Patents Examined by Diem Tran
  • Patent number: 10316779
    Abstract: An abnormality diagnosis system of an air-fuel ratio sensor is provided with an exhaust purification catalyst, an upstream side air-fuel ratio sensor which is provided at an upstream side of the exhaust purification catalyst, a downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor which is provided at a downstream side of the exhaust purification catalyst, and a diagnosis device which uses the outputs of these air-fuel ratio sensors as the basis to diagnose abnormality of the downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyamoto, Toru Kidokoro, Yasushi Iwazaki, Kenji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10309281
    Abstract: A system for reducing environmentally harmful emissions from an internal combustion engine. The system may incorporate an exhaust after-treatment device. The exhaust after-treatment device may use selective catalytic reduction to remove certain emissions from the exhaust of the engine. Urea solution may be inserted into the exhaust emissions, which is decomposed to ammonia to become a reduction agent for reduction of NOx in the emissions. The engine may be managed by a controller and the exhaust after-treatment device may be managed by another controller. These controllers may be cascaded, or be managed by a third controller that provides hierarchical or coordinated control of engine performance and emissions reduction. The engine and the exhaust after-treatment device may be modeled to aid in designing and building a system for coordinated control of an actual engine and a selective catalytic reduction after-treatment device. The controllers may be predictive model controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Garrett Transportation I Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Stewart, Jaroslav Pekar, Daniel Pachner
  • Patent number: 10273860
    Abstract: Provided is an exhaust apparatus for a vehicle, being capable of performing a normal detection of a nitrogen oxide (NOx) concentration in exhaust gas without involving increase in the size and the cost. The exhaust apparatus includes an exhaust pipe having an upstream end connected to an aftertreatment device and a downstream end enclosing an exhaust port at a position higher than the upstream end, a NOx sensor to be retained in the exhaust pipe, and a water barrier wall provided inside the exhaust pipe. The water barrier wall has a shape to form a shield between the NOx sensor and the exhaust port while leaving a gas inlet that allows the exhaust gas to flow to the NOx sensor from the aftertreatment device through the gas inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taisuke Ikeda, Masaaki Tateyama
  • Patent number: 10253720
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine for preventing a deterioration in exhaust characteristics when a change to an air-fuel ratio on a theoretical air-fuel ratio side is requested in an internal combustion engine during operation in a lean mode. The control device controls an internal combustion engine equipped with a NOx storage-reduction catalyst in an exhaust passage. When a NOx amount stored in the NOx storage-reduction catalyst reaches a release threshold value, the control device executes rich control to cause the NOx to be released. In a state in which an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture belongs to a second region that is near a lean limit, the release threshold value for determining the start of the rich control is set in the vicinity of the NOx storage capacity of the NOx storage-reduction catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shingo Korenaga
  • Patent number: 10247074
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system includes: an NOx reduction type catalyst, which is provided in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine and reduces and purifies NOx in an exhaust gas; and a regeneration treatment unit, which recovers an NOx purification capacity of the NOx reduction type catalyst by lowering an excess-air-ratio of the exhaust gas to a predetermined target excess-air-ratio, wherein the regeneration treatment unit includes: a target setting unit, which sets a target intake air amount that is required for setting the exhaust gas to the target excess-air-ratio, based on a fuel injection amount of the internal combustion engine; and an air-system controller, which controls at least one of an intake air amount and an exhaust recirculating amount of the internal combustion engine, in response to the target intake air amount input from the target setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Masaaki Nishito, Teruo Nakada, Takayuki Sakamoto, Daiji Nagaoka
  • Patent number: 10247075
    Abstract: An aftertreatment system comprises an aftertreatment component structured to decompose constituents of an exhaust gas produced by an engine. A reductant insertion assembly is fluidly coupled to the aftertreatment component and configured to insert a reductant therein. A controller is operatively coupled to the reductant insertion assembly and configured to instruct the reductant insertion assembly to insert the reductant into the aftertreatment component for a first insertion time between first time intervals. The controller determines an operating condition of the engine, and determines if the operating condition satisfies a predetermined condition. In response to the predetermined condition being satisfied, the controller instructs the reductant insertion assembly to insert the reductant into the aftertreatment component for a second insertion time between second time intervals. The second insertion time is longer than the first insertion time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Cummins Emission Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Santosh Kumar Ratan, Bryce R. Larson, Jinqian Gong, Abhijeet Singh Chauhan, Arun Kumar Dasari, Aditi Vedantam, Frederick V. Holt, III
  • Patent number: 10240502
    Abstract: The subject matter of the disclosure relates to a method of diagnosing NOx storage catalyst during the operation of a motor vehicle. The method uses two diagnosis sub-methods having various sensitivities with respect to sulfur contamination of the NOx storage catalyst. The results of the two sub-methods are used to ascertain proportions of aging of the NOx storage catalyst resulting from thermal aging and sulfur contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Frederik De Smet, Kim Ford, Marcus Timothy Davies
  • Patent number: 10233072
    Abstract: A diesel exhaust fluid system for use on a diesel-powered machine, including a storage tank adapted to store diesel exhaust fluid, a receiver, and a shut-off valve. The receiver is disposed in selective fluid communication with the storage tank and is adapted to receive diesel exhaust fluid. The shut-off valve is interposed in fluid communication between the storage tank and the receiver and has: a first position wherein diesel exhaust fluid can flow from the receiver to the storage tank, and a second position wherein flow is interrupted from the receiver to the storage tank. The shut-off valve moves from the first position to the second position in response to predetermined accumulation of diesel exhaust fluid in the storage tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Benecor, Inc.
    Inventors: Brendan J. Foster, Hendrik F. Stoltz
  • Patent number: 10227919
    Abstract: In the present invention, a package is partitioned into upper and lower sections. An engine and a generator are both disposed in the lower section. In the upper section are disposed: a radiator chamber in which a radiator and a radiator fan are disposed, and an intake chamber in which an intake silencer is disposed. A ventilation hole directly communicates the radiator chamber with an engine chamber in which the engine and the generator are disposed. The ventilation hole is displaced from the radiator fan in a long-side direction of the package. A ventilation hood covers above and around the ventilation hole. An outlet opening of the ventilation hood is formed being displaced in a short-side direction (Y) of the package to face the ventilation hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ruriko Terada, Tatsuya Kawano
  • Patent number: 10215075
    Abstract: A mixer assembly for a vehicle exhaust system includes a mixer having an upstream end and a downstream end. The mixer defines an internal cavity within which exhaust gases are mixed. A mixer inlet body has an enclosed end and an open end that attaches to the upstream end of the mixer. The mixer inlet body includes an outer peripheral surface extending from the enclosed end to the open end to surround a center axis. The outer peripheral surface includes an inlet port and the enclosed end includes a helically formed portion that initiates a swirling motion to the exhaust gases exiting the inlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: FAURECIA EMISSIONS CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES, USA, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Chapman, Robin Willats, Yan Wang
  • Patent number: 10215074
    Abstract: An SCR exhaust aftertreatment device of an internal combustion engine, containing an injector for injecting a reductant, a mixing unit and an SCR catalytic converter disposed immediately downstream in the direction of exhaust flow, wherein the mixing unit exhibits a swirl element and an impact element positioned upstream of the swirl element in the direction of exhaust flow, whereby the swirl element is configured of two guide elements disposed inside one another and swirl vanes for creating a swirling motion are disposed in an inner guide element and swirl vanes, which create a counterswirling motion, are disposed between the inner guide element and the outer guide element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Tobias Koenig, Eugen Lewin, Elmar Grussmann, Frank Grumbrecht, Tobias Roemer, Anne Franzke
  • Patent number: 10208642
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a soot sensor. In one example, a method diverting exhaust gas from a main exhaust passage to a second exhaust passage comprising a soot sensor with a rotatable component configurable to capture soot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10202881
    Abstract: A thermal energy management system for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle includes a coolant circuit including the internal combustion engine and a first heat exchanger. The coolant circuit is configured to convey a coolant therethrough. The thermal energy management system includes a gas circuit including the internal combustion engine, the first heat exchanger, and an exhaust line configured to convey an exhaust gas produced by the engine from the gas circuit. The first heat exchanger exchanging heat energy between the coolant flowing through the coolant circuit and the exhaust gas flowing through the gas circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Guillaume Hébert, L'uboslav Kollár, Ji{hacek over (r)}í Bazala
  • Patent number: 10190473
    Abstract: A support unit for supporting an exhaust system (18) of a vehicle comprises at least one support element (26) made of light metal die-cast material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Eberspächer Exhaust Technology GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Arnulf Spieth
  • Patent number: 10184373
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided, which includes at least one combustion chamber, and a turbocharger with an exhaust gas turbine and an exhaust gas after-treatment device. The exhaust gas after-treatment device has a first catalytic converter arranged aerodynamically between the at least one combustion chamber and the exhaust gas turbine. A second catalytic converter is arranged aerodynamically between the first catalytic converter and the exhaust gas turbine, and at least one partial oxidation chamber is arranged aerodynamically between the first catalytic converter and the second catalytic converter. Also provided is a method for reducing exhaust gas emissions of an internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: GE JENBACHER GMBH & CO. OG
    Inventors: Bhuvaneswaran Manickam, Friedhelm Hillen, Manfred Sieberer
  • Patent number: 10180093
    Abstract: A selectively tunable exhaust noise attenuation device includes a body having an outer surface and an inner surface that defines an exhaust volume. An inlet is coupled to the body and fluidically connected to the exhaust volume. A first outlet is coupled to the body and fluidically connected to the inlet and selectively fluidically connected to the exhaust volume and a second outlet coupled to the body and fluidically connected to the exhaust volume. A first conduit including a primary exhaust gas flow path directly fluidically connects the inlet and the first outlet. A second conduit includes a first end and a second. The second conduit defines a secondary exhaust gas flow path. A valve is fluidically connected to one of the first and second conduits. The valve is arranged laterally off-set of the primary exhaust gas flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Charles D. Rusher, Roger C. Barlow, Jr., Scott M. Reilly
  • Patent number: 10174661
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are for cooling exhaust gas emitted from an internal combustion engine in a marine drive. An upstream exhaust conduit is configured to convey exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine. A cooling jacket is located on the upstream exhaust conduit. A cooling passage is located radially between the upstream exhaust conduit and the cooling jacket. The cooling passage is configured to convey cooling fluid along an outer periphery of the upstream exhaust conduit to a location where the cooling fluid is mixed with the exhaust gas. A downstream exhaust conduit conveys the exhaust gas from the upstream exhaust conduit. An orifice device is configured to radially outwardly spray the cooling fluid from the cooling passage onto an inner radial surface of the downstream exhaust conduit so that the cooling fluid cools the downstream exhaust conduit and mixes with and cools the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron K. Saltsman, Philip R. Walker
  • Patent number: 10156179
    Abstract: A support unit for supporting an exhaust system of a vehicle includes a first connecting element (26), a second connecting element (28) and at least one coupling element (30) coupling the first connecting element with the second connecting element. A first coupling element passage opening (38) is provided in the first connecting element and a second coupling element passage opening (40) is provided in the second connecting element. The coupling element passes through the first coupling element passage opening (38) and the second coupling element passage opening. A coupling element clamping area is provided in a first longitudinal area (L1) of at least one first coupling element passage opening and a coupling element clamping release area (44) is provided in a second longitudinal area (L2) of this first coupling element passage opening. The coupling element clamping area has a greater thickness than the coupling element clamping release area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Eberspächer Exhaust Technology GmbH & Co KG
    Inventor: Arnulf Spieth
  • Patent number: 10156176
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing NOx sensors in an exhaust aftertreatment system includes suspending reductant dosing in an exhaust aftertreatment system; purging a reductant deposit in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system of the exhaust aftertreatment system; adjusting at least one of an ignition timing and an engine speed for an engine to adjust an engine out nitrogen oxide (NOx) amount; receiving measured SCR inlet NOx data from a SCR inlet NOx sensor and measured SCR outlet NOx data from a SCR outlet NOx sensor; determining a phase shift between the measured SCR inlet and SCR outlet NOx data; applying the determined phase shift to the SCR outlet NOx data; and determining a diagnostic feature based on the SCR inlet NOx data and the phase shifted SCR outlet NOx data regarding a state of the SCR inlet and outlet NOx sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew W. Osburn, Christopher Ferguson, Tony James Hall, Brian P. Liimatta
  • Patent number: 10156196
    Abstract: A reciprocating internal combustion engine with an emission control device and a method for operating same are described. At least one throttle, arranged on the intake side, at least one main fuel injection nozzle for feeding a main fuel to a combustion chamber of the diesel engine, and at least one catalytic converter are arranged in the center of an exhaust gas passage for conducting exhaust gas out of the combustion chamber, and at least one control device is used. A soot burn-off rate determined according to a model approach is maximized using a regulation process by means of a throttle valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: DEUTZ Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Sven Jerzembeck, Abderrahim Qriqra, Holger Zimmermann, Peter Heidkamp