Improved combustion monitoring in an internal combustion engine is provided by an optical port passing through a side wall of the combustion chamber where a front surface of the port may be cleaned by wiping action of piston rings passing across that surface. A thin film of oil distributed by the rings reduces the adhesion of fouling deposits.

A duct assembly for a fuel injector of an engine includes a base and multiple duct bodies. The base includes a number of spaced apart receptacles. Each receptacle defines a cavity with a receptacle axis, a rotational engagement surface, and an axial engagement surface. The duct bodies are correspondingly secured within the cavities. Each duct body defines an axis and a duct extending along the axis to provide a passage for a fuel jet from the fuel injector. Each duct body defines an axial alignment surface engaging the axial engagement surface of the receptacle in which it is disposed to axially align the duct body along the receptacle axis of the corresponding receptacle.

A duct assembly for a fuel injector of an engine includes a base and multiple duct bodies. The base includes a number of spaced apart receptacles. Each receptacle defines a cavity with a receptacle axis, a rotational engagement surface, and an axial engagement surface. The duct bodies are correspondingly secured within the cavities. Each duct body defines an axis and a duct extending along the axis to provide a passage for a fuel jet from the fuel injector. Each duct body defines an axial alignment surface engaging the axial engagement surface of the receptacle in which it is disposed to axially align the duct body along the receptacle axis of the corresponding receptacle.

A cylinder bore for a cylinder housing of an internal combustion engine may have a cylinder running surface, an upper reversal point and a lower reversal point at which a piston, which may be moved up and down in the cylinder bore and may have piston rings and a piston skirt, may reach a speed which approaches zero during engine operation. The cylinder bore may also have a region between the upper reversal point and the lower reversal point at which the piston may reach a maximum speed during engine operation. The cylinder bore may further have at least two circumferential depressions formed within the region, the at least two circumferential depressions each having a diameter that may be greater than a diameter of the cylinder bore above the region and below the region.

A cylinder bore for a cylinder housing of an internal combustion engine may have a cylinder running surface, an upper reversal point and a lower reversal point at which a piston, which may be moved up and down in the cylinder bore and may have piston rings and a piston skirt, may reach a speed which approaches zero during engine operation. The cylinder bore may also have a region between the upper reversal point and the lower reversal point at which the piston may reach a maximum speed during engine operation. The cylinder bore may further have at least two circumferential depressions formed within the region, the at least two circumferential depressions each having a diameter that may be greater than a diameter of the cylinder bore above the region and below the region.

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.

In an internal combustion engine provided with a combustion chamber defined by an inner circumferential surface of a cylinder, an end surface of a cylinder head facing the cylinder, a crown surface of a piston, an inner surface of an intake valve, and an inner surface of an exhaust valve, for the purpose of improving the anti-knocking performance of the engine, the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder, the end surface of the cylinder head, the crown surface of the piston, the inner surface of the intake valve and the inner surface of the exhaust valve include a mirror surface region formed as a mirror surface having an arithmetic average roughness of 0.3 μm or less, and a rough surface region formed as a rough surface having an arithmetic average roughness of 0.3 μm or more.

In an internal combustion engine provided with a combustion chamber defined by an inner circumferential surface of a cylinder, an end surface of a cylinder head facing the cylinder, a crown surface of a piston, an inner surface of an intake valve, and an inner surface of an exhaust valve, for the purpose of improving the anti-knocking performance of the engine, the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder, the end surface of the cylinder head, the crown surface of the piston, the inner surface of the intake valve and the inner surface of the exhaust valve include a mirror surface region formed as a mirror surface having an arithmetic average roughness of 0.3 μm or less, and a rough surface region formed as a rough surface having an arithmetic average roughness of 0.3 μm or more.

An opposed-piston engine includes an engine block, at least two intake valves, and at least two exhaust valves. The engine block includes a first center section and a second center section. The first center section defines a first cylinder half bore having a first longitudinal axis and a first open end. The second center section defines a second cylinder half bore having a second longitudinal axis and a second open end. The second longitudinal axis is offset from the first longitudinal axis. The first and second open ends overlap to form and opening therebetween that places the first and second cylinder half bores in fluid communication with one another to form a single cylinder. The intake valves are arranged at the first open end of the first cylinder half bore. The exhaust valves are arranged at the second open end of the second cylinder half bore.

A method for coating a surface with a coating jet containing coating particles includes forming the coating jet from at least two partial jets. The method also includes forming one of the exit channels as a spray channel for a first gas stream containing the coating particles. The method also includes forming the other of the exit channels as a control channel. In case of a deviation of the ascertained spray angle (α) from the predetermined target spray angle, the method also includes increasing the volume flow of a first partial jet of the at least two partial jets, and decreasing the volume flow of a second partial jet of the at least two partial jets.