Patents Examined by Jason Sheppard
  • Patent number: 10316770
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a motor vehicle for diagnosing an exhaust gas catalytic converter (28), which is arranged in an exhaust gas tract (20) of an internal combustion engine (12) and is suitable for converting at least one exhaust gas component, wherein the exhaust gas tract (20) has an exhaust gas sensor (48) arranged upstream of the exhaust gas catalytic converter (28) and has an exhaust gas recirculation system (38), which is designed to remove at least part of the exhaust gas from an exhaust gas duct (24) of the exhaust gas tract (20) downstream of the exhaust gas catalytic converter (28) and to feed the removed exhaust gas to the internal combustion engine (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Burkhard Veldten, Maciej Kulaszewski
  • Patent number: 10221837
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for supporting an elongated slender member having a high axial compression stress state during a change in length of the member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Inventor: Alfred R. Austen
  • Patent number: 10196993
    Abstract: A method includes substantially eliminating surge of a compressor and reducing specific fuel consumption and exhaust emissions of an engine by adjusting exhaust flow through an exhaust gas recirculation system, by adjusting airflow through a compressor recirculation valve, by adjusting fuel injection timing, or by adjusting a combination thereof in response to variance in a plurality of parameters. The parameters include quantity of exhaust emissions, a maximum in-cylinder pressure of the engine, an area ratio of an exhaust gas recirculation mixer of the exhaust gas recirculation system, estimated or sensed compressor surge, engine load, altitude of operation, or combinations of the parameters thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC
    Inventors: Manoj Prakash Gokhale, Madhuri Gandikota
  • Patent number: 10184411
    Abstract: Rich control is performed to hold an air-fuel ratio of an exhaust gas discharged from an engine combustion chamber temporarily richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio by injecting additional fuel into a cylinder in an expansion stroke or exhaust stroke while an exhaust gas recirculation rate is made lower than a base exhaust gas recirculation rate. A variable valve timing mechanism able to change an overlap period is provided. When ending rich control (ta2), the injection of additional fuel is stopped and the overlap period (OL) is increased from a base overlap period (OLB) and held there while an EGR rate (REGR) is kept lower than a base EGR rate (REGRB) and when a delay time (dt) elapses, the EGR rate and the overlap period are reset to the base EGR rate and the base overlap period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshito Nogi
  • Patent number: 10174695
    Abstract: When switching an operation mode from a stoichiometric mode to a lean mode, a rich spike that supplies excessive fuel relative to a theoretical air-fuel ratio is executed. If the temperature of the SCR is greater than or equal to an upper limit temperature at a time of the switching, after execution of the rich spike, the switching to the lean mode is executed after executing transient control that makes the EGR rate higher than EGR rate in the lean mode and makes the in-cylinder air-fuel ratio an air-fuel ratio between the theoretical air-fuel ratio and the air-fuel ratio in the lean mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro Hotta
  • Patent number: 10161285
    Abstract: An exhaust aftertreatment system includes a particulate filter element and a particulate matter sensor that is disposed to monitor the exhaust gas feedstream downstream of the particulate filter element. A method for monitoring the exhaust gas feedstream includes determining a temperature associated with the particulate matter sensor and monitoring engine operation and the exhaust aftertreatment system. A magnitude of ammonia is determined in the exhaust gas feedstream proximal to the particulate matter sensor based upon the monitoring of the engine operation and the exhaust aftertreatment system. An initial reading is determined from the particulate matter sensor and is adjusted based upon the magnitude of ammonia in the exhaust gas feedstream proximal to the particulate matter sensor and the temperature of the particulate matter sensor. A magnitude of particulate matter in the exhaust gas feedstream is determined based upon the adjusted initial reading from the particulate matter sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Chad E. Marlett, Cristian Taibi, Luca Giuseppe Pairolero
  • Patent number: 10161331
    Abstract: A method of operating a Selective Catalytic Reduction on Diesel Particulate Filter or SDPF is disclosed. During a SDPF regeneration; temperature values are obtained for the SDPF inlet and SDPF outlet. The temperature values are used to calculate a rate of increase of SDPF outlet temperature and a rate of increase of SDPF inlet temperature. A ratio between the rate of increase of SDPF outlet temperature values and the rate of increase of SDPF inlet temperature values is calculated, and if the ratio is greater than a threshold thereof, the exhaust gas composition is modified in some manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Giuseppe Mazzara Bologna, Andrea De Filippo
  • Patent number: 10151262
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust purification catalyst arranged in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine; an upstream side air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust purification catalyst; and a downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing out from the exhaust purification catalyst. An abnormality diagnosis system of air-fuel ratio sensors judges that at least one of the air-fuel ratio sensors has become abnormal when a difference or ratio between an output value of said upstream side air-fuel ratio sensor and an output value of said downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor becomes outside a predetermined range of normal difference or predetermined range of normal ratio during atmospheric gas introduction control where the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust purification catalyst becomes atmospheric gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyamoto, Yasushi Iwazaki, Toru Kidokoro, Yuji Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 10138786
    Abstract: An additive amount of a reducing agent to a selective reduction-type NOx catalyst is optimized. An ammonia adsorption amount of the selective reduction-type NOx catalyst is estimated based on one or a plurality of prescribed parameters related to the ammonia adsorption amount and a specific ammonia adsorption amount that is an estimated value of the ammonia adsorption amount specified by at least one of a maximum value and a minimum value of an estimated value of the ammonia adsorption amount is estimated based on an error in the prescribed parameter, and when the specific ammonia adsorption amount is outside a target range of the ammonia adsorption amount, addition of an ammonia precursor or ammonia using an adding valve is controlled such that the specific ammonia adsorption amount returns to the target range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Arifumi Matsumoto, Toru Kidokoro, Taiga Hagimoto, Kenji Furui, Akifumi Uozumi
  • Patent number: 10132256
    Abstract: A particulate filter device monitoring system for an engine includes a regeneration mode trigger module configured to set a regeneration request based on soot accumulation in the particulate filter device, a regeneration control module configured to control regeneration of the particulate filter device, and a soot out model module including a soot out model configured to calculate changes in soot out rate during prolonged engine idling periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Swoish, Christopher Whitt
  • Patent number: 10125639
    Abstract: A system includes a waste heat recovery heat exchanger configured to heat a heating fluid stream by exchange with a heat source in a crude oil associated gas processing plant; and an Organic Rankine cycle energy conversion system. The Organic Rankine cycle energy conversion system includes a heat exchanger configured to heat a first portion of a working fluid by exchange with the heated heating fluid stream; and a cooling subsystem including one or more cooling elements each configured to cool one or more of a process stream from the crude oil associated gas processing plant and a cooling water stream for ambient air cooling by exchange with a second portion of the working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mahmoud Bahy Mahmoud Noureldin, Akram Hamed Mohamed Kamel
  • Patent number: 10125654
    Abstract: An exhaust control system for an internal combustion engine comprises: a trapping capability acquisition part that obtains information regarding a PM trapping capability, based on a detection value of an exhaust sensor provided to detect a predetermined parameter relating to an exhaust gas flowing out of an SCRF; and a NOx reduction capability acquisition part obtains information regarding a NOx reduction capability, based on an amount of NOx in the exhaust gas flowing out of the SCRF. The exhaust control system determines and distinguishes between a trapping abnormal state in which a PM trapping function by the SCRF is failed and a sensor abnormal state in which a detection function of the predetermined parameter by the exhaust sensor is failed, based on the NOx reduction capability obtained by the NOx reduction capability acquisition part, when the trapping capability obtained by the trapping capability acquisition part is in a predetermined low trapping capability state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taiga Hagimoto, Tomoyuki Kogo, Arifumi Matsumoto, Kenji Furui, Akifumi Uozumi
  • Patent number: 10107224
    Abstract: In a fuel system for delivering pressurized fuel both to an internal combustion engine and to an exhaust installation, the fuel system includes two separate branches for delivering fuel to the internal combustion engine and to the exhaust installation, and includes a primary fuel pump delivering fuel to both branches of the fuel supply circuit. The primary fuel pump output is controllable independently of the engine speed. The pump output may be controlled such that the pressure of fuel in the fuel supply circuit depends on whether fuel is to be delivered to the exhaust installation. The fuel system may include a hydraulically controlled shut-off valve arrangement which is forced to switch depending on the pressure in the fuel supply circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventors: François Giroud, Thomas Grange, Guillaume Millet
  • Patent number: 10100721
    Abstract: Various systems are provided for supporting an exhaust gas treatment system vertically above an engine in an engine system. In one example, an engine system includes an engine; a support structure including a base and a plurality of mounting legs, a first end of each mounting leg of the plurality of mounting legs coupled to the base and an opposite, second end of each mounting leg of at least a portion of the plurality of mounting legs coupled to the engine, where at least three mounting legs of the plurality of mounting legs and the base form two triangles within a same plane of the support structure; and an exhaust gas treatment system positioned vertically above and mounted on the engine via the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Shishir Tiwari, Douglas C. Hofer, Shashi Kiran, Jessica Lynn Plummer, Shridhar Shrikant Kulkarni
  • Patent number: 10094259
    Abstract: A reductant delivery system is provided for delivery of reductant to an engine exhaust aftertreatment system that is heated during cold temperature conditions. A heat exchange fluid flows through a heat exchange circuit that provides a flow path from the heat source to the doser, from the doser to the reductant storage tank, and from the reductant storage tank to the heat source. A control valve controls the flow of the heat exchange fluid in the heat exchange circuit so that at least one heat exchange cycle includes a circulation period that increases the temperature of the reductant in the doser and storage tank and a termination period where circulation is stopped until reductant temperature in the doser reaches a lower limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Cummins Emission Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Mugdha Naik, Yongquan Chai, Shu Zhang, Xin Jin, Srivardhan Chandrapati, James Houghtell, Deepu J. Chandy
  • Patent number: 10094264
    Abstract: A system for diagnosing a sensor of an exhaust aftertreatment system may include receiving a first tank level value from a sensor. A plurality of reductant dosing command values over a period of time are received. A dosed reductant value is determined responsive to the plurality of reductant dosing command values reaching a threshold integrated value. A second tank level value is received from the sensor responsive to the dosed reductant value reaching the threshold integrated value. A sensor-estimated dosing value is determined based on the difference between the first tank level value and the second tank level value. The sensor may be diagnosed as performing outside of an acceptable calibration range based on the difference between the sensor-estimated dosing value and the dosed reductant value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Cummins Emission Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Nassim Khaled, Vinayak Mandavkar, Deepu Chandy
  • Patent number: 10072544
    Abstract: Deterioration of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst can be diagnosed with sufficient accuracy, by making use of a sensor for measuring an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into an exhaust gas purification apparatus, which is equipped with the SCR catalyst, and a sensor for measuring an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing out from the exhaust gas purification apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saitoh, Koji Hagiwara, Takahiko Fujiwara, Toru Kidokoro, Yasushi Iwazaki
  • Patent number: 10066525
    Abstract: An exhaust gas control system includes: a housing, an exhaust gas purification catalyst, and a microwave irradiator. The microwave irradiator is configured to irradiate the exhaust gas purification catalyst with a microwave such that a standing wave that has: a high magnetic field region; and a high electric field region. The exhaust gas purification catalyst includes a carrier substrate and a catalytic substance that purifies the exhaust gas. The catalytic substance is disposed on the carrier substrate. The carrier substrate includes a magnetic body region and a dielectric region. The magnetic body region of the carrier substrate is disposed in the high magnetic field region in the housing. The dielectric region of the carrier substrate is disposed in the high electric field region in the housing. The magnetic body region has a magnetic body that absorbs the microwave. The dielectric region has a dielectric that absorbs the microwave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Hoki, Shinji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10054026
    Abstract: There is provided an exhaust heat recovery structure that may suppress boiling of coolant in a heat exchanger. The exhaust heat recovery structure includes a first pipe, a second pipe, a valve and a thermostat. Exhaust gas from an engine flows in the first pipe. The second pipe branches from the first pipe and a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the coolant and exhaust gas is provided at the second pipe. The valve is provided at the first pipe or the second pipe. The valve adjusts a flow amount of exhaust gas flowing into the second pipe by opening and closing. The thermostat is equipped with a heat-sensing portion that is disposed inside the heat exchanger. When the temperature of the heat-sensing portion is high, the thermostat opens or closes the valve to reduce the flow amount of exhaust gas flowing into the second pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio Murata, Tadashi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 10018090
    Abstract: A filter cartridge for a delivery device for a reducing agent includes at least one filter wall and at least one supporting wall together forming an interior space. The at least one supporting wall has an outflow opening and a bypass opening. The outflow opening can be coupled to the delivery device and the bypass opening bypasses the filter wall. A delivery device and a motor vehicle having a filter cartridge are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: EMITEC Gesellschaft fuer Emissionstechnologie mbH
    Inventor: Georges Maguin