Patents by Inventor Raymond L. Willey

Raymond L. Willey 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: 5533492
    Abstract: An fuel injection control system suitable for use with internal combustion vehicle engines fueled by compressed natural gas or the like. A liquid-fuel type closed-loop system, modified for gaseous fuel, establishes the duration of each injection command signal by the combination of a P.I.D. controller responsive to the level of exhaust oxygen, an adaptive table which stores previously determined fuel delivery rate values for particular engine speed and load conditions, an injector supply voltage table and an added table modifies the fuel delivery rate correction values which compensate for unwanted pressure variations which occur in the fuel supply due to injector sequencing effects, firing order, fuel flow effects, temperature effects, and fuel sensor errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Raymond L. Willey, Ezio N. Vermiglio
  • Patent number: 5474054
    Abstract: A fuel injection control system suitable for use with internal combustion vehicle engines fueled by compressed natural gas or the like. A conventional liquid-fuel closed-loop injection timing controller establishes the duration of each injection command signal by the combination of a P.I.D. controller responsive to the level of exhaust oxygen, an adaptive table which stores previously determined fuel delivery rate values for particular engine speed and load conditions, an injector supply voltage table which stores fuel delivery rate correction values which compensate for variations in injector operating potentials, and a two-dimensional correction table which provides correction values to compensate for variations due to fuel pressure and resistance variations in the injector actuators due to temperature variations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Bela P. Povinger, Raymond L. Willey
  • Patent number: 5433071
    Abstract: The invention relates to an improved emission control system. The system has particular applicability for use in an internal combustion engine (10) utilizing alternative fuels such as natural gas. More particularly, the invention provides an apparatus and method wherein hydrogen is removed by a conditioning catalyst (16) from the exhaust gas stream (21) to produce a conditioned exhaust gas (22). An exhaust gas oxygen (EGO) sensor (18) is in communication with the conditioned exhaust gas (22) and generates a signal in response to the sensed oxygen concentration of the conditioned exhaust gas (22). The A/F mixture entering engine (10) is adjusted by closed loop control means (14) in response to the signal generated by EGO sensor (18). The removal of hydrogen from the exhaust gas stream (21) eliminates lean shifts and allows oxygen sensor (18) and closed loop control means (14) to more accurately control the A/F ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Raymond L. Willey, Robert W. McCabe, Jeffrey S. Hepburn
  • Patent number: 5237983
    Abstract: An air/fuel control system for use with an internal combustion engine which is adapted to burn fuels having different combustion characteristics. The control system compensates for errors in the fuel-type signal produced by a sensor and provides a failure mode of operation when the sensor fails. A closed-loop air/fuel mixture controller responds to sensed exhaust oxygen levels to maintain combustion near stoichiometry. When the errors from the fuel type sensor predominate, at high engine speed and load, a selected one of two fuel-type variables, is adaptively modified. The first variable is modified in response to the control system's inability to achieve stoichiometry during high speed/high load operation, a condition which causes the first variable to correct the fuel type signal from the sensor. The second variable assumes control when the first variable is unable to achieve stoichiometry, indicating sensor failure, and is updated in accordance with a more vigorous strategy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1993
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Raymond L. Willey, Judith M. Curran
  • Patent number: 5230322
    Abstract: An air/fuel control system for use with an internal combustion engine which is adapted to burn fuels having different combustion characteristics. The control system compensates for errors in the fuel-type signal produced by a sensor. A closed-loop air/fuel mixture controller responds to sensed exhaust oxygen levels to maintain combustion near stoichiometry. When the errors from the fuel type sensor predominate, at high engine speed and load, a fuel-type variable, initially obtained from the sensor, is adaptively modified. The error compensation scheme thus adapts to changing fuels, fuel sensor errors, and differing engine operating characteristics to provide better fuel control and improved performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1993
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Judith M. Curran, Raymond L. Willey, David A. Wright
  • Patent number: 5220895
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for modifying a control signal of a fuel injector of a fuel delivery system wherein at least one shut-down temperature signal representing the temperature of an internal combustion engine is utilized together with other input signals to calculate a net amount of heat transferred to the fuel delivery system. The signals are utilized to calculate a correction factor, which correction is used to modify the control signal for the fuel injector. Preferably, two shut-down temperature signals are utilized, an engine coolant shut-down temperature signal and an air charge shut-down temperature signal to calculate the net amount of heat transferred. The modified control signal provides accurate control of the fuel injector by compensating for the increased volatility of the heated liquid fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Judith M. Curran, Raymond L. Willey