Patents Examined by Abdul Elnoubi
  • Patent number: 8555613
    Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting faults with nitrogen oxides sensors used to detect the presence of nitrogen oxides in an exhaust effluent gas stream emitted from a combustion engine during its operation include providing a virtual nitrogen oxides sensor measurement compared with actual nitrogen oxides content measured by nitrogen oxides sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Yue-Yun Wang, Ognyan N. Yanakiev, Ibrahim Haskara
  • Patent number: 8359844
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system comprises M three-way catalysts and N electrically heated catalysts (EHCs). The M three-way catalysts are arranged to receive exhaust gas output by an engine of a hybrid vehicle. M is an integer greater than one. The N EHCs are arranged to receive the exhaust gas and provide radiant heat to the M three-way catalysts when the N EHCs are powered. N is an integer greater than one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Inventors: Eugene V. Gonze, Halim G. Santoso, Brian Spohn, Bryan Nathaniel Roos
  • Patent number: 8322128
    Abstract: A hydrogen engine 10 supplies hydrogen, oxygen, and an argon gas serving as a working to a combustion chamber 21 to combust the hydrogen. H2O in a recirculating gas discharged from the combustion chamber 21 is separated and eliminated from the gas by a condenser 66. A three-way valve 72 is switched over in such a manner that the recirculating gas flows through a product eliminating section 70 (a carbon dioxide absorbing unit 71), when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the recirculating gas is higher than a predetermined concentration, so that the carbon dioxide is separated and eliminated from the recirculating gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinichi Mitani
  • Patent number: 8307630
    Abstract: An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine comprises a turbocharger, an exhaust pipe, a first diesel particulate filter, a second diesel particulate filter, and a flow control valve. The exhaust pipe has a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. At least the second portion of the exhaust pipe comprises a plurality of fluid paths. The first diesel particulate filter is coupled to on one of the plurality of fluid paths between the second portion and the third portion of the exhaust pipe. The second diesel particulate filter is coupled to another of the plurality of fluid paths. The flow control valve is disposed within the second portion of the exhaust pipe. The flow control valve is response to an input signal indicative of an operating condition and is configured to control exhaust flow to the first diesel particulate filter and the second diesel particulate filter in response to the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventor: Gerald W. Askew
  • Patent number: 8297049
    Abstract: An exhaust heat recovery device with which a coolant medium in a heat exchanger can be prevented from reaching high temperatures is provided. An exhaust heat recovery system 10 is provided with an heat exchanger 18 that performs heat exchange between exhaust gas and a coolant medium; and a natural convection water pipe 56 whose one end is connected to an upper portion in the direction of gravity of an engine coolant water pipe 42 in the heat exchanger 18 and whose other end is connected to a lower portion in the direction of gravity of the engine coolant water pipe 42, and whose intermediate portion is positioned at the outer side of the heat exchanger 18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Teturo Ohtani
  • Patent number: 8281573
    Abstract: An evaporation unit for producing a gas flow including ammonia, in particular in connection with an SCR system in motor vehicles, includes at least a housing, at least one meandering flow channel delimited by a closed wall and having an inlet and an outlet and at least one heat conductor disposed in a first evaporation section of the at least one flow channel coaxially between the housing and the wall. A device and a motor vehicle having the evaporation unit are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: EMITEC Gesellschaft fuer Emissionstechnologie mbH
    Inventors: Rolf Brück, Christian Vorsmann, Sven Schepers, Jan Hodgson, Marc Brugger
  • Patent number: 8272207
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for controlling an engine in a vehicle, the engine having a cylinder with a bowl. One example method comprises, during regeneration of a particulate filter positioned in an engine exhaust, timing a late post injection of fuel in an exhaust stroke to spray at least some of the injected fuel into the bowl and without hitting cylinder walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Eric Matthew Kurtz
  • Patent number: 8225594
    Abstract: The control device of the internal combustion engine appropriately controls plural exhaust valves to effectively perform sulfur poisoning recovery in an exhaust gas purifying catalyst. The control device controls the internal combustion engine which performs lean burn. The exhaust system of the internal combustion engine includes: first exhaust valves and second exhaust valves provided in each of the plural cylinders; a first exhaust passage communicating with the first exhaust valves; a second exhaust passage communicating with the second exhaust valves; a first exhaust gas purifying catalyst provided at least one of the first exhaust passage and the second exhaust passage; and a second exhaust gas purifying catalyst provided on an exhaust passage downstream of a junction of the first exhaust passage and the second exhaust passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoya Kaneko, Shigeki Miyashita, Kenji Harima
  • Patent number: 8215099
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification device of an internal combustion engine having a NOx catalyst provided to an exhaust passage for occluding NOx in a lean atmosphere and for reducing the occluded NOx in a rich atmosphere has an exhaust gas recirculation passage for recirculating the exhaust gas from the exhaust passage to an intake passage, an exhaust gas recirculation valve provided in the exhaust gas recirculation passage, a rich combustion control section for performing rich combustion in the internal combustion engine, and an exhaust gas recirculation valve control section for controlling an opening degree of the exhaust gas recirculation valve to conform a pressure value in the intake passage to a predetermined pressure value while the rich combustion control section performs the rich combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Ono, Kazuo Kojima
  • Patent number: 8201396
    Abstract: An exhaust gas cleaning apparatus includes a combustion mode shifter that shifts combustion in a cylinder of an engine from a lean-burn mode to a rich-burn mode for enabling a LNT to reduce NOx contained in the exhaust gas. The combustion mode shifter is configured to: estimate a torque-producing fuel quantity for a fuel injection made by a fuel injector when the combustion is in the lean-burn mode; estimate an excess oxygen ratio for an upcoming fuel injection during the shifting of the combustion from the lean-burn mode to the rich-burn mode; estimate a fuel burning percentage for the upcoming fuel injection based on the excess oxygen ratio; set a command injection quantity for the upcoming fuel injection based on the torque-producing fuel quantity and the fuel burning percentage; and control the fuel injector to inject the command injection quantity of fuel into the cylinder in the upcoming fuel injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Kawamura, Masakuni Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8171723
    Abstract: When the NOx SCR catalyst (15) deteriorates, the NOx removal efficiency increases with an increase in the catalyst temperature as indicated by the curves B1 and B2. When there is an irregularity in the amount or quality of aqueous urea solution that is supplied to the NOx SCR catalyst, the NOx removal efficiency decreases at a constant rate as indicated by the curve C. When the NOx removal efficiency is first within the region X2 and then brought into the region Y1, it is determined that the NOx SCR catalyst deteriorates. When the NOx removal efficiency is first within the region X2 and then brought into the region Y2, it is determined that there is an irregularity in the amount or quality of the aqueous urea solution that is supplied to the NOx SCR catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taiga Hagimoto, Hiroshi Sawada, Daisuke Shibata
  • Patent number: 8161733
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating an engine having a hydrocarbon retaining system and an emission control device coupled to an engine exhaust, the engine exhaust comprising a venturi. One example method comprises, during a storing condition, routing exhaust gas through the venturi without generating a venturi action, and then to the hydrocarbon retaining system, while bypassing the emission control device, to store hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon retaining system, and during a purging condition, routing exhaust gas through the venturi while generating venturi action, then to the emission control device, and then to the hydrocarbon retaining system, to purge stored hydrocarbons, wherein a flow of purged hydrocarbons is drawn back to the venturi via venturi action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James Uhrich, Stephen B. Smith, James Michael Kerns, Shane Elwart, Jason Aaron Lupescu
  • Patent number: 8146348
    Abstract: An exhaust emission control device reduces nitrogen oxide in exhaust air from an engine. The device includes an exhaust pipe, a catalyst, a supply device, a NOx detecting device, and a control device. The pipe defines a passage for the exhaust air. The catalyst is disposed in the pipe and promotes reduction reaction of the nitrogen oxide. The supply device supplies an additive agent, which is used for the reaction, to an upstream side of the catalyst in the exhaust air flow direction. The detecting device detects the nitrogen oxide included in the exhaust airs which has passed through the catalyst. The control device controls the supply device. The control device determines a deterioration state of the catalyst based on a result detected by the detecting device and reduces an amount of the additive agent, which is supplied, according to the determined deterioration state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Shimomura, Ataru Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 8136348
    Abstract: An exhaust purification apparatus comprises an ammonia selective reduction-type NOx catalyst that selectively reduces NOx within exhaust gas by using ammonia as a reducing agent, a urea-water supply device that supplies urea-water into the exhaust gas existing upstream of the ammonia selective reduction-type NOx catalyst, and a control unit. The control unit controls the urea-water supply device so that the urea-water is intermittently supplied according to predetermined supply duration time and predetermined supply suspension time when the urea-water is supplied from the urea-water supply device for the purpose of providing ammonia to the ammonia selective reduction-type NOx catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Hiranuma, Minehiro Murata, Yoshinaka Takeda, Hiroaki Fujita, Satoshi Yamazaki, Shinichi Saito, Yasuko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8099951
    Abstract: A method for reducing nitrogen oxides including NO and NO2 in an exhaust stream also including oxygen, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons at a temperature above about 150° C. includes oxidizing NO in the exhaust stream to NO2, adding diesel fuel hydrocarbons and their oxygenates to the exhaust stream for the reduction of nitrogen oxides, and flowing the exhaust stream through a dual bed catalyst system including a first bed and a second bed, wherein the first bed is a single layer catalyst bed and the second bed is a double layer catalyst bed including a first layer and a second layer to reduce the nitrogen oxides to N2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Byong Kwon Cho