Patents Examined by Matthew T Largi
  • Patent number: 11359527
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for control of an activation of a fluid sensitive sensor of an exhaust treatment system arranged for treating an exhaust stream, which includes: determining an exhaust temperature and an exhaust mass flow for the exhaust stream; determining if there is liquid fluid present in the exhaust stream at the fluid sensitive sensor, respectively, based on: 1) an elimination time function, wherein the elimination time function is based on the determined exhaust temperature and the determined exhaust mass flow; and 2) a corresponding lengths of a time period needed to eliminate a predetermined amount of liquid fluid from the exhaust stream; and controlling an activation of said fluid sensitive sensor based on the determination of if there is liquid fluid present in the exhaust treatment system at the fluid sensitive sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Scania CV AB
    Inventors: Robin Van Trigt, Gilfredo Remon
  • Patent number: 11352923
    Abstract: A diagnostic system (10) is provided and includes a sensor (24) disposed downstream from an exhaust gas aftertreatment system. Also included in the diagnostic system (10) is a central diagnostic unit (35) configured to diagnose a condensation condition associated with the sensor (24) for mitigating a sensor failure due to water condensation on the sensor (24), the central diagnostic unit (35) performing the diagnosis on the condensation condition based on water storage and release information related to a component of the exhaust gas aftertreatment system. The sensor (24) is activated based on the water storage and release information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: CUMMINS INC.
    Inventors: Saurabh Y. Joshi, Neal W. Currier, Aleksey Yezerets, Ashok Kumar, Tyler A. Rash, Anand Srinivasan, Di Wang, Yadan Tang
  • Patent number: 11352941
    Abstract: A rotary engine that starts and operates on compression-ignition of a heavy fuel without a secondary ignition source. The rotary engine includes a rotor housing that forms an epitrochoidal-shaped chamber having linear side portions extending between rounded end portions. A three-flanked rotor is disposed in the chamber to rotate and operate in a manner similar to that of a common Wankel-style rotary engine. The rotor and chamber are configured to provide a compression ratio sufficient to produce compression-ignition of a heavy fuel. The rotor includes apex seal and side seal mounting blocks formed from hardened materials and that are simply removable from the rotor for replacing apex and side seals. The apex seals may include multiple non-parallel seal members at each apex and the apex seals and the side seals may overlap or intersect a corner seal to increase sealing under high compression loads produced by the rotor/chamber configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Rotary Research Group LLC
    Inventors: P. Tyson Garvin, Timothy C. Stamps
  • Patent number: 11346294
    Abstract: In a method for operating an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine is fed to a particulate filter of the motor vehicle. Until a predetermined filtration rate of the particulate filter is reached, a temporary interruption of a fuel supply to the internal combustion engine is prevented in an overrun mode of the motor vehicle if a temperature of the exhaust gas in the particulate filter is greater than a predetermined threshold value of the temperature. An arrangement of the particulate filter in an exhaust system of the motor vehicle is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Julius Schwaab, Peter Lanzerath
  • Patent number: 11339695
    Abstract: The exhaust purification system of an internal combustion engine comprises a catalyst 20 arranged in an exhaust passage and able to store oxygen, and an air-fuel ratio control device configured to control an air-fuel ratio of inflowing exhaust gas flowing into the catalyst. The catalyst has a precious metal and the precious metal has a property of a vapor pressure at a predetermined temperature becoming lower when oxidized. If a temperature of the catalyst is equal to or greater than a threshold temperature or if predicting a rise in temperature of the catalyst, the air-fuel ratio control device is configured to make the air-fuel ratio of the inflowing exhaust gas leaner than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio so that an oxygen storage amount of the catalyst becomes equal to or greater than an upper side reference amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Ueda, Kazuhiro Umemoto
  • Patent number: 11333091
    Abstract: A method of raising exhaust gas temperatures of a two-cycle uniflow scavenged engine at lower loads. At lower loads, the exhaust valves are activated with a frequency that is less frequent than every engine cycle. This exhaust valve deactivation may be combined with additional engine operating strategies, such as by using fewer than all cylinders as combusting cylinders, adjusting fueling to combusting cylinders, and reducing compressor output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Yelir, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael B. Riley, John Craig Hedrick, Steven Gerard Fritz
  • Patent number: 11333053
    Abstract: A variety of methods and arrangements for controlling the exhaust gas temperature of a lean burn, skip fire controlled internal combustion engine are described. In one aspect, an engine controller includes an aftertreatment system monitor and a firing timing determination unit. The aftertreatment monitor obtains data relating to a temperature of one or more aftertreatment elements, such as a catalytic converter. Based at least partly on this data, the firing timing determination unit generates a firing sequence for operating the engine in a skip fire manner such that the temperature of the aftertreatment element is controlled within its effective operating range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Tula Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew A. Younkins, Shikui Kevin Chen, Mark A. Wilcutts
  • Patent number: 11326496
    Abstract: An ECU stores and holds in a memory unit NOx information which is information concerning NOx in an exhaust gas flowing through an exhaust system of an onboard engine of a vehicle or NOx purification by a catalyst placed in the exhaust system. The ECU includes a parameter acquisition unit that acquires an NOx parameter, which is an outflow quantity of NOx flowing out to a downstream side of the catalyst or a correlation value correlating to the outflow quantity of NOx, according to a working state of the engine, an integrated value computation unit that computes a parameter integrated value by integrating NOx parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit, and a storage processing unit that stores in the memory unit the parameter integrated value as the NOx information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoru Osaki
  • Patent number: 11319853
    Abstract: An exhaust aftertreatment system for use with over-the-road vehicle is disclosed. The exhaust aftertreatment system includes a reducing agent mixer with a mixing can and a doser configured to inject heated and pressurized reducing agent into the mixing can for distribution throughout exhaust gases passed through the mixing can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies, USA, LLC
    Inventors: Edward C. Kinnaird, John Rohde, Tony Parrish, Atul Shinde, Madhuri Gandikota
  • Patent number: 11313267
    Abstract: A particulate matter sensor includes a sensor element that includes a measurement member and a heater. An anomaly determiner performs determination that there is a break fault in a signal path of the measurement signal in response to both: (1) A first determiner, which determines whether a first measurement value of the measurement signal is higher than or equal to a predetermined normal determination threshold while the measurement voltage is applied between the measurement electrodes and the temperature of the measurement member is controlled at a first determination temperature, making a negative determination; and (2) A second determiner, which performs negative determination while the measurement voltage is applied between the measurement electrodes and the temperature of the measurement member is controlled within a predetermined temperature range that is higher than the first determination temperature and lower than a second determination temperature, making a negative determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mikiyasu Matsuoka, Tomoo Kawase, Toshiyuki Ishii
  • Patent number: 11300026
    Abstract: A skip fire engine controller and method of control is described wherein during transitions from a first firing density to a second firing density, a firing density and a pumping density are separately set so as to balance the conflicting demands of (a) torque control, (b) Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH), (c) air flow through the engine and (d) air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Tula Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shikui Kevin Chen, Matthew A. Younkins, Louis J. Serrano
  • Patent number: 11300065
    Abstract: A control unit (8) calculates a temperature difference (?Tg). The temperature difference (?Tg) is a value obtained by subtracting the temperature (Tg) of a GPF (22) from a target GPF temperature (Tgt). If the temperature difference (?Tg) is less than or equal to zero, the control unit (8) implements a fuel economy-oriented conventional control. If the temperature difference (?Tg) is greater than zero, the control unit (8) implements a filter temperature-increasing control. The filter temperature-increasing control causes the exhaust temperature to be increased so that the temperature (Tg) of the GPF (22) becomes greater than or equal to the target GPF temperature (Tgt).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Sakata, Futoshi Yoshimura, Yoshihiko Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 11293322
    Abstract: A method of recognizing deactivation of an exhaust gas catalytic converter is disclosed. For this purpose, coverage of storage sites of the exhaust gas catalytic converter with rich gas components is modeled (60) and the deactivation is recognized from a proportion of the occupied storage sites in a total number of storage sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Fey
  • Patent number: 11293320
    Abstract: Provided is a control device configured to be able to execute a forced regeneration process in an engine which includes a DOC and DPF disposed in an exhaust passage of the engine, and a temperature increase unit including an exhaust throttle valve, for increasing a temperature of each of the DOC and the DPF. The forced regeneration process includes a first temperature increase process of controlling the temperature increase unit such that the temperature of the DOC is increased to a first temperature, and a second temperature increase process of controlling the temperature increase unit such that the temperature of the DPF is increased to a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature after completion of the first temperature increase process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Sato, Mizuki Kanai, Kazuki Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 11293328
    Abstract: A mixer for a vehicle exhaust system, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a mixer outer shell defining an internal cavity configured to receive engine exhaust gases, the mixer outer shell having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. A baffle is associated with one of the first and second ends. The baffle comprises a body that includes at least one sensor area formed within the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies, USA, LLC
    Inventors: Randall Cvelbar, Eduardo Alano, Amee Bhatt, Amaresh Rakkasagi, Anthony Burnett
  • Patent number: 11278850
    Abstract: A mixer is provided for mixing exhaust gas (A) flowing in an exhaust gas-carrying duct (14) of an internal combustion engine with reactant injected into the exhaust gas-carrying duct (14). The mixer includes a mixing body (22) with a reactant-receiving duct (34), an exhaust gas inlet opening device (54) with a plurality of exhaust gas inlet openings (56) leading to the reactant-receiving duct (34), and at least one releasing duct (40, 42) leading away from the reactant-receiving duct (34) with a releasing duct opening (48, 50) for releasing a reactant/exhaust gas mixture from the mixer body (22). An electrically energizable heater (68) is provided at the mixer body (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: PUREM GMBH
    Inventors: Enver Kurpejovic, Fatih Uysal, Florian Friedrich, Oleksandr Semenov, Krishna Kumar Vempati
  • Patent number: 11274583
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine exhaust modification system for transforming exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine into modified exhaust emissions. The exhaust modification system include a housing extending between inlet and outlet ends thereof. The housing has a first cross-sectional area at a first location that is downstream from the inlet end and a second cross-sectional area at a second location that is downstream from the first location. The second cross-sectional area is larger than the first cross-sectional area. The system also includes an impeller rotatably mounted in the housing, and a filter subassembly. The filter subassembly removes part of particulate matter and liquid droplets in the exhaust emissions to transform the exhaust emissions into modified exhaust emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Sonix Enterprises Inc.
    Inventor: Fridolin Schuster
  • Patent number: 11274590
    Abstract: The invention relates to an exhaust gas aftertreatment system for an internal combustion engine (10), in particular for an internal combustion engine (10) which is charged by means of a turbocharger (30) and spark-ignited by means of spark plugs (16). A particulate filter (24) and an electrically heatable three-way catalytic converter (26) downstream of the particulate filter (24) are arranged in a position close to the engine in an exhaust gas system (20) connected to an outlet (12) of the internal combustion engine (10). A further three-way catalytic converter (28) is arranged in the underbody position of the motor vehicle downstream of the electrically heatable catalytic converter (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Stefan Paukner, Falk-Christian Baron Von Ceumern-Lindenstjerna
  • Patent number: 11268425
    Abstract: A measuring device for the determination of an ash loading of a particulate filter for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, where a regeneration operation of the particulate filter is carried out such that, after termination of the regeneration operation, a predefined, minimum soot loading remains on the particulate filter. The measuring device is configured to determine an actual regeneration variable which is characteristic for a loading combustion operation during the regeneration operation of the particulate filter via a pressure sensor which is attached downstream in the exhaust gas flow of the particulate filter in the exhaust gas system of the internal combustion engine. The measuring device is further configured to determine the ash loading of the particulate filter dependent on the actual regeneration variable and a variable which is characteristic for the time duration of the regeneration operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Ralf Schulz
  • Patent number: 11268465
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine (1) is provided with an exhaust particulate filter (6) disposed in an exhaust passage (4). When the particulate deposition amount and the temperature of the exhaust particulate filter (6) meet a predetermined excessive temperature rise condition, fuel cut during deceleration is prohibited. When a predetermined release condition is satisfied during the prohibition of the fuel cut, the fuel cut is temporarily permitted to perform the regeneration of the exhaust particulate filter (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jin Yokoyama