Patents Examined by Jason Newton
  • Patent number: 10066508
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing, repairing and/or exchanging a housing, in particular an engine housing of an aircraft engine, comprising at least two shells, between which a structural part is formed, wherein the method comprises the following step: layer-by-layer construction of the at least two shells jointly with the structural part by means of a generative manufacturing system, wherein the structural part comprises at least one porous structure and/or honeycomb structure. The invention relates furthermore to such a housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: MTU AERO ENGINES AG
    Inventor: Peter Geiger
  • Patent number: 10066639
    Abstract: A compressor assembly is disclosed. The compressor assembly may have a compressor housing. The compressor housing may have an inner wall. The compressor assembly may also have a compressor impeller disposed within the compressor housing. Further, the compressor assembly may have a bearing housing attached to the compressor housing. The bearing housing may have a body portion and a web extending outward from the body portion to a web end. The compressor assembly may also have a diffuser ring disposed between the inner wall and the web. The diffuser ring may have at least one vane. In addition, the compressor assembly may have a vaneless space extending between the compressor impeller and the vane. The vaneless space may be inclined at an angle relative to a plane disposed orthogonal to a rotational axis of the compressor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Richard E. Annati, Dean S. Musgrave
  • Patent number: 10060418
    Abstract: A solar heat receiver includes a casing having an aperture, and a piping system provided in the casing and discharging a heat medium, which is sent from a fluid supply source, to a fluid supply destination after the heat medium is heated by the solar light. The piping system includes: heat receiver tubes that heat the heat medium flowing therein; an inlet header tube that distributes the heat medium, which is introduced from the fluid supply source, to each of the heat receiver tubes, and an outlet header tube that collects the heat medium passing through each of the heat receiver tubes, and leads the heat medium to the fluid supply destination. The inlet header tube and the outlet header tube have a larger inner diameter than each of the heat receiver tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuta Kobayashi, Masashi Tagawa, Toshiyuki Osada, Takeshi Okubo
  • Patent number: 10060341
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for turbine temperature control in an engine system having multiple staged charge boosting devices. In one example, compressed air is provided by a turbocharger compressor until an outlet temperature of the compressor reaches a limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Baitao Xiao, Hamid-Reza Ossareh, Mario Anthony Santillo, John Erik Mikael Hellstrom
  • Patent number: 10060337
    Abstract: A supercharged engine having an electrically operated water pump for supplying cooling water to an intercooler in a compact layout. The supercharged engine includes a supercharger disposed rearwardly of a cylinder assembly of the engine, a drive pulley mounted on a supercharger drive shaft of the engine, a driven pulley mounted on an input shaft of the supercharger, a drive belt trained around the drive pulley and the driven pulley, an intercooler for cooling supercharging air that is supplied from the supercharger, and an electrically operated water pump for delivering cooling water under pressure to the intercooler. The supercharged engine also includes a belt tensioner for tensioning the drive belt. The electrically operated water pump is disposed on a crankcase which is positioned more closely to the center of the engine across the width thereof in directions along a crankshaft of the engine than the belt tensioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Ohmori, Chikashi Takiguchi
  • Patent number: 10054038
    Abstract: The invention relates to a combustion engine equipped with a dual supercharging system in which a mechanical compressor is driven by an electric motor. The method controls a combustion engine with the electric motor being controlled by determining a rotational speed setpoint for positive-displacement compressor using a supercharge volume filling model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: IFP ENERGIES NOUVELLES
    Inventors: Thomas Leroy, Alexandre Chasse, Jonathan Chauvin
  • Patent number: 10054056
    Abstract: A turbine engine combustion assembly including a casing, a combustion chamber, and at least one fuel injector. The combustion chamber includes an internal wall and an external wall extending one inside the other and connected by an annular chamber base wall. The external wall of the chamber is secured to an annular external wall of the casing. The injector is attached to the annular external wall of the casing and includes a fuel ignition enclosure extending inside the casing successively through openings in the casing wall and in the external wall before opening into the chamber. At least one wall of the ignition enclosure extending between the casing wall and the combustion chamber wall includes at least one air intake port. The external wall of the combustion chamber is solidly connected to a device for plugging the air intake port according to a thermal expansion state of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventor: Bernard Joseph Jean Pierre Carrere
  • Patent number: 10047668
    Abstract: A none-compression internal combustion rotor motor and method to eliminate all of the disadvantages of the presently available internal combustion engines. By eliminating the compression stroke, increasing the efficiency. By replacing the crank shaft, the valve train and the cast iron parts with the main rotor, the combustion pressure can be converted into much higher rotational power and torque and efficiency. By having less parts, and by manufacturing from aluminum, eliminating all of the cast iron parts, reducing the manufacturing energy consumption. By having only balanced rotating parts that rotate on bearings without touching each other, greatly increasing the lifetime of the motor. The none-compression internal combustion rotor motor is air cooled needing no coolant, making it environmentally friendly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Inventor: Imre Nagy
  • Patent number: 10047674
    Abstract: An exhaust device for an engine includes an engine main body having a cylinder head provided with a manifold exhaust passage formed with a gathering exhaust port, a turbo supercharger, a catalyst device provided adjacent to the turbo supercharger, and a processing device disposed on the same side as the cylinder head surface of the engine main body. The processing device includes an exhaust gas processing device and an EGR device. The turbo supercharger guides exhaust gas discharged from the gathering exhaust port upward. The catalyst device includes a carrier, and a container which allows the exhaust gas to pass through a lower region of the carrier. The EGR device and the exhaust gas processing device are at least disposed below the catalyst device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Amane Tsuda, Hiroaki Deguchi, Yasushi Niwa, Noriyuki Maruoka, Kazuya Niida, Kentaro Nomura
  • Patent number: 10041438
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is disclosed. The engine may have a cylinder that defines a combustion chamber for combusting an air/fuel mixture. The engine may also have a piston reciprocally movable within the cylinder between a top dead center (TDC) and a bottom dead center (BDC). The piston may have an uppermost piston ring configured to sealingly contact the cylinder. The engine may have an annular crevice facing the combustion chamber. The crevice may be defined by the cylinder, the piston, and the uppermost piston ring. The engine may also have a flow channel fluidly connected to the combustion chamber. The flow channel may direct unburned air/fuel-mixture out of the combustion chamber. The at least one flow channel may be fluidly connected to the annular crevice for a crank angle range of about 85° to 95° and about 265° to 275° after the top dead center (TDC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH
    Inventor: Karl Stellwagen
  • Patent number: 10041402
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a housing defining an internal cavity, an inner body sealingly moving within the internal cavity for defining at least one combustion chamber of variable volume, a pilot subchamber in communication with the at least one working chamber, an ignition element in communication with the pilot subchamber, a main injector communicating with the at least one combustion chamber, and a pilot injector having a tip in communication with the pilot subchamber. The tip of the pilot injector includes at least a first injection hole defining a first spray direction and a second injection hole defining a second spray direction different from the first spray direction. The first spray direction extends toward the communication between the pilot subchamber and the at least one working chamber. A method of performing combustion in an internal combustion engine is also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Edwin Schulz, Michael Lanktree, Jean Thomassin
  • Patent number: 10030578
    Abstract: A rotating piston internal combustion engine including a housing which includes a housing wall that forms an operating chamber, and in which housing a rotatable rotating piston is arranged which extends through the operating chamber and moves edges of the rotating piston along the housing wall that forms a running surface, wherein a portion of the operating chamber functions as a combustion chamber together with an associated combustion chamber wall for igniting a fuel that is arranged in the operating chamber, characterized in that at least one microwave window is arranged in the combustion chamber wall, wherein a device for injecting microwave energy in a form of microwaves into the combustion chamber of the operating chamber is arranged at a side of the microwave window that is oriented away from the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: MWI Micro Wave Ignition AG
    Inventors: Armin Gallatz, Volker Gallatz
  • Patent number: 10024228
    Abstract: A compressor recirculation valve having a noise-suppressing muffler. The muffler has a double-walled construction, including a perforated outer wall and a non-perforated inner wall. The muffler is arranged surrounding the RCV such that when the RCV valve member is in an open position, compressed recirculation air is constrained to flow along the non-perforated inner wall and past an upper end thereof before reaching and flowing radially outwardly through the perforated outer wall to a transverse flow passage for delivery back into an inlet of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Yunbin Gong, Haibin Wang, Guangqing Zheng, Gaofeng Liu, Ling Wang
  • Patent number: 10018079
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine having an exhaust system, and a heat pipe containing a phase change material. The heat pipe has a condenser region and an evaporative region in thermal contact with the exhaust system, and defines a vapor space and a liquid space separated by a wicking layer. The vehicle has an expander, a condenser, a pump, a first heater, and a second heater in sequential fluid communication in a thermodynamic cycle containing a working fluid. The first heater is in thermal contact with exhaust gases in the exhaust system. The second heater is in thermal contact with the condenser region of the heat pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Shiguang Zhou
  • Patent number: 10018151
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to vary reverse thrust of aircraft engines are disclosed. An example cascade apparatus disclosed herein includes a cascade frame having a first end, a second end, and a fixed structure extending between the first end and second end, where the cascade frame defines a slot. A cascade forms a reverse thrust flow path and at least a portion of the cascade is slidably coupled to the frame via the slot. The cascade slides relative the frame between a first position to produce a first reverse thrust and a second position to produce a second reverse thrust, where the first reverse thrust is different than the second reverse thrust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Omid B. Nakhjavani, Anthony K. Gilbert, Andrew Na, Mohammad A. Heidari
  • Patent number: 10012136
    Abstract: A system for recovering thermal energy from one or more devices of an engine is provided to increase the overall efficiency of the engine. The system comprises an exhaust turbocharger, which is in fluid communication with the engine and driven by a supply of exhaust gas from the engine. The driven exhaust turbocharger is configured to supply compressed air to the engine. A boiler is provided to transfer heat from the exhaust gas to a heat-transfer fluid to generate a heat-transfer vapor. The vapor operates to drive a vapor turbocharger to supply additional compressed air to the engine. The vapor is further used to absorb heat from a coolant fluid used in an engine cooling system before a vapor compressor compresses the vapor back to a semi-saturated state and returns it to the boiler to complete a vapor cycle. A method for implementing the above-mentioned system is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Inventor: Brian Shor
  • Patent number: 10006344
    Abstract: There is provided an arrangement of an internal combustion engine with a sequentially parallel twin turbocharger, in which at least one turbocharger has an electrical energy converter which can be used optionally as a motor for driving a compressor in the lower rotational speed range of the internal combustion engine or as a generator for charging a connected battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Harald Stoffels, Ludwig Stump, Carsten Weber
  • Patent number: 10006357
    Abstract: A rotary engine including a compressor unit and an expander unit, a stator having cylindrical inner wall with intake and outlet ports, a hinged gate which fits into the stator inner wall, multiple sealing-strips being loosely embedded within the stator inner wall and backed by elastic force, an eccentrically rotating rotor with a freely rotatable rotor-sleeve which engages with the hinged gate while separating pressure and non-pressure area incident to the expansion and contraction of the working space, the above components being sandwiched between end-plates, perfect dynamic sealing without solid sliding friction, a gate-operated valve conducting the working fluid from the compressor unit into the expander unit via conduit ports in duly timing. The combination of the two units performs a full and extended power cycle simultaneously during each revolution of a common straight shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Inventor: Zhong Ai Xia
  • Patent number: 10006345
    Abstract: A turbocharger (100) has an asymmetric, twin scroll volute design, having a first volute (101) and a larger second volute (102). The larger second volute (102) eliminates the need for a wastegate and its associated actuator. The smaller first volute (101) is sized for rapid transients and rated torque, while the second volute (102) is sized such that the turbine inlet pressure is satisfactory for rated power. Furthermore, the turbocharger (100) preferably incorporates a mixed flow turbine wheel (108) rather than a radial wheel, which allows for a larger wheel size to be used while still maintaining inertia. The turbine housing (103) is improved wherein the first and second volutes (101) and (102) are asymmetric with respect to each other and preferably, are leaned toward the bearing housing to match the axial component of the mixed flow turbine wheel inducer (112).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory D. Uhlenhake
  • Patent number: 9995209
    Abstract: A rotary engine has a circular shaped rotor and stator. The rotor has an expansion chamber for combustion and the stator has thrust director gate that passes through a passageway through the stator face to alternatively ride along the face of the rotor or to ride within the expansion chamber of the rotor. Passageways through the stator and radially close to the thrust director gate allow for air, fuel, and an ignition source to pass through the stator allow for ignition and expansion of the fuel within the expansion chamber. The thrust director allows for thrust to be applied to the rotor to rotate the rotor. An exhaust manifold, also passing through stator, and also radially aligned with the expansion chamber allows exhaust gases from combustion to be released from the expansion chamber as the rotor rotates the expansion chamber adjacent to the exhaust manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventor: Gerald L. Larson