Patents Examined by Dapinder Singh
  • Patent number: 11629658
    Abstract: A method for activating a boost pressure control for an internal combustion engine, which contains, in a through-flow direction, a compressor, a charge air line, a throttle valve, an intake manifold, at least one combustion chamber and a turbine speed-coupled to the compressor, an aperture of the throttle valve being controllable, a driving of the turbine being controllable by an exhaust gas flow, and the method including: predefining a setpoint intake manifold pressure; calculating a simplified inverse flow characteristic of the throttle valve; calculating a pseudo setpoint aperture of the throttle valve, based on the simplified inverse flow characteristic and the setpoint intake manifold pressure; and controlling the driving of the turbine, based on an exceeding of a maximum aperture of the throttle valve by the pseudo setpoint aperture of the throttle valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Sven Mueller, Tobias Noesselt, Mauro Calabria
  • Patent number: 11629661
    Abstract: A combustion system including a combustion mechanism that injects oxygenated fuel into a combustion chamber. The oxygenated fuel mixes with the intake air in the combustion chamber where the air-fuel ratio in a portion of the combustion chamber is stoichiometric. The combustion mechanism includes an ignition mechanism that ignites the air-fuel mixture that generates a threshold number of particulates during combustion of the air-fuel mixture. The combustion system further includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) device that recirculates a portion of the exhaust gases back into the combustion chamber. The EGR device recirculates the portion of the exhaust to lower combustion temperature resulting in reduced amount of nitrogen oxide in the exhaust. The combustion system further includes a three-way catalytic converter in line with the exhaust channel to convert a second portion of the exhaust gases, leading to lower pollutant emissions than conventional combustion systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventors: Lyle M. Pickett, Julien Manin, Kevin Wan
  • Patent number: 11624331
    Abstract: A system and method for a variable displacement internal combustion engine using different types of pneumatic cylinder springs on skipped working cycles to control engine and aftertreatment system temperatures are described. The system and method may be used to rapidly heat up the aftertreatment system(s) and/or an engine block of the engine following a cold start by using one or more different types of pneumatic cylinder springs during skipped firing opportunities. By rapidly heating the aftertreatment system(s) and/or engine block, noxious emissions such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, NOx and/or particulates, following cold starts are significantly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Tula Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew A. Younkins, Xi Luo
  • Patent number: 11624307
    Abstract: A bottoming cycle power system includes a turbine-generator. The turbine-generator includes a turbo-expander and turbo-compressor disposed on a turbo-crankshaft. The turbo-expander is operable to rotate the turbo-crankshaft as a flow of exhaust gas from a combustion process passes through the turbo-expander. The turbo-compressor is operable to compress the flow of exhaust gas after the exhaust gas passes through the turbo-expander. An exhaust gas heat exchanger includes first and second flow paths operable to exchange heat therebetween. The first flow path is operable to receive the flow of exhaust gas from the turbo-expander prior to the exhaust gas being compressed by the turbo-compressor. The second flow path is operable to receive the flow of exhaust gas from the turbo-compressor after the exhaust gas has been compressed by the turbo-compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SCUDERI GROUP, INC.
    Inventor: Salvatore C. Scuderi
  • Patent number: 11624295
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine, and an aircraft including the gas turbine engine. The gas turbine engine comprising: an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a shaft system connecting the turbine to the compressor. The shaft system is axially located by a thrust bearing located forward of the turbine, and the engine is configured such that, in the event of a shaft break which divides the shaft system into a front portion located by the thrust bearing and a rear portion unlocated by the thrust bearing, the rear portion is free to move axially rearwardly under a gas load; and the engine further comprises an axial movement sensor configured to register a shaft break when it detects the axial movement of the rear portion of the shaft system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE plc, ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: David Brown, Jorge Calderon
  • Patent number: 11624360
    Abstract: A gear for a pump includes a gear body defining a root circle, and a plurality of gear teeth extending from the gear body radially outwardly of the root circle. Each of the plurality of gear teeth have a tip portion, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a circular thickness defined between the leading edge and the trailing edge, a first radially outwardly facing surface and a second radially outwardly facing surface. At least one of the first radially outwardly facing surface and the second radially outwardly facing surface includes a chamfered portion that extends from the leading edge toward the trailing edge across a portion of the circular thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Edward W. Goy, Weishun William Ni, John M. Kassel
  • Patent number: 11624304
    Abstract: A method for preheating a catalytic converter which is arranged in the exhaust-gas flow of a motor vehicle and which has an electrically heated catalyst is described. The catalytic converter is preheated with the electrically heated catalyst to a maximum temperature within a period of time before the initial engine starting operation. In the process, the temperature of the electrically heated catalyst and the battery state of the vehicle are monitored. During the preheating, it is checked whether or not the battery state has fallen below a state threshold. If so, the heating of the electrically heated catalyst is stopped, and engine-internal measures are implemented. If not, further heating of the electrically heated catalyst is implemented until the maximum temperature is reached again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventor: Hong Zhang
  • Patent number: 11608766
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods for evaluating ammonia storage capacity of a close-coupled SCR unit while remaining compliant with prescribed emissions limits, methods of controlling an emission aftertreatment system including multiple SCR units and emission management systems for a vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an emission aftertreatment system that includes two or more SCR units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: PACCAR INC
    Inventors: Charles Wayne Reinhardt Swart, Cynthia Chaffin Webb, Maarten Meijer, Varun Ramesh
  • Patent number: 11603772
    Abstract: A forced induction device (100) includes: a rotor (1) which includes a turbine side shaft portion (11), a compressor side shaft portion (12), and a connection shaft portion (13) connecting these to each other; a turbine side bearing (5) which supports the turbine side shaft portion (11); and a compressor side bearing (6) which supports the compressor side shaft portion (12). A rigidity of the connection shaft portion (13) is lower than that of the turbine side shaft portion (11) and the compressor side shaft portion (12) so that a node in a mode shape at each critical speed involving with an operating rotational speed region of the rotor (1) is located between the turbine side bearing (5) and the compressor side bearing (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Arakawa, Takaya Futae, Shuichi Miura, Yosuke Danmoto
  • Patent number: 11598275
    Abstract: An engine assembly comprising an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber; an intake manifold for supplying air to the combustion chamber; a fuel injector for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber; an exhaust manifold for receiving exhaust gas released from the combustion chamber and a rotatable drive shaft, wherein combustion of fuel in air within the combustion chamber results in rotation of the drive shaft. The engine assembly further comprises a turbocharger system comprising a turbine and a compressor, wherein the turbine is configured to receive exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold, to recover energy from the exhaust gas, and to release the exhaust gas via a turbine outlet; and wherein the compressor is configured to receive energy from the turbine and thereby to compress air for use in combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Perkins Engines Company Limited
    Inventors: Thomas M. McKay-Smith, Stuart P. Smith, William J. Hay
  • Patent number: 11591946
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for maintaining a temperature of exhaust gases of an engine within a temperature range at which catalytic conversion is most efficient. In one example, a method for controlling a temperature of exhaust gases entering a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system for an engine comprises delivering pressurized air into the exhaust gases upstream of the SCR system, the pressurized air cooled by an air cooler; and adjusting a degree of pressurization by adjusting operation of a turbocharger pressurizing the pressurized air. In one embodiment, the air cooler may be a charge air cooler of a primary turbocharger of the engine, which may flow pressurized air both to the engine and to the SCR system. In other embodiments, the air may be pressurized by an air pump or a secondary dilution turbocharger, and cooled by a secondary charge air cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shawn Spannbauer, Eric Matthew Kurtz, Stephen George Russ
  • Patent number: 11592455
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method for controlling a turbine engine that includes receiving a predetermined arming threshold signal, receiving a predetermined triggering threshold signal, receiving a periodic signal from a speed sensor, determining a frequency signal based on the periodic signal, the predetermined arming threshold signal, and the predetermined triggering threshold signal, determining a speed value based on the determined frequency signal, and controlling a speed of a turbine based on the determined speed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl F. Vaske, Tena K. Britt, Bryan W. Guild, Brian Swope
  • Patent number: 11591949
    Abstract: An aftertreatment system for treating constituents of an exhaust gas produced by an engine includes a heater configured to selectively heat the exhaust gas entering the aftertreatment system. An aftertreatment component is disposed downstream of the heater. A gas sensor is disposed downstream of the heater and upstream of the aftertreatment component. The gas sensor comprises a sensing element, and a heating element configured to selectively heat the sensing element to an operating temperature of the sensing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Cummins Emission Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Colin L. Norris, Andrew W. Osburn, Ryan M. Johnson, Todd A. Corbet, Kyle Robert Fath, Lindsey R. Henry, Baseer Faalzada
  • Patent number: 11578645
    Abstract: A valve system comprising a valve chamber at a junction of an inlet port, an outlet port and a bypass port, the inlet port configured for fluid communication with exhaust gas, the outlet port configured for fluid communication with an inlet of a turbine, and the bypass port configured for fluid communication with an exhaust aftertreatment device; a rotary valve comprising a valve rotor which rotates about a valve axis within the valve chamber between a first position to permit gas flow through the bypass port and a second position to block gas flow. At least one of the valve rotor and the valve chamber comprises a protrusion and the other comprises a recess, wherein, in the first position, the protrusion and recess are spaced from one another, and, in the second position the recess receives the protrusion such that gas flow between the protrusion and recess is substantially prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: CUMMINS LTD.
    Inventors: Robin Daniels, Thomas Morton, Thomas Roberts, Christopher Parry, Richard Goodyear, Mark R. Holden, Donald E. Willey
  • Patent number: 11572825
    Abstract: A flexible cartridge assembly can include a flexible shell that includes a flexible portion disposed between a compressor-side portion and a turbine-side portion, where the flexible portion includes a series of arc-shaped cutouts disposed axially along at least a portion of the flexible portion; a compressor-side bearing assembly; and a turbine-side bearing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Garrett Transportation I Inc.
    Inventor: Jiri Kubec
  • Patent number: 11572878
    Abstract: An element for compressing or expanding a gas including a rigid housing (2) containing an internal chamber; a rotor (3a, 3b) situated in the internal chamber and comprising a rotor shaft (4a, 4b); one or more bearings (7) in which the rotor shaft (4a, 4b) is bearing-supported, wherein the rotor (3a, 3b) with its rotor shaft (4a, 4b) is rotatably mounted with respect to the housing (2) by means of these bearings (7), wherein the rotor (3a, 3b) is mounted with one or more clearances with respect to a wall (5) of the internal chamber, and the element (1) is provided with a separate yielding component (10) which is positionally adjustable with respect to the housing (2) in such a way that at least one of the clearances can be acted upon, wherein the separate yielding component (10) is not directly attached to the rotor (3a, 3b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignees: ATLAS COPCO AIRPOWER, NAAMLOZE VENNOOTSCHAP, VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL
    Inventors: Karolien Kempen, Björn Verrelst, Philippe Ernens, Wouter Ceulemans, Guy De Greef, Florian Fettweis
  • Patent number: 11567032
    Abstract: The heater 72 of the heater portion includes the linear portions 78 and the bend portions 77. A resistance value per unit length of the bend portions 77 at least at a temperature within a temperature range of no less than 700° C. and no more than 900° C. is lower than a resistance value per unit length of the linear portions 78.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Watanabe, Takao Murase, Masashi Yasui, Rui Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 11566623
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a scroll compressor having a shaft balancer capable of attenuating vibration while preventing deformation of the rotary shaft during operation at a high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seungmock Lee, Jonghun Ha, Cheolhwan Kim
  • Patent number: 11560862
    Abstract: An engine control device is configured to perform an air-fuel ratio main feedback process based on an output of a front air-fuel ratio sensor, an air-fuel ratio sub feedback process of alternately switching a target air-fuel ratio between a rich side target air-fuel ratio and a lean side target air-fuel ratio based on an output of a rear air-fuel ratio sensor, and a catalyst air-fuel ratio correction process of, when an opening degree of a wastegate valve is large, correcting the target air-fuel ratio to be the air-fuel ratio on the rich side with respect to the air-fuel ratio when the opening degree is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichi Nakagoshi, Shinji Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 11560863
    Abstract: A powertrain control unit may be configured to control an engine and identify a first operating condition is expected to fulfill a demand for output with an exhaust stream having a first amount of a pollutant (e.g., NOx, particulate matter), and a second operating condition expected to fulfill the demand with an exhaust stream having a reduced amount of the pollutant as compared to the first amount. The powertrain control unit may receive duty cycle information to control the engine to fulfill the demand per the second operating condition, yielding the reduced amount of pollutant in the exhaust. Duty cycle information may include speed, location, position, rotation, temperature, and/or other information. A vehicle, backhoe, bulldozer, crane, and/or combine harvester may comprise the powertrain control unit and an engine and aftertreatment system. An exhaust aftertreatment system may be remotely activated, which may reduce warmup time associated with emissions mitigation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Inventor: Charles E. Ramberg