An engine block (10) includes a cylinder liner (120) and a resin block (200). The cylinder liner (120) has a metal outer circumferential surface (122). The resin block (200) includes a first portion (210) and a gap (230). The first portion (210) covers the metal outer circumferential surface (122) of the cylinder liner (120). The gap (230) is positioned outside the first portion (210) and defines a water jacket (232).

A component for an engine is provided. The component includes a thermal barrier coating applied to a body portion formed of metal, such as steel or another ferrous or iron-based material. According to one embodiment, a bond layer of a metal is applied to the body portion, followed by a mixed layer of metal and ceramic with a gradient structure, and then optionally a top layer of metal. The thermal barrier coating can also include a ceramic layer between the mixed layer and top layer, or as the outermost layer. The ceramic includes at least one of ceria, ceria stabilized zirconia, yttria, yttria stabilized zirconia, calcia stabilized zirconia, magnesia stabilized zirconia, and zirconia stabilized by another oxide. The thermal barrier coating can be applied by thermal spray. The thermal barrier coating preferably has a thickness less than 200 microns and a surface roughness Ra of not greater than 3 microns.

A piston for a high temperature internal combustion engine is provided. The piston includes an upper wall, base wall, outer rib, and inner rib defining a cooling chamber therebetween, and a plurality of ring grooves formed in the outer rib. Only the second ring groove is formed with the keystone cross-section, and all of the other ring grooves are formed with the conventional rectangular cross-section. Thus, the piston can be formed with low manufacturing costs and can also provide exceptional performance when used in high temperature combustion engines, wherein the temperature at the first ring groove is greater than 280° C., and thus prevents carbon from depositing or burns off any carbon deposits, but the temperature at the second ring groove is between 200° C. and 280° C., in which case carbon deposits can form and cause the piston ring to stick.

A method of manufacturing an internal combustion engine is provided. The engine includes a cylinder forming member, a piston reciprocatably accommodated in a cylinder, an injector which supplies fuel into a combustion chamber, and a heat insulating layer covering at least a part of a combustion-chamber wall surface and having a lower heat conductivity than the combustion-chamber wall surface. The method includes applying a coating material that is a material of the heat insulating layer to the combustion-chamber wall surface, assembling the piston to the cylinder forming member while the coating material is uncured, and heating the coating material to be cured by combusting the fuel injected from the injector and reciprocating the piston. The heating the coating material includes injecting the fuel from the injector at least in an early stage of the heating so that the injected fuel adhering to the surface of the coating material is suppressed.

A sensor device system for detection of a liquid adjacent to the sensor having a glass fiber laminate substrate, at least one pair of comb electrodes formed on the glass fiber laminate substrate, a first of the pair of comb electrodes being interdigitated with a second of the pair of comb electrodes, the pair of comb electrodes defining geometric parameters; and a passivation coating covering the pair of comb electrodes.

An assembly method is provided by orienting a cylinder-head at a first orientation. A first plurality of spring caps and a first plurality of retainer keys are installed into the cylinder-head in the first orientation by a first robot. A first plurality of valves is installed into the cylinder-head in the first orientation by a second robot, into engagement with the first plurality of retainer keys. An end effector is provided with an actuator supported upon an adapter plate. A shaft extends from the actuator with a mating surface to engage a spring cap. Porting is provided through the shaft to convey pressurized air upon a plurality of retainer keys within the spring cap. A plurality of gripper fingers extend from the distal end of the shaft to grip a valve spring while retaining a spring cap between the valve spring and the mating surface of the shaft.

A magnetic-field-assisted plasma coating system and method are provided. In another aspect, a coating system employs a cathode with a linearly moveable magnetic field. A further aspect employs a workpiece as an anode within which is located an elongated cathode which internally coats a bore of the workpiece. Still another aspect of the present system and method employs an elongated and hollow cathode with at least one magnetic source therein. In yet another aspect, end caps or plates seal against one or more open ends of a workpiece bore to be coated, with a cathode inserted into the bore and a vacuum being created within the bore such that the workpiece itself defines at least a portion of a vacuum chamber.

A method to manufacture a throttle valve for an internal combustion engine comprising a valve body having a seat and a tube for the passage of conditioning fluid; an actuating device, which controls the rotation of a throttle plate; and a substantially uniform layer of a structural and heat-conducting resin interposed between the seat and the tube and applied on the entire available surface of the seat; the method comprising the steps of manufacturing the valve body provided with the seat by causing a first metal material to undergo a die casting process; applying a trace of the structural and thermosetting resin on the bottom of the seat; and inserting the tube into the seat so as to obtain a substantially uniform layer of the structural and thermosetting resin, which is interposed between the seat and the tube.

A method for mounting a valve seat ring on a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine includes providing a valve seat ring, which has a ring height, and which is measured along an axial direction. The valve seat ring includes a support portion made of a support material and a functional portion made of a functional material. The valve seat ring is arranged on the cylinder head and the support portion of the support material is at least partially removed, so that the ring height of the valve seat ring is reduced.

A cylinder block assembly includes a cylinder block having cylinders and a plurality of crank caps fixed to the cylinder block. The crank caps are arranged such that one of the crank caps is disposed on each of both sides of each of the cylinders in the alignment direction and among the plurality of crank caps arranged in line, each of a center crank cap located at a center position and two side crank caps respectively located at both ends has a hole or a groove in such a manner as to be more easily deformable than intermediate crank caps each of which is located between the center crank cap and one of the side crank caps when a load is received from the crankshaft.