Patents Examined by Jason T Newton
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Patent number: 9341175Abstract: A seal for a pump includes a seal housing configured to be received in a housing of the pump and a seal assembly received in the seal housing. The seal further includes a seal holder receiving at least a portion of the seal assembly, the seal holder being configured to rotate with respect to the seal housing. The seal also includes a guide coupled to the seal housing and retaining the seal holder, such that the seal holder rotates with respect to the seal housing, wherein during operation of the pump, the seal holder and a portion of the seal assembly rotate. A pump includes the pump seal, and a method for refurbishing a pump seal includes removing and replacing at least a portion of a seal assembly of the pump seal, wherein refurbishing the pump seal does not require removing a pump shaft from the pump.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2011Date of Patent: May 17, 2016Assignee: LOBEPRO, INC.Inventor: Rolando Nico M. Ramos
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Patent number: 9334792Abstract: A straight shaft non-planetating rotary piston engine includes a housing and at least one rotating piston mounted for circular rotation about an axis within the housing. The piston and the housing define an expansible combustion chamber that produces at least one combustion events for every rotation of the piston about the axis. The invention also includes a moveable cylinder head having a profile roller. The profile roller cooperates with an open face profile impressed into a rotary encoder. The open face profile is configured to pull the cylinder head into near-contact with the rotating piston face, and the moveable cylinder head is spring biased to repel the moveable cylinder head away from the rotating piston face.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2013Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Inventor: Kent J. Myers
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Patent number: 9334794Abstract: A rotary engine including an insert in one of the walls of the outer body having a pilot subchamber defined therein communicating with the internal cavity of the engine. An ignition element extends in an element cavity defined through the insert adjacent the subchamber. A portion of the element is in communication with the subchamber through a communication opening defined in the insert between the element cavity and the subchamber. The communication opening has a cross-section smaller than a corresponding cross-section of the portion of the element. An outer body for a rotary engine and a method of combusting fuel in a rotary engine are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2013Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.Inventors: Michael Gaul, André Julien, Bruno Villeneuve
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Patent number: 9334795Abstract: A stator for a rotary internal combustion engine, with a body having an internal cavity. Each end wall has a scavenging cavity defined therein in fluid communication with the internal cavity through a respective scavenging opening extending through the inner surface thereof, and at least one annular oil seal groove defined in the inner surface thereof concentric with the central bore and located radially outwardly of the scavenging opening. At least one annular oil seal is received in each groove and protrudes from the end wall into the internal cavity for sealing engagement with a surface of a rotor of the engine, each seal being biased axially away from the end wall. A rotary internal combustion engine and a method of limiting radially outwardly directed oil leaks in a rotary engine are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2013Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.Inventors: Jean Thomassin, Jean-Gabriel Gauvreau, David Gagnon-Martin, Bruno Villeneuve
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Patent number: 9322321Abstract: A fresh air system for supplying combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine with fresh air may include a housing through which a fresh air path is routed. The fresh air system may include a charge air cooler arranged in the fresh air path. The housing may include an insertion opening, through which the charge air cooler is laterally inserted into the housing transversely to the fresh air path. An outer end region of the charge air cooler may close off the insertion opening and include a circumferential holding flange. The circumferential holding flange may be clamped between a holding rim enclosing the insertion opening and a separate holding frame.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2014Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Mahle International GmbHInventors: Winfried Brand, Ivano Morgillo
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Patent number: 9309767Abstract: A stator for a progressive cavity pump or motor comprises a tubular housing having a central axis. In addition, the stator comprises a stator insert coaxially disposed within the housing. The stator insert has a radially outer surface that engages the housing and a radially inner surface defining a helical-shaped through bore extending axially through the stator insert. The stator insert includes an insert body and an insert liner attached to the insert body. The insert body is radially positioned between the housing and the insert liner. The insert body comprises a reinforcement structure and a plurality of voids dispersed within the reinforcement structure.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2011Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P.Inventors: Harold A. Sreshta, Jiinjen Albert Sue, Stefan M. Butuc, Jan Edgar Marshall
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Patent number: 9303556Abstract: A method for operating a turbocharger arrangement of an internal combustion engine, the turbocharger arrangement comprising a low-pressure and a high-pressure turbocharging stage arranged sequentially, the low-pressure turbo-charging stage comprising a low-pressure turbine with a sensorless low-pressure turbine bypass valve, is provided. The method comprises evaluating at least one sensor signal of the turbocharger arrangement for detecting a failure mode of the sensorless low-pressure turbine bypass valve. In this way, the low-pressure turbine bypass valve may be monitored for degradation without utilizing a position sensor.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2012Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Alain Marie Roger Chevalier, Simon Petrovic, Arno Bartsch
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Patent number: 9297296Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for discharging condensate from a turbocharger arrangement of an internal combustion engine. Specifically, in on example, condensate may be drained from a condensate reservoir by opening a drain valve coupled to the condensate reservoir. Further, the drain valve may be closed responsive to engine operating conditions indicating the condensate reservoir has been completely drained.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Andreas Kuske, Christian Winge Vigild, Daniel Roettger
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Patent number: 9291095Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Inventor: Randy Koch
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Patent number: 9291093Abstract: A method for controlling a turbocharger is provided. The turbocharger has a turbine operatively connected to an exhaust of an internal combustion engine, and a compressor operatively connected to an intake of the engine. The method includes determining a boost pressure command for the compressor. The boost pressure command is configured to provide sufficient combustion reactant for the engine. The method includes calculating a compressor power from the determined boost pressure command, and calculating a turbine flow from the calculated compressor power. The method commands the turbocharger to operate at the calculated turbine flow.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2013Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Yue-Yun Wang, Ibrahim Haskara, Kevin Andrew Gady
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Patent number: 9267425Abstract: An air supply device of a gas engine having a turbocharger includes a first intake passage configured to guide the mixture of outdoor air and unpurified gas into the turbocharger, a second intake passage configured to guide indoor air into the turbocharger, a filter configured to remove a solid impurity in the unpurified gas which is disposed in the first intake passage, a first damper capable of opening and closing the first intake passage disposed on the downstream side of the filter in the first intake passage, a heating unit for heating the indoor air disposed in the second intake passage, a second damper capable of opening and closing the second intake passage disposed on the downstream side of the heating unit in the second intake passage, and a damper control device configured to control the opening degree of each of the first and second dampers.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2011Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Hajime Suzuki, Yuuichi Shimizu, Hideki Nishio
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Patent number: 9261051Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for managing a compressor temperature using EGR to address surge and condensation. A variable mixture of cooled compressor recirculation flow and hot EGR is provided to a compressor inlet. A composition of the mixture is adjusted to maintain a compressor inlet temperature sufficiently warm so as to reduce ingestion of condensation, and a compressor outlet temperature sufficiently cold to be within component temperature limits with flow above the surge limit.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2013Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Julia Helen Buckland
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Patent number: 9243554Abstract: Described is an assembly for an internal combustion rotary engine of a single or multi-rotor type. The assembly includes parts without cooling channels that comprise a monolithic ceramic material or ceramic matrix composite material capable of allowing the engine when assembled to operate at elevated temperatures that would cause metal parts of a metal engine to lose strength, lose structural and mechanical integrity, suffer excessive oxidation/corrosion and/or fail. The ceramic material also allows the engine when assembled to operate with significantly lower heat loss to the surrounding environment as compared with a similar engine made using all metal parts. The ceramic material allows the engine when assembled to operate without requiring substantial cooling elements or an external fluid (e.g. water) cooling system. The engine when assembled as described will retain more heat or operate with a substantially reduced rate of heat rejection when compared to an entirely metal rotary engine.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2013Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Ceramic Rotary Engines, Inc.Inventors: Raj Balendra, J. Leslie Henshall, Theyvendra S. Thuraisingham, Raymond J. J. Walker
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Patent number: 9243551Abstract: A method for operation of an engine including a turbocharger system is provided. The method includes adjusting turbocharger rotational acceleration or deceleration in response to one or more resonant frequencies. Additionally in some examples, the method may further include increasing turbocharger rotation in response to one or more resonant frequencies during a first condition, and increasing turbocharger deceleration in response to one or more resonant frequencies during a second condition, the second condition different from the first condition. In this way, it is possible to enhance the useful life cycle of the turbocharger and associated engine by limiting the operating time in a resonant frequency band.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2012Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Harold Huimin Sun, Yong Shu, Dave Hanna, Tim Schram
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Patent number: 9239050Abstract: A vane pump including a cam ring, a rotor, slits formed in the rotor, vanes inserted slidably into the slits, pump chambers defined by the vanes, back pressure chambers defined between respective base end portions of the vanes and the slits, back pressure grooves capable of communicating with the back pressure chambers as the rotor rotates, and connecting grooves connecting back pressure grooves that are adjacent in a circumferential direction of the rotor to each other, wherein a connecting groove that communicates with a back pressure groove positioned in a suction region formed above a rotary center of the rotor so as to suction a working fluid into the pump chambers is formed to have a larger passage sectional area than a connecting groove that communicates with another back pressure groove positioned in another suction region formed below the rotary center of the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2011Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: KAYABA INDUSTRY CO., LTD.Inventors: Koichiro Akatsuka, Ryuji Naide
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Patent number: 9239034Abstract: A selectively operable vacuum source designed to reduce leakage is disclosed. In one example, the vacuum source is at least partially within an engine air intake system. The approach may reduce a number of sensors required to diagnose whether or not leaks are present within the vacuum source.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2012Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Ralph Wayne Cunningham, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
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Patent number: 9234454Abstract: Provided are an adiabatic compressed air energy storage for an automotive vehicle and an energy storage method using the same, whereby a new vehicle function is provided by using available energy from the discharged and expelled energy generated from a driven automotive vehicle or available energy source outside an automotive vehicle, and transforming the generated energy to convenient electric power and efficiently storing the energy, so that electric power can be supplied regardless of space or time constraint during the automotive vehicle in operation or parked or vehicle engine stop in view of the increase demands of electric power in automotive vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2013Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: Korea Institute of Energy ResearchInventors: Yong Hoon Im, Byung Sik Park, Dae Hun Chung, Sae Byul Kang, Jae Yong Lee, Dong Hyun Lee, Kyu Sung Choi
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Patent number: 9228504Abstract: First and second turbochargers for supercharging a first cylinder group which continues or stops an operation by a valve stopping mechanism for reduced cylinders, and a second cylinder group which stops or continues the operation by the valve stopping mechanism for reduced cylinders, respectively, and a third turbocharger in which air from the first and second turbochargers is supplied to the first and second cylinder groups via separate independent intake passages, to supercharge the first and second turbochargers. If a reduced-cylinder operation system provided with this valve stopping mechanism is provided in addition to the turbo-charging system, a drop in a supercharging amount during a reduced-cylinder operation is prevented, a sufficient air amount is supplied into operating cylinders, deterioration of combustion in the operating cylinders and deterioration of a state of an exhaust gas are prevented, and fuel efficiency is improved.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2013Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITEDInventor: Akira Komatsu
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Patent number: 9222405Abstract: Internal combustion engine system. The system includes a single cylinder engine having an engine volume, the single cylinder engine having an intake manifold for introducing air into the engine and an exhaust manifold for discharge of exhaust gases. A turbocharger communicates with the exhaust manifold to receive exhaust gases to power the turbocharger. The turbocharger includes a compressor section communicating with the intake manifold to pressurize ambient air. An air capacitor is arranged to receive the pressurized ambient air from the turbocharger and to deliver the pressurized air to the engine during an intake stroke.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2014Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventor: Amos Greene Winter
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Patent number: 9217361Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder block defining a cylinder and a cylinder head mounted to the block. The cylinder head supplies air and fuel to the cylinder for combustion therein. The engine also includes an exhaust manifold operatively connected to the cylinder head and having a first outlet and a second outlet configured to exhaust post-combustion gasses from the cylinder. The engine also includes a turbocharging system configured to pressurize an airflow for delivery thereof to the cylinder. The turbocharging system includes a low-flow turbocharger driven by the post-combustion gasses from the first outlet to pressurize the airflow and a high-flow turbocharger driven by the post-combustion gasses from the second outlet to pressurize the airflow. The turbocharging system additionally includes a flow control device for selectively directing the post-combustion gasses to the low-flow and high-flow turbochargers. A vehicle employing such an engine is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2013Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Ko-Jen Wu, Dustin Loveland