Patents Examined by Audrey Klasterka
  • Patent number: 7814745
    Abstract: An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine for a vehicle is provided. The system comprises an exhaust passage with an angled injector and a plurality of mixing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Levin, Sandro Balestrino, Daniel Michael Kabat, Furqan Zafar Shaikh, Bret Alan Zimmerman, Jeremy Keller, Scott Donald Cooper, Kris Kantebet
  • Patent number: 7810314
    Abstract: A method for operating an engine comprises correlating a measured property associated with a carbon nanostructure layer to an amount of particulate matter from an exhaust stream of the engine. In this way, engine operation may be adjusted based on an amount of sensed particulate matter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Avra Brahma, Jagjit Nanda
  • Patent number: 7810318
    Abstract: A control system for controlling regeneration of a particulate filter for a hybrid vehicle is provided. The system generally includes a regeneration module that controls current to the particulate filter to initiate regeneration. An engine control module controls operation of an engine of the hybrid vehicle based on the control of the current to the particulate filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Eugene V. Gonze, Michael J. Paratore, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7805926
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system for a power source has an air induction system, an exhaust system and a recirculation system. The exhaust system includes a particulate filter. The recirculation system is configured to draw exhaust from downstream of the particulate filter and direct the exhaust to the air induction system. The recirculation system includes an exhaust gas cooler, and an acidic debris filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventors: Hind M. Abi-Akar, Dennis Lee Endicott, James R. Weber, Erin Elizabeth Atterberry
  • Patent number: 7805933
    Abstract: The invention relates to a throttle arrangement for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve for throttling a stream of exhaust gas flowing through a pipe and having a restoring spring which prestresses the throttle valve into a closed position. The throttle valve is pivotable about a pivot axis in the pipe between the closed position [and the open position] and the restoring spring is supported on the valve end on a lever fixedly connected to the throttle valve and is supported at the pipe end on a bearing for accommodating a shaft extending coaxially with the pivot axis. The restoring spring is adapted to support the spring forces on the pipe end in an essentially symmetrical manner with respect to a plane of symmetry that extends perpendicular to the pivot axis and is in the area of the support on the valve end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: J. Eberspaecher GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Robert Hanitzsch, Bjoern Damson
  • Patent number: 7805932
    Abstract: A flow assembly has a hollow housing including a lumen extending from a proximal aperture to a distal aperture. The flow assembly can have a first set of blades including at least one first blade disposed within the lumen, wherein the at least one first blade extends from the housing and can be positioned between the proximal aperture and the distal aperture. The flow assembly also has a second set of blades including at least one second blade disposed within the lumen, wherein the at least one second blade extends from the housing and can be positioned between the at least one first blade and the distal aperture. Also, the flow assembly can have a central passageway substantially free of blades extending from the proximal aperture to the distal aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Perkins Engines Company Limited
    Inventor: James Oxborrow
  • Patent number: 7797932
    Abstract: An apparatus and system are disclosed for enhancing aftertreatment regeneration. The system includes an internal combustion engine and an exhaust manifold directing the engine exhaust to an aftertreatment system. The system may further include an exhaust gas recycle system and a turbocharger. The system further includes a fuel injector mounted on the exhaust manifold that provides fuel to assist in regenerating an aftertreatment component. The fuel injector is mounted in an apparatus also including a flow dampener, an extender, and a residence chamber. The apparatus allows the fuel to be injected in a high temperature location where it will experience residence time at temperature, and experience shear forces passing through the turbocharger. The extender allows the fuel to be injected at a place in the exhaust manifold where recycling of injected fuel into the engine is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc
    Inventors: Brett Herrick, Stephen L. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 7797926
    Abstract: A particulate filter is provided in an exhaust system of the engine. Parameter values correlated with a flow amount of exhaust gas of the engine are determined, and differential pressure between upstream and downstream sides of the particulate filter is determined. The ratio of a variation rate of the parameter values correlated with the exhaust flow amount to a variation rate of the differential pressure is compared with a predetermined threshold value during transitional operation of the engine to determine the state of the particulate filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Nishino, Kiyoshi Saito, Eisaku Gosyo
  • Patent number: 7797929
    Abstract: A method of controlling an engine having a lean NOx trap in the exhaust is described. The method comprises during a first mode, at a first temperature, storing NOx at a lean condition and then purging stored NOx from the NOx trap at a rich condition without concurrently supplying oxygen to the trap during the purging and during a second mode, at a second, lower temperature, storing NOx at a lean condition and then purging stored NOx from the NOx, where an exothermic reaction is generated to temporarily raise the temperature of the trap by supplying oxygen and reductants with an overall rich mixture to the trap during the purging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shane Elwart, Jason Aaron Lupescu, Joseph Robert Theis, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 7788910
    Abstract: A system and method may be provided for operating a system having an engine with an emission control system, the emission control system including a lean NOx trap and a particulate filter, where after lean exhaust gas air-fuel ratio regeneration of the particulate filter at an elevated regeneration temperature, a rich or intermittently rich exhaust air-fuel ratio is provided for a duration lasting until LNT temperature falls to a minimum threshold, where said rich or intermittently rich operation reactivates catalysts in the LNT and reverses deactivation caused by the elevated temperature lean operation associated with previous particulate filter regeneration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Walter McCabe, Lifeng Xu, John William Hoard, Karen Marie Adams
  • Patent number: 7788907
    Abstract: A system for treating exhaust gasses from an engine includes directing a spray of reductant into exhaust gasses against a flow of exhaust gasses to a spray target. A selective catalytic reduction catalyst may be positioned downstream of the reductant injector and downstream of the spray target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Erik Koehler, Dean Tomazic, Phillip Adomeit
  • Patent number: 7788911
    Abstract: A system, method and computer operable code is disclosed for reducing HC and liquid accumulation in an exhaust gas treatment system. A timer is used to monitor the amount of time the system spends in either absorption mode or desorption mode. If the exhaust gas temperature at the inlet of a oxidation catalyst device is below an absorption threshold, the timer is instructed to count up. If the exhaust gas temperature is above a desorption threshold, the timer is instructed to count down. At a predetermined timer threshold value, the engine is instructed to enter a thermal management mode operable to reduce accumulation of HC and liquid in the exhaust gas management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Cummins Filtration, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuetao Zhang, Daniel D. Wilhelm, Joseph M. Brault, Venkata Lakkireddy, James A. Cramer, Thomas A. Grana
  • Patent number: 7784271
    Abstract: Deterioration of a catalyst provided in an exhaust system of the engine is determined. Air-fuel ratio sensors are provided in the upstream side and the downstream side of the catalyst. Air-fuel ratio is changed. Based on the sensor outputs in the upstream die and the downstream side of the catalyst, a parameter of a catalyst model representing a state of the catalyst is identified. The parameter is compared with a threshold to determine a state of the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Saito, Eisaku Gosyo, Hiroaki Nishino
  • Patent number: 7779620
    Abstract: In an air-fuel ratio feedback control device for a fuel injection control system, a catalyst deterioration diagnosing means for carrying out deterioration diagnosis of the catalyst is equipped with a diagnosis permission judging means for judging permission of the deterioration diagnosis of the catalyst on the basis of a driving area of the internal combustion engine, an air-fuel ratio varying means for varying the target upstream air-fuel ratio at the catalyst deterioration diagnosis time, a catalyst deterioration judging means for judging the deterioration of the catalyst on the basis of the downstream air-fuel ratio detection output at the catalyst deterioration diagnosis time, and a catalyst deterioration diagnosis prohibiting means for setting a deterioration diagnosis prohibition time of the catalyst after the catalyst deterioration diagnosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Ishikawa, Keiichi Enoki, Hideki Takubo
  • Patent number: 7779621
    Abstract: An air fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine can freely change an oscillation width of an amount of oxygen occlusion so as to adapt to or diagnose catalyst degradation without changing the settings of the period or width of the air fuel ratio oscillation. The apparatus includes a first air fuel ratio feedback control section that adjusts the air fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to an engine in accordance with an output value of an upstream air fuel ratio sensor and a predetermined control constant thereby to make the air fuel ratio periodically oscillate in rich and lean directions, and an average air fuel ratio oscillation section that operates the control constant based on an amount of oxygen occlusion of the catalyst so that an average air fuel ratio obtained by averaging the periodically oscillating air fuel ratio is caused to oscillate in the rich and lean directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Takubo
  • Patent number: 7779619
    Abstract: An air fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine can improve accuracy in catalyst degradation diagnosis. The apparatus includes a first air fuel ratio feedback control section that adjusts the air fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to an engine in accordance with an output of an upstream air fuel ratio sensor and a predetermined control constant thereby to make the air fuel ratio periodically oscillate in rich and lean directions, an average air fuel ratio oscillation section that operates the control constant based on an amount of oxygen occlusion of a catalyst so that an average air fuel ratio obtained by averaging the periodically oscillating air fuel ratio is caused to oscillate in the rich and lean directions, and a catalyst degradation diagnosis section that diagnoses catalyst degradation based on correlation between the oscillation of the average air fuel ratio and an output of the downstream oxygen sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Takubo
  • Patent number: 7775035
    Abstract: A procedure to operate a metering device of an exhaust gas emission control system of an internal combustion engine and a device to implement the procedure are proposed. At least one component in an exhaust gas emission control configuration of the exhaust gas emission control system requires at least in certain operating conditions a reagent substance, which the metering device provides, in which a connecting line is disposed. After the emergence of a metering demand signal a reagent substance rate-set point is established. The reagent substance rate-set point is either established immediately when the metering demand signal occurs and subsequently no longer changed until the connecting line is filled with the reagent substance; or the reagent substance rate-set point is only then established if the connecting line is filled with the reagent substance. An overdose of the reagent substance is avoided with the procedural approach according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfram Veigel, Stefan Motz
  • Patent number: 7770382
    Abstract: During secondary air supply control, a secondary air supply system which supplies secondary air to an upstream side of an exhaust gas control apparatus obtains a secondary air flow rate supplied to an exhaust passage provided independently for each of a plurality of cylinder groups, and detects an abnormality in the secondary air supply system based on a noxious substance amount in exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust passages which is determined from the obtained secondary air flow rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinya Kondo
  • Patent number: 7743608
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes plural exhaust gas purifying units which are provided on exhaust gas passages connected to plural cylinder groups in the internal combustion engine and purify exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust gas passages, a regeneration determining unit which determines whether or not the plural exhaust gas purifying units should be regenerated, and a regeneration control unit which executes regeneration control for regenerating the exhaust gas purifying units when the regeneration determining unit determines that the exhaust gas purifying units should be regenerated. The regeneration control unit simultaneously executes the regeneration control for the plural exhaust gas purifying units when a change of a combustion mode of the internal combustion engine is involved before and after execution of the regeneration control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Ogiso
  • Patent number: 7739868
    Abstract: A deterioration diagnostic system of an exhaust gas purifying catalyst includes: an upstream side switching frequency calculator calculating the number of times of switching on the upstream side; a reference value calculator calculating a downstream side rich/lean determination level having a first width; a downstream side rich/lean determination level adjuster setting the first width to a second larger width when the number of times of switching on the upstream side is smaller than a predetermined value; a downstream side switching frequency calculator calculating the number of times of switching on the downstream side; a frequency ratio calculator calculating a frequency ratio between the number of times of switching on the downstream side and the number of times of switching on the upstream side; and a deterioration determiner determining the deterioration of the exhaust gas purifying catalyst when the frequency ratio is larger than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Chino, Kenji Saito, Hitoshi Kamura