Patents Assigned to Volvo Technology Corporation
  • Publication number: 20210114473
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electric propulsion system (100) for a vehicle (1), said system comprising a first electrical machine (12) and a second electrical machine (14) for providing propulsion to said vehicle, characterized in that said system further comprises an electrically isolated coupling assembly (20) configured to provide electrical isolation between said first and said second electrical machines; a first bidirectional DC/AC converter (68) disposed in a first electrical connection (82) extending from the first electrical machine; a second bidirectional DC/AC converter (69) disposed in a second electrical connection (84) extending from the second electrical machine; a switch assembly (30) connected via at least one of the bidirectional DC/AC converters to at least one of the first and second electrical machines and further connected to an onboard energy storage system (40); and wherein said switch assembly is configured to connect at least one of the first electrical machine and the second electric
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicants: VOLVO TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, SIBBHULTSVERKEN AB
    Inventors: Mats ALAKÜLA, Anders GÖRANSSON
  • Publication number: 20190153970
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining a position of at least one actuator of an internal combustion engine arrangement, the method including the steps of: receiving parameter values for engine performance parameters of the internal combustion engine arrangement at a first point in time; predicting at least one engine performance parameter value at an at least one second, future point in time; and determining an actuator position for the at least one actuator by an optimization using the parameter values at the first point in time and at the at least one second point in time as input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: VOLVO TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Esteban GELSO, Johan DAHL
  • Patent number: 10017185
    Abstract: A method is provided for damping electromechanical oscillations in an electromechanical system including at least one electric machine operable with an angular speed and a phase of the angular speed being coupled to at least one torque load and producing an electromotive force. The method includes deriving actual values of the electromotive force and adjusting the phase of the angular speed, based on the derived actual values of the electromotive force, in a direction in which an oscillatory behavior of the electric machine is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Johan Lindberg
  • Publication number: 20180058285
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system includes a cylinder block with a plurality of cylinders, a gas intake manifold for providing at least air to the cylinder block and an exhaust gas manifold for exiting the exhaust gas from the cylinder block, wherein the exhaust gas manifold includes at least a main exhaust gas outlet and a waste gate exhaust gas outlet, wherein the main exhaust gas outlet is connected to a main exhaust gas pipe for guiding the exhaust gas to a main exhaust gas after treatment system and the waste gate exhaust gas outlet is connected to a waste gate exhaust gas pipe, and wherein the waste gate exhaust gas pipe is reconnected to the main exhaust gas pipe upstream of the main exhaust gas after treatment system and includes at least one waste gate exhaust gas after treatment unit, such as an oxidation catalyst such as a diesel oxidation catalyst, for catalytically treating the exhaust gas streaming through the waste gate exhaust gas pipe, and to a method for increasing the temperature in an i
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: VOLVO TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Mårdberg JOZSA, Arne ANDERSSON
  • Patent number: 9835065
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system includes a cylinder block with a plurality of cylinders, a gas intake manifold for providing at least air to the cylinder block and an exhaust gas manifold for exiting the exhaust gas from the cylinder block, wherein the exhaust gas manifold includes at least a main exhaust gas outlet and a waste gate exhaust gas outlet, wherein the main exhaust gas outlet is connected to a main exhaust gas pipe for guiding the exhaust gas to a main exhaust gas after treatment system and the waste gate exhaust gas outlet is connected to a waste gate exhaust gas pipe, and wherein the waste gate exhaust gas pipe is reconnected to the main exhaust gas pipe upstream of the main exhaust gas after treatment system and includes at least one waste gate exhaust gas after treatment unit, such as an oxidation catalyst such as a diesel oxidation catalyst, for catalytically treating the exhaust gas streaming through the waste gate exhaust gas pipe, and to a method for increasing the temperature in an i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Mårdberg Jozsa, Arne Andersson
  • Patent number: 9574524
    Abstract: A method and internal combustion engine system are provided for keeping an exhaust gas aftertreatment system within its working temperature range during an idle or motoring engine operation mode of an internal combustion engine. The method includes sensing the temperature of the gas at the gas intake side of the internal combustion engine and/or of the exhaust gas; determining whether or not the sensed temperature value is in a predetermined temperature interval or below a predetermined temperature threshold; determining whether the internal combustion engine is in idle or motoring engine operation mode; in case the internal combustion engine is determined to be in an idle or motoring engine operation mode, controlling the temperature of the gas at the gas intake side of the internal combustion engine to be within the predetermined temperature range or below the predetermined temperature threshold by recirculating exhaust gas through a connecting duct by controlling at least one valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Christer Alm
  • Patent number: 9574886
    Abstract: A method and software are provided for estimating a travel time for a vehicle including the steps of determining a route for which the travel time is to be estimated, dividing the route into route sections, wherein each route section has substantially constant road characteristics, selecting a vehicle configuration for the vehicle, retrieving, from a database, an estimated travel time for each route section based on each route section for the selected vehicle configuration, aggregating the estimated travel times for each route section from the database into a total travel time for the determined route. Furthermore a method for creating, and using, the database is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Pihl Claes
  • Patent number: 9181832
    Abstract: An exhaust gas after treatment system includes a catalytic converter arrangement with at least one catalytic material, wherein the catalytic converter arrangement is arranged in an exhaust gas path downstream of a combustion engine, and further includes one or more dosing interfaces for feeding at least one reducing agent for reducing an NOx content in the exhaust gas. The one or more dosing interfaces are arranged to feed at least one activator material to the exhaust gas. The activator material causes an enhancement of a catalytic activity of the catalytic material compared to the catalytic activity of the catalytic material without the presence of the activator material at least in a given temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Sara Erkfeldt
  • Patent number: 9136548
    Abstract: A method for operating, especially for starting, a fuel cell such as a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is disclosed which method includes a starting operation with a first or initial start phase and an optional second or intermediate start phase which is initiated when the fuel cell has reached a predetermined medium temperature below a steady state operational temperature range, before a steady state operation is activated. During the first or initial start phase fuel is subjected to an exothermic reaction with oxygen in a burner unit and output gases from the burner unit are used to warm up and passively heat the fuel cell. Furthermore, a fuel cell arrangement comprising a fuel cell, especially a SOFC hybrid system, for conducting this method is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Lars Johansen, Peter Jozsa Mårdberg
  • Patent number: 9120377
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method, a system and/or a computer readable program. An embodiment of the method includes acquiring an input signal indicative of the operator's expectation of the state of the object at a first point in time; determining a state of the object at a second later point in time based on the input signal; acquiring an input signal indicative of an estimated visual input of the operator at the second point in time; determining the operator's expectation of the state at the second point in time, based on the operator's expectation of the state of the object at the first point in time, and the estimated visual input and the state of the object at the second point in time; and providing an output signal indicative of the operator's expectation of the state at the second point in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignees: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION, VOLVO TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Levin, Gustav Markkula
  • Patent number: 9101313
    Abstract: System for improving a performance estimation of an operator of a vehicle, comprising a first module implementing a first method for estimating a performance state of vehicle operation, a second module implementing a second method for estimating at least one of a physiological and behavioral state of the operator, a device for sharing an estimated state between one of the first and the second module and the other one of the first and the second module, wherein the implemented estimation method of one of the first and the second module is adjusted based on the state of the other one of the first and the second module, thereby improving the estimation of at least one of the performance state of vehicle operation and the physiological and/or behavioral state of the operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignees: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION, VOLVO TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Levin, Lena Westervall, Gustav Markkula, Peter Kronberg, Trent Victor
  • Patent number: 9027529
    Abstract: A piston is arranged for reciprocal movement in a combustion engine cylinder. Protrusions are or a ridge is arranged half way between flame plume impingement areas in a plane perpendicular to the reciprocal movement and protrude to the combustion chamber having a smooth form adapted for preserving kinetic energy in a flame plume. The protrusion or ridge includes a left side flank, a top section and a right side flank, and a transition section between each of the side flanks and the top section, the transition section including a deflection edge in order to minimize flow losses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Jan Eismark, Michaell Balthasar
  • Patent number: 9030162
    Abstract: A battery charging system and a method for a increasing endurance of a high voltage battery in a hybrid electric vehicle includes a high voltage battery for vehicle propulsion, a generator for charging the high voltage battery, a DC/DC converter for converting a high voltage to a low voltage, a low voltage battery charged with the low voltage, and an alternator, driven by an engine, and connected with the low voltage battery in parallel with the voltage converter. The method includes registering a parameter, where the parameter is at least one of a state of charge of said high voltage battery, and energy inflow/outflow to/from said high voltage battery to said vehicle drive motor or said generator, and controlling the low voltage in dependence of the registered parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Christian Andersson, Jan Grundberg, Tommy Hjelle
  • Patent number: 8965037
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining a vehicle operator's visual input of an object in the operator's surroundings, which method comprises receiving an object position signal indicative of the position of at least one object, receiving an operator motion input signal indicative of operator physiological data comprising information relating to body motion of the operator, estimating an operator eye-gaze direction, and determining a visual input quality value representative of level of visual input of the at least one object received by the operator, based on the object position signal and the estimated operator eye-gaze direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignees: Volvo Car Corporation, Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Levin, Gustav Markkula
  • Publication number: 20150040560
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system includes a cylinder block with a plurality of cylinders, a gas intake manifold for providing at least air to the cylinder block and an exhaust gas manifold for exiting the exhaust gas from the cylinder block, wherein the exhaust gas manifold includes at least a main exhaust gas outlet and a waste gate exhaust gas outlet, wherein the main exhaust gas outlet is connected to a main exhaust gas pipe for guiding the exhaust gas to a main exhaust gas after treatment system and the waste gate exhaust gas outlet is connected to a waste gate exhaust gas pipe, and wherein the waste gate exhaust gas pipe is reconnected to the main exhaust gas pipe upstream of the main exhaust gas after treatment system and includes at least one waste gate exhaust gas after treatment unit, such as an oxidation catalyst such as a diesel oxidation catalyst, for catalytically treating the exhaust gas streaming through the waste gate exhaust gas pipe, and to a method for increasing the temperature in an i
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: VOLVO TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Mårdberg Jozsa, Arne Andersson
  • Patent number: 8905001
    Abstract: A fuel-pumping system for a fuel includes at least one reservoir providing a first volume for the fuel and a second volume for a compression fluid, a separator membrane between the first volume and the second volume, an inlet port of the at least one reservoir for feeding the fuel to the first volume, an outlet port of the at least one reservoir for discharging the fuel at a high pressure from the first volume, a fluid port of the at least one reservoir for supplying or removing the compression fluid to or from the second volume. An operating method and a fuel-injection system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Staffan Lundgren
  • Patent number: 8896175
    Abstract: A rotor for an electric machine excited by magnetic poles formed by one or more embedded permanent magnets includes a magnetic body and the one or more embedded permanent magnets associated with the magnetic body defining first magnetic poles and second magnetic poles of alternating magnetic polarity along a rotor direction. For at least one of the one or more embedded permanent magnets a rotor segment is arranged between the one or more embedded permanent magnets and a first surface of the magnetic body. At least one retainer element connects the rotor segment to a portion of the magnetic body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Maddalena Cirani, Sture Eriksson
  • Publication number: 20140318102
    Abstract: An exhaust gas after treatment system includes a catalytic converter arrangement with at least one catalytic material, wherein the catalytic converter arrangement is arranged in an exhaust gas path downstream of a combustion engine, and further includes one or more dosing interfaces for feeding at least one reducing agent for reducing an NOx content in the exhaust gas. The one or more dosing interfaces are arranged to feed at least one activator material to the exhaust gas. The activator material causes an enhancement of a catalytic activity of the catalytic material compared to the catalytic activity of the catalytic material without the presence of the activator material at least in a given temperature range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: VOLVO TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sara Erkfeldt
  • Patent number: 8866603
    Abstract: A method, a device and a system for communicating in a vehicle at least one deviation of a measured actual vehicle parameter value from its predetermined value to a driver involve determining an amount of the deviation, color-coding the amount of deviation, and communicating the amount of deviation to the driver by using the color-code. Determining the amount of deviation includes weighting a calculated difference between the measured actual vehicle parameter value and the predetermined vehicle parameter value with a weighting factor. A vehicle or more particularly a truck may include such a device and such a system and a computer programmed for performing such a method and computer readable medium comprising a program for performing such a method can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Joel Sandström, Emma Rozada
  • Patent number: 8849546
    Abstract: A method of selecting between two operation modes in a dual fuel internal combustion engine of the diesel-type is provided. The engine includes a combustion chamber at least partly delimited by a piston, a first fuel supply for a first fuel, the first fuel supply being located in or at the combustion chamber and/or in or at an inlet port thereof, and a second fuel supply for a second fuel. The engine has two different operation modes, both operation modes including the steps of pre-mixing the first fuel in the combustion chamber and/or in the inlet port, compressing the charge containing the first fuel to conditions that allow auto-ignition of the second fuel, performing a first injection of the second fuel into the combustion chamber to initiate auto-ignition of the second fuel, thereby initiating conditions for combustion of the fuel remaining in the combustion chamber after auto-ignition of the second fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Volvo Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Ingemar Magnusson