Diagnostics of Diesel Engines Using Exhaust Smoke and Temperature

An experimental sensor array that measures dynamic exhaust temperature and dynamic smoke for the purpose of diagnosing diesel engine fuel injection equipment was designed, built, and tested. The sensor array is portable and easily installed on truck tailpipes, and was tested using two 6V-53 Detroit Diesel engines. The dynamic temperature sensor is a very high response instrument capable of measuring changes in gas temperature in excess of 10⁴°F/second. The dynamic smokemeter is an optical device designed to measure very low levels of light opacity in the smoke plume, with a response compatible with the engine firing frequency. Dynamic exhaust temperature data had more diagnostic significance than dynamic smoke in the detection of maximum power degrading fuel injection faults. Gaseous exhaust emissions (CO, CO₂, O₂, NO_x, and hydrocarbons) were also evaluated for their diagnostic merit and were found to be less significant than the dynamic temperature and smoke data under the no-load test constraints common to shop and field diagnosis.