the fuel supply and the plurality of cylinders, and a sensor positioned between the fuel supply and the cylinders to record fuel flow. The method includes directing air across the evaporator, recording a fuel flow rate with the sensor, calculating an actual output power of the drive unit using the fuel flow rate, calculating an expected output power of the drive unit, and comparing the actual output power of the drive unit and the expected output power of the drive unit to predict malfunctions of the apparatus.

Temperature control apparatus and method of determining malfunction

A method for determining the oil change interval for an internal combustion engine for driving a refrigerant compressor. The method includes the steps of sensing if the engine is being operated at high speed; incrementing the high speed counter during hours of high speed operation; sensing if the engine has been stopped; incrementing the counter for number of stops during the oil change interval; calculating the new oil change interval based on the current values in the high speed counter and the number of stops counter; and comparing the calculated new oil interval with the number of hours of service, and if the number of hours of service exceeds the new oil change interval, displaying a message indicating an oil change is needed.

Method for continuously determining the oil change interval for an

A method of dynamically determining engine oil change intervals for an internal combustion engine having selectable high and low operating speeds HS and LS, respectively. The method includes the steps of accumulating operating time THS of the internal combustion engine at speed HS, accumulating operating time TLS of the internal combustion engine at speed LS, calculating a high speed factor HSF as a function of the accumulated engine operating time THS, and calculating a low speed factor LSF as a function of the accumulated engine operating time TLS. The method then sums the high speed and slow speed factors HSF and LSF to provide a sum S which is compared with a predetermined constant K1. A signal indicating the engine oil should be changed is provided when the comparison step finds the sum S has reached the predetermined constant K1. In a preferred embodiment, the method also includes the step of detecting when the engine oil of the internal combustion engine has been changed, and the step of resetting the accumulated high and low speed operating times THS and TLS, respectively, when the detecting step detects that the engine oil has been changed.

Method of dynamically determining oil change intervals for internal

A fuel filter system for conditioning fuel flowing from fuel supply means to an internal combustion engine, comprising a fuel filter head having a contaminant outlet port, and fuel inlet and fuel outlet ports respectively adapted for connection to the fuel supply means and to the internal combustion engine. The fuel filter system further includes a fuel filter cartridge having a filter element, with the fuel filter cartridge having an upper portion releaseably secured to a lower portion of the fuel filter head, defining fuel inlet and fuel outlet chambers which direct fuel from the fuel inlet port and fuel inlet chamber through the filter element to the fuel outlet chamber and fuel outlet port of the fuel filter head. A liquid bleed tube extends between the fuel filter head and the fuel filter cartridge, and a fluid flow conduit connects the bleed tube in fluid flow communication with the contaminant outlet port. An air bleed passageway in the fuel filter head connects an upper portion of the fuel filter cartridge to the fluid flow conduit which connects the bleed tube to the contaminant outlet port. Water, air, and other fuel contaminants separated from fuel in the fuel filter cartridge are continuously removed via the liquid bleed tube and air bleed passageway and delivered to the contaminant outlet port of the fuel filter head during operation of the internal combustion engine.

Fuel filter system

A diesel engine system in which fuel in a fuel tank having an air space above a fuel level is pumped to a fuel injection system disposed in spaced relation above the fuel tank, and excess fuel is returned to the fuel tank air space via an uninterrupted fluid flow path between the injection system and the air space of the fuel tank. The fluid flow path has a cross sectional area selected such that air from the fuel tank air space flows counter to fuel returning to the fuel tank by gravity during non-operation of the diesel engine, to maintain the space vacated by returning fuel near atmospheric pressure. A method embodiment includes the steps of providing an uninterrupted fluid flow return path between the injection system and the air space of the fuel tank, and sizing the fluid flow return path such that, during non-operation of the diesel engine, air from the fuel tank air space flows counter to fuel returning to the fuel tank by gravity, to maintain the space vacated by returning fuel near atmospheric pressure.

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Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Thomas R Sem