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A new forged steel piston has been designed that shows advantages for use in highly loaded diesel engines in two possible applications: 1 The reliability of a forged steel piston for peak cylinder pressures up to c.18 MPa with a weight reduced to near that of an aluminum piston, if the pin is taken into consideration. 2 A piston with higher loadability than an articulated piston with advantages in weight at a competitive price. Design criteria are presented as well as results from a three dimensional Finite Element Analysis. The production process is described. Results from engine development tests are shown, applying this new piston in a heavy-duty truck engine.

A multiplex communication system has been developed for the Ford Alternative Fuel Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) program, linking the vehicle's powertrain control module (PCM) to the alternative fuel (natural gas or propane) control module (AFCM). The system allows precalibrated diagnostic routines (OBD and non-OBD) to be selectively modified and disabled which otherwise would be affected by alternative fuel operation. The system enables the broadcasting of selected information from the PCM for use by the AFCM. An additional benefit is smoother transition between alternative fuel and gasoline operation when the gaseous fuel is depleted. Also, improved emissions on the alternative fuel have been noted due to the link. System development and function are detailed in this paper.