Patents Examined by Jonathan R Matthias
  • Patent number: 12286922
    Abstract: A thermal insulation structure comprising a first member, a second member, a mat material and an inorganic adhesive. The first member comprises a first surface having a temperature potentially reaching 200° C. or higher. The second member comprises a second surface disposed opposite to the first surface of the first member. The mat material is disposed between the first member and the second member. An area is formed on at least one of the first surface and the second surface, with the area including the inorganic adhesive. The inorganic adhesive exhibits adhesiveness upon being heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: Peter T. Dietz
  • Patent number: 12274976
    Abstract: An exhaust gas carbon dioxide capture and recovery system that may be mounted on a mobile vehicle or vessel. The system may include an exhaust absorber system, a solvent regenerator, a solvent loop, a carbon dioxide compressor, and a carbon dioxide storage tank, among other components. The system may be configured and integrated such that energy in the exhaust may be used to power and drive the carbon dioxide capture while having minimal parasitic effect on the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Alexander Voice, Austin Wilks, Esam Zaki Hamad
  • Patent number: 12264610
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system includes an internal combustion engine, a main exhaust aftertreatment system with a main catalytic converter configured to receive exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine, and a turbocharger turbine selectively rotatable in a first direction for a normal operation and an opposite second direction for a reverse rotation operation. A light-off catalyst bypass system with a bypass passage and a bypass catalytic converter is configured to selectively receive exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine and bypass the turbine. During cold start, long idle, and/or low main catalytic converter temperature conditions, the turbine is rotated in the second direction to restrict or prevent exhaust gas from flowing through the turbine to facilitate directing the exhaust gas through the bypass passage and the bypass catalytic converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Jeff Brand, John D Frederick, Kenneth E Hardman
  • Patent number: 12258931
    Abstract: A wave power generator device that is designed specifically to generate electrical power from water currents. To accomplish this, the device includes multiple generator assemblies connected in series along an ocean shoreline. More specifically, each wave power generator includes a floating head and multiple flex points. A plurality of bidirectional rotary generators positioned at each flex point of each assembly helps in harvesting electricity from the oceans water currents that flow in different directions. The device further includes a support structure that provides solid support to the anchoring system of the device in the ocean bed. Furthermore, at least one signaling device such as buoys, LED lights, etc. float around the power generation assemblies on top of the water surface to signal the presence of the device under water, and thereby prevent boats and other near shore elements that may come in the path of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Inventor: Richard Raymond Gira
  • Patent number: 12247471
    Abstract: Integrated energy systems, such as for use in enhanced oil recovery operations, and associated devices and methods are described herein. A representative integrated energy system can include a power plant system having multiple modular nuclear reactors. The nuclear reactors can generate steam for direct industrial use or for use in an electrical power conversion system to generate electricity. Individual ones of the nuclear reactors can be configured to generate steam or electricity based on the requirements of different stages of the oil recovery operation. For example, during a first stage, a subset of the nuclear reactors can be configured to generate steam for the oil recovery operation for injection into an oil reservoir. During a second stage, some or all of the nuclear reactors in the subset can be reconfigured to generate electricity that can be routed to an industrial process different than the oil recovery operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: NuScale Power, LLC
    Inventors: Francis Tsang, José N. Reyes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 12241691
    Abstract: Energy storage and retrieval systems are disclosed, along with methods of storing and retrieving the energy. One system includes a thermal energy storage subsystem and a trilateral cycle, with first and second heat exchangers. The first heat exchanger exchanges heat between the energy storage medium and the working fluid, and the second heat exchanger exchanges heat between the high- and low-pressure sides of the trilateral cycle. Another system includes a conduit fluidly connecting pressurized gas in low- and high-temperature thermal energy storage tanks and passing through a heat exchanger in which the gas in the conduit exchanges heat with the thermal energy storage medium and/or the working fluid, enabling recovery of heat lost to evaporation of the thermal energy storage medium during discharge of the stored thermal energy in the system. The methods relate to various operations of the systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Inventor: Sten Kreuger
  • Patent number: 12234758
    Abstract: This disclosure describes an exhaust assembly that includes an exhaust tube and a coolant passage. The exhaust tube is oriented about an axis and an exhaust gas is configured to flow through the exhaust tube in a direction away from an end of the exhaust tube. The coolant passage is oriented about the axis radially outward of the exhaust tube, the coolant passage having an inner shell and an outer shell. The exhaust assembly further includes an expansion reservoir positioned vertically (relative to a gravitational reference) above the coolant passage. The expansion reservoir and coolant passage are fluidly coupled by a conduit having a first diameter. The expansion reservoir is coupled with a coolant reservoir by a second conduit having a diameter less than the first diameter. Vapor after a hot shutdown travels up the first conduit and is replaced by coolant flowing down the first conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dongming Tan, Bradley Hodges, Albert Yueh-Chang Lee, Joseph Lee Kennedy, Zheng Zhang, Scott A Snoble
  • Patent number: 12228111
    Abstract: Provided is a method of constructing a geothermal heat exchanger comprised of a geothermal well(s) that maximizes heat transfer from sweet spots of geothermal energy of a geothermal reservoir to the geothermal well(s). The method involves dynamically identifying the sweet spots, and selecting a predetermined shape and/or increasing a dimension of the geothermal well(s) within the sweet spots to increase a surface area of contact between the geothermal well(s) and the sweet spots. The method further involves calculating a mathematical best fit line to minimize a distance between the geothermal well(s) and the sweet spots, and forming at least a part of the geothermal well(s) to, or to a proximity of, the sweet spots along the mathematical best fit line. Methods may include increasing an effective thermal radius of the geothermal well(s) by geothermal fracturing, geothermal acidizing, or geothermal multilateral wells, and embedding thermal energy storage (TES) materials therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Inventor: Babak Bob Arefi
  • Patent number: 12228069
    Abstract: A method of controlling exhaust gas delivery between two turbochargers is disclosed. Exhaust gas is delivered to a first turbocharger through a first exhaust conduit. A valve is opened to allow at least some of the exhaust gas from the first exhaust conduit to bypass the first turbocharger through a second exhaust conduit delivering bypassing exhaust gas to a second turbocharger when the first turbocharger reaches a predefined operating speed or when the manifold pressure upstream of the first turbocharger reaches a predefined pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Inventor: Andrew Hlava
  • Patent number: 12228040
    Abstract: In order to improve an expansion installation for obtaining electrical energy from heat by means of a thermodynamic circulation procedure, comprising an expansion device, which is operated by an expanding working medium of the thermodynamic circulation procedure, and a generator driven by the expansion device, it is proposed that the expansion installation should be provided with a rotational speed sensor, which is coupled to a shaft of the expansion installation that rotates proportionally to a rotor of the generator, and which takes the form of an electrical sensor generator that generates an electrical sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: BITZER Kuehlmaschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Franck Repentin, Marcus Blumhardt
  • Patent number: 12221906
    Abstract: A system for realizing transformation of a thermal power unit based on combined high-parameter and low-parameter molten salts includes a high-parameter molten salt energy storage system, a low-parameter molten salt energy storage system and a thermal power unit. The high-parameter molten salt energy storage system and the low-parameter molten salt energy storage system include an electric heater for heating a molten salt, and an electric energy input end of the electric heater is connected with an electric energy output end of the thermal power unit. The low-parameter molten salt energy storage system includes a low-parameter molten salt heat absorption loop and a low-parameter molten salt heat release loop, and the high-parameter molten salt energy storage system includes a high-parameter molten salt heat absorption loop and a high-parameter molten salt heat release loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Xi'an Thermal Power Research Institute Co., L
    Inventors: Xiaohui Song, Wei Han, Kangli Fu, Xu Lu, Haimin Ji, Mingyu Yao, Zaisong Yu, Liang Zhao
  • Patent number: 12215616
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses an additive added to the exhaust of the internal combustion engine to maintain a range of NO2 to NO within a range that provides for a fast SCR reaction in a selective catalyst reduction unit. The additive and the exhaust enter a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), whereby the NO2 undergoes a two-stage process. In the first stage, the NO2 from the exhaust is adsorbed onto the precious metal catalyst of the DOC and an atomic oxygen is removed from the NO2, reducing the NO2 to NO. Because of the higher reactivity of the additive, the additive scavenges a portion of the atomic oxygen from the catalyst. During the second stage of the DOC process, the NO is oxidized over the catalyst to form NO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Lynn Ratts, Abhay Gupta, Arnold Myoungjin Kim, Eric Lee Schroeder, Kenth I Svensson
  • Patent number: 12209553
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an engine (100) including a cylinder (102) that is filled with carbon dioxide. A first piston (104) is slidably configured inside the cylinder (102) and being configured to form a first cylinder (108) with a first end (130) of the cylinder (102). A second piston (106) is slidably configured inside the cylinder (102) and being configured to form a second cylinder (110) with a second end (132) of the cylinder (102). A heater (112) is circumferentially disposed around the first cylinder (108) and the first piston (104) is configured to expand a hot carbon dioxide received inside the first cylinder (108) from the heater (112). A cooler (116) is circumferentially disposed around the second cylinder (110) and second piston (104) is configured to compress a cold carbon dioxide received inside the second cylinder (110) from the cooler (116).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE
    Inventors: Pramod Kumar, Siddhant Karmarkar, Vijay Biradar
  • Patent number: 12195311
    Abstract: A fluid-operated hoist and method for operating a fluid-operated hoist. The hoist is particularly convenient to produce and install and can be permanently and reliably operated without frequent maintenance. The hoist includes a fluid supply line supplying an operating fluid to the hoist for operating the hoist, a generator connected to the fluid supply line for generating electricity by the operating fluid, and an electrical consumer on the hoist that is operated by the electricity generated by the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: J. D. Neuhaus Holding GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jörg Brinkmann, Simon Brose, Piotr Krupnik
  • Patent number: 12188389
    Abstract: A method for filling a silencer with a sound absorbing material in which an inside of a shell is partitioned into a plurality of silencing chambers by a separator and at least one silencing chamber is filled with the material, the method including: forming a hole at the silencing chamber to be filled with the material in the shell; inserting a filling nozzle into the silencing chamber from the hole; injecting the material from the filling nozzle into the silencing chamber S2 for filling; and externally sealing the hole opening to the shell with a hole sealing member. An outer peripheral flange portion is abutted on and welded to an outer surface of the shell to seal the hole with the hole sealing member 8 allowing stably holding the silencer and easily filling the silencer with the material irrespective of a shell shape and a structure inside the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Yutaka Glken Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Suto, Katsunori Okoshi, Akihito Saito, Takeshi Maruyama, Kazuyuki Shirai
  • Patent number: 12163456
    Abstract: A flow guide and a method therein, including dividing by a divider a mixing chamber to input and output sides; supporting a mixing tube in the mixing chamber, receiving exhaust gas by an intake section from the input side; guiding the received exhaust gas by a swirl guide to flow inside the mixing tube towards the second end as a rotating and advancing main flow; mounting a reactant doser by a reactant doser mount such that when in use, it provides reactant to a dosing section; guiding exhaust gas through the divider by the mixing tube; receiving at least most of the rotating and advancing exhaust gas flow by the dosing section; providing a stem guide around the doser when mounted facing the rotating flow, and defining by the stem guide a central opening surrounding the doser when mounted; and guiding, using a passage structure of the stem guide, a side flow out of the rotating flow to a carrier flow around the doser via the central opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Proventia Oy
    Inventors: Eero Kotimäki, Aki Kärnä
  • Patent number: 12146436
    Abstract: As for a control device for a turbocharger including a turbine, disposed in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine, and a compressor, disposed in an intake passage of the internal combustion engine and driven by the turbine, the control device includes a control unit configured to control the turbine such that a boost pressure of the turbocharger in the intake passage becomes equal to or lower than an allowable value, a first calculation unit configured to calculate a decrease amount of a compressor efficiency of the compressor, and a second calculation unit configured to calculate the allowable value based on an intake air amount in the intake passage, in accordance with the decrease amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takato Hatano
  • Patent number: 12129782
    Abstract: An exhaust gas after-treatment device includes: a catalytic converter system, which includes a delivery side and a discharge side; and a container including an interior space and at least two openings, the at least two openings including a first opening and a second opening, the catalytic converter system being arranged in the interior space of the container, the first opening being connected with the catalytic converter system on the delivery side, and the second opening being connected to the catalytic converter system on the discharge side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Lorenz, Manuel Lorenz, Simon Hölldobler, Tobias Bieringer, Dominik Kluiber, Dietmar Witzigmann, Andreas Moser, Andreas Bruckmeier, Julian Kovac, Helmut Hupfloher
  • Patent number: 12116933
    Abstract: A thermal management system for an aircraft comprises a first gas turbine engine, one or more first electric machines rotatably coupled to the first gas turbine engine, a first thermal bus, and a first heat exchanger module. The first thermal bus comprises a first heat transfer fluid, with the first heat transfer fluid being in fluid communication, in a closed loop flow sequence, between the first gas turbine engine, the or each first electric machine, and the first heat exchanger. Waste heat energy generated by at least one of the first gas turbine engine, and the or each first electric machine, is transferred to the first heat transfer fluid. The first heat exchanger module comprises a first flow path and a second flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Richard G Mochrie, David A Jones
  • Patent number: 12116924
    Abstract: A system for controlling turbocharger shaft speed for an internal combustion engine (ICE) includes sensors and actuators and control modules in communication with the sensors and actuators. The control modules store and execute control logic that generates a predicted shaft speed from turbocharger shaft speed data. A shaft speed control algorithm (SSCA) is selectively initialized. The SSCA generates lower and upper limits to turbocharger flow corrections applied via the actuators. Closed loop control outputs are applied selectively to the actuators to control a mass flow through a compressor of the turbocharger. The SSCA selectively determines the shaft speed has exceeded a threshold, and the actuators alter a pressure ratio of the ICE. The SSCA operates the turbocharger stably within predefined hardware limits at an optimum shaft speed while maintaining constant flow across a range of pressure ratios. A long-term memory learning process trims turbocharger performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Wesley Rieves Haney, David Alexander Schmitt, John Garrity Singleton