Patents Examined by Binh Q. Tran
  • Patent number: 11486287
    Abstract: A control device is configured to execute a process of calculating an increase amount of deterioration obtained by subtracting from a first degree of deterioration that is a degree of deterioration of the three-way catalyst during execution of the oxygen supply process a second degree of deterioration that is a degree of deterioration of a three-way catalyst in a case where an oxygen supply process of supplying oxygen to an exhaust passage is assumed not to be executed, a process of calculating an integrated value of the increase amount of deterioration, and a process of executing a deterioration reduction process of reducing a rate of deterioration of the three-way catalyst in a case where the calculated integrated value is equal to or larger than a first determination value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hitoki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 11480089
    Abstract: A device for capturing in-port ship exhaust gases is designed to be connected to a ship when the ship has at least one funnel that serves as an outlet for exhaust gases. The device includes at least one collection device, including a hood designed to connect to the funnel at the exhaust outlet so as to collect the exhaust gases coming out of the funnel, a handling unit designed to move the collection device and position it at the exhaust outlet, a first constraint configured to interconnect or disconnect the collection device and the handling unit by command so as to create a handling configuration in which the collection device and the handling unit are interconnected by the first constraint and can be moved as one, and a collection configuration in which the collection device collects the exhaust gases and the connection achieved by the first constraint is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Greener Process Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Enrico Festa
  • Patent number: 11473980
    Abstract: A method for measuring a heat generation distribution in a honeycomb structure includes: applying a voltage to a pair of electrode layers of the honeycomb structure to bring the honeycomb structure to an electrically conductive state; measuring resistance values Rn between two different points on the surface of an outer peripheral wall of the honeycomb structure; estimating a current value In flowing between the two points using Kirchhoff's law based on each of the resistance values Rn between the two different points, and calculating a heat value generated for each of the resistance values Rn based on each of the resistance values Rn and the current value In; and estimating a heat generation distribution in the honeycomb structure based on both the positions at which each of the resistance values Rn is measured, and the heat value calculated from each of the resistance values Rn, in the honeycomb structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoya Takase
  • Patent number: 11471799
    Abstract: Disclosed is a filtration device for a liquid, including: at least two superimposed layers of filter media having weld lines creating strips between them, the layers of filter media having weld lines being superimposed such that the weld lines of one layer form, with the weld lines of the other layer, a mesh structure when viewed at an angle normal to the layers of filter media; a first external face and a second external face each being produced at least locally from a water-permeable material, the layers of filter media being positioned between the external faces; and an intake connector used for drawing liquid in through the filtration device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventor: Georges Maguin
  • Patent number: 11473478
    Abstract: An exhaust aftertreatment system and associated method for purifying an exhaust gas feedstream of a lean-burn or other compression-ignition internal combustion engine is described. An instruction set is executable to determine an engine-out NO2 concentration upstream of an oxidation catalyst and determine a first parameter associated with O2 concentration. A consumption of oxygen in the oxidation catalyst due to oxidation reactions is determined, and a concentration of NO2 generated by the oxidation catalyst is determined based upon the consumption of oxygen in the oxidation catalyst. A concentration of NO2 downstream of the oxidation catalyst is determined. A NO2/NOx ratio in the exhaust gas feedstream downstream of the oxidation catalyst is determined based upon the concentration of NO2 downstream of the oxidation catalyst and the NOx concentration measured by the downstream NOx sensor. The oxidation catalyst is evaluated based upon the NO2/NOx ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: PACCAR Inc.
    Inventors: Trevor Joseph Ott, Cynthia Chaffin Webb, Charles Wayne Reinhardt Swart
  • Patent number: 11466636
    Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring a NOx sensor for a NOx offset value are described. In one example, the NOx offset value may be based on a minimum NOx concentration observed over an entire drive of a vehicle. The NOx offset monitor may be inhibited in response to inferring or detecting a presence of NH3 in an exhaust system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michiel J Van Nieuwstadt, Justin Trzeciak, Jim Bromham
  • Patent number: 11466851
    Abstract: A smoke removal device includes a connecting tube, a burner, and a plurality of heat storage meshes. The connecting tube has an inlet end and an outlet end. The burner is disposed in the connecting tube and has a flame outlet. The heat storage meshes are sequentially disposed between the flame outlet and the outlet end. The heat storage meshes includes a first heat storage mesh and a second heat storage mesh. The first heat storage mesh is located between the second heat storage mesh and the flame outlet. A mesh-number of per unit area of the first heat storage mesh is larger than that of the second heat storage mesh. The first heat storage mesh and the second heat storage mesh could slow down a flow rate of flame to increase temperatures of the heat storage meshes. The smoke is burned off once touching the heat storage meshes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: GRAND MATE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chung-Chin Huang, Chin-Ying Huang, Hsin-Ming Huang, Hsing-Hsiung Huang, Yen-Jen Yeh, Kuan-Chou Lin
  • Patent number: 11466604
    Abstract: A system includes an exhaust aftertreatment system in exhaust gas receiving communication with an engine including a plurality of cylinders where the engine is structured to operate according to low load conditions and where a controller is structured to determine that at least one diesel emissions fluid (DEF) doser is frozen based on at least one of an ambient air temperature and a DEF source temperature. The controller is structured to operate the engine according to a skip-fire mode in response to a DEF flag indicating that the at least one DEF doser is frozen. The skip-fire mode comprises firing a portion of the plurality of cylinders that is less than a total amount of cylinders of the plurality of cylinders. The controller is structured to discontinue the skip-fire mode in response to determining that the at least one DEF doser is likely thawed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Ankit Raghunath Lad, Joshua Alan Lantz, Vaibhav J. Lawand, Nicholas R. Lewis, Ian W. McGiffen, Arulkumaran Muthukumarasamy
  • Patent number: 11460457
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a concentration of a corrosive gas including at least observing at least one gas fuse, the gas fuse having at least one metal wire, which is configured for breaking due to corrosion if exposed to the corrosive gas in a way that a time-integrated concentration of the corrosive gas exceeds a critical value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Finn Frederiksen, Heiko Jausel
  • Patent number: 11454154
    Abstract: A method for adapting modeled reaction kinetics of a reaction taking place in a catalytic converter, with model-based fill level feedback control. The method includes specifying a setpoint value for at least one fill level of at least one exhaust-gas component that can be stored in the catalytic converter; calculating at least one fill level of the catalytic converter using a signal of an exhaust-gas sensor upstream of the catalytic converter and using a catalytic converter model with at least one storage capacity and reaction kinetics of the at least one reaction taking place in the catalytic converter; setting an air-fuel mixture such that the calculated fill level approximates the specified setpoint value; ascertaining a difference between a signal of the exhaust-gas sensor upstream of the catalytic converter and a signal of an exhaust-gas sensor downstream of the catalytic converter; and deactivating the fill-level-dependent setting of the air-fuel mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Fey
  • Patent number: 11441465
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification device is disposed in an exhaust passage of an engine disposed in an engine room defined in a hull, and is configured to remove at least a nitrogen oxide from an exhaust gas discharged from the engine. The exhaust gas purification device includes: a catalytic part including a selective reducing catalyst for selectively reducing the nitrogen oxide; a reducing agent addition device configured to add a reducing agent to the exhaust gas on an upstream side of the catalytic part in a flow direction of the exhaust gas; and a casing configured to contain the catalytic part. At least a part of the casing is disposed inside the engine room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.
    Inventors: Takehiko Kakizakai, Toshihiro Fujii, Hitoshi Ito, Akira Otaki, Tomohide Hashiguchi, Shintaro Ide
  • Patent number: 11441466
    Abstract: A system for determining an exhaust flow rate of an exhaust gas produced by an engine comprises a first sensor configured to measure an amount of NOx gases in the exhaust gas. A controller is communicatively coupled to the first sensor. The controller is configured to receive a first sensor signal from the first sensor. The controller is also configured to receive a fuel rate signal corresponding to a rate of fuel consumption by the engine. The controller is configured to determine an air-fuel ratio from the first sensor signal and determine a fuel rate from the fuel rate signal. Furthermore, the controller is configured to determine the exhaust flow rate from the air-fuel ratio and the fuel rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Cummins Emission Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Tarek Elharis
  • Patent number: 11434841
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a NOx sensor. In one example, a method includes heating a NOx sensor during a vehicle off in response to a cumulative heat energy applied to the NOx.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Frank M Korpics, Brett Gayney, Dean Pennala, William Goodwin, Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt
  • Patent number: 11434806
    Abstract: The catalyst deterioration detection system 1 comprises an air-fuel ratio detection device 41 detecting an air-fuel ratio of an exhaust gas flowing out from the catalyst 20, an air-fuel ratio control part 71, and a deterioration judgment part 72. The air-fuel ratio control part is configured to perform a lean control making the air-fuel ratio of the inflowing exhaust gas leaner than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and a rich control making the air-fuel ratio of the inflowing exhaust gas richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. The deterioration judgment part is configured to calculate an amplitude of an air-fuel ratio of an exhaust gas flowing out from the catalyst due to the lean control and the rich control based on an output of the air-fuel ratio detection device and judge that the catalyst is deteriorating if the amplitude is equal to or greater than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Furui, Go Hayashita, Yoichi Kadota
  • Patent number: 11428140
    Abstract: A mixer for a vehicle exhaust gas system includes a mixer housing defining an internal cavity and having a mixer inlet configured to receive exhaust gas and a mixer outlet to direct exhaust gas to downstream exhaust components. A flow device is configured to receive the exhaust gas from the mixer inlet and to facilitate mixing of the exhaust gas and a reductant introduced into the first flow device. The flow device comprises a Venturi body centered on a body center axis, and the Venturi body comprises a body inlet configured to receive the exhaust gas from the mixer inlet and a body outlet configured to provide the exhaust gas to the mixer outlet. The Venturi body also includes a support flange extending from the body outlet at an offset angle to an internal edge of the mixer housing. An upstream vane is positioned within the Venturi body proximate the body inlet and is coupled to an upstream vane hub that is centered on an upstream vane hub axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies, USA, LLC
    Inventors: Edward Kinnaird, Eric Nicole
  • Patent number: 11421573
    Abstract: A DEF system for use with an internal combustion engine, the DEF system including a primary flowpath extending between a first inlet and a first outlet, where the first inlet is open to and configured to receive exhaust gasses from the internal combustion engine. The DEF system also includes a secondary flowpath including a second inlet open to the primary flowpath downstream of the first inlet and upstream of the first outlet, a second outlet open to the primary flowpath downstream of the secondary inlet and upstream of the first outlet, and an injector assembly configured to inject DEF into the secondary flowpath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Shyan-Cherng Huang, Kiran Shekarappa
  • Patent number: 11421574
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for injecting ammonia in gaseous form into an exhaust line of a combustion engine, the device including a supervisor, an evaporation chamber incorporating a heater for heating a quantity of reducing agent thus releasing ammonia in gaseous form that exits the evaporation chamber via a pipe opening into the exhaust line. The control supervisor is associated with an internal first pressure sensor housed in the evaporation chamber and with a second pressure sensor intended to be housed in the exhaust line, including a calculator calculating a quantity of ammonia to be injected into the exhaust line at a given instant as a function of the pressure values from the first and second pressure sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Cheikh Diouf, Mathieu Dupriez, Charles-Albert Fischbach
  • Patent number: 11421609
    Abstract: A system includes a combustion apparatus for controlling combustion of a fuel and air in a combustion chamber to produce mechanical motion, a source of a chemical species for supplying a chemical species to be mixed with the fuel and air, a control valve for controlling an amount of the chemical species that is introduced from the source into the fuel and the air, and a controller in communication with the control valve to cause the control valve to introduce the chemical species at a flow rate that will cause auto-ignition of combustion between the fuel and the air in the combustion chamber without use of a spark-producing device. The controller may perform operations embodied as program instructions for controlling the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Inventor: Mark Andrew Patterson
  • Patent number: 11415035
    Abstract: A diesel engine high pressure SCR ventilation and voltage stabilisation system, comprising an SCR reactor (10), an air intake pipeline (20) and an exhaust pipeline (30) respectively connected to an air inlet and an exhaust outlet of the SCR reactor, a pressure difference sensing apparatus (40), and a control apparatus, a first control valve (21) being arranged on the air intake pipeline (20) and a second control valve (31) being arranged on the exhaust pipeline (30), and the control apparatus being connected to the pressure difference sensing apparatus (40), the first control valve (21), and the second control valve (31). The control apparatus controls the first and second control valves such that the pressure difference between the SCR reactor and the exhaust side of the diesel engine remains in a predetermined pressure difference range. The present system implements rapid ventilation and ensures precise control and stabilisation of pressure difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: SHANGHAI MARINE DIESEL ENGINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Zhigang Wang, Xiangli Zhu, Xiaobo Li, Teng Shen, Qiuyan Chen, Feixiang Shen
  • Patent number: 11415083
    Abstract: An engine system includes a first cylinder including a first piston, a second cylinder including a second piston, and a fuel injector fluidly connected to the first cylinder. The first cylinder is a combustion cylinder, and the second cylinder is an expansion cylinder. The second cylinder is fluidly connected to the first cylinder when the first piston is in at least one position in the first cylinder. The fuel injector is configured to deliver hydrogen gas to the first cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Chaitanya Kavuri, Jonathan W. Anders