Patents Examined by Jason T Newton
  • Patent number: 9906102
    Abstract: It is common in electric machines to use the housing as a heat sink to remove energy from the electric machine. In some applications, however, the housing receives energy from a hot element. For example, in an electronically controlled turbocharger, the very hot turbine housing radiates and conducts energy to the electric machine housing exacerbating the heating within the electric machine. To reduce the heat transfer into the electric machine, a gap is provided between the stator and the housing outside the stator. In one alternative, the gap is filled with an insulating material. In another embodiment, the gap is an air gap with the stator located within the housing by circumferential rings or axial rods in corresponding grooves. In yet another embodiment, coolant is provided to the gap at the top and drained away at the bottom under the action of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Will Robert Nielsen Hippen, Christopher Meszaros, Tyler Garrard, Diana Brehob
  • Patent number: 9890666
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a Rankine cycle containing a working fluid for waste heat recovery and has an evaporator. The evaporator has a heat exchanger tube positioned for generally horizontal flow of the working fluid therethrough. An inlet header is connected to a lower surface of an end region of the tube. An outlet header with a plurality of risers is positioned for generally vertical flow of the working fluid. The riser headers are connected to and spaced apart along an upper surface of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Shiguang Zhou
  • Patent number: 9885405
    Abstract: A stator assembly of a hydrokinetic torque converter includes a stator rotatable about an axis and having a hub bore coaxial to the axis, the stator having a crimped portion, a one-way clutch mounted to the stator in the hub bore coaxially to the axis, and a retainer plate fixedly secured to the stator in hub bore by the crimped portion. A method for making a stator assembly of a hydrokinetic torque converter involves providing a stator having an axis and a hub bore that is coaxial with the axis, the hub bore containing a one-way clutch and an annular retainer plate, and crimping a portion of the stator to fixedly secure the one-way clutch and the annular retainer plate in the hub bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Valeo Embrayages
    Inventors: Rabah Arhab, Alfonso Medellin, GyuBong Jeon
  • Patent number: 9878793
    Abstract: An air supply controller is configured to supply cooling air to an air cycle machine. The controller includes a chamber having a first inlet configured to receive air from a first source, a second inlet configured to receive air from a second source, and an outlet configured to pass air from first inlet and/or the second inlet to an air cycle machine. A control member is disposed within the chamber and configured to move from a first position to a second position. When the control member is in the first position it obstructs an airflow from the second inlet to the outlet and permits an airflow from the first inlet to the outlet. When the control member is in the second position it obstructs the airflow from the first inlet to the outlet and permits the airflow from the second inlet to the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Craig M. Beers, Darryl A. Colson
  • Patent number: 9879687
    Abstract: A reservoir groove for storing condensate water is formed on a lower part side of a link chamber inside a turbine housing. The reservoir groove is formed such that, assuming that water vapor contained in an exhaust gas retained inside the link chamber is completely condensed and liquefied after an engine stops its operation, a height position of a reference water surface of the condensate water stored in a reservoir area, which includes a space inside the reservoir groove in the link chamber, is lower than a height position of a lowermost part of the link mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniaki Iizuka, Yoshinari Yoshida, Yasushi Asada, Osamu Kagimoto, Hideumi Ohkuma, Yohei Suruga, Suguru Katayama, Toshihiko Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 9869218
    Abstract: To provide a supercharger mounting structure for an engine that enables a supercharger to be easily fitted to or removed from an engine main body, the supercharger mounting structure for the engine includes a supercharger including a compressing unit for supplying an intake air under pressure to the engine, a speed increasing unit for increasing the rotational speed of an engine rotary shaft and then transmitting it to the compressing unit and a supercharger casing for accommodating the compressing unit and the speed increasing unit. The supercharger casing is removably fitted to a crankcase of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Matsuda, Shohei Naruoka
  • Patent number: 9869239
    Abstract: A wastegate valve is arranged in a communication passage that bypasses the exhaust turbine of a turbocharger arranged in the exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine. When the opening degree of the wastegate valve is controlled to the fully closed opening degree, a determination value is calculated based on the operation state of the internal combustion engine, and the turbo rotation speed is detected. When the turbo rotation speed is less than the determination value, a drive force is increased in the direction for closing the wastegate valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Saeki
  • Patent number: 9863322
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a multi-stage fuel injection system including at least a first fuel injection stage and a second fuel injection stage, a first fuel reservoir fluidly connected to the first fuel injection stage and fluidly connected to a selective valve, and a second fuel reservoir fluidly connected to the selective valve. The selective valve connects one of the first fuel reservoir and the second fuel reservoir to the second fuel injection stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander W. Williams, Stephen K. Kramer
  • Patent number: 9856783
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas turbocharger includes a turbine housing and a wastegate which is disposed in the turbine housing. The turbine housing is water-cooled. An electric wastegate actuator is an integrated constituent part of the turbine housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Mathias Bogner, Ralf Böning, Ralph-Maurice Kömpel, Marc Hiller, Roland Herfurth
  • Patent number: 9835116
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The engine has at least two combustion chambers and an exhaust gas tract with at least one exhaust gas duct associated with the combustion chambers and through which exhaust gas from the combustion chambers can flow to guide the exhaust gas to a turbine of an exhaust gas turbocharger. An exhaust gas return line branches off the exhaust gas duct and has an adjustable shut-off element, by which a respective cross section, through which exhaust gas can flow, of the exhaust gas recirculation line and the exhaust gas duct can be adjusted. The internal combustion engine can be operated in a cylinder shut-down mode, in which introduction of fuel into a first of the combustion chambers is prevented and introduction of fuel into the second combustion chamber takes place. A method for operating the internal combustion engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: DAIMLER AG
    Inventor: Stefan Kuenzel
  • Patent number: 9835170
    Abstract: Provided is a vacuum pump in which the flexing of a rotating cylinder made of a fiber-reinforced resin can be reduced as much as possible to sufficiently reduce the gap between the rotating cylinder and a fixed cylinder, and exhaust performance can thereby be improved to great effect. A vacuum pump comprising a thread groove pump portion equipped with a fixed cylinder portion (2) having a spiraling thread groove portion (1) provided in an internal peripheral surface, and a rotating cylinder portion (3) placed inside the fixed cylinder portion (2), the thread groove pump portion exhausting through a spiraling exhaust flow channel due to the rotating cylinder portion (3) being caused to rotate, and the exhaust flow channel being formed from the thread groove portion (1) and an external peripheral surface of the rotating cylinder portion (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignees: EDWARDS JAPAN LIMITED, ARISAWA MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Kabasawa, Yuichi Kawai, Masaki Hori, Takahiro Iiyoshi
  • Patent number: 9829199
    Abstract: A flange (28A-C, 28E, 30A-E) with a primary contact surface (29B-C, 31B-D) that is curved (C) in a section plane (P) normal to a direction of the flange around a perimeter (60) of a component. The curve may have a maximum departure (D), from a straight line drawn between the ends (34, 35) of the curve, of at least 5% of a length of the straight line. The curve may be a circular arc with a span angle (A) of at least 40 degrees. The primary contact surface (29C, 31C) may be defined by an annular portion of a torus. Alternately, the primary contact surface (31D) may follow a non-circular perimeter path. A toric or other non-planar flange interface (32A-B) may be formed by mating contact surfaces on first (22, 36) and second (24, 38) components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventor: Clinton A. Mayer
  • Patent number: 9828907
    Abstract: A rotary internal combustion engine includes an arcuate compression chamber, an arcuate expansion chamber, an output shaft, and a piston coupled to the output shaft for movement through the arcuate compression chamber and the arcuate expansion chamber. The piston has a leading end, a trailing end, an inlet valve that is located at the leading end of the piston for receiving a compressible fluid from the compression chamber and an outlet valve that is located at the trailing end of the piston for expelling a combustion gas into the arcuate expansion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Inventor: Randy Koch
  • Patent number: 9828962
    Abstract: A method of controlling fuel delivery to an engine includes providing a fluid atomizer, a mechanically driven air compressor, a start up air source, and an air valve coupled between the mechanically driven air compressor and the start up air source, charging the start up air source, delivering compressed air from the start up air source to the fluid atomizer, providing an initial air/fluid mixture with the fluid atomizer, and operating the air valve to direct compressed air from the mechanically driven air compressor to the fluid atomizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: ENGINETICS, LLC
    Inventors: Roderick James Harris, Joseph Lull
  • Patent number: 9797412
    Abstract: A noise suppression system for an air-cooled internal combustion engine is disclosed. The system may include an acoustically designed shroud forming a cavity and configured for attenuating noise produced by a cooling air fan associated with the engine. In one system, the shroud is mountable on a housing of the air fan. A pair of air inlet passages may be provided which are operable to draw ambient cooling air into the shroud to the fan. The air inlet passages are acoustically configured and tuned to attenuate noise generated by the fan. In one system, the air inlet passages may each be formed in a rear quadrant of the shroud. Various configurations of the shroud may include quarter wave resonators and/or micro-perforated panels to further attenuate fan noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Inventors: Tyler W. Le Roy, Jonathan T. Bykowski, Roger W. Albert
  • Patent number: 9797302
    Abstract: An engine control system with a variable turbocharger may include an engine including a cylinder generating power by combustion of a fuel, a variable turbocharger including a turbine rotated by exhaust gas exhausted by the engine, and a compressor rotated in synchronization with the turbine and compressing external air and supplying the compressed air to the cylinder, a vane adjusting flow area of exhaust gas supplied to the turbine, and a controller dividing an operation region of a vehicle into a steady-speed driving region, an acceleration driving region, and a deceleration driving region from a fuel amount supplied to the cylinder and a required torque of the engine, and controlling opening of the vane and an injection timing of fuel injected into the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Buom-sik Shin
  • Patent number: 9790795
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade includes a blade body whose chord length increases from a blade tip toward a blade root. The blade body includes a blade tip region located near the blade tip and whose chord length increases gradually toward the blade root, the blade tip region having a substantially constant first design lift coefficient, a maximum-chord-length position located near the blade root and having a maximum chord length, the maximum-chord-length position having a second design lift coefficient higher than the first design lift coefficient, and a transition region located between the blade tip region and the maximum-chord-length position. The transition region has a design lift coefficient increasing gradually from the first design lift coefficient to the second design lift coefficient in a direction from the blade tip toward the blade root.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Fukami
  • Patent number: 9784127
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a cylinder head with at least one cylinder and a cooled turbine. Each cylinder has at least one outlet opening adjoined by an exhaust line for discharging exhaust gases from the cylinder. The exhaust line issues into an inlet region transitioning into an exhaust gas-conducting flow duct of the turbine. The turbine has at least one rotor mounted on a rotatable shaft in a turbine housing. The turbine has at least one coolant duct which is integrated in the housing and which is delimited and formed by at least one wall of the housing to form a cooling arrangement. The at least one wall of the turbine housing that delimits the at least one coolant duct is provided, at least in regions, with a thermal insulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kai Sebastian Kuhlbach, Clemens Maria Verpoort, Jan Mehring, Carsten Weber, Stefan Quiring
  • Patent number: 9784108
    Abstract: A rotary machine for compression and decompression, comprising a disc-shaped rotor having a first rotation axis at right angles to the plane of the rotor and situated in a plane of orientation and a disc-shaped swing element having a second rotation axis. In the orientation plane, the second rotation axis makes an angle with the first rotation axis. Furthermore, a spherical housing is present surrounding the rotor and the swing element and in combination forming four (de-)compression chambers. A connecting body positions the rotor and the swing element in the housing. The rotary machine furthermore comprises a power drive and a mechanical connection delivering power to or taking off power from the rotary machine. In addition, the rotary machine is suitable for the seamless integration of generator components for generating or using electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Be-Kking Management B.V.
    Inventor: Wilhelmus Theodorus Clemens Bekking
  • Patent number: 9777620
    Abstract: An improved turbocompound system, in particular in the field of industrial vehicles. A first turbine drives a fresh air compressor. A power turbine is arranged downstream of the first turbine and operatively coupled with the crankshaft of the engine through a clutch. A first electric motor/generator is operatively coupled with the turbocharger system. A second electric motor/generator is operatively coupled with the power turbine. The first and second electric motor/generators are electrically interconnected, and controlled as a motor or a generator in an opposite way with respect to each other, so that the electric energy produced by one is consumed by the other and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: FPT Motorenforschung AG
    Inventor: Laurentius Jaeger