Auxiliary Fuel Supply Device Patents (Class 123/179.7)
  • Patent number: 11708811
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for restarting an engine following an engine idle-stop. In one example, a method may include, prior to an engine restart following an idle-stop, adjusting a spark ignition timing based on an estimation of a fuel-air equivalence ratio (phi) and an estimation of a cylinder turbulence. Optimal spark ignition timing based on estimated phi and cylinder turbulence during engine restart may result in stabilized combustion and a torque output sufficient to at least partially relieve demand on the starting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Ord, Brad VanDerWege, Joseph Thomas
  • Patent number: 11313328
    Abstract: In at least one implementation, a method of operating a combustion engine, includes determining a temperature equal or related to a temperature of an engine at an engine start and comparing the determined temperature to a temperature threshold, determining if an engine operating condition exceeds an engine threshold within a threshold time after the engine was started, and if the determined temperature is below the threshold temperature and the engine operating condition remains above the engine threshold and the threshold time has not passed, providing an enriched fuel and air mixture to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Walbro LLC
    Inventors: Hiroki Ogasawara, Tsuyoshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9353756
    Abstract: The subject of the invention is a method for the controlling and feeding of power plants, in particular coal fired power plants comprising a steam turbine connected to a turbogenerator. The method consists in that in periods of low power consumption the power is transferred from the turbine shaft to a compressor and the air compressed therein is pumped by compressors to the tanks of a compressed air terminal until a pressure close to the pressure of steam fed to turbine blades is reached. When energy demand increases, compressed air from the tanks is fed through nozzles onto the turbine blades along with superheated steam produced in a boiler. The subject of the invention is also a system for collecting compressed air and feeding it to the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Inventors: Waldemar Piskorz, Tomasz Tadeusz Piskorz
  • Patent number: 8869778
    Abstract: A fuel supply system of a vehicle, may include a fuel tank storing ethanol therein, a main injector installed at an engine to inject the ethanol from the fuel tank, a heater provided to heat the ethanol supplied from the fuel tank to the engine, a cold-starting injector installed at the engine to inject the ethanol heated by the heater, and a valve unit connected to the main injector and the cold-starting injector and performing a switching operation between a state of the ethanol being supplied from the fuel tank to the main injector and a state of the ethanol heated by the heater being supplied to the cold-starting injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Kia Motors Corp.
    Inventors: Chang Han Kim, Myeong Hwan Kim, Chang Jun Park
  • Patent number: 8845898
    Abstract: An auxiliary power unit includes a gearbox housing portion and a filter housing portion providing an integral housing. A filter cavity is provided in the filter housing portion. A surface circumscribes the filter cavity. A scupper includes a passage extending from the surface to an opening on an exterior surface of the integral housing. A sealing region between the scupper and the filter cavity is configured to fluidly isolate the scupper and the fuel filter cavity from one another. In one example, the filter cavity receives a fuel filter cartridge. A cap is secured to the filter housing portion and encloses the filter cavity when in a secured position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Brian C. DeDe, Michael J. Rollins, Melissa A. Bell, David Lau
  • Patent number: 8757121
    Abstract: Supply of supplementary fuel is controlled through a supplementary fuel supply passage in a carburetor to an engine according to a variety of methods and devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Walbro Engine Management, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Matthew A. Braun, Gary J. Burns, Gerald J. LeMarr, Jr., Brent N. Schermerhorn, Mikio Sato, Tsuyoshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8457865
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine (1) has a control arrangement (18) which regulates at least one control parameter for operating the engine (1). The control arrangement (18) includes a non-volatile memory (20) and a main memory (21). During operation of the engine (1), an operating value (xOperating) for the control parameter is continually stored in the non-volatile memory (20). When starting the engine (1), an initial value for the control parameter is determined. According to at least one criterion, a determination is made as to whether the operating value (xOperating) stored in the non-volatile memory (20) or a standard value (xStandard) is used as the initial value for the control parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Klaus Geyer
  • Patent number: 8176888
    Abstract: A method for improving starting of an engine that may be operated with fuels having varying alcohol concentrations is presented. In one embodiment, the method adjusts a compression ratio of an engine in response to a number of combustion events after an engine stop and a concentration of alcohol in a fuel supplied to the engine. The method may make engine starting more repeatable at lower engine temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Bruce Reiche, Jianwen James Yi, Steven Wooldridge, Foo Chern Ting, Thomas A. McCarthy
  • Patent number: 8136497
    Abstract: A method for improving starting of an engine that may be repeatedly stopped and started is presented. In one embodiment, the method skips combustion in at least one cylinder, according to the engine combustion order, to control engine speed when an engine is automatically restarted. The skipped combustion event may be related to a level of IMEP when combustion in a cylinder occurs under an operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alex O'Connor Gibson, Joseph Norman Ulrey, Henry W. Patterson
  • Patent number: 7938092
    Abstract: The present invention is an installation of an emergency starting switching device and/or direct current boosted boost circuit device. When the power of the starting battery is insufficient, the electric energy of the auxiliary battery is used to drive the starting motor in order to start the engine by operating the emergency starting switching device. And when the engine is started, the voltage of the ignition device or the fuel injection device is stepped up to strengthen its starting capability by means of a voltage boost by the direct current boosted boost circuit device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 7931002
    Abstract: A method for improving starting of an engine that may be repeatedly stopped and started is presented. In one embodiment, the method skips combustion in at least one cylinder, according to the engine combustion order, to control engine speed when an engine is automatically restarted. The skipped combustion event may be related to a level of IMEP when combustion in a cylinder occurs under an operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alex O'Connor Gibson, Joseph Norman Ulrey, Henry W. Patterson
  • Patent number: 7624712
    Abstract: A method of starting an engine is provided. The engine includes a cylinder and a fuel injector configured to directly inject fuel into the cylinder. The method includes: at an engine start condition, receiving a sensed engine position, in response to the sensed engine position correlating with a stored engine stop position, injecting fuel directly into the cylinder at a next suitable engine position for a first combustion cycle, and in response to the sensed engine position not correlating with the stored engine stop position, rotating a shaft of the engine an angular distance without injecting fuel directly into the cylinder until the sensed engine position correlates with another parameter, and thereupon, injecting fuel directly into the cylinder at a next suitable engine position for a first combustion cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Publication number: 20080314349
    Abstract: A method of starting an engine having a fuel rail, one or more fuel injectors, and one or more spark plugs. In one embodiment, the method includes initializing a starting operation of the engine and suppressing the engine from starting by retarding a spark timing of the one or more spark plugs from normal spark timing. The method also includes purging, while the spark timing is being retarded, the fuel rail of the engine by operating the one or more fuel injectors. Additionally, the method includes advancing the spark timing after a first duration has passed or the engine has started.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Inventors: Heiko Oertel, Peter Knieps
  • Publication number: 20080121217
    Abstract: A vent-on-demand fuel sump and vehicle fuel system having such a fuel sump are provided. The fuel sump may include a pressurized vessel and at least two sensors configured to detect a level of fuel within the vessel. A valve coupled to the vessel may be configured to release air and/or fuel vapor to the atmosphere. The fuel sump may also include a programmable electronic controller configured to modulate the valve between a closed position and an open position based on signals received from the sensors corresponding to the fuel level. The valve may be configured to remain in the closed position until the fuel level drops below a predetermined level and the controller sends a signal to open the valve to release air and/or fuel vapor from the vessel into the atmosphere. The vehicle fuel system having such a fuel sump may include a fuel container and an engine having an intake.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: AAI CORPORATION
    Inventors: R. Michael Guterres, James D. Jeter
  • Patent number: 7334544
    Abstract: A vehicle temperature control system comprising an internal combustion engine with an engine block and with a cylinder head, a heat source for heating a heat transfer medium, a heat exchanger arrangement for the transfer of heat transported in the heat transfer medium to air to be introduced into a vehicle interior, and a valve arrangement, by means of which the heat transfer medium heated by the heat source can be fed selectively, at least in part, to a first heat transfer region, provided in the region of the cylinder head, of the internal combustion engine, without being conducted into a second heat transfer region, provided in the region of the engine block, of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Günter Eberspach
  • Publication number: 20080035123
    Abstract: A method of carboration and combustion where a combustible gas is mixed and burned in a compression combustion engine yielding power and no hydro carbons. Where a certain H2 gas derivative is mixed with other gases and burned. And where the gas entering the combustion area is controlled by varing the pressure and thus the power output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2006
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventor: William F. Rosskob
  • Patent number: 7261064
    Abstract: A combustion engine system comprises a plurality of cylinders configured to combust a mixed fuel to produce an exhaust gas and at least one reforming cylinder configured to receive a first portion of a fuel and deliver a reformed hydrogen-containing gas. The hydrogen-containing gas is introduced into a second portion of the fuel to form the mixed fuel to reduce emission from the combustion engine system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Shailesh Singh Bhaisora, Michael John Bowman, Sauri Gudlavalleti
  • Patent number: 7107955
    Abstract: An auxiliary fuel injection unit includes two surge tanks partitioned by a wall surface, a butterfly valve for switching between connection and disconnection of two surge tanks, and one auxiliary fuel injection valve for injecting an auxiliary fuel in a direction opposing a direction of flow of intake air within the surge tank. The butterfly valve has a valve plate surface closing an opening provided in the surge tank wall surface and a rotation shaft for turning the plate surface. The auxiliary fuel injection valve has two injection holes connecting with each other, for injecting the auxiliary fuel toward the valve plate surface of the butterfly valve and toward the surge tank wall surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignees: Nippon Soken, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Mori, Tatsushi Nakashima, Motoki Ohtani
  • Patent number: 6866015
    Abstract: To prevent the entry of ambient air and liquid such as rainwater into a direct acting type auto-by starter and thereby prevent the formation of rust in the auto-by starter, by adjusting pressure fluctuations in the auto-by starter caused by the operation of a starting valve for opening and closing a starting intake passage. A starting valve is lifted to open a starting intake passage to start an internal combustion engine. Pressure in a sliding space for the starting valve is increased, so that the gas in the sliding space flows out. The flow of the gas is absorbed by an increase in volume inside a bellows boot mounted on an upper portion of the starting valve. When the starting valve is lowered by the operation of a spring member, the pressure in the sliding space is reduced to allow the gas flow from the bellows boot into the sliding space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akinobu Masunaga, Kazuhito Hotta
  • Patent number: 6778076
    Abstract: An oil pressure switch failure detection system for an outboard motor, having a first oil pressure switch which generates an ON signal indicating that the oil pressure is less than or equal to a first predetermined oil pressure and a second oil pressure switch which generates an ON signal indicating that the oil pressure is less than or equal to a second predetermined oil pressure which is set higher than the first predetermined oil pressure. In the system, by discriminating whether the generated signals of the first and second oil pressure switches are equal to be expected signals expected under operating conditions of the engine, it is determined whether at least one of the first and second oil pressure switches fails. With this, it become possible to detect failure of the first and second oil pressure switches, accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignees: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Sadafumi Shidara, Nobuhiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6508236
    Abstract: Atomizing air flowing in an atomizing gas passage is merged with a fuel spray to promote atomization of the fuel, and carrier air flowing in a carrier gas passage is merged with the fuel spray at a further downstream position so as to surround the fuel spray. By doing so, the atomized fuel spray is carried to the downstream side so as to prevent the fuel spray from adhering onto the wall surface. The starting-up performance, fuel consumption and exhaust gas cleaning of an internal combustion engine are improved in this way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Amou, Yoshio Okamoto, Takehiko Kowatari, Ayumu Miyajima, Yuzo Kadomukai, Toru Ishikawa, Masami Nagano, Takanobu Ichihara, Hiroaki Saeki, Kenji Watanabe