Patents by Inventor Daniel L. Flower

Daniel L. Flower 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).

  • Patent number: 11428174
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system for controlling ignition of an air/fuel mixture intake charge directed into an internal combustion engine. The system may have a longitudinally movable inner cylinder liner configured to fit within a cylinder wall portion of an internal combustion engine, and able to receive a piston of the engine therein. A portion of the inner cylinder liner defines an internal volume forming a combustion chamber, and the internal volume controls a compression ratio of the cylinder. The system also has a cylinder head assembly operatively associated with the inner cylinder liner and able to move linearly to cause longitudinal displacement of the inner cylinder liner relative to the cylinder wall portion. This enables the volume of the combustion chamber to be further varied, to thus further vary the compression ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel L. Flowers
  • Patent number: 11306653
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system for controlling ignition of an intake charge directed into an internal combustion engine. The system may have a movable component operably associated with at least one of a piston of the engine or a combustion chamber of the engine. The movable component may be tuned to deflect in response to a predetermined pressure being reached in a cylinder in which the piston is housed. The movable component operates to deflect in response to the predetermined pressure being reached in the cylinder as the piston travels toward top dead center during its compression stroke, to change a compression ratio of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Killingsworth, Daniel L. Flowers, Russell A. Whitesides
  • Publication number: 20210254563
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system for controlling ignition of an air/fuel mixture intake charge directed into an internal combustion engine. The system may have a longitudinally movable inner cylinder liner configured to fit within a cylinder wall portion of an internal combustion engine, and able to receive a piston of the engine therein. A portion of the inner cylinder liner defines an internal volume forming a combustion chamber, and the internal volume controls a compression ratio of the cylinder. The system also has a cylinder head assembly operatively associated with the inner cylinder liner and able to move linearly to cause longitudinal displacement of the inner cylinder liner relative to the cylinder wall portion. This enables the volume of the combustion chamber to be further varied, to thus further vary the compression ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventor: Daniel L. FLOWERS
  • Patent number: 11085910
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a miniaturized fuel laboratory system that makes use of a housing, a processor housed within the housing, and a fuel inlet port supported from the housing for receiving a quantity of fuel to be used as a fuel test sample. The system may also have at least one fuel sensor housed in the housing in communication with the fuel inlet port for receiving the fuel test sample and carrying out combustion thereof. An electronic component may be housed in the housing, which enables communication with an external remote subsystem. A database may be incorporated which contains at least one of stored fuel characteristics or stored fuel analysis models, accessible by the processor. The processor may use fuel oxidation information generated by the fuel sensor, and at least one of the stored fuel characteristics or stored combustion models, to determine at least one fuel characteristic of the fuel test sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew J. McNenly, Geoffrey M. Oxberry, Ahmed E. Ismail, Nicholas Killingsworth, Daniel L. Flowers
  • Publication number: 20210025322
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system for controlling ignition of an intake charge directed into an internal combustion engine. The system may have a movable component operably associated with at least one of a piston of the engine or a combustion chamber of the engine. The movable component may be tuned to deflect in response to a predetermined pressure being reached in a cylinder in which the piston is housed. The movable component operates to deflect in response to the predetermined pressure being reached in the cylinder as the piston travels toward top dead center during its compression stroke, to change a compression ratio of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Applicant: LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas KILLINGSWORTH, Daniel L. FLOWERS, Russell A. WHITESIDES
  • Publication number: 20190324009
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a miniaturized fuel laboratory system that makes use of a housing, a processor housed within the housing, and a fuel inlet port supported from the housing for receiving a quantity of fuel to be used as a fuel test sample. The system may also have at least one fuel sensor housed in the housing in communication with the fuel inlet port for receiving the fuel test sample and carrying out combustion thereof. An electronic component may be housed in the housing, which enables communication with an external remote subsystem. A database may be incorporated which contains at least one of stored fuel characteristics or stored fuel analysis models, accessible by the processor. The processor may use fuel oxidation information generated by the fuel sensor, and at least one of the stored fuel characteristics or stored combustion models, to determine at least one fuel characteristic of the fuel test sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Matthew J. MCNENLY, Geoffrey M. OXBERRY, Ahmed E. ISMAIL, Nicholas KILLINGSWORTH, Daniel L. FLOWERS
  • Patent number: 10371689
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a miniaturized fuel laboratory system having exterior dimensions enabling the system to be at least one of hand-holdable or contained on a component. The system makes use of a processor, a fuel inlet port for receiving a quantity of fuel to be used as a fuel test sample, and at least one fuel sensor in communication with the fuel inlet port for receiving the fuel test sample. The processor uses the information obtained by the fuel sensor to determine at least one characteristic of the fuel test sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew J. Mcnenly, Geoffrey M. Oxberry, Ahmed E. Ismail, Nicholas Killingsworth, Daniel L. Flowers
  • Publication number: 20180074037
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a miniaturized fuel laboratory system having exterior dimensions enabling the system to be at least one of hand-holdable or contained on a component. The system makes use of a processor, a fuel inlet port for receiving a quantity of fuel to be used as a fuel test sample, and at least one fuel sensor in communication with the fuel inlet port for receiving the fuel test sample. The processor uses the information obtained by the fuel sensor to determine at least one characteristic of the fuel test sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Nicholas KILLINGSWORTH, Daniel L. FLOWERS, Matthew J. MCNENLY, Geoffrey M. OXBERRY, Ahmed E. ISMAIL
  • Publication number: 20140138257
    Abstract: A method for removing tritium from liquid lithium includes mixing the liquid lithium containing trace amounts of tritium with a molten salt and forming a salt of lithium and tritium. The method also includes separating the liquid lithium from the salt of lithium and tritium and circulating the molten salt in an electrolyzer to form molecular tritium. The method further includes bubbling an inert gas through the electrolyzer to remove the molecular tritium and circulating the argon and removed molecular tritium in a titanium getter to recover the tritium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin J. Kramer, Daniel L. Flowers, Jeffery Latkowski, Joel Martinez-Frias, Susana Reyes
  • Publication number: 20100147269
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine. The engine includes at least one cylinder having a bore diameter, a piston for traveling within each cylinder between a first position and a second position, wherein the distance between the first position and the second position defines a stroke length, and thermal barriers on the surfaces of the combustion chamber near top dead center. In one embodiment, the engine utilizes asymmetric effective compression and expansion strokes. To maximize efficiency of the engine, a ratio of the bore diameter to stroke length of the internal combustion engine comprises a range between 0.5 to 1.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: CLEEVES ENGINES INC.
    Inventors: Daniel L. Flowers, Joel Martinez-Frias, James M. Cleeves
  • Patent number: 6923167
    Abstract: A Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine system includes an engine that produces exhaust gas. A vaporization means vaporizes fuel for the engine an air induction means provides air for the engine. An exhaust gas recirculation means recirculates the exhaust gas. A blending means blends the vaporized fuel, the exhaust gas, and the air. An induction means inducts the blended vaporized fuel, exhaust gas, and air into the engine. A control means controls the blending of the vaporized fuel, the exhaust gas, and the air and for controls the inducting the blended vaporized fuel, exhaust gas, and air into the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Daniel L. Flowers
  • Patent number: 5259326
    Abstract: A work station, particularly for supporting a computer, having separate front and back tops having separate powered drive arrangements for permitting independently height adjustment. The drive arrangement includes a separate drive motor associated with each top, with the motors being controlled by a controller, such as a microprocessor. The controller is preferably controlled by an operator using a portable keypad control which can be positioned on one of the tops. The controller can be programmed by the operator to permit storage of a number of predetermined height locations each defining distinct heights for both tops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1993
    Assignee: Haworth, Inc.
    Inventors: Randall W. Borgman, William L. Cleair, Thomas J. Osterman, Paul M. Pierce, Brian D. T. Alexander, Daniel L. Flower, Greg R. Pattok, Raymond D. Rosendahl, Donald W. Graham