Patents by Inventor Eric Kurtz

Eric Kurtz 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).

  • Publication number: 20070068157
    Abstract: In an apparatus having an internal combustion engine, a compressor for compressing engine intake gases, a particulate filter for filtering particulate matter from engine exhaust, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system for recirculating exhaust gases from a location downstream of the particulate filter to a location upstream of the compressor, and a particulate filter function detector configured to detect a failure of the particulate filter, a method of operating the engine, including receiving a signal from the particulate filter function detector, comparing the signal from the particulate filter function detector to a predetermined signal threshold, determining if the signal received from the particulate filter function detector meets a predetermined condition relative to the predetermined signal threshold; and reducing a flow of exhaust gas through the EGR system if the signal meets the predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Inventor: Eric Kurtz
  • Publication number: 20070056266
    Abstract: In an apparatus having a diesel engine, a catalytic device in communication with the engine for treating emissions from the engine, and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system having a cooler configured to provide cooled recirculated engine exhaust to an engine intake, and an EGR cooler bypass for providing uncooled recirculated exhaust to the engine intake, a method of regenerating the catalytic device including increasing a flow of uncooled recirculated exhaust provided to the engine intake via the EGR cooler bypass, thereby operating the engine with an increased flow of uncooled recirculated exhaust, and purging the catalytic device of a stored exhaust component while operating the engine with the increased flow of uncooled recirculated exhaust.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Inventor: Eric Kurtz
  • Publication number: 20060254259
    Abstract: A method of operating a diesel engine in a mechanical apparatus is disclosed, wherein the diesel engine includes a combustion chamber, and wherein the mechanical apparatus also including a catalyst configured to treat NOx emissions from the diesel engine. The method includes performing at least one early homogenization combustion in the combustion chamber, determining a temperature of the catalyst, and if the temperature of the catalyst is equal to or below a preselected temperature threshold, then performing at least one late homogenization combustion or diffusion combustion in the combustion chamber to raise a temperature of exhaust provided to the catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Inventors: Eric Kurtz, Daniel Roettger, Evangelos Karvounis
  • Publication number: 20050045163
    Abstract: The present invention is a dual-stage fuel injection strategy for compression ignition engines in which 15-40% of the fuel is injected into the combustion chamber no later than about ?20 to ?30 CA ATDC and as early as IVC. The remaining fuel is then injected in one or more fuel pulses, none of which start before about ?20 to ?30 CA ATDC. The fuel injected early in the compression stroke forms a lean mixture that burns with low soot and low NOx emissions. The combustion of that fuel serves to increase in-cylinder temperature such that the ignition delay of subsequent fuel injection pulses is short. This mode is utilized when it is predicted that a NOx spike is imminent. Various other alternative methods for reducing NOx spikes are also disclosed such as specialized EGR systems that can provide EGR with low manifold vacuum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Inventors: Eric Kurtz, John Vanderslice
  • Patent number: D424530
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: HON Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Kurtz, Nicholas Price, Ogden R. Olson, Rudolph J. Pavlik, David G. Blackburn, David R. Millar, Earl F. Robinson