Patents Examined by Jonathan R Matthias
  • Patent number: 11994051
    Abstract: An engine system includes an internal combustion engine, a main exhaust aftertreatment system with a main catalytic converter, and a light-off catalyst bypass system with a bypass passage and a bypass catalytic converter. An emissions control system includes a controller in signal communication with a first temperature sensor disposed upstream of the bypass catalytic converter, and a second temperature sensor disposed downstream of the bypass catalytic converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Steven C Wante, Roger C Sager, Jeff Brand
  • Patent number: 11994053
    Abstract: An electrically heating converter includes: a pillar shaped honeycomb structure made of conductive ceramics, including: an outer peripheral wall; and a partition wall disposed on an inner side of the outer peripheral wall, the partition wall defining a plurality of cells, each of the cells penetrating from one end face to other end face to form a flow path; metal electrodes; conductive connecting portions arranged on a surface of the pillar shaped honeycomb structure; and a pressing member configured to press the metal electrodes against the conductive connecting portions, so that the metal electrodes are electrically connected to the pillar shaped honeycomb structure. Each of the conductive connecting portions has an electrical resistivity lower than that of the pillar shaped honeycomb structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Takahashi, Naoki Okamoto
  • Patent number: 11982230
    Abstract: A thermal management system for an aircraft comprises a first gas turbine engine, a first thermal bus, a first heat exchanger, and a chiller. 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 first heat exchanger, and the chiller. Waste heat energy generated by the first gas turbine engine, is transferred to the first heat transfer fluid. The chiller is configured to lower a temperature of the first heat transfer fluid prior to the first heat transfer fluid being circulated through the gas turbine engine. The first heat exchanger is configured to transfer the waste heat energy from the first heat transfer fluid to a dissipation medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul R Davies, David A Jones, Alexander T Joyce, Richard G Mochrie
  • Patent number: 11982240
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine assembly comprising a fuel reformer, a combustion chamber and a controller. The fuel reformer comprises a first channel and a second channel, a portion of the second channel being adjacent to a portion of the first channel to facilitate heat exchange between the first and second channels. The first channel comprises a catalyst selected to reform ammonia to hydrogen and nitrogen. The first channel is configured to receive ammonia, pass the ammonia over the catalyst and output a first mixture comprising ammonia, hydrogen and nitrogen. The composition of the first mixture depends on a first reformer temperature of the first channel. The combustion chamber is configured to receive the first mixture from the fuel reformer; to receive an oxidant; to combust the first mixture in the oxidant to produce heat and a first product; and to output the first product. The second channel of the fuel reformer is configured to receive the first product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Perkins Engines Company Limited
    Inventors: David M. Heaton, Mark J. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 11982216
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine emissions reduction system in which a emissions passing through a second catalyst element having a second catalyst function are mixed with emissions passing through a first catalyst element having a first catalyst function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Inventor: David A Endrigo
  • Patent number: 11982226
    Abstract: An exhaust pipe is fixed to an internal combustion engine. A proximal end of a sensor guide is fixed to the exhaust pipe. A lead extends from an exhaust gas temperature sensor through the inside of the sensor guide to the outside of the sensor guide. The lead is fixed to a body of a vehicle outside the sensor guide. A distal end of the sensor guide is located forward of the proximal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daisuke Torii
  • Patent number: 11976604
    Abstract: A method for heating an exhaust gas aftertreatment component in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. At the combustion chamber, a fuel injector for injecting a fuel into the combustion chamber and a spark plug for igniting a flammable fuel-air mixture are arranged. The internal combustion engine has a valve lift curve switching mechanism, which allows for a shift and/or change of the opening times of the exhaust valve. The method includes: intake of fresh air into the combustion chamber, injection of a fuel into the combustion chamber, ignition of an ignitable fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber when the piston is in a range of 10° KW to 30° KW after the upper ignition dead point, and opening of the exhaust valve when the piston is in a range of 55° KW to 95° KW after the upper ignition dead point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christopher Gessenhardt, Sven Brannys, Sergej Jakovlev
  • Patent number: 11965446
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a VOC reduction system and a VOC reduction method that applies pulse type thermal energy to a catalyst to activate the catalyst and oxidizes and removes the VOC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: KOREA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jin Hee Lee, Iljeong Heo, Tae Sun Chang, Ji Hoon Park, Sang Joon Kim, Young Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 11959408
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for ammonia combustion and exhaust gas treatment, the system comprising: an internal combustion engine for combusting ammonia; and an exhaust system comprising an intake for receiving an exhaust gas from the combustion engine, an upstream injector for adding hydrogen gas to the exhaust gas and a downstream catalyst article, wherein the downstream catalyst article comprises a three-way catalyst (TWC) composition. The invention further relates to a method for the treatment of an exhaust gas from an ammonia internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: JOHNSON MATTHEY PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
    Inventors: Kevin Doura, John Kilmartin, Jing Lu, Nicholas McNamara, Thomas Yeh
  • Patent number: 11952921
    Abstract: A process for energy storage comprises carrying out a cyclic thermodynamic transformation wherein, in a charge phase, a condensation of a working fluid is executed by means of heat absorption by a heat carrier in order to store the working fluid in the liquid or supercritical phase; in a discharge phase, an evaporation of the working fluid is executed starting from the liquid or supercritical phase and by transfer of heat from the heat carrier; provision is made for actively adjusting at least one parameter of the working fluid related to the condensation and/or to the evaporation, in order to control at least one temperature of the heat carrier and uncouple it from the ambient temperature without the aid of systems outside the cyclic thermodynamic transformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: ENERGY DOME S.p.A.
    Inventors: Claudio Spadacini, Dario Rizzi
  • Patent number: 11952945
    Abstract: A thermal management system for an aircraft includes a first gas turbine engine, first thermal bus, first heat exchanger, one or more first ancillary systems, vapour compression system, one or more second ancillary systems and second heat exchanger. A waste heat energy generated by a first gas turbine engine, and a first ancillary system, transfers to the first heat transfer fluid. A waste heat energy generated by a second ancillary system transfers to a second heat transfer fluid, and the second heat exchanger transfers the waste heat energy from the second heat transfer fluid to the first heat transfer fluid. The waste heat energy generated by a second ancillary system transfers to the first heat transfer fluid, and the first heat exchanger transfers the waste heat energy to a dissipation medium. The waste heat energy transferred to the second heat transfer fluid ranges from 20 kW to 300 kW.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul R Davies, Alexander T Joyce, David A Jones
  • Patent number: 11946402
    Abstract: A work vehicle includes: a first exhaust pipe to which engine exhaust is sent; and a second exhaust pipe that has an inlet having an outer diameter larger than an outlet of the first exhaust pipe, the outlet of the first exhaust pipe and the inlet of the second exhaust pipe being disposed in proximity such that the outlet of the first exhaust pipe is positioned inside the inlet of the second exhaust pipe; a partition that divides a cross section of the outlet of the first exhaust pipe into a plurality of divided regions when viewed from the flow direction and partitions the adjacent divided regions at intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Shinya, Tatsuya Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11933208
    Abstract: A replacement kit enables a user to generate a desired audible sound from an exhaust system of a motor vehicle. The kit includes a replacement catalytic converter arranged to replace the vehicle's original equipment catalytic converter. The replacement catalytic converter is connected to the vehicle's factory muffler through a replacement pipe segment to obtain a more desirable, yet muffled engine sound. The factory muffler may be removed from the motor vehicle and the replacement catalytic converter may instead be connected to a muffler bypass pipe or pipes or replacement exhaust components/segments which channels the exhaust flow directly to the atmosphere to obtain a more powerful unmuffled exciting visceral sports car engine sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Fabspeed.com, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Fabiani
  • Patent number: 11927122
    Abstract: A problem to be solved is to provide an exhaust promotion method, an exhaust promotion device, and an exhaust system improvement method for an internal combustion engine capable of further improving the exhaust efficiency by high-speed exhaust of exhaust gas. What is characteristic is that an exhaust gas discharged from the internal combustion engine is expanded in multiple stages repeatedly to reduce a temperature thereof, and thus exhaustion is performed while suppressing a behavior derived from a thermal energy of the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Kokusho Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Ogata
  • Patent number: 11920505
    Abstract: A heat exchange module including a corrugated top heat exchange substrate and a corrugated bottom heat exchange substrate, and tubes that extend in a width direction (W) between the top and bottom substrates in heat exchanging contact with ridges of the substrates. A top and a bottom casing member contacts the substrates and each has a transverse side wall with slits oriented in the transverse direction (T) and accommodating the tubes. The side walls of the top and bottom casing members overlap and are mutually connected by soldering or brazing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventor: Ola Rolandson
  • Patent number: 11913368
    Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment arrangement for an exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine includes a housing which is elongated in the direction of a housing longitudinal axis, and at least one exhaust gas treatment unit which is arranged in the housing and has a shell. At least one bearing/sealing unit with at least two bearing/sealing rings is arranged in a radial intermediate space formed between the shell and the housing. The at least two bearing/sealing rings follow one another radially, are nested inside one another and are each interrupted in a circumferential interruption region. The circumferential interruption region of at least one of the bearing/sealing rings is offset in the circumferential direction with respect to a circumferential interruption region of another one of the bearing/sealing rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Purem GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Datz, Felix Neumann
  • Patent number: 11905870
    Abstract: Catalytic elements are usable in waste gas control processes. The catalytic elements include an open inlet into a hollow body and a closed end thereby forcing fluid or gas through a porous catalytic layer of the element. The catalytic layer includes inorganic fibers and a catalyst disposed on or incorporated into the fibers. The catalytic element also includes an inductive heater disposed therein and a conductive layer about the inductive heater to transfer heat to the catalyst and fluid or gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: UNIFRAX I LLC
    Inventors: James D. Grace, Mark E. Beauharnois, Adam M. Nohel, Michael Robert Carson, Jr., Dakota Piehler, Donald John Daniels, IV, Maurice Y. Belisle
  • Patent number: 11905868
    Abstract: A system that may include an exhaust gas source that provides exhaust gas pollutants, a primary catalytic converter coupled downstream of the exhaust gas source, and an adsorption unit, configured to adsorb exhaust gas pollutants. The adsorption unit may be coupled downstream of the exhaust gas source. A process that may include introducing exhaust gas comprising exhaust gas pollutants into a system that includes an adsorption unit, such that the exhaust gas may flow through the adsorption unit and the exhaust gas pollutants may be adsorbed into an adsorption media in the adsorption unit as adsorbed exhaust gas pollutants. A depleted exhaust gas may pass from the adsorption unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Emmanuel Laigle, Christophe Chaillou, Caroline Norsic, André Nicolle
  • Patent number: 11898482
    Abstract: A method for the diagnosis of an air supply circuit supplying air to a burner of an exhaust gas after-treatment system for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, wherein the air supply circuit is provided with a pumping device housed along a first duct adjusted by a shut-off valve. The method entails housing a first pressure sensor along the first duct interposed between the pumping device and the burner; housing a second pressure sensor along a second duct out of the burner; acquiring the pressure signals detected by said first and second pressure sensors; and diagnosing faults and/or malfunctions in the air supply circuit depending on the pressure signals detected by said first and second pressure sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: MARELLI EUROPE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Gaetano Di Vieste, Luigi De Luca, Fabio Sensi, Giovanni Prodi
  • Patent number: 11879579
    Abstract: A vehicle exhaust evacuation system includes an adapter secured to an end of a vehicle tailpipe and a nozzle assembly secured to the end of a flexible hose for carrying vehicle exhaust outside of a building. The nozzle assembly has an aluminum cartridge removably secured in a rubber boot. Magnet assemblies are secured to the aluminum cartridge. Openings in the adapter allow ambient air to flow over the magnet assemblies to lengthen the life of the magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Rossman Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul E. Miller