System and process for detection of weak or non-functioning cylinders in engines

A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising:

• operating the engine in an analysis mode at a substantially constant operational condition wherein the engine comprises a fuel injection system for each cylinder and wherein the duration of time during which each system delivers fuel is measured, with the duration of time being indicative of fuel usage at the respective cylinder;
• gathering data indicative of fuel usage of the engine cylinders when the engine is operating on all cylinders in said analysis mode;
• gathering data indicative of the fuel usage of the engine cylinders when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested in said analysis mode until data gathering has been performed with all cylinders having been arrested;
• and
• analyzing said gathered data to identify the engine operations for which fuel usage was affected to a lesser degree by the arrest of cylinder operation to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.

A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising;

• operating the engine in an analysis mode at a substantially constant operational condition;
• gathering data indicative of fuel usage of the engine cylinders when the engine is operating on all cylinders in said analysis mode;
• gathering data indicative of the fuel usage of the engine cylinders when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested in said analysis mode until data gathering has been performed with all cylinders having been arrested wherein the data gathered is representative of fuel usage of all operating cylinders for a series of cylinder firings of a selected number;
• and
• analyzing said gathered data to identify the engine operations for which fuel usage was affected to a lesser degree by the arrest of cylinder operation to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.

A method for detecting a weak or non-functioning cylinder in a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, said method comprising:

• operating said engine at a substantially constant operational condition;
• establishing a baseline condition for a first steady state operating condition;
• establishing a second steady state operating condition, wherein at least one cylinder has been arrested;
• testing individual cylinders of said engine sequentially;
• reestablishing said base line condition;
• and
• determining a functionality of each of said individual cylinders by analyzing a fuel value requirement for each of said cylinders at a point at which each cylinder is arrested and comparing the fuel value requirement, of any arrested cylinder, with a fuel value requirement for the first steady state operating condition.

A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising:

• operating the engine to attain steady-state;
• operating the engine in an analysis mode at a substantially constant operational condition;
• gathering data indicative of fuel usage of the engine cylinders when the engine is operating on all cylinders in said analysis mode;
• gathering data indicative of the fuel usage of the engine cylinders when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested in said analysis mode until data gathering has been performed with all cylinders having been arrested;
• and
• analyzing said gathered data to identify the engine operations for which fuel usage was affected to a lesser degree by the arrest of cylinder operation to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.

A method for analyzing the performance of sets of cylinders of a fuel injected multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, the method comprising:

• maintaining the engine at a substantially constant operational condition;
• arresting a first set of cylinders of the engine for a period of time while remaining cylinders operate;
• simultaneously flowing fuel to the first set of cylinders while arresting a second set of cylinders, and continuing to simultaneously flow fuel to an already arrested set of cylinders while arresting a next set of cylinders until all sets of cylinders have been arrested and restored;
• calculating an average fuel volume required by operating cylinders during said period of time when a set of cylinders is arrested;
• and
• comparing said average fuel volume with an average fuel volume of each of the other sets of cylinders.

A method for assessing the performance of cylinders of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, said method comprising:

• maintaining said engine at a substantially constant operational condition;
• analyzing each of said cylinders of said engine with an algorithm which compares fuel value readings taken at a baseline condition and at an arresting of each of said cylinders;
• determining an operability of each of said cylinders;
• and
• archiving the resultant operability determination for later access and comparison against later fuel value readings.

A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising:

• (a) gathering a first set of data indicative of fuel usage of the cylinders when the engine is operating on all cylinders;
• (b) gathering a second set of data indicative of fuel usage of the cylinders when the engine is operating on all cylinders;
• (c) comparing the first set of data to the second set of data, and, if not equivalent, obtaining a third set of data, comparing the third set of data to the second set of data, and so on until an n+1 set of data is equivalent to an n set of data;
• (d) gathering and comparing first and second sets of data indicative of fuel usage of the cylinders when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested, and, if not equivalent, gathering a third set of data indicative of fuel usage of the cylinders when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested and comparing to the second set of data indicative of fuel usage of the cylinders when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested, and so on until an n+1 set of data is equivalent to an n set of data;
• (e) repeating step (d) until all cylinders have been arrested;
• and,
• (f) analyzing the gathered data to identify any arrest configurations for which fuel usage was affected to a lesser degree to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.

A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising:

• (a) arresting cylinder z from a time tx to a time tx+1;
• (b) gathering data indicative of fuel usage of the engine cylinders when the engine is operating with the operation of cylinder z arrested;
• (c) calculating a first fuel volume difference by subtracting a fuel volume reading at time tx from a fuel volume reading at time tx+1;
• (d) rendering the cylinder z operational from time tx+1 to time tx+2;
• (e) calculating a second fuel volume difference by subtracting a fuel volume reading at time tx+2 from the fuel volume reading at time tx+2;
• (f) if the first volume difference is not substantially equal to the second volume difference, then repeating steps (a) through (e);
• (g) when the first volume difference is substantially equal to the second volume difference, then cylinder z=cylinder (z+1), and x=x+1;
• (h) repeating steps (a) through (g) until data gathering has been performed with all cylinders having been arrested;
• and,
• (i) analyzing gathered data to identify engine operations for which fuel usage was affected to a lesser degree by the arrest of cylinder operation to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.

A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independant control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising:

• operating the engine to a attain steady-state operating condition;
• operating the engine in an analysis mode at a substantially constant operating condition;
• gathering data of a parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating on all cylinders in said analysis mode;
• gathering data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performace when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested in said analysis mode until data gathering has been performed with all cylinders having been arrested;
• and
• analyzing said gathered data to identify the effect on engine operations due to the arrest of cylinder operation and to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.

A method for detecting a weak or non-functioning cylinder in a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, said method comprising:

• operating said engine at a substantially constant operating condition;
• establishing a baseline condition for a first steady state operating condition;
• establishing a second steady state operating condition, wherein at least one cylinder has been arrested;
• testing individual cylinders of said engine sequentially;
• reestablishing said base line condition;
• and
• determining a functionally of each of said individual cylinders by analyzing a parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance for each of said cylinders at a point at which each cylinder is arrested and comparing the effect on engine cylinder performance of any arrested cylinder, with the parameter for the first steady state operating condition.

A method of analyzing the operation of a fuel injected, multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having independent control of fuel delivery for each cylinder, so as to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance, the method comprising:

• (a) gathering a first set of data of a parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating on all cylinders;
• (b) gathering a second set of data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating on all cylinders;
• (c) comparing the first set of data to the second set of data, and, if not equivalent, obtaining a third set of data, comparing the third set of data to the second set of data, and so on until an n+set of data is equivalent to an n set of data;
• (d) gathering and comparing first and second sets of data of the parameter indicative of engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested, and, if not equivalent, gathering a third set of data of the parameter indicative engine cylinder performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested and comparing to the second set of data of the parameter indicative of engine performance when the engine is operating with the operation of at least one cylinder arrested, and so on until an n+1 set of data is equivalent to an n set of data;
• (e) repeating step (d) until all cylinders have been arrested;
• and,
• (f) analyzing the gathered data to identify any effect on engine operations due to the arrest of cylinder operation and to identify cylinders delivering substandard performance.