Patents by Inventor Shinichiro Nogawa

Shinichiro Nogawa 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: 10221793
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine is configured, when the speed of combustion of a fuel in a cylinder changes as the property of the fuel injected from a fuel injection valve changes, to change a combustion limit excess air ratio that is a target value of a fuel injection amount feedforward control according to a first relationship that the combustion limit excess air ratio increases as the speed of combustion of the fuel in the cylinder increases. The controller is also configured, when the speed of combustion of the fuel in the cylinder changes as the property of the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve changes, to change the value of a combustion limit combustion speed parameter that is the target value of a fuel injection amount feedback control according to a second relationship that the speed of combustion of the fuel in the cylinder corresponding to a combustion limit increases as the speed of combustion of the fuel in the cylinder increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichiro Nogawa, Hiroaki Mizoguchi, Yasuyuki Irisawa, Shintaro Hotta, Masanori Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10087867
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes a cylinder, an in-cylinder pressure sensor, a fuel injection valve, and an alcohol concentration sensor. The control device includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: carry out learning of fuel properties with the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve as a target; calculate a combustion speed parameter, showing a combustion speed, within the cylinder, of the fuel that is a learning target of the fuel properties, on a basis of the in-cylinder pressure; and determine that water is included in the fuel when the capacitance of the fuel detected by the alcohol concentration sensor is larger than a preset first threshold, and when the combustion speed of the fuel within the cylinder is smaller than a preset second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Hotta, Shinichiro Nogawa, Hiroaki Mizoguchi, Yasuyuki Irisawa, Masanori Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10036307
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an intake air temperature adjustment apparatus that adjusts the temperature of intake air, and a control apparatus that operates at least the intake air temperature adjustment apparatus. When the internal combustion engine operates in a stoichiometric EGR mode, the control apparatus operates the intake air temperature adjustment apparatus so that the temperature of intake air entering a combustion chamber enters a first temperature region. When the internal combustion engine operates in a lean mode, the control apparatus operates the intake air temperature adjustment apparatus so that the temperature of intake air entering a combustion chamber enters a second temperature region that is a lower temperature region than the first temperature region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Hotta, Yasuyuki Irisawa, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Shinichiro Nogawa
  • Patent number: 9903303
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having an air flow control valve which changes intake air flow achieves the stratified lean combustion, in place of the homogeneous lean combustion, in a specific combustion stroke of a specific cylinder, when it switches the opening of the air flow control valve, if all of or a part of a specific intake stroke overlaps with a switching period of the air flow control valve, the specific combustion stroke following the specific intake stroke of the specific cylinder. As a result, even when the opening of the air flow control valve is changed, it is possible to make combustion stable. Thereby, the occurrence of torque fluctuation is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichiro Nogawa
  • Publication number: 20170356377
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine is configured, when the speed of combustion of a fuel in a cylinder changes as the property of the fuel injected from a fuel injection valve changes, to change a combustion limit excess air ratio that is a target value of a fuel injection amount feedforward control according to a first relationship that the combustion limit excess air ratio increases as the speed of combustion of the fuel in the cylinder increases. The controller is also configured, when the speed of combustion of the fuel in the cylinder changes as the property of the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve changes, to change the value of a combustion limit combustion speed parameter that is the target value of a fuel injection amount feedback control according to a second relationship that the speed of combustion of the fuel in the cylinder corresponding to a combustion limit increases as the speed of combustion of the fuel in the cylinder increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichiro NOGAWA, Hiroaki MIZOGUCHI, Yasuyuki IRISAWA, Shintaro HOTTA, Masanori HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20170356379
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes a cylinder, an in-cylinder pressure sensor, a fuel injection valve, and an alcohol concentration sensor. The control device includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: carry out learning of fuel properties with the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve as a target; calculate a combustion speed parameter, showing a combustion speed, within the cylinder, of the fuel that is a learning target of the fuel properties, on a basis of the in-cylinder pressure; and determine that water is included in the fuel when the capacitance of the fuel detected by the alcohol concentration sensor is larger than a preset first threshold, and when the combustion speed of the fuel within the cylinder is smaller than a preset second threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro HOTTA, Shinichiro NOGAWA, Hiroaki MIZOGUCHI, Yasuyuki IRISAWA, Masanori HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20170276059
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an intake air temperature adjustment apparatus that adjusts the temperature of intake air, and a control apparatus that operates at least the intake air temperature adjustment apparatus. When the internal combustion engine operates in a stoichiometric EGR mode, the control apparatus operates the intake air temperature adjustment apparatus so that the temperature of intake air entering a combustion chamber enters a first temperature region. When the internal combustion engine operates in a lean mode, the control apparatus operates the intake air temperature adjustment apparatus so that the temperature of intake air entering a combustion chamber enters a second temperature region that is a lower temperature region than the first temperature region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro HOTTA, Yasuyuki IRISAWA, Hiroyuki TANAKA, Shinichiro NOGAWA
  • Patent number: 9726118
    Abstract: An EGR apparatus includes a EGR passage and an EGR valve provided in the EGR passage to regulate an EGR flow rate in the EGR passage. An ECU closes the EGR valve from an open state prior to start of deceleration of the engine based on engine rotation speed detected by a rotation speed sensor, accelerator opening degree detected by an accelerator sensor, and actual opening degree of the EGR valve. During deceleration of the engine, the ECU obtains a target opening degree of the EGR valve according to the separately detected engine rotation speed and accelerator opening degree from a target opening degree map and starts to close the EGR valve when a difference between an actual opening degree and the target opening degree of the EGR valve exceeds a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignees: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mamoru Yoshioka, Shinichiro Nogawa, Yasuyuki Irisawa, Hiroyuki Hokuto
  • Publication number: 20170089290
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having an air flow control valve which changes intake air flow achieves the stratified lean combustion, in place of the homogeneous lean combustion, in a specific combustion stroke of a specific cylinder, when it switches the opening of the air flow control valve, if all of or a part of a specific intake stroke overlaps with a switching period of the air flow control valve, the specific combustion stroke following the specific intake stroke of the specific cylinder. As a result, even when the opening of the air flow control valve is changed, it is possible to make combustion stable. Thereby, the occurance of torque fluctuation is suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichiro NOGAWA
  • Patent number: 9567945
    Abstract: An exhaust circulation apparatus that can improve fuel combustion and suppress discharged NOx by expanding an operating region in which homogeneous lean combustion is possible. The exhaust circulation apparatus includes a homogeneous lean combustion unit for performing homogeneous lean combustion in a predetermined lean-burn region, and an EGR apparatus for performing EGR that recirculates a portion of gas that flows through an exhaust system of the internal combustion engine to an intake system. When performing homogeneous lean combustion, the exhaust circulation apparatus controls the EGR apparatus to perform EGR. An LPL-EGR apparatus that recirculates gas flowing through an exhaust passage on a downstream side of a turbine to an intake passage on an upstream side of a compressor is used as the EGR apparatus. Preferably, an air-fuel ratio is controlled so as to be 22:1 and an EGR rate is controlled so as to be between 10% and 20%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichiro Nogawa
  • Publication number: 20170009674
    Abstract: The control device executes transition control when the operating state of the air flow control valve is switched during implementation of the lean burn operation, and the NOx storage amount which is estimated is smaller than a determination value. According to the transition control, a combustion air-fuel ratio in a cycle of which an intake stroke overlaps a time period of switching the operating state of the air flow control valve is made fuel-leaner than the theoretical air-fuel ratio and fuel-richer than the predetermined air-fuel ratio. When the estimated value of the NOx storage amount is the determination value or more, rich spike is executed during a predetermined time period including the time period of switching the operating state of the air flow control valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichiro NOGAWA
  • Patent number: 9422851
    Abstract: An amount of NOx discharged from an internal combustion engine at the time of reducing the NOx stored in an NOx storage reduction catalyst is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichiro Nogawa
  • Publication number: 20150218994
    Abstract: An amount of NOx discharged from an internal combustion engine at the time of reducing the NOx stored in an NOx storage reduction catalyst is decreased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichiro Nogawa
  • Publication number: 20150192099
    Abstract: A spark plug includes a housing portion; an insulator that is retained in the housing portion; a center electrode that is exposed from the insulator; and a ground electrode that forms a discharge gap between the ground electrode and the center electrode. A plug pocket is formed between the housing portion and the insulator. In the spark plug, a tapered portion is provided on an inside of one of two portions of a tip end portion of the housing portion that face each other in a radial direction of the housing portion, and the ground electrode is provided on the other portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Inventors: Akihiro Ando, Motomasa Iizuka, Koichi Nakata, Shinichiro Nogawa, Kotaro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20140352298
    Abstract: An exhaust circulation apparatus that can improve fuel combustion and suppress discharged NOx by expanding an operating region in which homogeneous lean combustion is possible. The exhaust circulation apparatus includes a homogeneous lean combustion unit for performing homogeneous lean combustion in a predetermined lean-burn region, and an EGR apparatus for performing EGR that recirculates a portion of gas that flows through an exhaust system of the internal combustion engine to an intake system. When performing homogeneous lean combustion, the exhaust circulation apparatus controls the EGR apparatus to perform EGR. An LPL-EGR apparatus that recirculates gas flowing through an exhaust passage on a downstream side of a turbine to an intake passage on an upstream side of a compressor is used as the EGR apparatus. Preferably, an air-fuel ratio is controlled so as to be 22 and an EGR rate is controlled so as to be between 10% and 20%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichiro Nogawa
  • Patent number: 8807095
    Abstract: The cooling device is provided with an engine including a cylinder block, a cylinder head, and a W/J which is a single system as a whole and which causes coolant to flow from the cylinder block to the cylinder head. The W/J branches into first and second inner paths within the cylinder block, and joints together within the cylinder head. The first inner path is provided with an opening and closing valve for permitting and prohibiting the flow of the coolant based on the pressure of the coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daishi Takahashi, Shinichiro Nogawa
  • Patent number: 8746187
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus 1A includes an engine 50A having a cylinder head 52A having a head side W/J 521A equipped with partial W/J 521aA through 521dA individually incorporated into four different cooling systems, first recess/projection portions P capable of generating a flow separation of cooling water in accordance with a change of the flow rate within a range of a maximum flow rate of the cooling water being provided to the head side W/J 521A, and control means for executing a control of changing the flow rate of the cooling water that flows through the first cooling medium passageway in accordance with operating conditions of the engine including a case where the control means partially changes in each of the plurality of the partial cooling medium passageways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichiro Nogawa, Daishi Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20130312718
    Abstract: An EGR apparatus includes a EGR passage and an EGR valve provided in the EGR passage to regulate an EGR flow rate in the EGR passage. An ECU closes the EGR valve from an open state prior to start of deceleration of the engine based on engine rotation speed detected by a rotation speed sensor, accelerator opening degree detected by an accelerator sensor, and actual opening degree of the EGR valve. During deceleration of the engine, the ECU obtains a target opening degree of the EGR valve according to the separately detected engine rotation speed and accelerator opening degree from a target opening degree map and starts to close the EGR valve when a difference between an actual opening degree and the target opening degree of the EGR valve exceeds a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mamoru YOSHIOKA, Shinichiro NOGAWA, Yasuyuki IRISAWA, Hiroyuki HOKUTO
  • Publication number: 20130247847
    Abstract: A cooling device 1A includes an engine 50A provided with W/Js 501, 502, and 503A, and a first control valve 31. The W/J 501 is provided at an intake side in a cylinder block 51A. The W/J 502 is provided at an exhaust side in the cylinder block 51A. The W/J 503A diverges from a given position of the W/J 501. Also, the W/J 503A is provided toward the exhaust side through the intake side of the cylinder head 52A. The first control valve 31 makes the coolant flowing state changeable between a state where the coolant is caused to flow in the W/J 501 and a state where the coolant is caused to flow in the W/Js 501 and 503A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventors: Shinichiro Nogawa, Kazuhito Sakai
  • Patent number: 8479705
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, on a cylinder head side, a tumble flow is formed that is directed from an intake vent opened on the cylinder head to an exhaust vent opened on the cylinder head. A direct injection valve injects fuel directly into a combustion space. The direct injection valve injects the fuel toward a section where a piston top surface intersects with a cylinder inner surface, at a point closer to an intake top dead center than a middle between the intake top dead center and an intake bottom dead center, and thereafter injects the fuel into the combustion space again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichiro Nogawa, Hisao Suzuki