Alternate Or Simultaneous Lean-rich Patents (Class 123/443)
  • Patent number: 10989125
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry performs a dither control process. The dither control process includes a first mode in which a cylinder serving as a rich combustion cylinder is sequentially changed and a second mode in which a specified cylinder is fixed as one of a rich combustion cylinder and a lean combustion cylinder. The processing circuitry selects the first mode or the second mode based on an operating point of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiichiro Kido, Masanao Idogawa, Manami Yasunaga
  • Patent number: 10889160
    Abstract: A method for natural ventilation of a vehicle interior includes steps of: determining, by a controller, formation of an interior negative pressure in an interior space while driving of a vehicle is maintained as an internal air mode, determining, by the controller, an over-production of a harmful gas in an exhaust gas using an air-to-fuel ratio or an Accelerator Position Scope (APS), in an air conditioning system; regarding satisfaction of the formation of the interior negative pressure and satisfaction of the over-production of the harmful gas as an entry condition and mixing an exterior air into the interior space so as to mitigate the interior negative pressure in the internal air mode; and after mixing the exterior air, regarding the non-satisfaction of the over-production of the harmful gas as a cancellation condition and blocking the exterior air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Tae-Hun Jung, Eun-Jung Yeo, Gi-Lyong Jang, Jeong-Sik Seo, Jae-Yeon Moon, In-Uk Ko
  • Patent number: 10801430
    Abstract: Air to fuel ratio management comprises sensing a power output request for the engine and determining a fuel-efficient air to fuel ratio. A current air to fuel ratio is sensed in one or both of an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold connected to the engine. An air to fuel ratio adjustment is determined based on the fuel-efficient air to fuel ratio and based on the current air to fuel ratio. An in-cylinder exhaust gas recirculation technique is selected. The in-cylinder exhaust gas recirculation technique adjusts an oxygen and particulate content of exhaust gas resulting from combustion. A number of cylinders of the multiple-cylinder engine are selected to implement the in-cylinder exhaust gas recirculation technique. The intake valves and the exhaust valves are controlled to adjust the oxygen and particulate content of the exhaust gas by applying a second compression stroke of the respective reciprocating pistons to the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: James E. McCarthy, Jr., Douglas Nielsen
  • Patent number: 10774767
    Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst diagnosis device that enables precisely grasping a variation of AFR and diagnosing a deteriorated condition of the catalyst based on the variation. A timer counts elapsed time Tosc until downstream AFU (AFRd) meets a predetermined threshold condition when the fuel injection quantity is corrected by increasing or decreasing it so that as to the AFRu, the transition from either of leanness or richness to the other is repeated with the stoichiometric area between the leanness and the richness. An OSA calculating section calculates an Oxygen Storage Amount (OSA) as a function of the ?AFR, Mfuel, Ne and Tosa. An OPA calculating section calculates an Oxygen Purge Amount (OPA) as a function of the ?AFR, Mfuel, Ne and Topa. A deterioration diagnosing section diagnoses a deteriorated condition of the catalyst C on the basis of at least one of the OSA and OPA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Ito
  • Patent number: 10612483
    Abstract: A gas engine is provided to control an air-fuel ratio in response to changes in composition of fuel gas. A gas engine 1 includes: an A/F valve 22; a solenoid valve 21; and a control unit 10 configured to perform perturbation using the solenoid valve 21 and set a relationship between an air-fuel ratio and respective opening degrees of the solenoid valve 21 and the A/F valve 22 under a specific engine operation condition using standard fuel gas. During an actual operation in a period in which the engine operation condition is deemed to be stable, when an opening-degree average value b of the solenoid valve 21 deviates from an opening-degree target value a of the solenoid valve 21 set in the control unit 10 under the above operation condition, the control unit 10 adjusts the opening degree of the A/F valve 22 so that the opening-degree average value b equals the opening-degree target value a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Otsubo, Kazuma Kishio
  • Patent number: 10570798
    Abstract: There is provided: a NOx occlusion reduction-type catalyst that is provided in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine, occludes NOx in exhaust when the exhaust is in a lean state, and reduces and purifies the occluded NOx when the exhaust is in a rich state; an exhaust injector that is provided in the exhaust passage and is positioned further upstream than the NOx occlusion reduction-type catalyst; a NOx-purging control unit that performs NOx purging of reducing and purifying the NOx occluded in the NOx occlusion reduction-type catalyst by lowering the exhaust to a prescribed target lambda by fuel injection by the exhaust injector; and a NOx-purging-prohibition processing unit that inhibits performance of the NOx purging in a case where the exhaust cannot be lowered to the target lambda even if the fuel injection is performed at a maximum limit injection amount of the exhaust injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Teruo Nakada, Takayuki Sakamoto, Daiji Nagaoka, Hiroyuki Yuza
  • Patent number: 10465636
    Abstract: A method of controlling fuel injection to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine, the engine having exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) from at least one dedicated EGR (D-EGR) cylinder, with the other cylinders being main cylinders. The D-EGR cylinder(s) are run at a richer equivalence ratio than the main cylinders, with the goal of providing increased H2 and CO in the recirculated exhaust. The start of fuel injection to the D-EGR cylinder(s) is delayed as compared to the start of fuel injection to the main cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Raphael Gukelberger, Bradley Denton
  • Patent number: 10316776
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas purification device which is arranged in an exhaust passage and includes a NOx storage reduction (NSR) catalyst. The control apparatus, when the air fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture is shifted from a lean air fuel ratio to the stoichiometric air fuel ratio, determines a predetermined NOx amount so as to be larger when the temperature detected by the first detection unit is high in comparison with when the detected temperature is low, and when the storage amount of NOx in the NSR catalyst is larger than the predetermined NOx amount, performs the rich spike processing and then controls the air fuel ratio to the stoichiometric air fuel ratio, whereas when otherwise, controls the air fuel ratio to the stoichiometric air fuel ratio without performing the rich spike processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kobayashi, Kazuhiro Umemoto, Toshihiro Mori, Shigeki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 10233808
    Abstract: A system comprises an engine including a plurality of cylinders. A first intake throttle is positioned upstream of a first set of cylinders of the plurality of cylinders. The first intake throttle provides air at a first flow rate to the first set of cylinders so as to produce a lean air/fuel mixture in the first set of cylinders. A second intake throttle is positioned upstream of a second set of cylinders included in the plurality of cylinders and in parallel of the first intake throttle. The second intake throttle provides air at a second flow rate to the second set of cylinders so as to produce a rich air/fuel mixture in the second set of cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Cummins Emission Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Jacob Backhaus
  • Patent number: 10208688
    Abstract: A method for controlling an exhaust gas purification apparatus as a catalyst oxygen purge control method during a cold engine period of an exhaust gas purification apparatus including a three way catalyst (TWC) converter purifying exhaust gas exhausted from the engine includes determining whether a fuel cut condition of an injector which injects the fuel to the combustion chamber is satisfied; performing a fuel cut of the injector when the fuel cut condition is satisfied; determining heat load of the three way catalyst by use of a temperature detector and an exhaust gas flow rate detector; measuring oxygen storage capacity (OSC) stored in the three way catalyst according to the heat load; determining an inflection point by use of variation amount of the OSC; and controlling oxygen purge period differently around the inflection point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Hyundai Kefico Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Woo Choung, SooMin Lee, SungJae Kim
  • Patent number: 10208640
    Abstract: A method for controlling an exhaust gas purification apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to improve performance of a three-way catalyst (TWC) purifying exhaust gas exhausted from an engine and includes determining heat load of the three-way catalyst by use of a temperature sensor and an exhaust gas flow rate sensor; measuring oxygen storage capacity (OSC) stored in the three-way catalyst according to the heat load; determining an inflection point by use of change amount of the OSC; and controlling catalyst heating period differently around the inflection point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Hyundai Kefico Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Woo Choung, SooMin Lee, SungJae Kim
  • Patent number: 10052587
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system is provided with a NOx-occlusion-reduction-type catalyst and a NOx purge rich control unit that executes NOx purge in a case where a catalyst temperature of the NOx-occlusion-reduction-type catalyst is equal to or higher than a catalyst temperature threshold value and a NOx occlusion amount of the NOx-occlusion-reduction-type catalyst is equal to or higher than an NOx occlusion amount threshold value and executes the NOx purge even when the catalyst temperature is lower than a catalyst temperature threshold value in a case where the NOx occlusion amount is equal to or greater than the occlusion amount threshold value, a fuel injection amount resulting from an accelerator operation is equal to or greater than an injection amount threshold value, and an exhaust temperature detected by a first exhaust temperature sensor is equal to or higher than an exhaust temperature threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Teruo Nakada, Takayuki Sakamoto, Daiji Nagaoka
  • Patent number: 10041916
    Abstract: A method and a device for monitoring gas sensors in an internal combustion engine, in which in a steady-state operation of the internal combustion engine, the output signal of the gas sensor is filtered by a high-pass filter and higher-frequency signal components are analyzed by a comparison with an appropriately processed model value. When using the method and the device for executing the method, electrically oscillating gas sensors or the incoupling of interference variables or faults in the evaluation circuit, especially in the case of exhaust gas sensors in an exhaust-gas purification and reducing system, are able to be detected, which minimizes faulty interpretations in a dynamic diagnosis. This monitoring function is advantageously combinable with dynamic diagnosis functions that likewise analyze higher-frequency signal components by a comparison with appropriately processed model values. This increases the operational reliability of the exhaust-gas purification or reducing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Andreas Michalske
  • Patent number: 9874172
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine which includes one of the port injection fuel injection valve and the cylinder injection fuel injection valve that serves as a main fuel injection valve, the other of the fuel injection valves that serves as an auxiliary fuel injection valve arranged to be auxiliarily operated in a specified engine driving condition, and which is configured to perform a switching of an injection and a stop of the auxiliary fuel injection valve in accordance with an engine driving condition, the control device includes: the control device being configured to switch the injection and the stop of the auxiliary fuel injection valve in a state where an air-fuel ratio by an injection amount of the fuel by the main fuel injection valve is thicker than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tadaki Mano, Naonori Onoda, Eiji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9759148
    Abstract: Methods and systems are presented for assessing the presence or absence of engine torque deviation which may indicate air-fuel ratio imbalance between engine cylinders. In one example, the method may include assessing the presence or absence of engine torque variation based on engine torque deviation from a desired engine torque during a deceleration fuel shut-off event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hassene Jammoussi, Imad Hassan Makki, Michael Igor Kluzner, Robert Roy Jentz
  • Patent number: 9726279
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the operation of a transmission using fuel consumption data. The system and method includes controlling the operation of a vehicle transmission which is operatively connected to an engine and to a transmission control module having access to a memory. Fuel consumption data for a plurality of engines is converted to engine efficiency loss data representative of the each of the engines' operation. The plurality of patterns, each representative of the operating characteristics of one of plurality of engines, is stored in the memory. Engine operating characteristics are recorded during operation of the vehicle. One of the pluralities of patterns is selected based on the recorded operating characteristics to operate the vehicle in a fuel efficient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: ALLISON TRANSMISSION, INC.
    Inventors: Jessica Anderson, Stephen West
  • Patent number: 9683506
    Abstract: Methods and systems are presented for assessing the presence or absence of cylinder air-fuel ratio deviation that may result in air-fuel ratio imbalance between engine cylinders. In one example, the method may include assessing the presence or absence of air-fuel ratio errors based on deviation from an expected air-fuel ratio during a deceleration fuel shut-off event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hassene Jammoussi, Imad Hassan Makki, Michael I. Kluzner, Robert Roy Jentz
  • Patent number: 9677666
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a torque request, calculate a Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) for satisfying the torque request in an initial gear and in an alternate gear, and command the transmission to shift from the initial gear into the alternate gear in response to the calculated SFC for satisfying the torque request in the alternate gear being less than the calculated SFC for satisfying the torque request in the initial gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mrdjan J. Jankovic, David G. Hagner, Stephen Lee Cooper, Zhengyu Dai, Guopeng Hu, Hong Jiang
  • Patent number: 9651456
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying and mitigating air-fuel imbalance faults specific to an engine cylinder are provided. In one embodiment, a method comprises indicating a cylinder imbalance by comparing time-aligned readings from exhaust gas oxygen sensors, the exhaust gas oxygen sensors positioned symmetrically opposite each other within an exhaust passage downstream of a catalyst. In this way, an air-fuel imbalance fault may be accurately detected in a non-uniform exhaust flow so that mitigating actions can be taken, resulting in reduced tailpipe emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James Uhrich, Mario Anthony Santillo, Stephen William Magner, Mrdjan J. Jankovic
  • Patent number: 9631562
    Abstract: A variable cylinder engine is provided. The engine includes an engine body having a plurality of cylinders, a cooling mechanism for cooling the engine body by using a coolant, and a controller for controlling a temperature of the coolant and changing the number of active cylinders according to an operating state of the engine. The controller reduces the number of active cylinders in a reduced-cylinder operating range set within a partial engine load range, and expands the reduced-cylinder operating range to a higher engine load side as the coolant temperature becomes lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Junsou Sasaki, Kazutoyo Watanabe, Keiji Araki
  • Patent number: 9512762
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system for an internal combustion engine having dedicated EGR and operating at a lean air-fuel ratio. In such engines, one or more cylinders is operable as a dedicated EGR cylinder, such that all of the exhaust produced by the dedicated EGR cylinder(s) may be recirculated to the engine's main (non dedicated) cylinders. Because the engine is lean burn, its exhaust aftertreatment system has a NOx-reducing device. An EGR loop is configured to recirculate EGR from the dedicated EGR cylinder(s) to the engine's intake manifold. A diversion line connects the EGR loop to the exhaust aftertreatment system, thereby delivering EGR as syngas for the NOx-reducing device. The syngas is used either directly as a reductant or to a catalyst that reduces the syngas to ammonia for use as a reductant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Charles E. Roberts, Jr., Cary A. Henry
  • Patent number: 9228512
    Abstract: Methods and systems for metering at least one EGR valve to a position determined to pass a desired EGR flow for a given set of engine characteristics. The methods include determining the EGR valve position based on pipe flow characteristics, or determining the EGR valve position based on pipe flow characteristics when differential pressure across the EGR valve is less than a pressure threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Gang Chen, Hussein Dourra, Gregory T Weber, Drushan A Mavalankar
  • Patent number: 9062631
    Abstract: A straight port and a swirl port supply low-oxygen-concentration gas and high-oxygen-concentration gas into a combustion chamber of an engine such that high-level-oxygen-concentration gas and low-level-oxygen-concentration gas are formed from the high-oxygen-concentration gas and the low-oxygen-concentration gas in an adjacent region of the combustion chamber, which is adjacent to a fuel mist injected from an injection hole of a fuel injection valve. The high-level-oxygen-concentration gas is located in a corresponding area of the adjacent region, which is generally opposite from the fuel injection hole, and the low-level-oxygen-concentration gas is located in a remaining area of the adjacent region, which is other than the corresponding area of the adjacent region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masumi Kinugawa, Kohei Motoo, Munehisa Horibe
  • Publication number: 20150090223
    Abstract: A conventional gasoline engine is retrofitted and calibrated to operate as a bi-fuel engine using Hydrogen as the second fuel. When operated with Hydrogen, which typically leads to a reduction of engine output power, the engine is preferably operated in a charged mode and in a lean mode with the engine throttle kept in a wide open position during charged and lean mode operation resulting in a more efficient engine with a reduction of engine output power loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Jose Ignacio Galindo, Klaus M. Schaffer, Daniel Leitner, Christof Hepp
  • Publication number: 20140352663
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for cleaning out condensate stored at a charge air cooler. In response to increased condensate accumulation at a charge air cooler, airflow through the engine is increased to purge the condensate while an engine actuator is adjusted to maintain engine torque. Combustion stability issues of engine cylinders are addressed by adjusting fueling of each cylinder individually during condensate ingestion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Kristofor Robert Norman, Shuya Shark Yamada, James Matthew Kindree, Claire Steele
  • Patent number: 8746211
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine starts the internal combustion engine by initiating combustion in cylinders belonging to a first cylinder group, from among a plurality of cylinders that make up the internal combustion engine. The control apparatus monitors a change in an amount of negative pressure generated in an intake pipe when the internal combustion engine is started, and obtains information related to an alcohol concentration of fuel used in the internal combustion engine. The control apparatus also calculates a fuel injection quantity necessary to initiate combustion in cylinders belonging to a second cylinder group, based on the amount of negative pressure generated in the intake pipe and the alcohol concentration of the fuel, and initiates combustion in each cylinder belonging to the second cylinder group when the necessary fuel injection quantity enters a range of quantities that are able to be injected by corresponding injectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Aso, Hiroshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8616182
    Abstract: A direct-injection internal combustion engine is fluidly coupled to a passive SCR system including a three-way catalytic converter upstream to an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction catalyst. Transition from an HCCI combustion mode to an SI combustion mode includes determining a preferred air/fuel ratio to achieve a minimum fuel consumption and maintain combustion stability at an acceptable level for a predetermined engine operating point during the SI combustion mode. A fuel injection timing, an engine spark timing and an engine valve lift are substantially immediately controlled from respective HCCI combustion mode settings to respective SI combustion mode settings. A transition to the preferred air/fuel ratio is coordinated with a transition of an engine valve phase from a respective HCCI combustion mode setting to a respective SI combustion mode phase setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Nicole Wermuth, Paul M. Najt, Kushal Narayanaswamy, Hanho Yun
  • Patent number: 8380421
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described for conserving fuel used by an engine. In some embodiments a control module processes a user-provided input, as a first function, into a second function. The second function can be used to direct the engine with a directive output power. The directive output power may have regions equal to, greater than, and/or less than what the power output would be if the engine were controlled using the user-provided input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Fuel Saving Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey N. Yu, James W. Hill
  • Publication number: 20130032123
    Abstract: A straight port and a swirl port supply low-oxygen-concentration gas and high-oxygen-concentration gas into a combustion chamber of an engine such that high-level-oxygen-concentration gas and low-level-oxygen-concentration gas are formed from the high-oxygen-concentration gas and the low-oxygen-concentration gas in an adjacent region of the combustion chamber, which is adjacent to a fuel mist injected from an injection hole of a fuel injection valve. The high-level-oxygen-concentration gas is located in a corresponding area of the adjacent region, which is generally opposite from the fuel injection hole, and the low-level-oxygen-concentration gas is located in a remaining area of the adjacent region, which is other than the corresponding area of the adjacent region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masumi Kinugawa, Kohei Motoo, Munehisa Horibe
  • Patent number: 8352167
    Abstract: A method for reducing a temperature of an engine component is disclosed. In one example, an air-fuel ratio provided to an engine is adjusted to reduce a temperature of an engine component. The approach may be useful for controlling temperature and emissions from a turbocharged engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Stephen George Russ
  • Patent number: 8297258
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine (2) having multiple cylinders (3); fuel may be injected into the multiple cylinders (3) via corresponding injectors, and air may be let in via corresponding intake valves (9) in order to form an air-fuel mixture in the cylinders (3) for providing a drive torque, and combustion exhaust gas may be discharged from the cylinders (3) via a catalytic converter (6); having the following steps: operating the internal combustion engine (2) in a first engine operating mode in which no fuel is injected into at least one first cylinder (3), so that the at least one first cylinder (3) does not contribute to the drive torque, and fuel is only injected into at least one second cylinder (3) in order to provide the drive torque; and switching to a second engine operating mode in which fuel is injected into the at least one first cylinder (3) and into the at least one second cylinder (3), so that the at least one first cylinder (3) and the at least one second cylinder (3) co
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Marcus Rosenberger
  • Patent number: 8297041
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine wherein three-way catalysts are arranged in an exhaust passage of a first cylinder group and an exhaust passage of a second cylinder group and a common NOx storage catalyst is arranged downstream of the three-way catalysts. When the NOx storage catalyst should be raised in temperature, the air-fuel ratio of a part of the cylinders in each cylinder group is made rich and the air-fuel ratio of a part of the cylinders in each cylinder group is made lean to raise the NOx storage catalyst in temperature by the heat of oxidation reaction at the three-way catalysts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Demura, Masakazu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8261533
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine wherein exhaust gas from the cylinder groups (1, 2) is supplied to a common NOx storage catalyst (12). When the NOx storage catalyst (12) should release the SOx, the average air-fuel ratio of one cylinder group (1) is made rich and the average air-fuel ratio of the other cylinder group (2) is made lean. At this time, the air-fuel ratios of the cylinders (3) of one cylinder group (1) are made one target rich air-fuel ratio selected from two predetermined target rich air-fuel ratios, while the air-fuel ratios of the cylinders (3) of the other cylinder group (2) are made one target lean air-fuel ratio selected from two predetermined target lean air-fuel ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Demura, Masakazu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8209105
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control apparatus controls an internal combustion engine including: an exhaust passage including branch portions provided for the left and right banks and a common portion in which an exhaust gas purification device is provided; and a fuel supply system that supplies fuel to the respective engine cylinders. In the internal combustion engine, in order to recover the exhaust gas purification device, a bank control is executed in which the air-fuel ratio of the cylinders of the left bank is made rich while the air-fuel ratio of the cylinders of the right bank is made lean. The internal combustion engine is capable of running on alcohol-containing fuel and has an alcohol concentration sensor. The amount of unburned fuel to be supplied to the exhaust gas purification device during the bank control is adjusted based on the alcohol concentration in fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Katoh
  • Patent number: 8131453
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for expediting engine spin-down in an engine that is shutdown during engine idle-stop conditions and restarted during restart conditions. In one example, the method comprises, during an automatic engine idle-stop, turning off spark, operating a first cylinder with a rich ratio of air to injected fuel richer than a rich flammability limit, operating a second cylinder with a lean ratio of air to injected fuel leaner than a lean flammability limit, and mixing un-combusted exhaust from the first and second cylinders with exhaust, the exhaust mixture being substantially stoichiometric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull, John D. Russell
  • Patent number: 8112218
    Abstract: A method for reducing a temperature of an engine component is disclosed. In one example, an air-fuel ratio provided to an engine is adjusted to reduce a temperature of an engine component. The approach may be useful for controlling temperature and emissions from a turbocharged engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Stephen George Russ
  • Patent number: 8055435
    Abstract: In a low load region where torque is lower than T1 but is not lower than T2, the present invention uses a lean single valve small operating angle mode to provide a lean burn in a single valve small operating angle state or uses an EGR single valve small operating angle mode to provide external EGR in a single valve small operating angle mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daichi Okumura, Atsuharu Ota
  • Publication number: 20110203552
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine starts the internal combustion engine by initiating combustion in cylinders belonging to a first cylinder group, from among a plurality of cylinders that make up the internal combustion engine. The control apparatus monitors a change in an amount of negative pressure generated in an intake pipe when the internal combustion engine is started, and obtains information related to an alcohol concentration of fuel used in the internal combustion engine. The control apparatus also calculates a fuel injection quantity necessary to initiate combustion in cylinders belonging to a second cylinder group, based on the amount of negative pressure generated in the intake pipe and the alcohol concentration of the fuel, and initiates combustion in each cylinder belonging to the second cylinder group when the necessary fuel injection quantity enters a range of quantities that are able to be injected by corresponding injectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Aso, Hiroshi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20110203551
    Abstract: A method for reducing a temperature of an engine component is disclosed. In one example, an air-fuel ratio provided to an engine is adjusted to reduce a temperature of an engine component. The approach may be useful for controlling temperature and emissions from a turbocharged engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Stephen George Russ
  • Publication number: 20110202260
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for identifying and indicating degradation of an engine cylinder spark plug. In response to a cylinder misfire event during selected engine operating conditions, followed by an occurrence of a threshold number and/or rate of pre-ignition events in the same cylinder, a controller may determine that the spark plug is degraded. The controller may limit combustion in the cylinder in response to the degradation. Additionally, cylinder pre-ignition mitigating steps may be taken.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ralph Wayne Cunningham, Michael Joseph Zaitz, Ken Jahr, Chris Paul Glugla, Robert Sarow Baskins
  • Publication number: 20110192374
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for expediting engine spin-down in an engine that is shutdown during engine idle-stop conditions and restarted during restart conditions. In one example, the method comprises, during an automatic engine idle-stop, turning off spark, operating a first cylinder with a rich ratio of air to injected fuel richer than a rich flammability limit, operating a second cylinder with a lean ratio of air to injected fuel leaner than a lean flammability limit, and mixing un-combusted exhaust from the first and second cylinders with exhaust, the exhaust mixture being substantially stoichiometric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull, John D. Russell
  • Patent number: 7937931
    Abstract: A procedure is introduced to operate a diesel engine, which has a catalytic converter with three-way conversion characteristics. The procedure is characterized thereby, in that if the engine rotational speed increases without in the process exceeding an engine rotational speed threshold value and the engine's load is greater than a load threshold value, the diesel engine is operated in such a manner that the diesel engine alternately generates an oxidizing and a reductive exhaust gas atmosphere before the catalytic converter. Additionally a control unit is introduced, which controls the sequence of the procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Pfaeffle, Wolfgang Klenk, Frank Schweizer, Stefan Scherer, Andreas Schaffrath
  • Patent number: 7933711
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for expediting engine spin-down in an engine that is shutdown during engine idle-stop conditions and restarted during restart conditions. In one example, the method comprises, during an automatic engine idle-stop, turning off spark, operating a first cylinder with a rich ratio of air to injected fuel richer than a rich flammability limit, operating a second cylinder with a lean ratio of air to injected fuel leaner than a lean flammability limit, and mixing un-combusted exhaust from the first and second cylinders with exhaust, the exhaust mixture being substantially stoichiometric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull, John D. Russell
  • Patent number: 7899605
    Abstract: During lean combustion, an ECU as a control device for a diesel engine calculates a ratio between a target A/F value and a detected A/F value detected by a A/F sensor, wherein the target A/F value is a ratio between a target air volume and a target injection amount in order to obtain a request torque. The ECU calculates the air volume after compensation during rich combustion by multiplying the target air volume with the compensation gain value. The ECU instructs an air intake throttle valve and an EGR valve to regulate those opening degrees according to the calculation result in order to decrease a torque difference between the lean combustion and the rich combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuo Kojima
  • Patent number: 7885757
    Abstract: There is provided a dither control means that performs a dither control, which compulsively changes an air-fuel ratio alternately to rich side and to lean side by increasing and decreasing fuel injection quantity of an injector (fuel injection valve) in a stepped manner. A predicted value (ideal A/F value ID), which indicates an ideal change of a detection value of an A/F sensor (oxygen concentration sensor) in a case where the A/F sensor is not degraded, is set as a standard value. Then, an integral of a difference between the detection value of the A/F sensor, which changes in accordance with the dither control, and the standard value is calculated. If a calculated value of the integral is larger than a predetermined value, it is determined that the A/F sensor is degraded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiko Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7849834
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided with a control arrangement for influencing exhaust gas pressures and the level of In-Cylinder-Charge-Dilution (ICCD) so as to provide cycles with different emission characteristics. The exhaust gas pressure may be influenced by adjusting a combustion parameter between various cycles. The adjustment of the combustion parameter may, for example, include an adjustment of the injection timing, a change in shot mode, or a change in fuel quantity. By making such adjustments, cycle-to-cycle exhaust gas pressure variations may be introduced so as to influence future combustion events and reduce overall emissions and noise levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Perkins Engine Company Limited
    Inventor: Thomas W. Carlill
  • Patent number: 7805237
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine having a combustion method with homogeneous auto ignition. A driver's demand, predetermined by the gas pedal, is converted into a desired torque to be given off by the engine. A reference charge value for the air charge is determined by a working-point-dependent lambda value (?opt) that can be predetermined. Based on this, a throttle valve position is set. Parallel to this, a desired torque is calculated for the fuel path with a reference lambda value, and an actual charge is calculated to yield a fuel amount to be injected. The reference lambda value results from an optimal lambda value for the mode of operation of homogeneous compression ignition, as long as the lambda value is within the rich and lean limits, respectively, of the combustion method of homogeneous compression ignition. The fuel mass is varied within the rich and lean limits to compensate dynamic processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: IAV GmbH Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr
    Inventors: Thomas Boehme, Wolfram Gottschalk, Olaf Magnor, Michael Schnaubelt, Matthias Schultalbers
  • Patent number: 7753039
    Abstract: A first cylinder and a second cylinder are provided. A first exhaust pipe is connected to the first cylinder and a second exhaust pipe is connected to the second cylinder. A communicating pipe connects together an intermediate portion of the first exhaust pipe with an intermediate portion of the second exhaust pipe. An exhaust gas control catalyst is arranged in the second exhaust pipe downstream of the portion to which the communicating pipe is connected. Exhaust gas amount reducing devices are provided which reduce the amount of exhaust gas that flows from the first exhaust pipe into the second exhaust pipe through the communicating pipe during execution of rich/lean burn control which performs combustion with an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture that is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio in one of the first cylinder and second cylinder and performs combustion with an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture that is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio in the other cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Harima, Shigeki Miyashita
  • Patent number: 7654076
    Abstract: A system, method, and software for controlling regeneration and desulfurization of a NOx adsorber is disclosed. An electronic control unit is connected with an engine for selectively controlling operation of the engine between a rich operating mode and a lean operating mode. A NOx adsorber is in fluid communication with a flow of exhaust from the engine. A NOx adsorber manager module is executable by the electronic control unit to determine the need to operate in a de-NOx mode or a de-SOx mode. If the NOx adsorber manager module determines a need exists to operate in the de-NOx mode and the de-SOx mode at the same time, the NOx adsorber manager module executes the de-SOx mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc.
    Inventor: Joan M. Wills
  • Publication number: 20090301437
    Abstract: The combustion air-fuel ratio is made leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio at the time of engine startup and the combustion air-fuel ratio is made richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and the exhaust downstream part of the three-way catalyst apparatus is raised in temperature when it is judged that just the exhaust upstream part of the three-way catalyst apparatus arranged in the engine exhaust system has been raised to the catalyst activation temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroaki Mizoguchi, Takahiko Fujiwara, Kunihiko Nakata, Kenji Sakurai, Hiroki Ichinose, Masaaki Kawai, Atsunori Hirata