Patents by Inventor Brad VanDerWege
Brad VanDerWege has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11708811Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for restarting an engine following an engine idle-stop. In one example, a method may include, prior to an engine restart following an idle-stop, adjusting a spark ignition timing based on an estimation of a fuel-air equivalence ratio (phi) and an estimation of a cylinder turbulence. Optimal spark ignition timing based on estimated phi and cylinder turbulence during engine restart may result in stabilized combustion and a torque output sufficient to at least partially relieve demand on the starting device.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2021Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: David Ord, Brad VanDerWege, Joseph Thomas
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Patent number: 11635004Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for providing secondary air to an exhaust system during catalyst warm-up. In one example, a method may include, during a cold start condition, operating an engine with a first number of cylinders unfired and a remaining number of cylinders fired during an engine cycle, opening an intake valve of an unfired cylinder of the first number of cylinders during an expansion stroke of the unfired cylinder, and opening an exhaust valve of the unfired cylinder during a compression stroke of the unfired cylinder. In this way, the unfired cylinders may provide the secondary air to the exhaust system during a stroke that increases mixing of the secondary air with burned exhaust gas from fired cylinders, thus increasing exotherm production in the exhaust system to increase a temperature of the catalyst.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2021Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Rani Kiwan, Chris Paul Glugla, Brad VanDerWege
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Publication number: 20220333509Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for providing secondary air to an exhaust system during catalyst warm-up. In one example, a method may include, during a cold start condition, operating an engine with a first number of cylinders unfired and a remaining number of cylinders fired during an engine cycle, opening an intake valve of an unfired cylinder of the first number of cylinders during an expansion stroke of the unfired cylinder, and opening an exhaust valve of the unfired cylinder during a compression stroke of the unfired cylinder. In this way, the unfired cylinders may provide the secondary air to the exhaust system during a stroke that increases mixing of the secondary air with burned exhaust gas from fired cylinders, thus increasing exotherm production in the exhaust system to increase a temperature of the catalyst.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2021Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Rani Kiwan, Chris Paul Glugla, Brad VanDerWege
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Patent number: 11473518Abstract: Methods are provided for reducing exhaust gas emissions during a cold-start of an engine. In one example, a method may include generating a flame front in an exhaust port of an exhaust system, heating exhaust gas flowing into an emission control device of the exhaust system and thereby expediting the approach to a light-off temperature of the emission control device, and directing the flame front back to the cylinder as part of a combustion stroke of the four-stroke engine cycle.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2021Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Xiaogang Zhang, Steven Wooldridge, Peter C. Moilanen, Brad VanDerWege, Gary Alan Coulson, Jennifer Fischer
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Publication number: 20220290646Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for restarting an engine following an engine idle-stop. In one example, a method may include, prior to an engine restart following an idle-stop, adjusting a spark ignition timing based on an estimation of a fuel-air equivalence ratio (phi) and an estimation of a cylinder turbulence. Optimal spark ignition timing based on estimated phi and cylinder turbulence during engine restart may result in stabilized combustion and a torque output sufficient to at least partially relieve demand on the starting device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2021Publication date: September 15, 2022Inventors: David Ord, Brad VanDerWege, Joseph Thomas
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Patent number: 11421608Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing hydrocarbon emissions from an engine. In one example, a method may include adjusting timing profiles of a first and a second exhaust valve to selectively allow pneumatic communication between a cylinder and exhaust ports of an exhaust manifold during an engine cold start.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2021Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Xiaogang Zhang, Steven Wooldridge, Brad VanDerWege
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Patent number: 11391227Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for providing secondary air to an exhaust system during catalyst warm-up. In one example, a method may include operating an engine in a thermactor mode responsive to a cold start condition, the thermactor mode including skipping a first number of engine cylinders and producing torque via a remaining number of the engine cylinders, and differently adjusting a cylinder valve of at least one of the first number of the engine cylinders relative to the remaining number of the engine cylinders while operating in the thermactor mode. In this way, exotherms may be generated by the secondary air reacting with fuel in exhaust gas, thus increasing a temperature of the catalyst.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2021Date of Patent: July 19, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Rani Kiwan, Chris Paul Glugla, Brad VanDerWege
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Publication number: 20220220907Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing hydrocarbon emissions from an engine. In one example, a method may include adjusting timing profiles of a first and a second exhaust valve to selectively allow pneumatic communication between a cylinder and exhaust ports of an exhaust manifold during an engine cold start.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2021Publication date: July 14, 2022Inventors: Xiaogang Zhang, Steven Wooldridge, Brad VanDerWege
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Patent number: 11371454Abstract: Systems and methods for stopping and starting a direct injection engine are described. In one example, the air is injected into one or more pre-chambers of engine cylinders to adjust engine pumping torque during an engine stop so that the engine may stop at a crankshaft position that facilitates direct engine starting.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2021Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Chris Glugla, Brad A. VanDerWege
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Patent number: 11365695Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for providing secondary air to an exhaust system during catalyst warm-up. In one example, a method may include, during a cold start condition, operating an engine with a number of cylinders deactivated and a remaining number of cylinders active, and adjusting a first air charge within a deactivated cylinder of the number of cylinders relative to relative to a second air charge within an active cylinder of the remaining number of cylinders. In this way, an amount of secondary air provided to the exhaust system of the engine may be more robustly controlled, thus decreasing cooling of the exhaust system during the cold start condition that may otherwise occur due to excess secondary air.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2021Date of Patent: June 21, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Rani Kiwan, Chris Paul Glugla, Brad VanDerWege
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Patent number: 11365693Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for providing secondary air to an exhaust system during catalyst warm-up. In one example, a method may include, responsive to a cold start of an engine: operating the engine with a number of unfired cylinders and a remaining number of fired cylinders each engine cycle, and adjusting exhaust mixing by adjusting an exhaust valve parameter of at least one unfired cylinder of the number of unfired cylinders. In this way, the unfired cylinders may provide the secondary air as well as increased mixing of the secondary air with burned exhaust gas from fired cylinders, thus increasing exotherm production in the exhaust system to increase a temperature of the catalyst.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2021Date of Patent: June 21, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Rani Kiwan, Chris Paul Glugla, Brad VanDerWege
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Patent number: 11319866Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for air and fuel delivery within a pre-chamber. In one example, an engine pre-combustion chamber comprises a first chamber portion centered along a first axis, and a second chamber portion joined to the first chamber portion and centered along a second axis arranged at an angle to the first axis. In this way, wall wetting may be decreased while favorable charge motion for robust ignition may be increased.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2021Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Brad VanDerWege, Claudia Iyer
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Publication number: 20220049666Abstract: Systems and methods for stopping and starting a direct injection engine are described. In one example, the air is injected into one or more pre-chambers of engine cylinders to adjust engine pumping torque during an engine stop so that the engine may stop at a crankshaft position that facilitates direct engine starting.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2021Publication date: February 17, 2022Inventors: Chris Glugla, Brad A. VanDerWege
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Patent number: 11248551Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a pre-chamber to provide ignition to a cylinder during catalyst heating. In one example, a method may include injecting fuel and air into a pre-chamber of an engine cylinder during an expansion stroke of the engine cylinder responsive to a temperature of a catalyst being less than a threshold temperature, and injecting the fuel and the air into the pre-chamber during a compression stroke of the engine cylinder responsive to the temperature of the catalyst being greater than or equal to the threshold temperature. In this way, the pre-chamber may provide robust ignition to the cylinder during a variety of operating conditions.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2021Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Brad VanDerWege, Joseph Basmaji
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Patent number: 11105287Abstract: Systems and methods for stopping and starting a direct injection engine are described. In one example, the air is injected into one or more pre-chambers of engine cylinders to adjust engine pumping torque during an engine stop so that the engine may stop at a crankshaft position that facilitates direct engine starting.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2020Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Chris Glugla, Brad VanDerWege
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Patent number: 10590892Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating vacuum via a throttle. In one example, a method may comprise rotating the throttle to a first fully closed position to provide vacuum to a first vacuum consumption device and rotating the throttle to a second fully closed position to provide vacuum to a second vacuum consumption device. The method may further include rotating the throttle to a partially closed position to provide vacuum to both the first and second vacuum consumption devices.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2017Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Xiaogang Zhang, Jianwen James Yi, Brad VanDerWege
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Publication number: 20190186446Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating vacuum via a throttle. In one example, a method may comprise rotating the throttle to a first fully closed position to provide vacuum to a first vacuum consumption device and rotating the throttle to a second fully closed position to provide vacuum to a second vacuum consumption device. The method may further include rotating the throttle to a partially closed position to provide vacuum to both the first and second vacuum consumption devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2017Publication date: June 20, 2019Inventors: Xiaogang Zhang, Jianwen James Yi, Brad VanDerWege