Engine test equipment

Claim 2

Engine test equipment for testing an engine having a rotatable crankshaft, said test equipment comprising a rotatable engine part which, in operation of the engine, rotates at a rate dependent on the rate of rotation of the engine crankshaft, at least one pair of accurately-positioned circumferentially spacedapart marks on the said rotatable engine part, a transducer positioned adjacent the said rotatable engine part to detect the passage past the transducer of each mark during operation of the engine, means in the transducer to produce a pair of electrical pulses as the marks move past the transducer, an electronic processor connected to said transducer to receive the said pulses, a standard clock pulse source forming part of said processor, a counter, also forming part of said processor, for counting the pulses of said standard clock pulse source, the first pulse of each pair of pulses from the transducer serving to initiate counting of the pulses from the clock pulse source by the counter, and the second pulse of each pair of pulses from the transducer serving to stop counting of the pulses from the clock pulse source by the counter, a first digital store and a second digital store in said electronic processor connected to said counter to receive a first count and a second count from the clock pulse source counted by the counter, and further means in said electronic processor to indicate, on the basis of said first and second counts of pulses counted by the counter, a quantity directly related to the BMEP for at least one piston and cylinder of the engine.

Claim 3

Engine test equipment according to claim 1, in which the rotatable engine part is the flywheel of the engine.

Claim 4

Engine test equipment according to claim 1, in which said pair of marks and said pulsEs fed into the processor have a specific relation to the top dead centre position of at least one engine piston.

Claim 5

Engine test equipment according to claim 1, in which the rotatable engine part has as many pairs of marks as there are firing strokes during one revolution of the said rotatable engine part, the marks of each pair being circumferentially spaced apart by the same amount, and the pairs of marks being substantially equi-spaced circumferentially on the rotatable engine part.

Claim 6

Engine test equipment according to claim 1 in combination with a fuel injection system for said engine and having a pressure transducer so positionable in relation to said fuel injection system as to produce an electrical signal on the occurrence of a fuel injection pressure pulse, and means for feeding that pulse into said electronic processor.

Claim 7

Engine test equipment according to claim 5 in combination with an indicator, wherein signals from said pressure transducer and the transducer adjacent said rotatable part are processed in said electronic processor to display the angular time relationship between the top dead centre of a piston of the engine and the occurrence of fuel injection on said indicator.

Claim 8

Engine test equipment according to claim 1 in combination with a valve member in a fuel injection system of said engine, and having a transducer positioned in relation to said valve member as to produce an electrical signal on the occurrence of lift of the valve, and means for feeding said signal into the electronic processor.

Claim 9

Engine test equipment according to claim 7 in combination with an indicator, wherein signals from the valve lift detecting transducer and the transducer adjacent the said rotatable part are processed in said electronic processor to display the angular time relationship between the top dead centre of a piston of the engine and the occurrence of fuel injection on said indicator.

Claim 10

Engine test equipment according to claim 1 in which the standard clock pulse source produces 2,000,000 or more pulses per second.

Claim 11

Engine test equipment according to claim 1 having a transducer for positioning adjacent to an engine part to detect smoke emission from the engine, and means for feeding a signal from the said transducer to the electronic processor which displays the maximum reading thus obtained during at least a defined part of an acceleration test on the engine.

Claim 12

Engine test equipment for testing an engine having a rotatable crankshaft, said test equipment comprising a rotatable engine part which, in operation of the engine, rotates at a rate dependent on the rate of rotation of the engine crankshaft, at least one accurately positioned mark on the said rotatable engine part, a first transducer and a second transducer both positioned adjacent the said rotatable engine part and spaced-apart circumferentially thereof to detect the passage past each transducer of the said mark during operation of the engine means in each transducer to produce an electrical pulse as the mark moves past the respective transducer, an electronic processor connected to said transducers to receive the said pulses, a standard clock pulse source forming part of said processor, a counter, also forming part of said processor, for counting the pulses of said standard clock pulse source, the pulse from said first transducer serving to initiate counting of the pulses from the clock pulse source by the counter, and the pulse from the said second transducer serving to stop counting of the pulses from the clock pulse source by the counter, a first digital store and a second digital store in said electronic processor connected to said counter to receive a first count and a second count of pulses from the clock pulse source counted by the counter, and further means in said electronic processor to indicate, on the basis of said first and second counts of pulses counted by the counter, a quantity directly related to the BMEP for at least one piston and cylinder of the engine.

Claim 13

Engine test equipment for testing an engine having a rotatable crankshaft, said test equipment comprising a rotatable engine part which, in operation of the engine, rotates at a rate dependent on the rate of rotation of the engine crankshaft, at least one accurately positioned mark on the said rotatable engine part, a first transducer and a second transducer both positioned adjacent the said rotatable engine part and spaced-apart circumferentially thereof to detect the passage past each transducer of the said mark during operation of the engine means in each transducer to produce an electrical pulse as the mark moves past the respective transducer, an electronic processor connected to said transducers to receive the said pulses, a standard clock pulse source forming part of said processor, a counter, also forming part of said processor, for counting the pulses of said standard clock pulse source, the pulse from said first transducer serving to initiate counting of the pulses from the clock pulse source by the counter, and the pulse from the said second transducer serving to stop counting of the pulses from the clock pulse source by the counter, a first digital store and a second digital store in said electronic processor connected to said counter to receive a first count and a second count of pulses from the clock pulse source counted by the counter, and further means in said electronic processor to indicate, on the basis of said first and second counts of pulses counted by the counter, a quantity directly related to the BMEP for at least one piston and cylinder of the engine.

Claim 14

Engine test equipment according to claim 11, in which the rotatable engine part is the flywheel of the engine.

Claim 15

Engine test equipment according to claim 11, in which said mark and the pulses fed into the processor have a specific relation to the top dead centre position of at least one engine piston.

Claim 16

Engine test equipment according to claim 11, in which the rotatable engine part has as many marks as there are firing strokes during one revolution of the said rotatable engine part, the marks being substantially equi-spaced circumferentially on the rotatable engine part.

Claim 17

Engine test equipment according to claim 11 in combination with a fuel injection system for said engine, and having a pressure transducer so positionable in relation to said fuel injection system as to produce an electrical signal on the occurrence of a fuel injection pressure pulse, and means for feeding that pulse into the electronic processor.

Claim 18

Engine test equipment according to claim 15 in combination with an indicator, wherein signals from the pressure transducer and the transducers adjacent the said rotatable part are processed in said electronic processor to display the angular time relationship between the top dead centre of a piston of the engine and the occurrence of fuel injection on said indicator.

Claim 19

Engine test equipment according to claim 11 in combination with a valve member in a fuel injection system of the engine, and having a transducer so positioned in relation to said valve member as to produce an electrical signal on the occurrence of lift of the valve, and means for feeding that signal into the electronic processor.

Claim 20

Engine test equipment according to claim 17 in combination with an indicator, wherein the signals from the valve lift detecting transducer and the transducers adjacent the said rotatable part are processed in said electronic processor to display the angular time relationship between the top dead centre of a piston of the engine and the occurrence of fuel injection on said indicator.

Claim 21

Engine test equipment according to claim 11 having a transducer for positioning adjacent to an engine part to detect smoke emission from the engine, and means for feeding a signal from the said transducer to the electronic processor which displays the maximum reading thus obtained during at least a defined part of an acceleration test on the engine.