Patents by Inventor Tenghua Tom Shieh

Tenghua Tom Shieh 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: 11877423
    Abstract: A thermal management system to cool one or more battery packs of a battery system may include a heat pipe arrangement that includes a plurality of heat pipes, having a planar configuration, in thermal contact with the one or more battery packs to draw heat therefrom, and a heat sink arrangement that includes a plurality of heat sinks, in thermal contact with two or more edges of the heat pipe arrangement, to dissipate heat away from the heat pipe arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Gaohua Zhu, Tenghua Tom Shieh, Evan B. Fleming, Swetha Minupuri, Debasish Banerjee, Ryuta Sugiura, Yusuke Suzuki, Takayoshi Tanaka, Satoko Tofukuji
  • Publication number: 20220117116
    Abstract: A thermal management system to cool one or more battery packs of a battery system may include a heat pipe arrangement that includes a plurality of heat pipes, having a planar configuration, in thermal contact with the one or more battery packs to draw heat therefrom, and a heat sink arrangement that includes a plurality of heat sinks, in thermal contact with two or more edges of the heat pipe arrangement, to dissipate heat away from the heat pipe arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Gaohua Zhu, Tenghua Tom Shieh, Evan B. Fleming, Swetha Minupuri, Debasish Banerjee, Ryuta Sugiura, Yusuke Suzuki, Takayoshi Tanaka, Satoko Tofukuji
  • Patent number: 10865671
    Abstract: An oil pan assembly having an oil pan and an intake pipe attached to a bottom of an engine block is provided. The oil pan assembly includes an inner plate mounted to the oil pan so as to be disposed between the oil pan and a bottom surface of the engine block. The inner plate is configured to slow the flow of oil to an intake pipe so as to provide additional time for entrained oil to de-areate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Shohei Nomura, Swetha Minupuri, Dong-Hyun Lee
  • Patent number: 10468124
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for designing and producing a cooling fluid for use in a cooling system. The process uses molecular dynamics to calculate the thermal properties of one or more fluid-nanoparticle solutions, and thereby aids in the study, selection and/or production of desired cooling fluids based on first principle simulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Shohei Nomura, Erich Benjamin Fiederlein, Kiyotaka Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10273886
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for reducing abnormal combustion within a combustion chamber of the engine. The process can include simulation of the piston-driven internal combustion engine with oil droplets from the crankcase entering into the combustion chamber. In addition, the oil drops entering into the combustion chamber can be simulated as hot spots, as can simulation of fuel combustion within the combustion chamber. A probability of pre-ignition for at least a portion of the simulated hot spots as a function of the simulated fuel combustion and the simulated hot spots within the combustion chamber can be calculated and based on the calculation a combustion chamber parameter can be altered such that pre-ignition within the combustion chamber is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Oana Nitulescu, Wei Liu Liu, Kiyotaka Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10119464
    Abstract: An engine assembly having a cover for catching oil splatted by crankshaft gear and a balance shaft gear is provided. The crankshaft gear is mechanically coupled to the balance shaft gear. The balance shaft gear may be partially submerged in a pool of oil formed at the bottom of the crankcase housing. The cover includes a first cover portion having a back wall and a pair of side walls extending along a top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion covers a respective portion of a circumferential edge of the crankshaft gear. The bottom portion a respective portion of a circumferential edge of the balance shaft gear. Accordingly, oil splattered by the crankshaft gear and the balance shaft gear is caught by the cover, reducing oil entrainment and increasing oil pumping efficiency. Further, the cover helps prevent oil mist from escaping the system so as to reduce oil consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Swetha Minupuri, Shohei Nomura
  • Patent number: 10055523
    Abstract: A process for analyzing incomplete fuel oxidation in an internal combustion engine is provided. The process includes simulating a cylinder with a cylinder wall and a piston within the cylinder for the internal combustion engine. Based on the simulation of the internal combustion engine operation, a pressure and a temperature are determined at a predetermined location within the cylinder for at least one piston crank angle. In addition, combustion of fuel at the predetermined location within the cylinder is simulated and a determination of combustion products is provided. In this manner, simulation of incomplete oxidants produced during operation of the internal combustion engine is afforded and can be used for the design of engine components such as cylinder walls, piston heads, piston rings, valves, spark plugs, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Kiyotaka Yamashita, Oana Nitulescu
  • Publication number: 20170260900
    Abstract: An engine assembly having a cover for catching oil splatted by crankshaft gear and a balance shaft gear is provided. The crankshaft gear is mechanically coupled to the balance shaft gear. The balance shaft gear may be partially submerged in a pool of oil formed at the bottom of the crankcase housing. The cover includes a first cover portion having a back wall and a pair of side walls extending along a top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion covers a respective portion of a circumferential edge of the crankshaft gear. The bottom portion a respective portion of a circumferential edge of the balance shaft gear. Accordingly, oil splattered by the crankshaft gear and the balance shaft gear is caught by the cover, reducing oil entrainment and increasing oil pumping efficiency. Further, the cover helps prevent oil mist from escaping the system so as to reduce oil consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Swetha Minupuri, Shohei Nomura
  • Patent number: 9567880
    Abstract: An oil pan assembly and an engine assembly having a vortex generating unit configured to de-aerate entrained oil before reaching the intake pipe is provided. The oil pan assembly includes an inner plate mounted to the oil pan so as to be disposed between the oil pan and a bottom surface of the engine block. The vortex generating unit is disposed on the inner plate and generates a vortex which de-aerates entrained oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Bogdan Radu Kucinschi, Dong-Hyun Lee
  • Patent number: 9528407
    Abstract: An oil separation device of the having a separation chamber configured to separate micron particles of oil from crankcase gas is provided. The separation chamber has passage having a first end and a second end, the second end has a diameter smaller than the first end. The second end is spaced apart from a bottom wall of a chamber. Crankcase gas is drawn along the passage in the same direction as oil falling along the inner wall of the passage. Crankcase gas exits the second end in a path different than oil falling from the second end. The oil separating device may further include a dividing wall having through-holes and a blocking wall disposed above the through-holes so as to facilitate the removal of oil from crankcase gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Shohei Nomura, Tenghua Tom Shieh, Swetha Minupuri
  • Publication number: 20160319714
    Abstract: An oil pan assembly and an engine assembly having a vortex generating unit configured to de-aerate entrained oil before reaching the intake pipe is provided. The oil pan assembly includes an inner plate mounted to the oil pan so as to be disposed between the oil pan and a bottom surface of the engine block. The vortex generating unit is disposed on the inner plate and generates a vortex which de-aerates entrained oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Bogdan Radu Kucinschi, Dong-Hyun Lee
  • Publication number: 20160319715
    Abstract: An oil pan assembly having an oil pan and an intake pipe attached to a bottom of an engine block is provided. The oil pan assembly includes an inner plate mounted to the oil pan so as to be disposed between the oil pan and a bottom surface of the engine block. The inner plate is configured to slow the flow of oil to an intake pipe so as to provide additional time for entrained oil to de-areate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Shohei Nomura, Swetha Minupuri, Dong-Hyun Lee
  • Patent number: 9273647
    Abstract: An air filter assembly for use with an internal combustion engine is provided. The air filter assembly includes a casing having an inlet configured to receive air from the environment, the casing having a passage, and an outlet disposed downstream the passage. A collection chamber collects particles from the drawn air. The collection chamber is disposed downstream from the inlet and upstream from the outlet. A partition is disposed between passage and the collection chamber. The partition has openings configured to allow particles to pass through. A side port is downstream the partition and in fluid communication with the passage. An internal combustion engine utilizing the air filter assembly is also provided. The internal combustion engine includes an air manifold, a combustion chamber and a filter. The air filter assembly is disposed upstream the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Dong-Hyun Lee, Swetha Minupuri
  • Publication number: 20150310138
    Abstract: A process for analyzing incomplete fuel oxidation in an internal combustion engine is provided. The process includes simulating a cylinder with a cylinder wall and a piston within the cylinder for the internal combustion engine. Based on the simulation of the internal combustion engine operation, a pressure and a temperature are determined at a predetermined location within the cylinder for at least one piston crank angle. In addition, combustion of fuel at the predetermined location within the cylinder is simulated and a determination of combustion products is provided. In this manner, simulation of incomplete oxidants produced during operation of the internal combustion engine is afforded and can be used for the design of engine components such as cylinder walls, piston heads, piston rings, valves, spark plugs, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Kiyotaka Yamashita, Oana Nitulescu
  • Publication number: 20150300302
    Abstract: An air filter assembly for use with an internal combustion engine is provided. The air filter assembly includes a casing having an inlet configured to receive air from the environment, the casing having a passage, and an outlet disposed downstream the passage. A collection chamber collects particles from the drawn air. The collection chamber is disposed downstream from the inlet and upstream from the outlet. A partition is disposed between passage and the collection chamber. The partition has openings configured to allow particles to pass through. A side port is downstream the partition and in fluid communication with the passage. An internal combustion engine utilizing the air filter assembly is also provided. The internal combustion engine includes an air manifold, a combustion chamber and a filter. The air filter assembly is disposed upstream the filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Dong-Hyun Lee, Swetha Minupuri
  • Patent number: 9064090
    Abstract: A process for selecting a piston ring for a piston containing internal combustion engine such that the engine experiences a reduction in lubrication oil consumption (LOC) used therein. The process can include providing engine specifications for an engine for which the piston ring is to be selected and simulating engine temperatures for the engine as a function of the engine specifications. The process can also include simulating bore distortion for the engine as a function of the simulated engine temperatures and simulating piston ring dynamics for the engine as a function of the simulated bore distortion. Once the simulated piston ring dynamics have been obtained, the process can include calculating a plurality of LOC values and selecting a piston ring as a function of the calculated LOC values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Shohei Nomura, Erich Benjamin Fiederlein
  • Publication number: 20150167515
    Abstract: An oil separation device of the having a separation chamber configured to separate micron particles of oil from crankcase gas is provided. The separation chamber has passage having a first end and a second end, the second end has a diameter smaller than the first end. The second end is spaced apart from a bottom wall of a chamber. Crankcase gas is drawn along the passage in the same direction as oil falling along the inner wall of the passage. Crankcase gas exits the second end in a path different than oil falling from the second end. The oil separating device may further include a dividing wall having through-holes and a blocking wall disposed above the through-holes so as to facilitate the removal of oil from crankcase gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Shohei Nomura, Tenghua Tom Shieh, Swetha Minupuri
  • Patent number: 9020791
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for designing and manufacturing an ignition system for an internal combustion engine. The process can include performing a plurality of simulations that include simulating an electrical circuit with a spark initiating device for igniting the fuel mixture within an internal combustion chamber, an electrical breakdown proximate to the spark initiating device, a plasma arc and an afterglow regime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Maunfacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Oana Nitulescu, Bogdan Radu Kucinschi, Kiyotaka Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8840380
    Abstract: An annular device for the temperature control of a pump is provided. That device is in fluid communication with the radiator coolant system of a vehicle, and the engine-warmed coolant flows through the annular device to warm the pump and thaw ice buildup. The device is removable and can be added on to an existing pump without any redesign of the existing pump housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh, Kyle Thomas Bernier, James Guitar, Shohei Nomura
  • Patent number: 8826659
    Abstract: PCV systems are well known in the art and commonly used in turbocharged engines. The ejector creates a pressure drop for additional pull of PCV gas under boosted conditions of the turbocharger engine. The ejector typically includes a first inlet and a second inlet and a sole outlet. The first inlet pulls air from the compressor of the PCV system. The second inlet pulls air from the cyclone separator of the PCV system. Air exiting the ejector is exited to the intake manifold. However, when the turbocharger of the system is off, fresh air can leak in from the inlet from the oil separator thereby preventing the ventilation of blowby. The unwanted air reduces the efficiency of the turbocharger system. Accordingly, an ejector preventing unwanted fresh air flow is needed in the art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Tenghua Tom Shieh