Various embodiments include method comprising: determining a torque of each cylinder resulting from an injection; determining a difference in the respective torque output; determining a progression of a pressure in one of the cylinders within a cycle; determining a progression of the crankshaft speed within the cycle; determining a time interval between a maximum the pressure and a subsequent maximum of the speed within the cycle; comparing the difference in the torque outputs with a threshold; if the difference exceeds the threshold, determining a progression of the crankshaft speed for each of the cylinders within a respective cycle and determining the respective maxima; determining a respective time of the maxima within the associated cylinder cycle; determining a difference between the respective maxima; and if the difference is greater than a predetermined threshold, changing an injection time in one of the cylinders based on the determined time interval.

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.

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 relieving pressure from a compression locked engine. The engine may be compression locked during an engine start attempt due to operator application of a manual transmission clutch at or around the time of a first combustion event of the engine start. A direct injector of the compression locked cylinder is commanded open to relieve the pressure into the fuel rail.

The objective of the present invention is to correct deviation in the injection amount and changes in the injection timing when the voltage of a high-voltage source for a drive device decreases. This drive device for a fuel injection device is equipped with a function whereby, when the pulse width of the injection pulse is set to an energization time 815 that closes a valve after a drive current has been switched to a maintenance current, the injection pulse width when the voltage of a high-voltage source has decreased is corrected so as to be longer than the injection pulse width when the voltage of the high-voltage source has not decreased, and, when the pulse width of the injection pulse is set to an energization time 804 that closes the valve before the drive current has been switched to the maintenance current, the absolute value of the amount of correction of the injection pulse width is made smaller than when the injection pulse width is set to the energization time 815 that closes the valve after the drive current has been switched to the maintenance current.

Methods and systems are provided for relieving pressure from a compression locked engine. The engine may be compression locked during an engine start attempt due to operator application of a manual transmission clutch at or around the time of a first combustion event of the engine start. A direct injector of the compression locked cylinder is commanded open to relieve the pressure into the fuel rail.

An injector driver module includes: a first node that is connected to a first terminal of a fuel injector; a first switch configured to, when closed, connect a first potential of a battery to the first node; a second switch configured to, when closed, connect a second potential that is greater than the first potential to the first node; a second node that is connected to a second terminal of the fuel injector; and a third switch configured to, when closed, connect a ground potential to the second node. A switch control module is configured to, starting at a target injecting timing for a fuel injection event of the fuel injector: maintain the third switch closed; and switch the second switch using a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal having (i) a duty cycle that is less than 100 percent and (ii) a predetermined frequency.

A method for recognizing a state change of a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine, in which fuel from a high-pressure accumulator is injected into a combustion chamber with the aid of the fuel injector. A value that is representative of a static flow rate of fuel through the fuel injector is ascertained. A state change of the fuel injector is deduced when the representative value differs from a comparative value by more than a first threshold value.

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.

Various embodiments include a method comprising: determining a torque output of each cylinder resulting from a fuel injection into the cylinder; determining a difference in the respective torque; comparing the difference in the respective torque output with a threshold; if the difference exceeds the threshold, changing the injection mass for at least one cylinder based on the difference; determining a further torque output of the cylinder resulting from the injection of the changed injection mass; determining whether the further torque output corresponds to the changed injection mass; if the further torque output lies outside a predetermined tolerance range for a corresponding injection mass, setting the injection mass to be injected to the original value; and changing the injection time in at least the one of the at least two cylinders.