Method and device for determining piston engine wear
OwnerDavid Scott Romkeeinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device and a method for determining big end bearing and wrist pin bearing wear in a piston engine without complete disassembly of the engine. The device includes a probe rod which moves in response to the movements of the piston in a cylinder being tested. The position of the probe rod is transduced to an electrical signal which is inputted to a microcomputer. The method uses the piston position obtained via the probe rod and the crank throw angle to calculate the total amount of wear in the big end bearing and the wrist pin bearing. The results of the calculation are then sent to a display which forms part of the bearing inspection device of the present invention.
Claims14
A device for determining piston engine wear comprising:
- a sensor for determining the position of a piston within a cylinder of a piston engine, said sensor outputting a signal indicative of the position of the piston;
- an internal computer in communication with said sensor, said internal computer including
- means for calculating a rate of rotation of the piston engine by analyzing the signal output by said sensor to determine a periodic rate of recurrence of a period of time during each cycle of the engine during which the piston is motionless,
- means for calculating a duration of the period of time the piston is motionless by analyzing the signal output by said sensor, and
- means for calculating free play of the piston relative to an element of the piston engine connected to a connecting rod which is in turn connected to the piston based on the duration of the period of time the piston is motionless and the rate of rotation of the piston engine.
A method for determining piston engine wear comprising the steps of:
- rotating a crank shaft of the piston engine at a constant rate of rotation;
- determining the rate of rotation by measuring a periodic rate of recurrence of a period of time during each cycle of a piston within a cylinder of the piston engine during which the piston is motionless;
- determining a duration of the period of time during which the piston is motionless;
- calculating an angular rotation of the crank shaft during the period of time during which the piston is motionless;
- and
- calculating free play of the piston relative to a throw of the crank shaft connected to a connecting rod which is in turn connected to the piston, based on the angular rotation of the crank shaft and the duration of the period time during which the piston is motionless.
A method for determining piston engine wear comprising the steps of:
- connecting a pressure sensor to a cylinder of the piston engine;
- rotating a crankshaft of the piston engine at a constant rate of rotation;
- determining the rate of rotation by measuring a periodic rate of recurrence of a period of time during each cycle of a piston in the cylinder during which pressure within the cylinder is substantially constant;
- determining a duration of the period of time during which pressure within a cylinder of an engine is substantially constant;
- calculating an angular rotation of the crank shaft during the period of time during which the pressure within the cylinder is substantially constant;
- and
- calculating free play of the piston relative to a throw of the crank shaft connected to a connecting rod which is in turn connected to the piston, based on the angular rotation of the crank shaft and the duration of the period of time during which pressure within a cylinder of an engine is substantially constant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.