Patents Examined by Brandon D Lee
  • Patent number: 11346267
    Abstract: Methods and/or systems for operating an exhaust-gas aftertreatment system of an internal combustion engine include: setting the internal combustion engine to a diagnostic operating mode with relevant diagnostic operating parameters of the internal combustion engine are set to correspond with diagnostic default values; inducing a targeted, defined NH3 and/or NOX concentration change upstream of the filter; measuring the NH3 and/or NOX concentration change downstream of the filter; providing a correlating concentration comparison value; evaluating the concentration change on the basis of the respective concentration comparison value and predefined limit values; and diagnosing the SCR particle filter as defective if the evaluation yields that the concentration comparison value has overshot a predefined limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventor: Hong Zhang
  • Patent number: 11346263
    Abstract: An ECU 10 includes a valve control unit 101 for throttling a valve opening of at least one of an intake throttle valve or an exhaust throttle valve so that an upstream temperature of a DOC reaches a predetermined temperature; and a deposition condition determination unit 105 for determining whether a deposition condition that a SOF deposition amount on the DOC exceeds a predetermined deposition amount is satisfied. The valve control unit 101 includes a throttle amount decrease control execution unit 102 for executing throttle amount decrease control to decrease a throttle amount of the valve opening when the deposition condition is satisfied to be smaller than when the deposition condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Nishizawa, Daisuke Sato
  • Patent number: 11339698
    Abstract: A system includes a first heater positioned in or proximate to an exhaust aftertreatment system in exhaust gas-receiving communication with an engine, a second heater positioned downstream of the first heater, and a controller coupled to the first and second heaters. The controller is structured to determine, based on information indicative of a temperature regarding the exhaust aftertreatment system, that the temperature is below a temperature threshold; receive information regarding a characteristic of a battery coupled to the first heater and the second heater; control the temperature regarding the exhaust aftertreatment system without using the first or second heaters in response to determining that the characteristic of the battery is below a first threshold; and control a temperature regarding the exhaust aftertreatment system using the first heater in response to determining that the characteristic of the battery is above the first threshold but below a second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Kristopher R. Bare, Xing Jin, Jennifer Kay Light-Holets, Sriram S. Popuri, Xiaobo Song
  • Patent number: 11339697
    Abstract: A method for operating an exhaust-gas burner (B) of a vehicle (100) which has at least an internal combustion engine (V) and a catalytic converter (C1, C2), wherein exhaust gases (22, 24) of the exhaust-gas burner (B) are merged, upstream of the catalytic converter (C1, C2), with exhaust gases (12) of the internal combustion engine (V), forming an exhaust-gas mixture, wherein a lambda value of the exhaust gases (22, 24) of the exhaust-gas burner (B) is set in a manner dependent on a lambda value of the exhaust gases (12) of the internal combustion engine (V).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Kraewer, Michael Fey
  • Patent number: 11333054
    Abstract: An exhaust aftertreatment device includes a housing defining an inlet and an outlet. A plurality of first substrate layers are positioned within the housing in fluid receiving communication with the inlet. The plurality of first substrate layers define a first flow direction, and the plurality of first substrate layers comprise a passive NOx adsorber washcoat. A plurality of second substrate layers are positioned within the housing with the first and second substrate layers being layered in alternating order. The plurality of second substrate layers define a second flow direction perpendicular to the first flow direction, and the plurality of second substrate layers comprise a selective catalytic reduction washcoat. A connecting passage is in fluid receiving communication with the plurality of first substrate layers and in fluid providing communication with the plurality of second substrate layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Lars Krister Henrichsen, Krishna P. Chilumukuru, Michael Haas, Mathew L. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11326495
    Abstract: Methods and systems for operating an engine that includes a controller and a NOx sensor are described. In one example, output of the NOx sensor is selectively made available to software modules within the controller when an offset in NOx sensor output is not expected. If the offset in NOx sensor output is expected, the NOx sensor output may not be made available to the software modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dean Pennala, Justin Trzeciak, Frank M. Korpics, Jim Bromham
  • Patent number: 11325067
    Abstract: An electrochemical reactor is arranged inside an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine and is provided with a plurality of groups of cells. Each group of cell has a plurality of cells, each cell has an ion conducting solid electrolyte layer, and an anode layer and cathode layer arranged on a surface of the solid electrolyte layer. Each group of cells is configured so that all of the exhaust gas flows into passages defined by cells configuring the group of cells and so that both of the anode layers and the cathode layers are exposed to each passage. The plurality of groups of cells are arranged aligned in a direction of flow of exhaust gas and different groups of cells are connected to a power source in parallel with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keishi Takada, Tetsuya Sakuma, Yasumasa Notake
  • Patent number: 11326499
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for controlling regeneration of an exhaust gas aftertreatment system (7, 8) of an internal combustion engine (4) arranged on a vehicle (1), wherein the vehicle (1) is provided with a control system configured to control the regeneration in at least a first regeneration strategy mode comprising a first set of predetermined actions to be taken for controlling initialization and performance of regeneration processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Wilhelmsson, Mattias Johansson
  • Patent number: 11318831
    Abstract: A sensor head for being arranged in an orifice of a fluid tank includes an opening in fluid communication with a fluid return line returning a fluid to the fluid tank and a bubble reducer device disposed at the opening. The bubble reducer device is configured to block bubbles in the fluid in the fluid return line while the fluid passes through the bubble reducer device during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY NORGE AS
    Inventors: Bengt Eliassen, Girish Chebbi
  • Patent number: 11319856
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a battery and a CO2 recovery device using electric power of the battery to recover CO2 contained in inflowing gas. A control device mounted in the vehicle controls the CO2 recovery device. The control device permits operation of the CO2 recovery device in the case where a high efficiency recovery condition, at which it is predicted that the efficiency of recovery of CO2, showing a ratio of the amount of recovery of CO2 in the CO2 recovery device with respect to the electric power consumed by the battery, will become equal to or greater than a preset predetermined efficiency, is satisfied, and prohibits operation of the CO2 recovery device in the case where the high efficiency recovery condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Ito, Sakiko Yoshida, Hiroki Murata, Kazumasa Okamura, Toshihiro Nakamura, Kohei Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11319857
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing aftertreatment of exhaust gases resulting from combustion, wherein at least a first substance resulting from said combustion is reduced by supplying additive to an exhaust gas stream resulting from said combustion and use of a first reduction catalytic converter. The method includes: estimating an accumulated expected reduction of said first substance during a first period of time, determining an accumulated actual reduction of said first substance during a period of time at least substantially overlapping said first period of time, and generating a signal indicating a fault in said reduction of said first substance when said accumulated actual reduction differs from said accumulated expected reduction by a predetermined difference in occurrence of said first substance. The invention also relates to a corresponding system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Scania CV AB
    Inventors: Mikael Lundström, Sebastian Zamani, Carl Wahlström
  • Patent number: 11313263
    Abstract: A method for warming an aftertreatment system of an engine system while an engine of the engine system is not running comprising starting at least one of an electric compressor and an electric heater using stored electrical energy and passing air through the engine system to at least a portion of the aftertreatment system when the engine of the engine system is not running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: CUMMINS INC.
    Inventor: Gary C. Salemme
  • Patent number: 11313268
    Abstract: A method of monitoring an SCR catalyst in which an area factor (a) of the SCR catalyst is ascertained by means of an observer. It is concluded that there is a fault in the SCR catalyst when a comparison shows that the area factor (a) has gone below a threshold value (S).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Arthur Bastoreala, Tobias Pfister
  • Patent number: 11306639
    Abstract: An aftertreatment system comprises a SCR system, a reductant injector operatively coupled to the SCR system, and a reductant insertion assembly operatively coupled to the reductant injector. The reductant insertion assembly comprises a pump configured to pump the reductant through the reductant injector. A controller is operatively coupled to the reductant insertion assembly and configured to receive predetermined calibration values of the pump corresponding to delivery of a reductant by the pump through a calibration injector. The controller determines a desired flow rate value of the reductant into the SCR system. The controller determines an insertion time of the reductant injector for delivering the reductant through the reductant injector based on the desired flow rate value, a pump operating parameter value of the pump and the predetermined calibration values, and activates the reductant injector for the insertion time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Cummins Emission Solutions Inc
    Inventors: Vikram Sundararajan, Joe V. Hill, Stephen M. Holl, Masoud Ziabakhsh Deilami
  • Patent number: 11306640
    Abstract: The electrically heated catalyst to which the present disclosure is applied is provided in a hybrid vehicle capable of switching its running mode between EV mode and HC mode and supplied with electrical energy before the internal combustion engine is started. An abnormality detection apparatus calculates an electrical energy parameter relating to the integrated value of electrical power actually supplied to the electrically heated catalyst (actually supplied electrical power) over a specific period of time from the time when supply of electrical power to the electrically heated catalyst is started and detects an abnormality of the electrically heated catalyst by comparing the electrical energy parameter with a threshold. The threshold is set according to the rate of decrease of the charge level of a battery (charge level decrease rate) during a period in which electrical power is supplied to the electrically heated catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigemasa Hirooka, Tsuyoshi Obuchi, Shingo Korenaga
  • Patent number: 11306641
    Abstract: The controller adjusts a voltage applied to the electrically heated catalyst in such a way as to make the electrical power as the product of the applied voltage and the catalyst current equal to a target electrical power and to apply a voltage substantially equal to a specific upper limit voltage to the electrically heated catalyst when the electrical power that can be supplied to the electrically heated catalyst by applying a voltage equal to or lower than the specific upper limit voltage is lower than the target electrical power. The controller calculates an actually supplied electrical energy defined as the integrated value of the electrical power actually supplied to the electrically heated catalyst over a specific period. The controller determines that the electrically heated catalyst is abnormal if the actually supplied electrical energy is smaller than a specific electrical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Obuchi, Shigemasa Hirooka, Shingo Korenaga
  • Patent number: 11300032
    Abstract: An abnormality detection apparatus calculates an actually supplied electrical energy defined as the integrated value of electrical power actually supplied to the electrically heated catalyst over a specific period from the time when the supply of electrical power to the electrically heated catalyst is started and a target electrical energy in the specific period, and further calculates, from these integrated values, an accomplishment parameter relating to the ratio of the actually supplied electrical energy to the target electrical energy. The abnormality detection apparatus detects an abnormality of the electrically heated catalyst by comparing the accomplishment parameter with a specific threshold. The abnormality detection apparatus is configured to set the specific threshold according to the temperature of the electrically heated catalyst at the time when the supply of electrical power is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Obuchi, Shigemasa Hirooka, Shingo Korenaga
  • Patent number: 11293361
    Abstract: Provided is a control device for an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine includes, in an exhaust passage, an electrically heated catalyst device in which a catalyst is supported on a conductive base material) that generates heat when energized. The control device includes an electronic control unit configured to control the internal combustion engine such that, in a case where condensate is generated in the exhaust passage on the upstream side of the catalyst device in an exhaust flow direction, an engine output in a region where an engine load is equal to or greater than a predetermined load becomes smaller than in a case where condensate is not generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirohito Kuno
  • Patent number: 11293362
    Abstract: An engine system for an off-highway vehicle, comprising: a diesel engine configured to drive a driveline of the vehicle; an after-treatment arrangement configured to reduce emissions from the engine system; an after-treatment heating element configured to raise an operating temperature of the after-treatment arrangement; an electric energy storage device; and a controller configured to direct energy from the electric energy storage device to the after-treatment heating element in order to raise the operating temperature of the after-treatment arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: J. C. Bamford Excavators Limited
    Inventor: Alan Tolley
  • Patent number: 11293324
    Abstract: A short cyclic thermal treatment process in an engine aftertreatment system of a diesel engine in a vehicle, which may be able to recover and/or retain NOx conversion performance of an engine aftertreatment system by keeping the system clean from unintended pollution like accumulated urea deposits. The thermal treatment process is controlled by a process controller, arranged to carry out a long cyclic cleaning process at a first time interval, at a first exhaust gas temperature higher than the operational temperature in regeneration mode; combined with a short cyclic thermal treatment process at a second time interval, at a second exhaust gas temperature higher than the operational temperature in non-regeneration mode; wherein the second elevated exhaust gas temperature is lower than the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: DAF Trucks N.V.
    Inventors: Kevin Arnold Maria Bisschops, Christiaan Kurvers, Geert Odulphus Martinus Van Kollenburg