1. A method, comprising:
transforming a workflow description into a product type description, said workflow description indicative of a workflow among a plurality of workflows;
populating an order entry structure with respect to a product catalog containing data indicative of said product type description by:
mapping existing product catalog entries respectively to appropriate workflows among said plurality of workflows; and
adding new product catalog entries to said order entry structure utilizing said product type description, wherein said new product catalog entries are respectively associated with product types manufactured by existing workflows not currently contained in said product catalog.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein mapping existing product catalog entries respectively to appropriate workflows among said plurality of workflows, further comprises:
automatically mapping a plurality of existing product catalog entries with respect to said order entry structure to said workflow utilizing said product type description, if said product type description precisely matches a product type represented by at least one existing product catalog entry among said existing product catalog entries and manufactured by said workflow, thereby reducing the time required to synchronize existing product catalog entries with existing workflow configurations with respect to said order entry structure.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein transforming a workflow description into a product type description, said workflow description indicative of a workflow among a plurality of workflows, further comprises transforming said workflow description of said workflow into a product type description utilizing particular facts associated with said workflow.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising converting said workflow description into said product type description utilizing a rule-based expert system.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein said particular facts comprise at least one of the following: processing steps, sequences of processing steps, types of operations to be performed, and outputs produced.
6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
generating a notification if said rule-based expert system cannot determine said at least one product type description.
7. A method, comprising:
transforming a workflow description into a product type description, said workflow description indicative of a workflow among a plurality of workflows; and
populating an order entry structure with respect to a product catalog containing data indicative of said product type description.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising populating said order entry structure with respect to said product catalog containing data indicative of said product type description by:
mapping existing product catalog entries respectively to appropriate workflows among said plurality of workflows; and
adding new product catalog entries to said order entry structure using said product type description, wherein said new product catalog entries are respectively associated with product types manufactured by existing workflows not currently contained in said product catalog.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein mapping existing product catalog entries respectively to appropriate workflows among said plurality of workflows, further comprises:
automatically mapping a plurality of existing product catalog entries with respect to said order entry structure to said workflow utilizing said product type description, if said product type description precisely matches a product type represented by at least one existing product catalog entry among said existing product catalog entries and manufactured by said workflow, thereby reducing the time required to synchronize existing product catalog entries with existing workflow configurations with respect to said order entry structure.
10. A system, comprising:
a processor;
a data bus coupled to said processor; and
a computer-usable medium embodying computer code, said computer-usable medium being coupled to said data bus, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for:
transforming a workflow description into a product type description, said workflow description indicative of a workflow among a plurality of workflows;
populating an order entry structure with respect to a product catalog containing data indicative of said product type description by:
mapping existing product catalog entries respectively to appropriate workflows among said plurality of workflows; and
adding new product catalog entries to said order entry structure utilizing said product type description, wherein said new product catalog entries are respectively associated with product types manufactured by existing workflows not currently contained in said product catalog.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein mapping existing product catalog entries respectively to appropriate workflows among said plurality of workflows, further comprises:
automatically mapping a plurality of existing product catalog entries with respect to said order entry structure to said workflow utilizing said product type description, if said product type description precisely matches a product type represented by at least one existing product catalog entry among said existing product catalog entries and manufactured by said workflow, thereby reducing the time required to synchronize existing product catalog entries with existing workflow configurations with respect to said order entry structure.
12. The system of claim 10 wherein transforming a workflow description into a product type description, said workflow description indicative of a workflow among a plurality of workflows, further comprises transforming said workflow description of said workflow into a product type description utilizing particular facts associated with said workflow.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein said instructions are further configured for converting said workflow description into said product type description utilizing a rule-based expert system.
14. The system of claim 12 wherein said particular facts comprise at least one of the following: processing steps, sequences of processing steps, types of operations to be performed, and outputs produced.
15. The system of claim 12 wherein said instructions are further configured for generating a notification if said rule-based expert system cannot determine said at least one product type description.
16. The system of claim 12 wherein said instructions are further configured for:
converting said workflow description into said product type description utilizing a rule-based expert system; and
generating a notification if said rule-based expert system cannot determine said at least one product type description.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein said particular facts comprise at least one of the following: processing steps, sequences of processing steps, types of operations to be performed, and outputs produced.
18. A system, comprising:
a processor;
a data bus coupled to said processor; and
a computer-usable medium embodying computer code, said computer-usable medium being coupled to said data bus, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for:
transforming a workflow description into a product type description, said workflow description indicative of a workflow among a plurality of workflows; and
populating an order entry structure with respect to a product catalog containing data indicative of said product type description.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein said instructions are further configured for populating said order entry structure with respect to said product catalog containing data indicative of said product type description by:
mapping existing product catalog entries respectively to appropriate workflows among said plurality of workflows; and
adding new product catalog entries to said order entry structure using said product type description, wherein said new product catalog entries are respectively associated with product types manufactured by existing workflows not currently contained in said product catalog.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein mapping existing product catalog entries respectively to appropriate workflows among said plurality of workflows, further comprises:
automatically mapping a plurality of existing product catalog entries with respect to said order entry structure to said workflow utilizing said product type description, if said product type description precisely matches a product type represented by at least one existing product catalog entry among said existing product catalog entries and manufactured by said workflow, thereby reducing the time required to synchronize existing product catalog entries with existing workflow configurations with respect to said order entry structure.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of operating an engine including a piston with a skirt that reciprocates in a bore, the method comprising:
moving the piston in the bore between top and bottom dead center positions, such that at least a portion of the piston skirt protrudes out of the bore as the piston moves toward its bottom dead center position; and
applying lubricant to an external surface portion of the piston skirt that protrudes from the bore as the piston skirt protrudes from the bore.
2. A method of operating an engine including a cylinder with bore and a piston with a piston disposed to reciprocate in the bore, the method comprising:
moving the piston in the bore between top and bottom dead center positions;
applying lubricant to a portion of the piston skirt; and,
wiping lubricant from the portion as the piston travels toward its top dead center position.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein applying lubricant includes applying lubricant to an external surface portion of the piston skirt and wiping lubricant includes wiping lubricant from the external surface portion.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein wiping lubricant from the external surface portion includes wiping lubricant from the external surface portion with a ring.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein wiping lubricant from the external surface portion with a ring includes wiping lubricant from the piston with a ring located in an annular groove in the bore.
6. A method of operating a diesel engine including a cylinder with bore, exhaust and inlet ports, and ends, and first and second opposed pistons disposed to reciprocate in the bore, the method comprising:
moving the pistons in the bore between top and bottom dead center positions;
applying lubricant to the pistons as they move between the top and bottom dead center positions;
wiping lubricant from the first piston with a first ring located in the bore between a first end of the cylinder and the exhaust port as the first piston travels into the bore; and,
wiping lubricant from the second piston with a second ring located in the bore between a second end of the cylinder and the inlet port as the second piston travels into the bore.
7. The method of claim 6, further including injecting fuel into the cylinder through a site on the cylinder between the exhaust and inlet ports when the pistons are near the top dead center positions.
8. An assembly for a diesel engine, comprising:
a cylinder with a bore, exhaust and inlet ports, and first and second ends;
first and second opposed pistons disposed to reciprocate in the bore;
each piston including a skirt and a crown; and,
a first ring located outboard of the exhaust port to contact and wipe the skirt of the first piston, and a second ring located outboard of the inlet port to contact and wipe the skirt of the second piston.
9. The assembly of claim 8, further including a first annular groove in the bore between the first end of the cylinder and the exhaust port and a second annular groove in the bore between a second end of the cylinder and the inlet port, wherein the first ring is in the first annular groove and the second ring is in the second annular groove.
10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein each of the first and second rings is a polymeric ring.
11. The assembly of claim 9, further including an injection site on the cylinder, between the exhaust and inlet ports and a fuel injector coupled to the injection site.
12. The assembly of claim 9, the cylinder further including an exhaust manifold at the first end, an intake manifold at the second end, and lubricant dispensers outboard of the exhaust and intake manifolds.
13. The assembly of claim 9, the cylinder including a cylinder tube with first and second axial ends and exhaust and inlet manifolds joined to respective ends of the cylinder tube, the exhaust manifold including an annular gallery that constitutes the exhaust port, and the intake manifold including an annular gallery that constitutes the inlet port.
14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein each of the annular galleries has the shape of a scroll.
15. The assembly of claim 9, further including a bridge on an end of each piston for linking the piston to connecting rods.
16. The assembly of claim 15, further including an injection site on the cylinder, between the exhaust and inlet ports and a fuel injector coupled to the injection site.
17. An internal combustion engine, comprising:
a cylinder including a bore, exhaust and inlet ports, and first and second ends;
first and second opposed pistons disposed to reciprocate in the bore;
a pair of crankshafts;
rods connecting the pistons to the crankshafts; and,
a first ring located in the bore between the first end of the cylinder and the exhaust port to contact and wipe lubricant from the first piston, and a second ring located in the bore between the second end of the cylinder and the inlet port to contact and wipe lubricant from the second piston.
18. The engine of claim 17, further including a first annular groove in the bore between the first end of the cylinder and the exhaust port and a second annular groove in the bore between a second end of the cylinder and the inlet port, wherein the first ring is in the first annular groove and the second ring is in the second annular groove.
19. The engine of claim 18, wherein the first and second rings are polymeric rings.
20. The engine of claim 18, further including an injection site on the cylinder, between the exhaust and inlet ports and a fuel injector coupled to the injection site.
21. The engine of claim 17, further including an injection site on the cylinder, between the inlet and exhaust ports and a fuel injector coupled to the injection site.
22. The engine of claim 17, the cylinder including an exhaust manifold at the first end, an intake manifold at the second end, and lubricant dispensers located outboard of the exhaust and intake manifolds.
23. The engine of claim 17, the cylinder including a cylinder tube with first and second axial ends and exhaust and inlet manifolds joined to the first and second axial ends respectively, the exhaust manifold including an annular gallery that constitutes the exhaust port, and the intake manifold including an annular gallery that constitutes the inlet port.
24. The engine of claim 23, further including dispensers located outboard of the exhaust and inlet manifolds to apply liquid coolant to the crowns and internal skirts of the first and second pistons.
25. The engine of claim 24, further including an injection site on the cylinder, between the exhaust and inlet ports and a fuel injector coupled to the injection site.