Patents Examined by Hai Huynh
  • Apparatus and method for passive charge air condensate drain with exhaust stack vent
    Patent number: 9702323
    Abstract: A charge air cooling chamber has a lower wall with an orifice in the lower wall. A condensate pipe is fluidly connected to drain exhaust fume condensate from the orifice into a collection tank. A vent pipe is fluidly connected to vent fumes from an upper opening of the collection tank to an exhaust stack. A loop seal is fluidly connected to drain condensate from a lower opening of the collection tank. Exhaust gas moisture condensate drains from the cooling chamber into the collection tank, via the continuously open orifice. Exhaust gas moisture condensate fumes vent from the collection tank to the exhaust stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Derek Paschal, Charles Bernard Atz, Vijayaselvan Jayakar, Laus Lynd Deo
  • Spark-ignition direct injection engine
    Patent number: 9702316
    Abstract: A spark-ignition direct injection engine is provided. The engine includes an engine body, a fuel injection valve, a fuel pressure setting mechanism, an ignition plug, and a controller. The controller switches between a compression-ignition mode where the engine body is operated to perform compression-ignition combustion and a spark-ignition mode where the engine body is operated to perform spark-ignition combustion. Immediately after switching from the spark-ignition mode to the compression-ignition mode, the controller operates the engine body in a compression-ignition initial mode where the fuel pressure is set to be 30 MPa or above and the fuel injection valve is controlled to perform the fuel injection in a period from a late stage of the compression stroke to an early stage of the expansion stroke so that the gas mixture self-ignites to combust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kouhei Iwai, Masahisa Yamakawa, Junichi Taga, Shigeru Nakagawa, Saori Mizuno, Keiji Araki
  • Protection of vehicle engine intake components
    Patent number: 9702324
    Abstract: Vehicle engine systems and load path brackets for such systems are presented. The load path brackets can be positioned between an air intake system and a cylinder bank of an engine. In some embodiments, the load path brackets can be operatively connected to a surge tank at a first end and to a cylinder head cover at a second end. The load path brackets can be constructed, positioned, and/or oriented to absorb or transfer forces acting upon the engine system during impacts. For instance, the load path brackets can be arranged such that a longitudinal axis of a portion of load path bracket is positioned based on a predetermined force direction of a predetermined impact force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Justin E. Dominic
  • Crankcase ventilation system heater
    Patent number: 9702282
    Abstract: A crankcase ventilation system having a heat transfer conduit included therein. The system includes a housing and a crankcase ventilation filter element within the housing, the crankcase ventilation filter element configured to separate oil and oil aerosol from blow-by gases from a crankcase. An oil inlet is configured to receive pressurized oil from a component of an internal combustion engine. The conduit is positioned within the housing. The conduit is positioned along a length of the housing and is configured to carry the pressurized oil from the oil inlet to a component of the crankcase ventilation system. The conduit is configured to transfer thermal energy from the pressurized oil to the housing. An oil outlet is configured to return the pressurized oil to the crankcase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: CUMMINS FILTRATION IP, INC.
    Inventors: Lee A. Peck, Arun P. Janakiraman
  • Engine control strategy and feedback system
    Patent number: 9702312
    Abstract: In at least some implementations, an engine control process includes an engine speed test and other steps. The engine speed test includes the steps of a) determining a first engine speed, b) changing the air/fuel ratio of a fuel mixture delivered to the engine, and c) determining a second engine speed after at least some of the air/fuel ratio changing event, Based at least in part on the difference between the first engine speed and the second engine speed it is determined if a change in the air/fuel ratio of the fuel mixture delivered to the engine is needed. If a change to the air/fuel ratio was indicated, the air/fuel ratio of a fuel mixture delivered to the engine is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Walbro LLC
    Inventors: Martin N. Andersson, Mark S. Swanson
  • Fuel management system for variable ethanol octane enhancement of gasoline engines
    Patent number: 9695784
    Abstract: Fuel management system for efficient operation of a spark ignition gasoline engine. Injectors inject an anti-knock agent such as ethanol directly into a cylinder of the engine. A fuel management microprocessor system controls injection of the anti-knock agent so as to control knock and minimize that amount of the anti-knock agent that is used in a drive cycle. It is preferred that the anti-knock agent is ethanol. The use of ethanol can be further minimized by injection in a non-uniform manner within a cylinder. The ethanol injection suppresses knock so that higher compression ratio and/or engine downsizing from increased turbocharging or supercharging can be used to increase the efficiency or the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Daniel R. Cohn, John B. Heywood, Leslie Bromberg
  • Determination of the effective fuel-air ratio of a supercharged internal combustion engine with scavenging air component
    Patent number: 9695768
    Abstract: A method for the fuel consumption reduction and/or power increase of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle is disclosed. A crank angle of a crankshaft is detected at which out of a cylinder the exhaust gases of a cylinder can be representatively measured on a lambda probe. The exhaust gas flow is measured on the lambda probe. A signal of the lambda probe is scanned at the time of the detection of the crank angle. A value indicated the detected angle and/or the scanned signal is sent to a computer. The value is corrected with the help of an exhaust gas pressure or exhaust gas back pressure model stored in the computer. An effective combustion lambda of the cylinder is calculated based on the sent values and a global lambda value stored in the computer and used to the control of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Stefan Horst
  • Spark and valve control for different air/fuel ratios
    Patent number: 9695771
    Abstract: An engine control device controls control amounts of a variable valve mechanism and a spark plug, the control amounts in a homogeneous lean operation region set in a first load region are different from that in a non-lean operation region which is a stoichiometric or rich operation region set in a second load region higher than the first load region. The control device performs control, in other operation region set in a third load region between the first and second load region, so that an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is equal to that of non-lean operation region, the control amount of the variable valve mechanism is equal to that of homogeneous lean operation region and the control amount of the spark plug is equal to that of the non-lean operation region in accordance with an operation amount of an accelerator pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shintaro Hotta
  • System and method for operating an ignition system
    Patent number: 9695792
    Abstract: A system and method for mitigating the possibility of missing ignition coil commands is presented. In one example, one or more ignition coils may not be charged and/or discharged during a cylinder cycle in response to the absence of a voltage pulse forming at least a portion of an ignition coil command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Garlan J. Huberts, Michael Damian Czekala, Qiuping Qu
  • Plasma generation provision, internal combustion engine and analysis provision
    Patent number: 9693442
    Abstract: To make it easy to adjust a location of an emission antenna in a plasma generation device that generates plasma by a discharge and enlarges the plasma by an electromagnetic wave. A plasma generation device 30 includes an electromagnetic wave generation device 31, an emission antenna 16, a high voltage generation device 14, and a discharge electrode 15. The emission antenna 16 forms a discharge gap together with the discharge electrode 15 which a high voltage outputted from the high voltage generation device 14 is applied to. The plasma generation device 30 enlarges discharge plasma using the electromagnetic wave emitted from the emission antenna 16 caused by the electromagnetic wave outputted from the electromagnetic wave generation device 31, where the discharge plasma is generated at the discharge gap by an output of a high voltage from the high voltage generation device 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: IMAGINEERING, INC.
    Inventor: Yuji Ikeda
  • Method for actuating a switch element of a valve device
    Patent number: 9683509
    Abstract: In a method for actuating a switch element of a valve device between a first end position and a second end position, in a normal mode within a cycle following an end of a first energization, a movement of the switch element in a first direction effected by the loading device is retarded in a first direction by a brief second energization (“braking pulse”) that is introduced within the cycle once a pause period has ended following a characteristic point in time. It is provided that the optimum pause period and/or the optimum variable characterizing the braking pulse be ascertained in an adaptation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Matthias Maess, Joerg Kuempel, Rainer Wilms, Uwe Richter
  • Internal combustion engine with shrouded injection valve and precombustion chamber system
    Patent number: 9677459
    Abstract: An engine is provided. In one embodiment, the engine includes a precombustion chamber having a body, a secondary combustion chamber disposed at least partially in the body, and a plurality of passages configured to place the precombustion chamber in fluid communication with a main combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas Compression Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Gene McClendon, Randall A. Coleman
  • Two-cycle pneumatic injection engine
    Patent number: 9677468
    Abstract: A two-cycle engine that includes a high pressure fuel pump that pressurizes fuel to produce pressurized fuel and pumps the pressurized fuel from a fuel controller to a fuel injector. The fuel injector injects the pressurized fuel into a cylinder. A high pressure air pump pressurizes air to produce pressurized air and pumps the pressurized air from an air controller to an air injector. The air injector injects the pressurized air into the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Inventor: Kan K Cheng
  • Method for mitigating cavitation
    Patent number: 9677494
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for mitigating loss of engine torque due to cavitation in a fuel pump. One example approach is adjusting engine operation or fuel pump operation based on ambient conditions and a measured engine torque being lower than a desired engine torque after a pre-determined duration. The ambient conditions may include one or more of ambient temperature being higher than a temperature threshold, barometric pressure lower than a threshold pressure, and fuel volatility higher than a threshold volatility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Anthony Rockwell, Jonathan Andrew Butcher, William David Treharne, Matthew D. Smith
  • Fuel rail pressure control systems and methods
    Patent number: 9677495
    Abstract: A fuel control system includes a target rail pressure module. The target rail pressure module determines a target fuel rail pressure of a fuel rail of a direct injection engine. An offset module determines an offset value based on an engine speed of the direct injection engine and at least one of an engine load and an air per cylinder. A modifier module determines a modifier value based on a temperature of the direct injection engine. A rail pressure control module adjusts a current fuel rail pressure of the fuel rail based on the target fuel rail pressure, the offset value and the modifier value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan T. Shibata, Joshua D. Cowgill, Daniel Sabathil, David P. Sczomak
  • Method and system for laser pressure transducer
    Patent number: 9671303
    Abstract: Methods and systems for provided for accurately estimating an engine intake or exhaust manifold pressure using a laser pressure transducer. Laser circuitry is coupled to a pressure sensitive diaphragm that is mounted to the engine manifold. Manifold pressure is inferred based on a deflection of the diaphragm, as estimated based on a timing between emission of a laser pulse into the diaphragm and detection of a reflected pulse from the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Raymond Martin, Kenneth James Miller
  • Liquid injection for scavenging
    Patent number: 9670835
    Abstract: Methods are provided for controlling an engine. One method may include boosting engine intake air to a cylinder; and injecting an amount of a scavenging fluid into the cylinder based on an amount of cylinder residual exhaust gas. A scavenging fluid, such as water or windshield washer fluid evaporates on contact with the hot exhaust gases and hot metal components and the expanded volume of the vapor displaces the residual exhaust gas, thereby improving engine scavenging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Joseph Norman Ulrey
  • Engine refurbishment using ionized air
    Patent number: 9670849
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for refurbishing an engine using ionized air. During a service mode, a service technician may stream ionized air from an external ionized air source to an engine cylinder via the engine intake system. Concurrently, the service technician may connect a service tool to a vehicle diagnostics port to relay operator input, the input allowing a vehicle control system to rotate the engine and adjust engine throttle and cams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Raymond Martin, Kenneth James Miller
  • Smart ignition system
    Patent number: 9668405
    Abstract: A lawn care device may include an engine to selectively power the device, a frame supporting the engine and an operator of the device, and an ignition interface having processing circuitry configured to define a plurality of operating modes. The operating modes may include at least a starting mode in which the ignition interface is usable by the operator to start the engine, and a running mode in which the engine is running. The ignition interface may include code entry keys configured to, responsive to entry of a code via the code entry keys, enable use of the ignition interface to shift from the starting mode to the running mode without a physical starting key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: HUSQVARNA AB
    Inventors: Matthew Albinger, Eric Tse, Sean Dwyer, Bernard Drew
  • Integrated exhaust gas recirculation cooler
    Patent number: 9670886
    Abstract: An integrated exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler includes a cooling core allowing an exhaust manifold and an intake manifold to be in communication with each other and an integrated housing having the cooling core inserted thereinto. The integrated housing is provided with a first exhaust port exhausting a coolant introduced thereinto only when a thermo-sensitive device mounted in the integrated housing is operated and a second exhaust port always exhausting the coolant introduced thereinto. An amount of the coolant introduced into an EGR cooler is maximized. Therefore, cooling efficiency may be maximized, and a size of the cooling core may be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Il Suk Yang, Jong Sub Lee, Han Sang Kim