Adjustable windage tray and method for operation of the adjustable windage tray

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a flow profile of a windage tray. In one example, a method for operation an engine system is provided that includes operating an engine to perform combustion, determining an engine speed, and adjusting a flow profile of a plurality of deflectors in a windage tray positioned in a crankcase based on the engine speed.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for operating an engine system comprising:
 operating an engine to perform combustion; 
 determining an engine speed; and 
 adjusting a flow profile of a plurality of deflectors in a windage tray positioned in a crankcase based on the engine speed. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , where adjusting a flow profile of deflectors in the windage tray includes increasing a degree of opening of the deflectors when an engine speed is less than a threshold value and decreasing a degree of opening of the deflectors when the engine speed is greater than the threshold value. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising adjusting the threshold value based on a flowrate of crankcase gas into an intake system through a crankcase ventilation system. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , where adjusting the threshold value includes decreasing the threshold value in response to an increase in a flowrate of crankcase gas into the intake system through the crankcase ventilation system. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a flow profile of the plurality of deflectors based on engine vibration. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , where adjusting the deflectors includes for each of the deflectors, rotating the deflector at one end about a pivot. 
     
     
       7. An engine system comprising:
 a lubricant reservoir receiving lubricant from lubricated components; 
 a lubricant pump positioned in the lubricant reservoir; 
 a crankshaft positioned in a crankcase vertically above the lubricant reservoir and receiving rotational input from a piston rod; 
 a windage tray positioned vertically between the lubricant pump and the crankshaft, the windage tray including a plurality of deflectors extending longitudinally along the windage tray; and 
 code stored in memory executable by a processor to: 
 increase a degree of opening of the plurality of deflectors in response to a decrease in engine speed. 
 
     
     
       8. The engine system of  claim 7 , where the plurality of deflectors are louver plates. 
     
     
       9. The engine system of  claim 8 , where the louver plates have a length greater than a width. 
     
     
       10. The engine system of  claim 7 , where the plurality of deflectors pivot about pivots during the increase in the degree of opening of the plurality of deflectors. 
     
     
       11. The engine system of  claim 7 , further comprising code stored in memory executable by the processor to decrease a degree of opening of the plurality of deflectors in response to an increase in engine speed. 
     
     
       12. The engine system of  claim 11 , where the increase in engine speed includes an increase in engine speed above a threshold value. 
     
     
       13. The engine system of  claim 7 , further comprising code stored in memory executable by the processor to adjust the threshold value based on a flowrate of crankcase gas into the intake system through a crankcase ventilation system. 
     
     
       14. The engine system of  claim 7 , where adjusting the threshold value includes increasing the threshold value in response to a decrease in a flowrate of crankcase gas into the intake system through the crankcase ventilation system or decreasing the threshold value in response to an increase in the flowrate of crankcase gas into the intake system through the crankcase ventilation system. 
     
     
       15. The engine system of  claim 7 , further comprising code stored in memory executable by the processor to increase a degree of opening of the plurality of deflectors based on engine vibration. 
     
     
       16. A method for operating an engine system comprising:
 operating an engine with an engine speed is greater than a threshold value; and 
 in response to operating the engine with the engine speed greater than the threshold value, adjusting a position of flow deflectors in a windage tray to decrease the flowrate of crankcase gas through openings in the windage tray. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 operating the engine with an engine speed less than the threshold value; and 
 in response to operating the engine with the engine speed less than the threshold value, adjusting a position of the plurality of deflectors in the windage tray to increase the flowrate of crankcase gas through the openings in the windage tray. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising adjusting the threshold value based on a flowrate of crankcase gas into the intake system through a crankcase ventilation system. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , where adjusting the threshold value includes at least one of increasing the threshold value in response to a decrease in a flowrate of crankcase gas into an intake system through the crankcase ventilation system and decreasing the threshold value in response to an increase in the flowrate of crankcase gas into the intake system through the crankcase ventilation system. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 16 , where adjusting the position of the plurality of deflectors includes for each of the deflectors, rotating the deflector at one end about a deflector pivot.