Patents Assigned to Tenneco Automotive Operating Company, Inc.
  • Patent number: 10329985
    Abstract: A mixer assembly for treating exhaust with an injected reductant as the exhaust flows through an exhaust gas passageway includes a tubular shell and a rod. A first end and a second opposite end of the rod are fixed to the shell. The rod has a serpentine shape with a plurality of parallel extending portions interconnected by curved portions. The curved portions are positioned proximate an inner surface of the shell such that the rod traverses the exhaust passageway. The mixer assembly is positioned such that the rod is directly impinged by reductant injected into the exhaust gas passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Manoj K. Sampath
  • Publication number: 20190178124
    Abstract: A muffler for receiving exhaust gas from a combustion engine may include a shell, an inlet pipe, at least one outlet pipe, one or more baffles, and an internal communication pipe. The inlet pipe may extend through the shell. The outlet pipe may be in fluid communication with the inlet pipe and may be at least partially disposed within the shell. The baffles are disposed within the shell and cooperate with the shell to define a plurality of chambers. The internal communication pipe may be disposed entirely within the shell and may be in fluid communication with the inlet pipe. The internal communication pipe may include an inlet opening and first and outlet openings. The first outlet opening is open to and in direct fluid communication with one of the chambers. The second outlet opening is open to and in direct fluid communication with another one of the chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel OSTROMECKI, Ankit BAROT
  • Patent number: 10273853
    Abstract: A mixer assembly for mixing an injected reductant with an exhaust gas output from a combustion engine includes an outer housing, a tubular inner housing, and an injector. The outer housing includes an outer wall defining an exhaust gas passageway that can receive exhaust gas. The inner housing is disposed within the outer housing and includes a longitudinal axis, a first end, a peripheral wall, and an outlet. The peripheral wall is at least partially formed by wire mesh. The outlet is disposed at a second end of the inner housing opposite the first end of the inner housing. The injector is fixed to the inner or outer housing to dose the reductant into the interior of the inner housing. The wire mesh includes openings to receive at least a portion of the exhaust gas. The outlet of the inner housing discharges a mixture of exhaust gas and reductant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Golin
  • Patent number: 10273855
    Abstract: A mixer assembly for mixing an injected reductant with an exhaust gas output from a combustion engine comprises a mixer housing including a wall defining an exhaust passageway having a longitudinal axis. A tubular swirling device housing extends along a first axis substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis. The tubular swirling device includes a plurality of openings through which exhaust gas enters. The exhaust gas within the tubular swirling device swirls about the first axis and exits at an outlet end of the tubular swirling device. A mixing plate is positioned immediately downstream of the tubular swirling device. The mixing plate swirls the exhaust about a second axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Noren, IV, Daniel J. Owen, Jeffrey W. Denton, Attila Kovacs, Eric A. Hein, Meng-Huang Lu, Manoj K. Sampath
  • Patent number: 10258917
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a water separator and a particulate filter. The vehicle includes an engine that emits exhaust, and the water separator and the particulate filter are disposed downstream of the engine and receives at least a portion of the exhaust. The water separator separates water from the exhaust, and the particulate filter filters particulates of the exhaust such that the water may be subsequently used, e.g., for potable uses, operation of the engine, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Bradford, Yong Sun
  • Patent number: 10180096
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment fluid delivery system (16, 22, 116) may include a supply passageway (46, 146), a supply manifold (38, 138), injectors (42, 142), a bypass passageway (50, 150) and first and second pressure sensors (34, 134, 40, 140). The supply passageway (46, 146) receives the exhaust treatment fluid from a tank (26, 126) and provides the exhaust treatment fluid to the supply manifold (38, 138). The bypass passageway (50, 150) connects the supply passageway (46, 146) with the return passageway (48, 148) and includes a bypass valve (36, 136) controlling fluid flow therebetween. The first pressure sensor (34, 134) measures a first pressure of exhaust treatment fluid in the supply passageway (46, 146) based upon which the bypass valve (36, 136) is controlled. The second pressure sensor (40, 140) measures a second pressure of exhaust treatment fluid in the supply manifold (38, 138) based upon which the injectors (42, 142) are controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Gaofeng Fan
  • Patent number: 10180092
    Abstract: A snap-action valve assembly for an exhaust system is provided that includes a first conduit and a second conduit that are joined to together to define an exhaust passageway. A valve flap is disposed within the exhaust passageway for controlling exhaust flow. A shaft supports the valve flap in the exhaust passageway for rotation between open and closed positions. First and second bushings support the shaft. A pad made of wire mesh is attached to the valve flap. The pad includes an end portion that contacts the first or second conduit in the closed position and side wings that contact the first or second conduit in the open position. A resilient tongue may support the pad on an angle relative to the valve flap and a mass damper may be attached to one end of the shaft. These features dampen vibration and reduce valve flap flutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Larry J. Geer, Erwin Peters, Stephen M. Thomas, William E. Hill
  • Publication number: 20180355777
    Abstract: An exhaust gas burner assembly includes a body, an inlet opening, an outlet opening, a first chamber, a second chamber, and an intermediate opening. The exhaust gas burner assembly also includes a perforated pipe disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, a fluid injector adapted to discharge a combustible mixture, and an igniter adapted to ignite the combustible mixture to generate combustion products. The perforated pipe allows at least a portion of the exhaust gas to flow therethrough from the first chamber to the second chamber such that the exhaust gas exiting the outlet opening has a higher temperature than the exhaust gas entering through the inlet opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: John Stanavich, Jeffery Davis
  • Patent number: 10145439
    Abstract: A shock absorber for a vehicle is disclosed which has a pressure tube defining a fluid chamber, a piston rod, and a piston disposed within the fluid chamber, and carried on the piston rod, which divides the fluid chamber into upper and lower working chambers, and which has a plurality of passages extending between the upper and lower working chambers. A valve disc assembly controls a flow of fluid, and includes a spring disc. The spring disc has a non-symmetrical circumferential shape which enables a stiffness of the valve disc assembly to be tailored so that it begins to open at a first peripheral point, and continuously gradually opens about a non-symmetrical circumferential path until reaching a second peripheral point adjacent the first peripheral point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Chad Rummel
  • Patent number: 10125658
    Abstract: A particulate sensor assembly may include a particulate sensor and a sensor housing. The particulate sensor may be configured to measure a quantity of particulate matter in a stream of exhaust gas from a combustion engine. The sensor housing may receive the particulate sensor and may include a cavity in which the particulate sensor is exposed to the exhaust gas. The cavity may be defined by a porous structure through which the exhaust gas may flow. The porous structure may filter a predetermined amount of particulate matter from the exhaust gas as the exhaust gas enters the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin C. Shade, Adam J. Kotrba
  • Patent number: 10100697
    Abstract: A fluid delivery system for an exhaust aftertreatment system may include an outer housing, a pump, a filter assembly, an electric heating blanket, and a heater retention plate. The heater retention plate is shaped to correspond to the shapes of the pump and filter assembly. A lid of the outer housing contacts the heater retention plate and clamps the heating blanket between the heater retention plate and the pump and filter assembly so that the heating blanket takes the shapes of portions of the pump and filter assembly. The outer housing includes mounting flanges and reinforcement members extending from corresponding mounting flanges to corresponding sidewalls of the outer housing and forming a hollow space therebetween. The filter assembly includes compensation elements that contract in response to expansion of fluid within a pump housing due to freezing and expand in response to thawing of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE OPERATING COMPANY INC.
    Inventors: Deenaraj Neelagal, Larry J. Geer, Ryan Barrus
  • Patent number: 10100700
    Abstract: An exhaust aftertreatment system may include a housing, an aftertreatment device, and a cantilevered flow distributing element. The housing receives exhaust gas output from an engine and has a main body and an exhaust gas inlet that is angled relative to the main body. The flow distributing element is disposed within the housing upstream of the exhaust aftertreatment device and includes a baffle plate and a collar. The baffle plate is attached to an inner wall of the main body. The collar may include a plurality of first apertures, a downstream axial edge and an upstream axial edge. A portion of the downstream axial edge may abut an upstream-facing surface of the baffle plate. The baffle plate may have a plurality of second apertures extending through the upstream-facing surface. The collar may extend across and partially block at least some of the second apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Yanping Zhang, Fulun Yang, Michael Golin, Daniel J. Owen, William Adams, Meng-Huang Lu
  • Patent number: 10086869
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a steering stabilizer for a vehicle. The stabilizer has a damper having a housing, a piston rod extending telescopically from the housing, and a coil spring disposed over the damper. An inner adapter assembly secures a first end of the damper to one of a wheel component or a body component of the vehicle. An outer adapter assembly is coupled to a distal end of the piston rod and couples to the other one of the wheel or body component. A one-piece spring seat is fixedly coupled to the housing. The coil spring is supported at a first end by the spring seat and at a second end by the outer adapter assembly. The spring seat enables the single coil spring to return the steering stabilizer to a central position regardless of whether the single coil spring is under tension or compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Katie Urbanski, Anthony Morr, Michael Golin
  • Patent number: 10086333
    Abstract: A mixing system for an exhaust aftertreatment system includes a first mixing device having a plurality of first auger blades and an inlet having a first cross-sectional area. A second mixing device is separate and downstream from the first mixing device and includes a second auger blade. The second mixing device includes an inlet having a second cross-sectional area greater than the first cross-sectional area. A plurality of flow paths created by the first mixing device are recombined into a single flow path between the first and second mixing devices. A longitudinal center line of the first mixing device is offset from a longitudinal center line of the second mixing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Denton, Eric A. Hein, Attila Kovacs, Kevin R. Reeder, Jonar Mendoza, Gary R. Moore, Manoj K. Sampath, John R. Hardin
  • Patent number: 10082067
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment fluid system includes a tank housing for storing an exhaust treatment fluid. A suction tube includes a first end positioned within the housing. A first sensor is positioned within the tank housing for determining at least one of a fluid level and a concentration of the exhaust treatment fluid. A skirt is positioned in the tank to peripherally surround the first sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Jianyuan Yang, Guru Kaustubh Vilas Teggi, Ryan A. Floyd, Bruce Kring, Brian Kunkel
  • Patent number: 10077702
    Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment system for reducing emissions from an engine includes an exhaust conduit adapted to supply an exhaust stream from the engine to an exhaust treatment device. The conduit includes an aperture. An injector injects a reagent through the aperture and into the exhaust stream. A flow modifier is positioned within the exhaust conduit upstream of the injector. The flow modifier increases the velocity of the exhaust gas at a predetermined location within the conduit relative to the injected reagent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan A. Floyd, John M. Lowry, Larry J. Geer
  • Publication number: 20180238217
    Abstract: An exhaust aftertreatment system may include a reductant tank, a gaseous ammonia source, an injector, first conduit and a second conduit. The injector may receive the liquid reductant from the reductant tank and the gaseous ammonia from the gaseous ammonia source and inject the liquid reductant into a stream of exhaust gas in a first mode, inject the gaseous ammonia into the stream of exhaust gas in a second mode, and both the liquid reductant and the gaseous ammonia into the stream of exhaust gas in a third mode. The first conduit may communicate liquid reductant from the reductant tank to the injector. The second conduit may communicate gaseous ammonia from the gaseous ammonia source to the injector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicants: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc., Tenneco GmbH
    Inventors: Mark DEVITO, Ryan A. FLOYD, Adam J. KOTRBA, Padmanabha R. ETTIREDDY, Michael C. BRADFORD, Bradley FINGLAND, John W. DEGEORGE, Philipp KREUTZIGER, Manuel KLUCK, Michael FLOCKERT, Mathias HUND, Eric A. HEIN
  • Patent number: 10054022
    Abstract: An exhaust after-treatment system for treating an exhaust produced by an engine. The exhaust after-treatment system includes an exhaust passage, at least one catalytic exhaust after-treatment component in communication with the exhaust passage for treating the exhaust, and a water-removal device in communication with the exhaust passage that receives a portion of the exhaust therein at a location positioned upstream from the catalytic exhaust after-treatment component. The water-removal device is defined by a housing that includes a water-removal membrane that separates water from the portion of the exhaust to provide a permeate that is enriched with water, and to produce a retentate that is water depleted that facilitates the treating of the exhaust by the catalytic exhaust after-treatment component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Michael C. Bradford
  • Patent number: 10054182
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a pressure tube forming a working chamber. A reserve tube is concentric with and radially outward from the pressure tube. A baffle tube is positioned radially outward from the pressure tube. A reservoir chamber is formed between the reserve tube and the baffle tube. A piston is attached to a piston rod and slidably disposed within the pressure tube. A rod guide is attached to the pressure tube and supports the piston rod. An electromechanical valve is positioned within the rod guide. The baffle tube and the pressure tube form a fluid passage between the electromechanical valve and the reservoir chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew L. Roessle, Karl C. Kazmirski, Jeroen K. Paenhuysen, Matthew R. Schelosky
  • Patent number: 10047657
    Abstract: A mixer assembly for mixing an injected reductant with an exhaust gas output from a combustion engine comprises a mixer housing including a wall defining an exhaust passageway having a longitudinal axis. A tubular swirling device housing extends along a first axis substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis. The tubular swirling device includes a plurality of openings through which exhaust gas enters. The exhaust gas within the tubular swirling device swirls about the first axis and exits at an outlet end of the tubular swirling device. A mixing plate is positioned immediately downstream of the tubular swirling device and includes apertures through which the exhaust gas exiting the outlet end of the tubular swirling device flows. The mixing plate swirls the exhaust about a second axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Noren, IV, Daniel J. Owen, Jeffrey W. Denton, Attila Kovacs, Eric A. Hein, Meng-Huang Lu, Manoj K. Sampath