Tool for predicting engine life using ring wear and burned fuel

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are disclosed for estimating a remaining life of an engine. The method includes determining a correlation between an amount of fuel combusted and a degree of wear of a piston ring of the engine. The degree of wear of the piston ring is indicative of the remaining life of the engine. The method also includes determining the amount of fuel combusted of a current engine and determining the remaining life of the engine based on the correlation and the amount of fuel combusted of the current engine.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods of estimating the remaining life of an engine. BACKGROUND

[0002] In various situations, it is desirable to know how long an engine can run without any major repairs, for example, when estimating engine service time or estimating the remaining value of a trade-in engine. Engine life is related to a number of factors, one of which is oil and / or blowby control. Conventional methods of predicting engine life are based on reactive processes. That is, action is taken when an increase in blowby, low oil pressure, and / or fuel is observed. There is a need for improvement in predicting the remaining engine life. SUMMARY

[0003] One embodiment relates to an apparatus. The apparatus includes a burned fuel determination circuit configured to determine an amount of fuel currently burned by an engine, and an estimated remaining life determination circuit configured to determine a remaining life of the engine based on the amount of fuel currently burned using a correlation between the amount of fuel burned and a degree of wear of a piston ring of the engine. The degree of wear of the piston ring is indicative of the remaining life of the engine.

[0004] Another embodiment relates to a method. The method includes determining an amount of fuel currently burned by an engine, and determining a remaining life of the engine based on the amount of fuel currently burned using a correlation between the amount of fuel burned and a degree of wear of a piston ring of the engine. The degree of wear of the piston ring is indicative of the remaining life of the engine.

[0005] Another embodiment relates to a system. The system includes processing circuitry configured to determine an amount of fuel currently burned by an engine and determine a remaining life of the engine based on the amount of fuel currently burned using a correlation between the amount of fuel burned and a degree of wear of a piston ring of the engine. The degree of wear of the piston ring is indicative of the remaining life of the engine.

[0006] These and other features, as well as the organization and manner of operation of the features, will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

[0007] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1A is a perspective view of a piston ring relative to a piston in accordance with an example embodiment.

[0009] Figure 1B is a perspective view of a piston ring of Figure 1A

[0010] Figure 1C is a perspective view of a piston ring of Figure 1A and​Figure 1B A photograph of a piston ring.

[0011] Figure 2 A photograph of a second compression ring having a worn area and an unworn area according to an example embodiment.

[0012] Figure 3A A schematic diagram of a normal ring wear pattern according to an example embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3B A schematic diagram of an excessive ring wear pattern according to an example embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a processing circuit for estimating engine life according to an example embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 A chart showing data of burned fuel amounts versus ring wear levels collected during testing and real-world applications, and a linear fit of the data, according to an example embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 A graph showing data of burned fuel amounts read from an engine control unit (ECU) and calculated based on a type of testing, according to an example embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 A graph showing a correlation between burned fuel amounts and ring wear levels, according to an example embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 A flowchart of a method for estimating engine life according to an example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is intended by the illustration of the embodiments, and the principles of the present disclosure as illustrated in the embodiments are intended to be as broadly applied as is reasonably foreseeable, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0020] With general reference to the figures, various embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and methods of estimating the remaining life of an engine. In various instances, one would like to know how long an engine can run without any major overhauls, for example, to estimate the time to a complete engine overhaul or the remaining value time of an engine that is still new. Engine life is related to a number of factors, one of which is blow-by control facilitated by the oil and / or the engine piston rings. When the piston rings wear out, the engine can need to be rebuilt or discarded. According to the disclosure herein, a correlation is established between the degree of wear of the second compression ring on the piston and the amount of fuel that has been combusted by the engine. The degree of ring wear is indicative of the remaining life of the engine. The correlation is established based on data collected during various tests and during actual use of the same type of engine. The amount of fuel that has been combusted can be read from an engine control unit (ECU) associated with the engine or calculated based on the type of test. The degree of ring wear is the degree of surface wear of the second compression ring, which can be measured by the width of the wear mark. Studies have shown that the degree of surface wear varies non-linearly with the amount of fuel combusted during an initial "break-in" period. After the initial break-in hours, the degree of surface wear varies substantially linearly with the amount of fuel combusted. The correlation and the amount of fuel combusted by the engine so far can be used to estimate the remaining life of the engine in question. The amount of fuel combusted so far can be read from the ECU or from customer fuel usage records. The remaining life of the engine can be expressed as a percentage of the target life of the engine, the remaining number of years the engine can run, and / or the remaining number of miles the vehicle carrying the engine can run. The systems and methods disclosed herein can also be used to facilitate the development of a redefined engine length.

[0021] Reference is now made to the following drawings Figure 1A , showing a perspective view of a piston ring relative to a piston, according to example embodiments. Figure 1B is an enlarged perspective view of the piston ring of Figure 1A . Figure 1C is a photograph of the piston ring of Figure 1A and Figure 1B .

[0022] In some embodiments, there are three separate piston rings 102, 104, and 106 present relative to a piston 100. Each of the piston rings 102, 104, and 106 can fit into a respective groove 108 on the outer diameter of the piston 100. The piston 100 can be used in a reciprocating engine, for example, mounted in an internal combustion engine (not shown in the figures) such as in a vehicle. The vehicle can be any type of passenger or commercial car, for example, a car, a truck, a sport utility vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a van, a minivan, a car, a tractor. In addition, the vehicle can include other types of vehicles, for example, a motorcycle, an airplane, a helicopter, a locomotive, or a railway car.

[0023] Piston rings 102, 104, and 106 can facilitate the operation of the engine by sealing the engine cylinder, distributing lubricating oil on the cylinder wall, and transferring heat from the piston to the cylinder wall. In particular, top ring 102 (also referred to as a first compression ring) can act as a barrier that maintains any pressure built up when piston 100 reaches the top of the stroke. Thus, piston 100 can be prevented from losing pressure during the combustion process of the engine. Second ring 104 (also referred to as a second or secondary compression ring) can act as a backup compression ring. Oil ring 106 can work with piston 100 to lubricate the components of the engine (e.g., cylinder, wall, piston, rings, etc.) and cool piston 100 by directing lubricating oil around piston 100. Oil ring 106 can also prevent oil from seeping into the combustion chamber. It should be understood that reference to piston 100 is not limited to a single piston, but can refer to a plurality of pistons in an engine. Figures 1A-1C The described structure is for illustration only and is not meant to be limiting. The number of rings and their location can vary with the type and size of piston 100.

[0024] Referring to Figure 2 , a photograph of a second compression ring having worn and unworn areas is shown in accordance with an example embodiment. Second compression ring 200 can correspond to second ring 104 of FIG. 1. Second compression ring 200 is subject to surface wear due to inherent loads and gas loads acting on it as it moves up and down the cylinder bore. As shown in Figure 2 , unworn areas 202 on second ring 200 have a dull surface, while worn areas 204 have a shiny reflective surface.

[0025] Referring to Figure 3A , a schematic diagram of a pattern 302 of normal ring wear is shown in accordance with an example embodiment. Figure 3B A pattern 304 of excessive ring wear is shown in accordance with an example embodiment. The degree of surface wear of a second compression ring is represented by the width h of the wear mark. In the pattern 304 of excessive ring wear, the width of wear mark h2 can reach the total width of the second compression ring. In the pattern 302 of normal ring wear, the width of wear mark hi is significantly less than the total width of the second compression ring. The degree of ring wear can be defined as the ratio of hi / h2. The higher the ratio, the more severe the wear of the ring. The surface wear of a ring can be measured by the width of the wear mark. A second ring with excessive wear can cause problems and failures of the engine, such as excessive oil consumption, increased blow-by, overall power loss or poor performance, among others. In these cases, it can be necessary to recondition or scrap.

[0026] Referring to Figure 4FIG. 4, shows a schematic diagram of a processing circuit 400 for estimating engine life, in accordance with example embodiments. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 400 is implemented on an ECU associated with an engine. In other embodiments, the processing circuit 400 is implemented on a computing system separate from the ECU, such as a server, personal computer, laptop, etc. The processing circuit 400 includes a processor 401, a memory 402, optionally a correlation determination circuit 403, a burned fuel determination circuit 404, and an estimated remaining life determination circuit 405. Through these components, the processing circuit 400 is configured to determine a correlation between an amount of burned fuel and a degree of wear of a piston ring, determine a current engine burned fuel amount, and determine an estimated remaining life of the engine.

[0027] The processor 401 can be implemented as a general purpose processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a digital signal processor (DSP), a group of processing components, or other suitable electronic processing components. The memory 402 can include one or more tangible, non-transitory, volatile memory or non-volatile memory, such as NVRAM, RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage, etc. Further, the memory 402 can include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structures. The memory 402 can store data and / or computer code for facilitating the various processes described herein.

[0028] In one embodiment, the correlation determination circuit 403, the burned fuel determination circuit 404, and the estimated remaining life determination circuit 405 can utilize the processor 401 and / or the memory 402 to accomplish, execute, or otherwise make available the various actions described herein for each particular circuit. In this embodiment, the processor 401 and / or the memory 402 can be considered shared components across each circuit. In another embodiment, the circuits (or at least one of the circuits) can include their own dedicated processing circuit having a processor and memory device. In the latter embodiment, the circuits can be configured as integrated circuits or other integrated processing components. In yet another embodiment, the activities and functions of the circuits can be embodied in the memory 402, or combined in multiple circuits, or as a single circuit. In this regard, and while specific functions are shown in Figure 4 the various circuits having specific functions, it should be understood that the processing circuit 400 can include any number of circuits for accomplishing the functions and activities described herein. For example, the activities of multiple circuits can be combined as a single circuit, as additional circuits having additional functions, etc.

[0029] Certain operations of the processing circuit 400 described herein include operations to interpret and / or determine one or more parameters. As used herein, to interpret or determine includes to receive a value by any method known in the art, including receiving the value from at least a data link or network communication, receiving an electronic signal indicative of the value (e.g., a voltage, frequency, current, or PWM signal), receiving a computer-generated parameter indicative of the value, reading the value from a memory location on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, by any means known in the art and / or by receiving a value from which the interpreted parameter can be calculated, and / or by receiving a default value that is interpreted as the parameter value.

[0030] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 400 includes a correlation determination circuit 403 configured to determine a correlation between an amount of fuel combusted and a degree of wear of a piston ring of the engine. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 400 does not include the correlation determination circuit 403, but instead uses a correlation that has been established (e.g., by another computing system) and stored in the memory 402. The degree of wear of the piston ring is indicative of a remaining life of the engine. In some embodiments, the correlation determination circuit 403 is configured to establish the correlation based on ring wear degree versus amount of fuel combusted data collected during various tests and / or actual applications. In further embodiments, the correlation determination circuit 403 is configured to calibrate the correlation.

[0031] As described above, the engine can need to be rebuilt or discarded when the second compression ring of the piston is worn at 100% surface wear. Thus, the degree of wear of the surface portion of the second compression ring can be used to indicate a remaining life of the engine. In some embodiments, the remaining life can be represented as a percentage of a target life of the engine. For example, if the degree of wear is 0, then the remaining engine life is 100%. If the degree of wear is 100%, then the remaining engine life is 0%. When the degree of wear is 50%, the remaining engine life is a percentage based on an established correlation, etc. In some embodiments, the remaining engine life can be represented by a number of years and / or a number of miles remaining before the engine experiences a serious problem, or any suitable parameter determined using the ring wear degree.

[0032] The engine can be used for various applications, such as super-heavy duty applications, heavy duty applications, medium duty applications, etc. Fuel can be combusted at different rates for different applications. In some embodiments, the correlation is established based on data collected during various tests under various conditions. In some embodiments, the correlation is established based on data collected during actual applications. In some embodiments, the correlation is established based on data collected during tests and actual applications.

[0033] Reference Figure 5FIG. 5 shows a plot of the correlation between the piston ring wear level and the amount of fuel burned, according to example embodiments. The x-axis represents the amount of fuel burned in pounds (lb), and the y-axis represents the surface wear level of the second compression ring in percent (%). The symbol "♦" represents data collected during various tests and real-world applications of the engine. The line 502 represents a linear fit of the collected data. The collected data is shown in Table 1.

[0034]

[0035]

[0036] Table 1 - Data of fuel burned and surface wear level in tests and real-world applications

[0037] For real-world applications, the amount of fuel burned can be read from the ECU of the corresponding engine. For tests, the fuel burned data can be calculated based on the test type. Figure 6 Data of the fuel burned read from the ECU (represented by "♦") and data of the fuel burned calculated based on the test type (represented by "■") are shown. For example, the 1000 hour cycle-6 test (i.e., data number 9) includes 4000 cycles, each cycle including 144 seconds of idle state burning 0.12 lb / cycle, then 36 seconds of torque peak state burning 0.78 lb / cycle, followed by 360 seconds of advertised power state burning 11.44 lb / cycle, followed by 36 seconds of high idle state burning 0.26 lb / cycle, followed by 144 seconds of advertised power state burning 4.58 lb / cycle, followed by 36 seconds of lug from advertised power to torque peak burning 0.96 lb / cycle, followed by 108 seconds of torque peak state burning 2.35 lb / cycle, then 36 seconds of high idle state burning 0.26 lb / cycle. Other tests (e.g., standard durability test, hot box test, SLT-1 test, etc.) include various combinations of operating states (e.g., idle state, torque peak state, advertised state, etc.) and the amount of fuel burned can be similarly calculated.

[0038] The surface wear level of the second ring can be measured by the width of the wear mark, as discussed above with reference to FIG. 3. The engine type and the combustion recipe can affect the correlation. In some embodiments, data is collected from tests / applications on engines of the same type / series.

[0039] A linear fit is performed on the collected data, resulting in the following correlation:

[0040] y = 0.0001x + 25.58 (1)

[0041] where x represents the amount of fuel burned in pounds and y represents the degree of surface wear of the second compression ring in percent. Line 502 illustrates the correlation (1) in Figure 5 It can be seen that the collected data fits a linear correlation well, regardless of the type of test / application.

[0042] Further investigation revealed that the correlation can include two parts. When a brand new engine is used, the degree of ring wear accelerates non-linearly with the amount of fuel burned during the initial "break-in" hours (e.g., 50 hours) due to rough contact and engine contamination. After the initial "break-in" hours, the degree of ring wear changes substantially linearly with the amount of fuel burned. The first part of the correlation reflects the initial "break-in" hours. The second part of the correlation reflects after the initial "break-in" hours. The two-part correlation is reflected in Figure 7 .

[0043] Figure 7 A graph illustrating the correlation between the degree of surface wear of the second compression ring and the amount of fuel burned is shown in accordance with an example embodiment. The x-axis represents the amount of fuel burned in gallons (gal) and the y-axis represents the degree of surface wear of the second compression ring in percent (%). Curve 702 represents the correlation between the degree of ring wear and the amount of fuel burned.

[0044] The correlation applies to engines used on heavy-duty vehicles. Assume that the target mileage for the engine life is 1,000,000 miles, the average speed of the heavy-duty vehicle is 48 miles / hour, the average annual mileage is 67,000 miles, the rated engine speed is ~1,800 revolutions / minute, and the average miles per gallon is 6 miles / gallon. The correlation curve 702 includes a first part 704 and a second part 706. The first part 704 reflects the correlation during the initial "break-in" hours, where the degree of ring wear is a square root function of the amount of fuel burned relative to the total fuel burned for the target engine life. The non-linear correlation can be calculated as:

[0045]

[0046] For example, if the amount of fuel burned so far is 1% of the total fuel burned for the total life of the engine, the degree of ring wear is 10% (i.e., square root of 1%).

[0047] The second part 706 reflects the correlation after the initial "break-in" hours, where the degree of ring wear changes substantially linearly with the amount of fuel burned. The linear correlation can be calculated as:

[0048]

[0049] where the square root of the wear is the ring wear at the end of the first portion 704. The data for the amount of fuel burned and the amount of ring wear is shown in Table 2. The third column of Table 2 (i.e., second ring wear (square root)) is the ring wear calculated using Equation (2). The fifth column of Table 2 (i.e., second ring wear (mixed)) is the ring wear calculated using Equation (3).

[0050] Example:

[0051]

[0052]

[0053] Table 2 - Correlation between ring wear and fuel burned

[0054] For any given amount of fuel burned, the corresponding ring wear can be determined using Figure 7 or Table 2, thereby determining the remaining engine life. For example, for the SLV-5 test of 1010 hours, the fuel burned was 12,535 gallons, and the corresponding ring wear was 16% (see point A on curve 706). Alternatively, the degree of ring wear can be obtained by using interpolation of Table 2. In some embodiments, the correlation can be calibrated.

[0055] Returning to Figure 4 , the fuel burned determining circuit 404 is configured to determine a current amount of fuel burned by the engine to date. In some embodiments, the current amount of fuel burned can be read from an ECU associated with the engine. In some embodiments, the current amount of fuel burned can be determined based on a fuel usage record maintained (e.g., by a user).

[0056] The estimated remaining life determination circuit 405 is configured to determine an estimated remaining life of the engine based on the correlation determined by the correlation determination circuit 403 (or an established correlation stored in the memory 402) and the current amount of burned fuel determined by the burned fuel determination circuit 404. In some embodiments, the equations of the correlation (e.g., equations (2) and (3)) can be stored in the memory 402. When the current amount of burned fuel is determined, the estimated remaining life determination circuit 405 can use the stored equations to determine the ring wear level, which indicates the remaining life of the engine. In some embodiments, a lookup table of the correlation (e.g., Table 2) can be stored in the memory 402. When the current amount of burned fuel is determined, the estimated remaining life determination circuit 405 can use the lookup table to find the corresponding ring wear level. In further embodiments, the remaining engine life can be expressed as a percentage of a target engine life (e.g., 60% of the engine life). In some embodiments, the remaining engine life can be expressed as a mileage that the vehicle with the engine can travel before reaching a target mileage. In some embodiments, the remaining engine life can be expressed as a number of years that the engine / vehicle can operate before reaching a target product year.

[0057] Referring now to Figure 8 A flowchart of a method 800 for estimating a remaining life of an engine is shown in accordance with one embodiment. The method 800 can be performed by the processing circuit 400 implemented on an ECU associated with the engine or a computing system (such as a computer, server, laptop, etc.) separate from the ECU.

[0058] In optional process 802, a correlation between a wear level of a piston ring and an amount of burned fuel is determined. In some embodiments, the method 800 includes the process 802 for determining the correlation. In some embodiments, the method 800 does not include determining the correlation and instead uses an existing correlation (e.g., established by another computing system). The ring wear level is indicative of a remaining life of the engine. In some embodiments, the piston ring is a second compression ring installed into a groove on an outer diameter of a piston of the engine. In some embodiments, the wear level is a surface wear level of the second compression ring. In some embodiments, the correlation is determined based on data collected during testing and / or actual applications of the same type / series of engines.

[0059] In further embodiments, the correlation includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion corresponds to a correlation during an initial “break-in” number of hours of operation of the engine, where the ring wear level is a non-linear function of the burned fuel. The second portion corresponds to a correlation after the initial “break-in” number of hours, where the ring wear level is substantially a linear function of the burned fuel. In some embodiments, the correlation is calibrated.

[0060] In process 804, a current amount of fuel burned is determined. In some embodiments, the current amount of fuel burned can be read from an ECU associated with the engine. In some embodiments, the current amount of fuel burned can be determined based on a fuel usage record maintained (e.g., by a user).

[0061] In process 806, an estimated remaining life of the engine is determined based on the correlation determined at process 802 (or stored in memory 402) and the current amount of fuel determined at process 804. In some embodiments, the estimated remaining life is determined using the equations of the correlation (e.g., equations (2) and (3)). In some embodiments, the estimated remaining life is determined using a lookup table of the correlation (e.g., Table 2). In various embodiments, the remaining life can be expressed as a percentage of a target engine life, as a number of miles a vehicle with the engine can travel before reaching a target mileage, or as a number of years the engine / vehicle can operate before reaching a target life.

[0062] It should be understood that elements as claimed herein are not to be interpreted as being under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless expressly recited using the specific language "means for." The illustrative flow charts and method diagrams described above are generally set forth as logical flow charts. As such, the depicted order and labeled steps are indicative of representative embodiments. Other steps, orders and methods can be conceived that are equivalent in function, logic or effect to one or more steps or portions thereof of the methods illustrated in the schematic diagrams. Further, the reference in this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "example embodiment," or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the application. Thus, the appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," "in example embodiments," and similar language in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

[0063] Furthermore, the format and symbols employed are provided to explain the logical steps of the schematic diagrams and are understood as not limiting the scope of the methods illustrated. Although various arrow types and line types can be employed in the schematic diagrams, they are understood not to limit the scope of the corresponding methods. Indeed, some arrows or other connectors can be used to indicate only the logical flow of a method. For instance, an arrow can indicate a waiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration between enumerated steps of a depicted method. Additionally, the order in which a particular method occurs can or can not strictly adhere to the order in which the corresponding steps are shown. It will be further noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, and combinations thereof, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and program code.

[0064] Many of the functional units described in this specification have been labeled as circuits, in order to more particularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, a circuit can be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom very-large-scale integration (VLSI) circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A circuit can also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, or the like.

[0065] As described above, a circuit can also be implemented in a machine-readable medium for execution by various types of processors. For example, an identified circuit of executable code can include one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions that are organized as an object, procedure, or function. However, the executable code of an identified circuit need not be physically located together, but can include scattered instructions stored in different locations that, when joined logically together, comprise the circuit and achieve the stated purpose for the circuit. Indeed, a circuit of computer readable program code can be a single instruction, or many instructions, and can even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data can be identified and illustrated herein within a circuit, and can be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data can be collected as a single data set, or can be distributed over different locations including over different storage devices, and can exist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network. Figure 4

[0066] A computer readable medium (also referred to here as a machine-readable medium or machine-readable content) can be a tangible computer readable storage medium that stores the computer readable program code. The computer readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, holographic, micromechanical, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. As noted above, examples of the computer readable storage medium can include, but are not limited to, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a holographic storage medium, a micromechanical storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium can be any tangible medium that can contain or store computer readable program code for use by and / or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0067] ​Computer readable program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present application can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, SimalTalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages.

[0068] The program code can also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function / act specified in the schematic flowchart diagrams and / or schematic block diagrams block or blocks.

[0069] Accordingly, the present disclosure can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the disclosure is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims

1. An apparatus for estimating the remaining life of an engine, characterized by, including: a burned fuel determination circuit configured to determine an amount of fuel burned by a current engine; and an estimated remaining life determination circuit configured to determine a remaining life of the engine based on the current amount of burned fuel using a correlation between the amount of burned fuel and a degree of wear of a piston ring of the engine, wherein the degree of wear of the piston ring is indicative of the remaining life of the engine, and wherein the degree of wear of the piston ring is determined based on a width of a wear mark.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the piston ring is a second compression ring that fits into a groove on an outer diameter of a piston of the engine, and wherein the degree of wear of the piston ring is a degree of surface wear of the second compression ring.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, further including: a correlation determination circuit configured to determine a correlation between the amount of burned fuel and the degree of wear of the piston ring of the engine.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, determining the correlation includes establishing the correlation based on data collected during operation of an engine of the same type as the engine, and wherein the data includes the amount of burned fuel in relation to the degree of wear of the piston ring.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein, determining the amount of burned fuel based on data from an engine control unit (ECU) or data from a fuel usage log.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the correlation includes a first portion in which the degree of wear of the piston ring varies non-linearly with the amount of burned fuel and a second portion in which the degree of wear of the piston ring varies linearly with the amount of burned fuel.

7. A method of estimating the remaining life of an engine, characterized by, including: determining an amount of fuel burned by a current engine; determining a degree of wear of a piston ring based on a width of a wear mark; and determining a remaining life of the engine based on the current amount of burned fuel using a correlation between the amount of burned fuel and the degree of wear of a piston ring of the engine, wherein the degree of wear of the piston ring is indicative of the remaining life of the engine. the piston ring is a second compression ring that fits into a groove on an outer diameter of a piston of the engine, and wherein the degree of wear of the piston ring is a degree of surface wear of the second compression ring.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, further including determining a correlation between the amount of burned fuel and the degree of wear of a piston ring of the engine.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, determining the correlation includes establishing the correlation based on data collected during operation of an engine of the same type as the engine, and wherein the data includes the amount of burned fuel in relation to the degree of wear of the piston ring.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, further including determining the amount of burned fuel based on data from an engine control unit (ECU) or data from a fuel usage log.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, the correlation includes a first portion in which the degree of wear of the piston ring varies non-linearly with the amount of burned fuel and a second portion in which the degree of wear of the piston ring varies linearly with the amount of burned fuel.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein, the system including:

13. A system for estimating the remaining life of an engine, characterized by processing circuitry configured to: determine an amount of fuel burned by a current engine; determine a degree of wear of a piston ring based on a width of a wear mark; and determine a remaining life of the engine based on the current amount of burned fuel using a correlation between the amount of burned fuel and the degree of wear of a piston ring of the engine, wherein the degree of wear of the piston ring is indicative of the remaining life of the engine. ​ 14. The system of claim 13, wherein, Also comprising a piston and a second compression ring mounted in a groove on the outer diameter of the piston, and wherein the degree of wear of the piston ring is the degree of surface wear of the second compression ring.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein, The processing circuit is further configured to determine a correlation between the amount of fuel combusted and the degree of wear of the piston ring based on data collected during operation of an engine of the same type as the engine, and wherein the data comprises the amount of fuel combusted in relation to the degree of wear of the piston ring.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein, The amount of fuel combusted is determined based on data from an engine control unit (ECU) or data from a fuel usage log.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein, The correlation comprises a first part in which the degree of wear of the piston ring varies non-linearly with the amount of fuel combusted and a second part in which the degree of wear of the piston ring varies linearly with the amount of fuel combusted.

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