Patents Examined by Jason T Newton
  • Patent number: 9546593
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for regulating stable operation of an exhaust-gas turbocharger of an internal combustion engine having a fresh-gas supply device, a switchover valve, a control device, a compressor for generating compressed air and an air-processing unit with a discharge valve. The compressor is operated in a suction intake mode in which the compressor is connected to an air inlet, and based on monitored operating parameters, the switchover valve switches the compressor from the suction intake mode into a pressure-charged in which the compressor is connected to an exhaust-gas turbocharger compressor. Based on monitored operating parameters when in the pressure-charged mode, the switchover valve switches the compressor from the pressure-charged mode into the suction intake mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE Systeme fuer Nutzfahzeuge GmbH
    Inventors: Manuel Marx, Guang Rao
  • Patent number: 9534533
    Abstract: A control device and method for the air system of a diesel engine is disclosed. The feature of the diesel engine is characterized by transfer function. During the control process, a decoupling transfer function is computed according to the transfer function and the steady working parameters of the diesel engine. By the decoupling transfer function acting on the processed state parameters of the air system, driving signals for controlling the exhaust gas recirculation system and the turbocharge system can be individually generated from one another, in order to realize decoupling of them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Weichai Power Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Guangdi Hu, Shaojun Sun, Dehui Tong, Shenggang Guo, Yingli Gong
  • Patent number: 9528431
    Abstract: An energy recovery system and method is provided for the compressor stage of a turbocharger during surge avoidance operation. The compressor stage includes a housing defining an inlet, an inlet chamber, a diffuser and a volute. A flow amplifier is provided in the compressor housing or in a separate element. If the compressor stage is operating near a surge condition, charge air from a system charge air source is routed to the flow amplifier which discharges the air substantially along the inner peripheral surface of the inlet chamber in a downstream direction relative to the air intake flow direction. The charge air is supplied in a substantially annular manner at an increased velocity such that at least a portion of the intake air flow is entrained by the charge air so as to increase the velocity of the air toward the compressor wheel and recovering energy of the charge air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: John Palko
  • Patent number: 9528434
    Abstract: A non-Wankel rotary engine having an insert in the peripheral wall of the outer body, the insert being made of a material having a greater heat resistance than that of the peripheral wall, having a subchamber defined therein and having an inner surface bordering the cavity, the subchamber communicating with the cavity through at least one opening defined in the inner surface and having a shape forming a reduced cross-section adjacent the opening, a pilot fuel injector having a tip received in the subchamber, an ignition element having a tip received in the subchamber, and a main fuel injector extending through the housing and having a tip communicating with the cavity at a location spaced apart from the insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Jean Thomassin, Nigel Davenport, Eugene Gekht
  • Patent number: 9528435
    Abstract: An internal combustion rotary engine includes an air passage configured to allow cool air to flow through the rotor as the rotor moves relative to the housing within the engine. Some embodiments include a removable fuel cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: LiquidPiston, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolay Shkolnik, Alexander C. Shkolnik, Alex Lyubomirskiy
  • Patent number: 9523313
    Abstract: A system including a gas turbine system configured to transition between a first load state and a second load state, wherein the gas turbine system comprises an airflow control module configured to adjust an airflow through the gas turbine system between a minimum airflow condition and a maximum airflow condition, and a controller configured to control the gas turbine system to operate with a load path between a first load path corresponding to the minimum airflow condition and a second load path corresponding to the maximum airflow condition, wherein the controller is configured to control the gas turbine system to transition between the first load state and the second load state using the load path between the first and second load paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kihyung Kim, Seyfettin Can Gulen, Brett Matthew Thompson
  • Patent number: 9523331
    Abstract: A control device for calculating a steady target value that is a target value of a supercharging pressure during steady operation on the basis of an engine rotation speed and a fuel injection amount in a turbocharged diesel engine. The control device operates the actuator through feedback control such that an actual supercharging pressure calculated from a signal of a supercharging pressure sensor follows the steady target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Taku Ibuki
  • Patent number: 9518658
    Abstract: A rotary engine rotor (10) comprises a body (12) comprising an outer surface (18), an inner surface (22), an insert (14) and a fixing member (16). The outer surface (18) comprises three rotor sides (20) arranged in an equilateral triangle shape. The inner surface (22) comprises a location portion (24) at the midpoint of each rotor side (20), the location portions (24) together defining a location aperture (26). One location portion (24) is provided with a first fixing socket (28) extending radially from the inner surface (22) of the body (12), towards the outer surface (18) of the body (12). Cooling channels (30) are provided axially through the body (12) in the region of each apex (31). The insert (14) is provided in the location aperture (26) and comprises a bearing part (38) with a second fixing socket (40) extending radially through the insert (14) and in alignment with the first fixing socket (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: UAV Engines Ltd.
    Inventors: Christopher John Biddulph, Jonathan Mark Bagnell
  • Patent number: 9506453
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for actuating less than all of a plurality of load management devices on a wind turbine and/or a wind turbine blade. In some embodiments, the actuation sequences may be a root-to-tip, tip-to root, maximum-distributed-load, random, and/or a cycle-count actuation sequence. Further, a combination of two or more actuation sequences may be utilized to achieve a desired result. The system may choose an appropriate blade-based and/or rotor-based actuation sequence according to operating conditions, may alternate actuation sequences, and/or may employ different actuation sequences among the plurality of blades of a wind turbine. The load management devices may be actuated to different maximum heights and/or may be configured to be actuated to variable heights. The load management devices may be included as part of a distributed management system providing a corresponding controller and/or sensor at each load management device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Inventors: Jonathon Paul Baker, Jeffrey Austin Butterworth, Jehan Zeb Khan, Guojian Lin, Edward Anthony Mayda, Erick James Rickards, Tobias Guenther Wehrhan
  • Patent number: 9488157
    Abstract: A system and method for pressure based load measurement are provided. The system and method measure at least one pressure differential on an airfoil and determine at least one aerodynamic load associated with the at least one pressure differential. The determined at least one load is used to modify characteristics of the airfoil to increase efficiency and/or avoid damage. The determined at least one aerodynamic load may be further utilized to balance and/or optimize loads at the airfoil, estimate a load distribution along the airfoil used to derive other metrics about the airfoil, and/or used in a distributed control system to increase efficiency and/or reduce damage to, e.g., one or more wind turbines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Frontier Wind, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathon P. Baker, Edward A. Mayda, Erick J. Rickards
  • Patent number: 9482151
    Abstract: Direct circular rotary internal-combustion engine with toroidal expansion chamber and rotor without moving parts, which directly converts the combustion expansion into a rotary movement of the shaft thereof, receives the compressed oxidizing agent at high pressure, does not require inertia in order to function, and in which combustion can take place in a static combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Map Energy SpA
    Inventor: Roberto Felipe Moser Rossel
  • Patent number: 9476386
    Abstract: A turbocharger device includes a turbine and a compressor coaxially connected to each other. The turbine is equipped to an exhaust system of an engine. The compressor is equipped to an intake air system of the engine. An EGR device recirculates a part of exhaust gas as EGR gas from a downstream of the turbine to an upstream of the compressor. The EGR device includes an EGR cooler, which is to cool EGR gas, and an EGR valve unit, which is to control a flow of EGR gas according to an opening of an EGR valve. The EGR cooler, the EGR valve unit, and the turbocharger device are screwed to a common bracket and are positioned relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Osamu Sato
  • Patent number: 9470142
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus for a supercharged internal combustion engine. A turbo supercharger, an exhaust bypass passage, a WGV capable of switching the opening and closing of the exhaust bypass passage, and variable valve operating mechanisms capable of changing a valve overlap period are included. The valve overlap period is shortened so that the fresh air blow-through amount Gsca becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined blow-through determination value Gjudge when the blow-through amount Gsca is larger than the blow-through determination value Gjudge. The WGV is opened when the blow-through amount Gsca is still larger than the blow-through determination value Gjudge after the valve overlap period has been shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noboru Takagi
  • Patent number: 9464534
    Abstract: A system configured to precisely control and/or modulate purge flow in a power plant system (e.g., a gas turbine) during operation is disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes: at least one computing device adapted to control a purge flow in a gas turbine by performing actions comprising: obtaining operational data from the gas turbine; determining an inferred gas path pressure value for the gas turbine; determining an allowable purge flow for the gas turbine as a function of the operational data and the inferred gas path pressure value; and adjusting the purge flow based upon the allowable purge flow determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Joseph Reed, Kevin Thomas McGovern
  • Patent number: 9464565
    Abstract: A wastegate valve includes, a valving element 13 that opens and closes an exhaust gas bypass path, a valve stem 17 that extends from the valving element, an operating lever 15 having an insertion hole 29 where the valve stem is inserted with play, a support plate 31 provided on an open end of the valve stem, and a spring member 19 provided between the support plate and the operating lever 15. The spring member has a large-diameter part and at least two small-diameter parts, the large-diameter part and the at least two small-diameter parts being arranged concentrically with an axial center of the valve stem, and the at least two small-diameter parts constitute a first contact part 35 in contact with an operating lever side and a second contact part 37 in contact with a support plate side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Nakagawa, Yasuaki Jinnai
  • Patent number: 9464701
    Abstract: A system has a pump with a power input, a power source and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) coupled to the power source and to the power input of the pump. The CVT transmits power from the power source to the pump. The CVT comprises a plurality of planetary members in rolling contact with an inner race and an outer race. A radial distance between the planetary members and a drive-transmitting member corresponds to a transmission ratio of the CVT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Orbital Traction, Ltd.
    Inventors: Stuart A. Schaaf, Michael P. Bujold, Joseph D. Kliewer
  • Patent number: 9464571
    Abstract: A fossil fuel-fired power station having a removal apparatus for carbon dioxide which is located downstream of a combustion facility and through which an offgas containing carbon dioxide may flow is provided. The removal apparatus comprises an absorption unit and a desorption unit. The desorption unit is connected to a renewable energy source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Hermann Kremer, Nicolas Vortmeyer
  • Patent number: 9464567
    Abstract: A biased dual tip seal arrangement for the rotor (106) of a rotary engine (102). The dual tip seals (100-T, 100-L) are located on opposite corners of the tip (130) of a planetary rotor (106). The rotor (106) orbits within a cutout (126) in a main rotor (108). The seals (100-T, 100-L) are biased away from the corners to make sealing contact with the sealing surfaces of the asymmetrical lobe (112) and the cutout (126) of the main rotor (108). Biasing is implemented with springs (1202, 1302, 1412) and with conduits (1006) that pressurize the area under the seals (100-T, 100-L). An asymmetrical lobe (112?) includes a transition zone (802) on the surface of the lobe (112). In the transition zone (802), at least one seal (100-T, 100-L) on the tip (130) maintains contact with the surface (112?) while alternating contact from one seal (100-T, 100-L) to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Power Source Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Barton W. Watkins
  • Patent number: 9447754
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus provide improved turbocharging of an internal combustion engine. A single, discrete turbocharger is affixed to each engine combustion cylinder. Turbochargers can be mounted to their associated cylinders in close proximity, thus harvesting higher energy exhaust gases from each combustion cylinder. Tip in and spool up responses can be further improved using low rotational inertia turbochargers that can operate effectively across a wide range of engine operational speeds. Controlled balancing valves between cylinder exhaust lines can deliver exhaust gases from a single cylinder selectively to multiple turbochargers in appropriate operational conditions. Moreover, multiple turbochargers' compressors can be configured in series to achieve pressurization compounding of combustion air for low RPM operation. Nesting of turbochargers relative to one another permits improved mounting of each turbocharger in close proximity to its corresponding combustion cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Bright Acceleration Technologies LLC
    Inventors: James R. Clarke, Richard J. Fotsch
  • Patent number: 9447697
    Abstract: Wastegate assemblies and turbocharger assemblies including the wastegate assemblies are described. The wastegate assemblies include a housing enclosing both an actuator and a valve. The valve is operatively coupled to the actuator and the housing terminates with a crush seal. The housing also includes a mounting member connectable to a turbocharger to place the crush seal in sealing engagement with a wastegate opening in the turbocharger. The turbocharger assemblies include a housing enclosing a turbine and a compressor wheel that are operatively coupled together on a common shaft that defines an axis of rotation, and have a wastegate assembly removably mounted to an outlet end of the housing proximate the turbine and extending therefrom in a direction away from the turbine and the compressor wheel. Here, the wastegate assembly has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: DAYCO IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Craig Markyvech, James Miller, David Fletcher, Brian Graichen