An engine includes a common rail attached to one side portion of a cylinder block that pivotally supports a crankshaft in a rotatable mariner, the one side portion extending along a crankshaft center, and the common rail being configured to supply a fuel to the engine. A flywheel housing that accommodates a flywheel that is rotated integrally with the crankshaft is disposed in one side portion out of opposite side portions of the cylinder block intersecting the one side portion. One end portion of the common rail is disposed above the flywheel housing.

A method for operating an internal combustion engine, in which fuel is supplied to the internal combustion engine by a rotary pump, and the speed of the pump and/or the electrical current for feeding the pump (pump current) is controlled in accordance with a requirement variable, taking into account a determination specification. When in an overrun mode, a calibration is carried out and the speed of the pump is detected and is maintained during the calibration step. Once the triggering pressure for a calibration valve, arranged on the high-pressure side of the pump, has been reached, the pump current is detected and the determined speed and the determined pump current are used to calibrate the determination specification. A calibration in the overrun mode is performed without alteration to the speed of the fuel pump. This prevents a variable behaviour of the fuel pump which might produce undesired operating conditions.

Various embodiments include a method for operating an internal combustion engine comprising: determining a torque output of each cylinder resulting from a fuel injection; determining a difference in the respective torque output; comparing the difference with a predetermined threshold; determining a respective injection mass; determining a difference in the respective injection masses; comparing the difference with a threshold; if the differences exceed the threshold, determining whether the respective torque outputs correspond to the associated injection mass; and if the respective torque outputs lie outside a predetermined tolerance range for a respective corresponding injection mass, changing an injection time in at least one of the at least two cylinders.

A surgical stapler including an anvil, a staple cartridge, and a buttress material removably retained to the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In various embodiments, the staple cartridge can include at least one staple removably stored therein which can, when deployed, or fired, therefrom, contact the buttress material and remove the buttress material from the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In at least one embodiment, the anvil can include at least one lip and/or groove configured to removably retain the buttress material to the anvil until deformable members extending from the surgical staple are bent by the anvil and are directed toward and contact the buttress material.

Methods and systems are provided for reducing errors in estimated fuel rail pressure incurred at the time of a scheduled injection event due to engine-driven cyclic fuel rail pressure changes. In one example, a pulse-width commanded during a scheduled injection event is determined as a function fuel rail pressure samples collected over a moving window that is customized for the corresponding fuel injector. In another example, the commanded pulse-width is determined as a function of an average fuel rail pressure sampled during a quiet zone of injector operation and predicted fuel rail pressure altering events occurring between the quiet zone and the scheduled injection event.

Various methods and systems are provided for indexing an injector map and subsequently controlling fuel injection to an engine. In one embodiment, a method for the engine includes injecting fuel via activating an injector for a determined activation time, the activation time determined based on a commanded fuel value and a function of a modified pressure difference across an orifice of a nozzle of the injector, where the modified pressure difference is based on a difference between a rail pressure and peak cylinder pressure, the peak cylinder pressure scaled by a function of engine speed and injection timing and the pressure difference offset by a correction factor.

Methods and systems are provided for estimating ethanol content in fuel, water content in fuel, and an age of the fuel in a vehicle engine. In one example, a method may include estimating fuel ethanol content, water content, or fuel age based on fuel rail temperature, and two or more of a resonant frequency (f) of pressure pulsations, a change in fuel rail pressure (p), and a damping coefficient () of pressure pulsations in the fuel rail as estimated after a fuel injection or a pump stroke. One or more engine operating parameters may be adjusted based on the estimated fuel ethanol content, water content, and fuel age.

Methods and systems are provided for estimating ethanol content in fuel, water content in fuel, and an age of the fuel in a vehicle engine. In one example, a method may include estimating fuel ethanol content, water content, or fuel age based on a resonant frequency (f) of pressure pulsations, a change in fuel rail pressure (p), and a damping coefficient () of pressure pulsations in the fuel rail as estimated after a fuel injection or a pump stroke. One or more engine operating parameters may be adjusted based on the estimated fuel ethanol content, water content, and fuel age.

There is disclosed a method of de-icing a component of an engine assembly having a common-rail fuel injection system, including: pressurizing fuel to circulate the fuel through the common-rail injection system; drawing a portion of the fuel upstream of common-rail injectors of the common-rail injection system and directing a remainder of the fuel toward the common-rail injectors; and transferring heat from the drawn portion of the fuel to the component.

An engine including a common rail attached to one side portion of a cylinder block that pivotally supports a crankshaft in a rotatable manner, the one side portion extending along a crankshaft center, and the common rail being configured to supply a fuel to the engine. A flywheel housing that accommodates a flywheel that is rotated integrally with the crankshaft is disposed in one side portion out of opposite side portions of the cylinder block intersecting the one side portion. One end portion of the common rail is disposed above the flywheel housing.