Engine and ventilation system

A method of operating an engine, which engine has a housing, a working member movable within an interior of the housing and separating a combustion chamber from a non-combustion chamber, an air-intake system configured to supply air to the combustion chamber, a chamber-ventilation system that includes a passageway with a first end of the passageway connected to the non-combustion chamber and a second end of the passageway located downstream of the first end of the passageway, and a filter system with a filter housing and a filter, the method comprising:

• directing gas out of the non-combustion chamber through the passageway;
• filtering the gas as it passes through the passageway;
• sensing one or more operating conditions upstream of the filter relating to a magnitude of restriction created in the chamber ventilation system by the filter;
• and
• producing one or more signals indicative of the magnitude of restriction created in the chamber ventilation system by the filter based at least in part on the one or more operating conditions sensed.

A machine, comprising:

• a chassis;
• an engine mounted to the chassis and comprising:
• a housing;
• a working member movable within an interior of the housing and separating a combustion chamber from a non-combustion chamber;
• an air-intake system, including a supercharger, configured to supply air to the combustion chamber;
• a chamber-ventilation system that includes a passageway with a first end of the passageway connected to the non-combustion chamber and a second end of the passageway connected to the air-intake system on an inlet side of the supercharger, wherein the chamber-ventilation system includes a filter system disposed within the passageway, the filter system including a filter housing and a filter disposed in the filter housing, and wherein the chamber-ventilation system is configured such that during operation of the engine gas travels from the non-combustion chamber, into the first end of the passageway, through the passageway, to the second end of the passageway;
• a first sensor configured to sense a pressure of gas upstream of the filter and to produce a signal relating to the pressure of the gas;
• and
• a monitoring system operatively connected to the first sensor to receive the signal produced by the first sensor and configured to provide an output based on the signal received from the first sensor.

An engine, comprising:

• a housing;
• a working member movable within an interior of the housing and separating a combustion chamber from a non-combustion chamber;
• a chamber-ventilation system that includes a passageway with a first end of the passageway connected to the non-combustion chamber and a second end of the passageway located downstream of the first end of the passageway, wherein the chamber-ventilation system includes a filter system disposed within the passageway, the filter system including a filter housing and a filter disposed in the filter housing, and wherein the chamber-ventilation system is configured such that during operation of the engine gas travels from the non-combustion chamber, into the first end of the passageway, through the passageway, to the second end of the passageway;
• and
• a first sensor configured to sense a difference between a pressure of gas upstream of the filter system and a pressure of gas downstream of the filter system and to produce a signal relating to the difference between the pressure of the gas upstream of the filter system and the pressure of the gas downstream of the filter system.