Patents by Inventor Tomihisa Oda

Tomihisa Oda 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: 8359830
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an NOX selective reducing catalyst is arranged in an engine exhaust passage. Urea is fed in the NOX selective reducing catalyst, ammonia generated from this urea is adsorbed at the NOX selective reducing catalyst, and the NOX contained in the exhaust gas is selectively reduced mainly by the adsorbed ammonia. An NOX sensor able to detect NOX and ammonia contained in the exhaust gas is arranged in the engine exhaust passage downstream of the NOX selective reducing catalyst. It is judged that the amount of adsorption of ammonia at the NOX selective reducing catalyst is saturated based on the detection value of the NOX sensor when the feed of fuel to the engine is stopped during the deceleration operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Tanai, Tomihisa Oda, Kazuhiro Itoh, Shunsuke Toshioka, Takekazu Itoh
  • Patent number: 8341941
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an NOx selective reduction catalyst (14) is arranged in an engine exhaust passage, and an NOx storage catalyst (12) is arranged in the engine exhaust passage upstream of the NOx selective reduction catalyst (14). When the amount of NOx stored in the NOx storage catalyst (12) exceeds a predetermined allowable value, the NOx storage catalyst (12) is raised in temperature to make the NOx storage catalyst (12) release the NOx. The amount of urea feed is decreased by exactly the amount of reduction of the calculated stored NOx amount with respect to the amount of urea feed determined from the engine operating state, and the amount of urea feed is increased by exactly the amount of reduction of the calculated released NOx amount with respect to the amount of urea feed determined from the engine operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takamitsu Asanuma, Shinya Hirota, Kohei Yoshida, Hiromasa Nishioka, Hiroshi Otsuki, Tomihisa Oda, Shunsuke Toshioka
  • Patent number: 8307635
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system of an internal combustion engine that includes a NOx catalyst device which has a reducing material holding ability for holding reducing material and can reduce NOx by using the reducing material; and an electronic control unit that includes program logic, which when executed, determines whether or not a difference between a target amount of reducing material held by the NOx catalyst device and a current amount of reducing material held by the NOx catalyst device is larger than a set amount; and performs a first control or a second control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Toshioka, Tomihisa Oda, Masaaki Sato, Shinya Asaura
  • Publication number: 20120240557
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification system for an internal combustion engine, which is provided with: a selective reduction type catalyst arranged in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine; a low pressure EGR mechanism that is equipped with a low pressure EGR passage for introducing a part of an exhaust gas flowing through a portion of the exhaust passage downstream of a turbine of a centrifugal supercharger to a portion of an intake passage upstream of a compressor as a low pressure EGR gas, and a low pressure EGR valve for changing a channel cross section of the low pressure EGR passage; a supply device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Bungo Kawaguchi, Tomihisa Oda, Tomomi Onishi, Masaaki Sato, Satoshi Kobayakawa, Takeru Shirasawa
  • Patent number: 8266899
    Abstract: The present invention provides an internal combustion engine exhaust purification apparatus includes a filter configured to collect particulate matter contained in exhaust gas, a selective catalytic reduction converter provided downstream of the filter to reduce nitrogen oxide contained, an oxidation catalyst converter with an adsorption function provided upstream of the converter to temporarily adsorb the nitrogen oxide contained in the exhaust gas, a burner configured to increase the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing into the filter, the selective catalytic reduction converter, and the oxidation catalyst converter to set the temperature of the filter to at least a predetermined recovery temperature, thus recovering the filter, and an ECU configured to inhibit the burner from being started when the burner is otherwise to be started but if the selective catalytic reduction converter has not been activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Bungo Kawaguchi, Shinji Kamoshita, Tomihisa Oda, Nobumoto Ohashi, Satoshi Kobayakawa
  • Patent number: 8256211
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine wherein when an aqueous urea solution should be fed from an aqueous urea solution feed valve (8), a feed pump (9) is operated forward and aqueous urea solution in an aqueous urea solution tank (4) is fed through an aqueous urea solution feed passage (10) into the aqueous urea solution feed valve (8). When ceasing the feed of aqueous urea solution from the aqueous urea solution feed valve (8), the feed pump (9) is operated in reverse whereby the ammonia gas generated in the aqueous urea solution tank (4) is drawn through a ammonia gas feed pipe (11) into the aqueous urea solution feed passage (10). Next, when the feed pump (9) is operated forward, the ammonia gas drawn into the aqueous urea solution feed path (10) is ejected from the aqueous urea solution feed valve (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinya Asaura, Tomihisa Oda, Shunsuke Toshioka, Yutaka Tanai
  • Patent number: 8225596
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, a urea adsorption type selective reduction catalyst is arranged in an engine exhaust passage. By feeding urea from a urea feed valve into the exhaust gas flowing into this selective reduction catalyst, the NOx included in the exhaust gas is reduced in the selective reduction catalyst. TO suppress the generation of hydrogen cyanide, an HC adsorption catalyst for adsorption of the HC in the exhaust gas is arranged in the engine exhaust passage upstream of the selective reduction catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Toshioka, Tomihisa Oda, Kazuhiro Itoh
  • Patent number: 8151555
    Abstract: Provided is a technology enabling a temperature of an exhaust gas purifying device to rise more surely by operating an electric heater for a catalyst attached with the electric heater more steadily without exerting an excessive load on a battery. Included are the battery and the electric heater operating upon being supplied with electric power from the battery and heating an occlusion-reduction type NOx catalyst, wherein it is predicted, from a point that a SOx occluded quantity into the occlusion-reduction type NOx catalyst is equal to or larger than S1, that a SOx poisoning recovery process will be executed in near future (S102), and a charging level of the battery is increased (S106) by raising a voltage of power generation of an alternator (S103).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniaki Niimi, Tomihisa Oda, Takanori Ueda, Kenichi Tsujimoto
  • Patent number: 8132403
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to estimate the quantity of N2O produced in an ammonia oxidation catalyst in a case where the ammonia oxidation catalyst is provided in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine. In a case where an ammonia oxidation catalyst having the function of oxidizing ammonia is provided in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine, the quantity of N2O produced in the ammonia oxidation catalyst is estimated based on the difference between a measurement value of an upstream NOx sensor provided in the exhaust passage upstream of the ammonia oxidation catalyst and a measurement value of a downstream NOx sensor provided in the exhaust passage downstream of the ammonia oxidation catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Toshioka, Tomihisa Oda, Kazuhiro Itoh
  • Patent number: 8132402
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an NOx selective reduction catalyst is arranged in the engine exhaust passage, and a urea aqueous solution feed valve is arranged in the engine exhaust passage upstream of the NOx selective reduction catalyst. Based on the detections results of an NOx purification rate detecting means for detecting the NOx purification rate by the NOx selective reduction catalyst, a urea aqueous solution feed amount detecting means for detecting the amount of feed of the urea aqueous solution, and a urea aqueous solution concentration detecting means for detecting the concentration of the urea aqueous solution, abnormalities in the NOx selective reduction catalyst, urea aqueous solution feed system, and urea aqueous solution are judged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Toshioka, Tomihisa Oda, Takekazu Itoh, Yutaka Tanai
  • Patent number: 8133444
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to suppress, in a system in which an NOx selective catalytic reduction catalyst and a particulate filter are provided in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine, discharge of ammonia from the NOx selective catalytic reduction catalyst. In the exhaust gas purification system for an internal combustion engine according to the present invention, when a condition for executing a filter temperature raising control is satisfied, the supply of urea to the NOx selective catalytic reduction catalyst by urea supply means is stopped, and the filter temperature raising control is executed by filter temperature raising means after a specific time has elapsed since the time of stoppage of the supply of urea to the NOx selective catalytic reduction catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Toshioka, Tomihisa Oda, Kazuhiro Itoh
  • Patent number: 8117834
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an NOx selective reduction catalyst is arranged in the engine exhaust passage and a urea aqueous solution stored in a urea aqueous solution tank is fed to the NOx selective reduction catalyst where the NOx is selectively reduced. Opening and closing of the urea aqueous solution refill port of the urea aqueous solution tank are detected and it is judged if the urea aqueous solution is refilled in the urea aqueous solution tank. When it is judged that the NOx purification rate has fallen to an allowable level or less at the time of engine operation right after the urea aqueous solution is refilled in the urea aqueous solution tank, it is judged that the refilled urea aqueous solution is abnormal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Toshioka, Tomihisa Oda, Takekazu Itoh, Yutaka Tanai, Satoshi Watanabe, Yoshitaka Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8087236
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying system for an internal combustion engine includes a first exhaust passage (22a) and a second exhaust passage (22b) into which an exhaust passage (21) of the internal combustion engine is bifurcated. NOx storage reduction catalysts (23a, 23b) and particulate filters (24a, 24b) are provided in each of the exhaust passages (22a, 22b). Fuel is supplied from a fuel valve (32) when NOx is to be released from the NOx storage reduction catalysts (23a, 23b). At a timing when the supplied fuel attaches to the NOx storage reduction catalysts (23a, 23b), one of exhaust control valves, for example, a first exhaust control valve (26a) is temporarily closed so as to keep the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas rich. When NOx is released from the NOx storage reduction catalysts (23a, 23b) next time, a second exhaust control valve (26b) is temporarily closed after the fuel is supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanori Ueda, Tomihisa Oda, Kuniaki Niimi, Kenichi Tsujimoto
  • Patent number: 8079213
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a technique for improving the efficiency of performance regeneration process that is executed on NOx storage reduction catalysts provided in a plurality of branch passages branching from the exhaust passage and reduce emissions of NOx from an internal combustion engine to the atmosphere. When the quantity of NOx discharged from an internal combustion engine and flowing into an exhaust pipe is smaller than a predetermined quantity, fuel serving as reducing agent is added through a fuel addition valve while torque change moderating process is executed (from T0 to T1). After that, a first flow rate control valve is closed to make the flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing in the first branch passage smaller than that in the second branch passage (from T1 to T3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Tsujimoto, Tomihisa Oda, Takanori Ueda, Kuniaki Nimi
  • Publication number: 20110271663
    Abstract: An exhaust purifying device for an internal combustion engine which can restrict an influence of a measurement error in a NOx sensor provided at the downstream side of a catalyst and can optimally maintain a NOx purifying rate. The device includes a catalytic converter carrying a selective catalytic reduction catalyst provided in an exhaust passage of the engine to selectively reduce nitrogen oxides, a urea water adding valve for adding urea water to the catalyst as a reducing agent, a NOx sensor provided at the downstream side of the catalyst, and an ECU for adjusting an addition amount of the urea water adding valve based upon output of the NOx sensor, wherein a urea water addition amount adjusting process is executed under a condition that a NOx amount to be generated in the engine increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Sato, Tomihisa Oda, Shinya Asaura, Shunsuke Toshioka
  • Patent number: 8051828
    Abstract: A fuel management system mounted on a vehicle is operative to feed individually or a mixture of grades of relatively low, intermediate, and high autoignition temperature fuels to an associated internal combustion engine. The system includes an on board separation unit (OBS unit) for receiving and separating intermediate autoignition temperature (IAT) fuel into low and high autoignition temperature fuels, LAT and HAT, respectively. The production rate of the LAT and HAT fuels by the OBS unit is controlled to substantially match the consumption requirements of the engine at any given time for the LAT and HAT fuels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Bhaskar Sengupta, Krishnan Kumaran, Walter Weissman, Randall D. Partridge, Kouseki Sugiyama, Keiji Yoeda, Tomihisa Oda, Yoshihiro Iwashita
  • Patent number: 8028514
    Abstract: The problem is to regenerate the purification ability of an exhaust gas purification device more reliably or efficiently in an exhaust gas purification system that combines a plurality of branch passages branch off from an exhaust gas passage and exhaust gas purification devices. When the purification ability of an exhaust gas purification device is regenerated, in the branch passage where the exhaust gas purification device is provided whose purification ability is to be regenerated, the opening angle of an exhaust gas flow volume control valve is set to the minimum opening angle that can reliably transport a reducing agent that is added from a reducing agent addition section. While the opening angle is maintained, the reducing agent is added. After the addition of the reducing agent is complete, the opening angle of an exhaust gas flow volume control valve is closed completely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniaki Niimi, Kenichi Tsujimoto, Tomihisa Oda, Shinya Hirota, Takanori Ueda
  • Publication number: 20110155109
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation device of an engine (10) of the invention comprises a first exhaust gas recirculation passage (50) for connecting an exhaust passage (40) and an intake passage (30) to each other and introducing into the intake passage an exhaust gas discharged from a combustion chamber (21) to the exhaust passage, and a second exhaust gas recirculation passage (55) for connecting the exhaust passage upstream of a part of the exhaust passage connected to the first exhaust gas recirculation passage and the intake passage downstream of a part of the intake passage connected to the first exhaust gas recirculation passage to each other and introducing into the intake passage the exhaust gas discharged from the combustion chamber to the exhaust passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomomi Onishi, Tomihisa Oda, Bungo Kawaguguchi, Masaaki Satou, Satoshi Kobayakawa, Takeru Shirasawa
  • Patent number: 7963102
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technology enabling regeneration of the purification performance of an exhaust purification device more reliably and more efficiently in an exhaust purification system combining a plurality of branch passages bifurcating from an exhaust passage and an exhaust purification device provided in each branch passage. When regenerating the purification performance of a first exhaust purification device provided in a first branch passage, a second valve provided in a second branch passage is set at a predetermined first intermediate opening and a first valve provided in the first branch passage is fully closed. Fuel is then added from a first fuel addition valve provided in the first branch passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniaki Niimi, Tomihisa Oda, Takanori Ueda
  • Publication number: 20110083429
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a selective reduction type NOx catalyst located in an exhaust passage and being capable of purifying NOx with ammonia, an oxidation catalyst located downstream of the selective reduction type NOx catalyst, an upstream sensor located between the selective reduction type NOx catalyst and the oxidation catalyst and having ability to detect both ammonia and NOx, a downstream sensor located downstream of the oxidation catalyst and having ability to detect both ammonia and NOx, and determining means for determining a component passing through the selective reduction type NOx catalyst, based upon a relation between output of the upstream sensor and output of the downstream sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Inventors: Masaaki Sato, Tomihisa Oda, Shinya Asaura, Shunsuke Toshioka