Patents Examined by Hai Huynh
-
Patent number: 9874137Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for enhancing purge flow when applying shallow intake manifold vacuum. An alternate purge route that circumvents the more restrictive canister purge valve and directs purge vapors through a branched path via a less restrictive mechanical purge valve is used during low intake manifold vacuum conditions. By enabling higher purge flow rates when manifold vacuum is lower, a more complete canister cleaning is ensured.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2015Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Mark W. Peters
-
Patent number: 9874193Abstract: A method of operating an dedicated exhaust gas recirculation engine including a water gas shift catalyst by supplying ambient air and fuel to a dedicated cylinder at a first fuel to air equivalence ratio in the range of greater than 1.0 to 1.6 for a first number of engine cycles and, for a second number of engine cycles, supplying ambient air and fuel to the dedicated cylinder at a second fuel to air equivalence ratio in the range of 0.7 to less than 1.0. During the second number of cycles, spark timing of the dedicated cylinder is adjusted and a time delay when exhaust recirculated from the dedicated cylinder will be inducted into the cylinders is determined. At the end of the time delay, a second spark timing of the main cylinder is adjusted and the amount of fuel supplied to the main cylinders is increased.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2016Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Raphael Gukelberger, Gordon J. J. Bartley
-
Patent number: 9874168Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling fuel injectors for a fuel system configured to deliver fuel to an engine via each of port fuel injection and direct fuel injection. In one example, a method may include, during an engine green start condition, injecting fuel with the port injector while not injecting fuel with the direct injector, and after the green start condition, injecting with each of the port injector and the direct fuel injector at a fuel ratio determined based on engine operating conditions.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2015Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Joseph Lyle Thomas, Xiaoying Zhang, Daniel Dusa, Paul Hollar, Ethan D. Sanborn
-
Patent number: 9874185Abstract: Methods are provided for controlling a solenoid spill valve of a direct injection fuel pump, wherein the solenoid spill valve is energized and de-energized according to certain conditions. A control strategy is needed to operate the direct injection fuel pump when small fractional trapping volumes are commanded, wherein a small amount of fuel is compressed and sent to the direct injection fuel rail. To maintain reliable and repeatable solenoid spill valve behavior for small fractional trapping volumes, methods are proposed that involve energizing the solenoid spill valve for a minimum angular duration below a trapping volume fraction threshold.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2014Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Mark Meinhart
-
Patent number: 9869261Abstract: Some embodiments relate to an internal combustion engine that includes a combustion chamber and a rotating component. The internal combustion engine further includes a sensing system that detects an angular position of the rotating component. A controller calculates a ratio between air and fuel in the combustion chamber based on the detected position of the rotating component. As an example, the rotating component may be a crankshaft where the controller calculates a speed of the crankshaft and an acceleration of the crankshaft based on the detected position of the crankshaft.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2016Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: Kohler, Co.Inventors: Isaac S. Frampton, Robert J. Danforth, III
-
Patent number: 9862375Abstract: Methods and systems are described for conserving fuel used by an engine. In some embodiments a control module processes a user-provided input, as a first function, into a second function. The second function can be used to direct the engine with a directive output power. The directive output power may have regions equal to, greater than, and/or less than what the power output would be if the engine were controlled using the user-provided input.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2014Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Fuel Saving Technologies, LLCInventors: Jeffrey N. Yu, James W. Hill
-
Patent number: 9863345Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a model predictive control (MPC) module and an actuator module. The MPC module generates a set of possible target values for an actuator of an engine and predicts an operating parameter of the engine for each of the possible target values. The MPC module determines a weighting value associated with each of the target values based on a corresponding iteration number and determines a cost for the set of possible target values based on the predicted operating parameters and the weighting values. The MPC module selects the set of possible target values from multiple sets of possible target values based on the cost and sets target values to the possible target values of the selected set. The actuator module controls an actuator of an engine based on at least one of the target values.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2015Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Kevin C. Wong, Ruixing Long
-
Patent number: 9863850Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for measuring the content of at least one compound in an exhaust gas stream resulting from internal combustion. A first relative proportion of a first compound in the exhaust gas stream is measured by means of a first sensor, and a defined flow of a first gas is added to said exhaust gas stream downstream said first sensor. A second relative proportion of said first compound in the combined stream of said exhaust gas stream and said added gas is measured by means of a second sensor, and a mass flow of said first compound in said exhaust gas stream resulting from said combustion in said internal combustion is determined by means of said first and second relative proportions and said defined flow of said first gas. The invention also relates to a system and vehicle dynamometer.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2012Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Rototest International ABInventor: Christian Engström
-
Patent number: 9863376Abstract: A canister structure comprising: a canister 28 in which activated carbon 44 is accommodated, the activated carbon 44 being for adsorbing evaporated fuel produced in a fuel tank; an atmosphere vent tube 30 connected to the canister28, the atmosphere vent tube 30 introducing air into the canister 28 and causing evaporated fuel adsorbed by the activated carbon 44 to be desorbed when a negative pressure acts in the canister 28; and a fuel pump controller 46 disposed in the canister28, the fuel pump controller 46 controlling flow rates of fuel being supplied from the fuel tank to an engine, and the fuel pump controller 46 generating heat due to being operated.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2016Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Shuichi Aso
-
Patent number: 9863393Abstract: An ECU controls waste heat quantity of an engine according to a required heat quantity in response to a heat-utilize requirement. The ECU controls a valve opening period of an intake valve based on an engine driving condition and an ignition timing based on a most efficient timing at which fuel economy is highest. The ECU determines whether there is an ignition advance margin relative to the most efficient timing. When there is no margin, an actual compression ration of the engine is decreased by advancing or retarding a valve close timing of the intake valve and the ignition timing is advanced relative to the most efficient timing in order to increase the waste heat quantity.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2011Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroaki Takeishi, Takashi Senda, Mitsuo Hara, Takanobu Kawano
-
Patent number: 9856828Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting and diagnosing one or more canister purge valves in a fuel vapor recovery system. In one example, a method may include adjusting one or more canister purge valves in a passage coupled to a fuel vapor canister of the fuel vapor recovery system to allow flow between an intake passage and an intake manifold of the engine based on engine operating conditions. Further, the method may include indicating the one or more canister purge valves are degraded and based on a change in air-fuel ratio after adjusting the one or more canister purge valves.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2016Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Aed M. Dudar
-
Patent number: 9856831Abstract: An integrated exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler may include a cooling core having exhaust gas flowing therein, and an integrated housing accommodating the cooling core therein and having a coolant flowing therein, in which the integrated housing includes a coolant introduction port having the coolant introduced from an engine thereinto, a first exhaust port exhausting the coolant to a radiator, and a control valve controlling a flow of the coolant through the first exhaust port, and the cooling core includes U-shaped tubes including a bend so that a surface area is increased.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2015Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventor: Il Suk Yang
-
Patent number: 9850867Abstract: In a control system that includes a pressure accumulating portion that supplies CNG to a fuel injection valve and a regulator that adjusts a pressure in the pressure accumulating portion to a set pressure and of which a valve element opens when CNG is supplied to the pressure accumulating portion and closes when supply of CNG to the pressure accumulating portion is shut off, a control parameter relating to a combustion state in an internal combustion engine is controlled on the basis of a length of a period during which an opening degree of the valve element reduces from a first predetermined opening degree to a second predetermined opening degree when the pressure in the pressure accumulating portion is adjusted to the set pressure by the regulator.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2012Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kouseki Sugiyama, Satoshi Taniguchi, Masahiko Masubuchi, Hiroshi Eto
-
Patent number: 9850875Abstract: An ignition system and a method for operating an ignition system for an internal combustion engine are provided, including a primary voltage generator and a boost converter for generating an ignition spark. An ascertainment of a voltage requirement for the ignition spark is followed by a modification of a switch-on time of the boost converter relative to a switch-off time of the primary voltage generator.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2014Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBHInventors: Tim Skowronek, Thomas Pawlak, Wolfgang Sinz
-
Patent number: 9850843Abstract: A vehicle according to the present disclosure includes an engine configured to autostop and autostart during a drive cycle. The vehicle additionally includes a user interface and a controller. The controller is configured to present on the user interface a metric indicative of a quantity of engine autostops during a drive cycle.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Nupur Dokras, Marirose Ilkka, Kirk Pebley
-
Patent number: 9850856Abstract: A power system including a variable volume combustion chamber for a two-stroke engine having a controlled exhaust port, a fuel injector to the combustion chamber and an oxygen injector to the combustion chamber. The oxygen injector provides repeated oxygen injection pulses to complete a charge. The controlled exhaust port includes an oscillating rotatably mounted valve. A source of pressurized concentrated oxygen to the oxygen injector is in a closed case having a ceramic fiber membrane. An air inlet and a waste outlet are in communication with a first side of the ceramic fiber membrane. An oxygen outlet is in communication with a second side of the ceramic fiber Ionic transport membrane. The case has a heat transfer surface in communication with the controlled exhaust port from the combustion chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2017Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: NEXT GENERATION ENGINES LLCInventors: Alfred A. Turner, Jr., Edmond Eugene McCrickard, Thomas Lee Roberts, III
-
Patent number: 9850852Abstract: A method and system for recycling permeated gas is disclosed. A container encapsulating a pressure vessel defines a containment volume. Gas permeating through the pressure vessel is captured in the containment volume. When a sensor detects a threshold level of permeated gas captured within the containment volume, a control module sends a command to open a purge valve. The open purge valve allows permeated gas captured within the containment volume to be supplied to an engine, a repressurization unit, or a secondary container.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2016Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: Third Shore Group, LLCInventors: Christopher T. Kondogiani, Michael F. Donoughe
-
Patent number: 9850827Abstract: Emission targets, such as NOx levels, for gaseous fuelled internal combustion engines that burn a gaseous fuel in a diffusion combustion mode are increasingly more challenging to achieve. A method of fuel injection for an internal combustion engine fuelled with a gaseous fuel comprises introducing a first amount of pilot fuel in a first stage of fuel injection; introducing a first amount of main fuel (the gaseous fuel) in a second stage of fuel injection; and introducing a second amount of main fuel in a third stage of fuel injection. The first and second amounts of main fuel contribute to load and speed demand of the internal combustion engine. Engine maps calibrated for different engine performance can be employed in different regions of the load and speed range of the engine. The engine maps are blended when the engine transitions between two regions; and momentary excursions into different regions do not change the engine calibration.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2014Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.Inventors: Wei Fei, James D. Walker, Gordon P. McTaggart-Cowan, Kenneth R. Mann
-
Patent number: 9845753Abstract: A control apparatus for an engine is provided. The control apparatus includes an intake control valve controller for fully closing, when an engine stop request is issued, an intake control valve for adjusting a flow rate of intake air passing through an intake passage of the engine, an engine speed increase controller for increasing an engine speed to reach a target speed after the intake control valve is fully closed by the intake control valve controller, and a fuel injection stopper for stopping a fuel injection after the engine speed is increased by the engine speed increase controller.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2015Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Masahiro Tateishi, Toru Kobayashi, Hiromu Sugano, Sotaro Yoshida
-
Patent number: 9845752Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a filtering module and an indicated work module. The filtering module generates engine speeds based on positions of teeth of a toothed wheel that rotates with a crankshaft and based on a crankshaft position signal generated by a crankshaft position sensor. The crankshaft position sensor generates the crankshaft position signal based on rotation of the toothed wheel. The indicated work module generates an indicated work for a combustion cycle of a cylinder of an engine based on squares of first and second ones of the engine speeds and outputs the indicated work.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2011Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Julian R. Verdejo, Nicholas John Kalweit, John V. Bowman, David S. Mathews, Jeffrey A. Morgan, Tameem K. Assaf, James R. Reeder, Jr.