Patents Examined by Ngoc T Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10731545
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for increasing vehicle maneuverability when operating on sand, snow, or rocky terrain, as well as while performing cornering and sliding maneuvers. Boost path actuators are held in positions that enable manifold pressure to be held above barometric pressure as torque demand changes, including when torque demand drops. Engine torque is reduced or raised via adjustments to one or more of fuel delivery, spark timing, and intake throttle opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Baitao Xiao, Adam Nathan Banker, John Erik Mikael Hellstrom
  • Patent number: 10704436
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system includes a cylinder block with a plurality of cylinders, a gas intake manifold for providing at least air to the cylinder block and an exhaust gas manifold for exiting the exhaust gas from the cylinder block, wherein the exhaust gas manifold includes at least a main exhaust gas outlet and a waste gate exhaust gas outlet, wherein the main exhaust gas outlet is connected to a main exhaust gas pipe for guiding the exhaust gas to a main exhaust gas after treatment system and the waste gate exhaust gas outlet is connected to a waste gate exhaust gas pipe, and wherein the waste gate exhaust gas pipe is reconnected to the main exhaust gas pipe upstream of the main exhaust gas after treatment system and includes at least one waste gate exhaust gas after treatment unit, such as an oxidation catalyst such as a diesel oxidation catalyst, for catalytically treating the exhaust gas streaming through the waste gate exhaust gas pipe, and to a method for increasing the temperature in an i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventors: Peter MĂ„rdberg Jozsa, Arne Andersson
  • Patent number: 10704459
    Abstract: A turbocharger includes a backflow passage that returns a part of gas flowing through a compressor wheel to a suction passage. The turbocharger includes an exhaust opening formed in a wall portion of an exhaust passage inside a compressor housing and that opens the exhaust passage to the outside of the compressor housing, a suction opening formed in a wall portion of the suction passage inside the compressor housing and that opens the suction passage to the outside of the compressor housing, and a backflow pipe of which one end is connected to the exhaust opening and the other end is connected to the suction opening and has the backflow passage inside thereof. In a state where the backflow pipe is removed from the exhaust opening and the suction opening, the suction opening is formed at a position at which the suction opening is visible when seen from a position opposite to the exhaust opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 10697381
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive device of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The drive device has a compressor, which can be driven by an electric motor for supplying combustion fresh gas to an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle. At a power increase of the internal combustion engine, the compressor is driven with the electric motor so that a torque curve selected from a plurality of different torque curves is established at the internal combustion engine over its rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventor: Werner Wilding
  • Patent number: 10690052
    Abstract: A turbocharger assembly is provided which prevents liquid moisture 82 from damaging an air fuel ratio sensor affixed to the exhaust pipe. The turbocharger assembly includes a turbine housing, a turbine wheel, a volute defined in the turbine housing, and an upwardly extending exhaust pipe. The turbine housing may be affixed to a center turbocharger housing member. The turbine housing includes an anterior region and a posterior region having the volute. The turbine wheel may be disposed in the turbine housing. A liquid moisture 82 pathway may be defined in the turbine housing and is configured to provide liquid fluid communication from the anterior region toward the volute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jessica L Krajenke, Ronald M Tkac, Vincent J Tylutki
  • Patent number: 10690064
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an engine with deactivating and non-deactivating valves is presented. In one example, the engine may include non-deactivating intake valves, deactivating intake valves, and only non-deactivating exhaust valves. The non-deactivating exhaust valves may operate to open and close during an engine cycle while deactivating intake valves remain closed during the engine cycle to prevent air flow through selected engine cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Eric Rollinger, Adam J. Richards
  • Patent number: 10655568
    Abstract: A fuel vapor purge system may include a turbocharger including a turbine disposed in an exhaust line, and a compressor; a canister connected to a fuel tank through a vapor line; a fuel pressure detector configured for detecting pressure in the fuel tank; a canister closing valve selectively closing an atmospheric path provided in the canister; a purge control solenoid valve disposed in a main purge line connected to the canister and selectively closing fuel vapor collected at the canister; a first check valve disposed in a first purge line and preventing the fuel vapor flowing along the first purge line from flowing reversely; a second check valve disposed in a second purge line preventing the fuel vapor flowing along the second purge line from flowing reversely; a differential pressure generating valve disposed in the intake line, and generating negative pressure; and an intake pressure sensor disposed in the intake line between the differential pressure generating valve and the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Choo Saeng Choi, Il Nam Lee, Sang Bong Han
  • Patent number: 10648404
    Abstract: A vent insert is disclosed for use with an automotive turbocharger system. The vent has a substantially cylindrical hollow tube with a first end for seating the vent and a second open end. The first end has a rim around an opening. The second end of the vent has an angled opening that faces away from the direction of the gas flow when the vent insert is operating within the turbocharger system. There are a plurality of protrusions extending outward from the outside surface of the vent to assist in keeping the vent insert in place in the turbocharger system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Advanced Flow Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Shahriar Nick Niakan, Saul Daniel Zambrano
  • Patent number: 10605172
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a turbine section including a fan drive turbine, a compressor section driven by the turbine section, a geared architecture driven by the fan drive turbine, and a fan driven by the fan drive turbine via the geared architecture. At least one stage of the turbine section includes an array of rotatable blades and an array of vanes. A ratio of the number of vanes to the number blades is greater than or equal to about 1.55. A mechanical tip rotational Mach number of the blades is configured to be greater than or equal to about 0.5 at an approach speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignees: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, MTU AERO ENGINES AG
    Inventors: Bruce L. Morin, David A. Topol, Detlef Korte
  • Patent number: 10598086
    Abstract: A compound engine assembly with an engine core including at least one internal combustion engine, a compressor, and a turbine section where the turbine shaft is configured to compound power with the engine shaft. The turbine section may include a first stage turbine and a second stage turbine. The turbine shaft is rotationally supported by a plurality of bearings all located on a same side of the compressor rotor(s) and all located on a same side of the turbine rotor(s), for example all located between the compressor rotor(s) and the turbine rotor(s), such that the compressor rotor(s) and the turbine rotor(s) are cantilevered. A method of driving a rotatable load of an aircraft is also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Sylvain Lamarre, Mike Fontaine, Andre Julien, Michael Gaul, Jean Thomassin, Lazar Mitrovic
  • Patent number: 10570800
    Abstract: An exhaust system having a differential pressure sensor may include an intake pipe that houses fresh air from the outside to supply the fresh air to a turbocharger; an exhaust pipe that supplies an EGR gas, having passed through a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) to upstream of the turbocharger to mix with the fresh air; and a differential pressure sensor that measures a pressure difference between the front end portion and the rear end portion of the DPF, wherein the differential pressure sensor is directly mounted in the exhaust pipe that is disposed at the rear end portion of the DPF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Sang Bong Han
  • Patent number: 10570759
    Abstract: A variable-geometry turbocharger (VGT) for an internal combustion engine configured to generate a flow of post-combustion gases as a byproduct of generating output torque includes a turbine housing defining a volute. The VGT also includes a turbine wheel mounted on a shaft having a rotational axis, retained inside the turbine housing, and configured to be rotated about the rotational axis by the flow of post-combustion gases. The turbine housing defines an inlet to the turbine wheel downstream of the volute and upstream of the turbine wheel. The inlet to the turbine wheel includes a circumferentially continuous and unobstructed intake channel having a selectable cross-sectional area and configured to regulate effective expansion ratio of the VGT. An internal combustion engine employing such a VGT is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Alberto Racca
  • Patent number: 10563572
    Abstract: A charging device for an internal combustion engine, having an exhaust turbocharger and a recuperation-charger having a compressor-turbine and an electromechanical motor-generator coupled thereto. The high-pressure side of the compressor-turbine is connectable, by a valve arrangement, to the outside air supply line before the exhaust turbocharger on one side and on the other side, to the charge air supply line after the exhaust turbocharger. Outside air can be suctioned or charge air blasted via the low-pressure side of the compressor-turbine. The recuperation-charger is switched, by the valve arrangement and the motor-generator, between a standard mode, an amplifier mode and a recuperation mode, wherein the recuperation-charger operates on one side in the amplifier mode, driven by the motor-generator, as a compressor for pressure increase in the outside air supply line or, on another side, driven by the charge air flow, acts as a turbine for energy recovery by the motor-generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Werner Bender
  • Patent number: 10533525
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for a vehicle includes a housing having an interior space through which exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) gas passes, a first heat exchange core disposed in the interior space of the housing, a second heat exchange core disposed in the interior space of the housing and disposed on a downstream side of the first heat exchange core, and a bypass valve configured to allow the EGR gas to selectively detour the second heat exchange core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jung Min Seo
  • Patent number: 10533524
    Abstract: An apparatus for purging fuel vapor includes: a turbocharger; a recirculation valve; a canister connected with a fuel tank through a vapor line and collecting fuel vapor of fuel stored in the fuel tank; a purge control solenoid valve installed in a main purge line connected with the canister and selectively blocking the fuel vapor collected in the canister; a first check valve; a second check valve; and a differential pressure creating valve installed in the intake line at the upstream portion of the compressor, and creating negative pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Choo Saeng Choi, Dong Hee Han
  • Patent number: 10526955
    Abstract: A supercharging device is disclosed for an internal combustion engine having an exhaust-gas turbocharger and a fresh-air compressor. The supercharging device includes a recuperation charger which has a compressor-turbine with a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side and which has an electromechanical motor-generator coupled to the compressor-turbine. The compressor-turbine is operable at least firstly when the supercharging device is configured in a booster operating mode in a manner driven by the motor-generator as a compressor for increasing the pressure of charge-air mass flow to the intake tract of the engine, and secondly when the supercharging device is configured in a recuperation operating mode in a manner driven by the charge-air mass flow as a turbine for energy recovery by the motor-generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Jan Ehrhard, Nisar Al-Hasan, Hong Zhang
  • Patent number: 10526982
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine 31 for a motorcycle includes a supercharger 63 arranged above a crankcase 81 positioned below a front cylinder head 92 of a front bank 31A and a rear cylinder head 97 of a rear bank 31B. In the internal combustion engine 31 for the motorcycle, the crankcase 81 is covered with a case cover 116 from the outside in a vehicle width direction, and the supercharger 63 is supported by a supercharger supporting portion 116a provided above the case cover 116.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Fukuda, Kenichi Omori, Masaru Odajima
  • Patent number: 10513972
    Abstract: A supercharger device for an internal combustion engine, including an exhaust gas turbocharger and a recuperation charger having a compressor turbine and an electromechanical motor-generator coupled thereto. The compressor turbine is connectable on the low-pressure side thereof to a charge air supply line and on the high-pressure side of the compressor turbine to both the charge air supply line and an exhaust gas tract of the engine. The recuperation charger is able to be switched at least between a booster operative mode and a recuperation operative mode. The recuperation charger may be operated as a compressor driven by the motor-generator for increasing pressure in the charge air supply line in the booster operative mode, or driven by at least a portion of a charge air mass flow, the exhaust gas mass flow, or both, and operated as a turbine so as to recover energy by the motor-generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Jan Ehrhard, Nisar Al-Hasan, Hong Zhang
  • Patent number: 10502123
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle includes an opening degree sensor to detect an opening degree of a wastegate valve disposed in a bypass passage bypassing a turbine. Circuitry is configured to stop an internal combustion engine while the vehicle is driven by a motor in a motor drive mode. The circuitry is configured to calculate a target opening degree of the wastegate valve to be larger than a maximum error between the opening degree detected by the opening degree sensor and an actual opening degree of the wastegate valve. The circuitry is configured to control the wastegate valve such that the opening degree detected by the opening degree sensor is equal to the target opening degree while the vehicle is driven in the motor drive mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shintaro Mito, Masahiro Takeuchi, Atsushi Kurauchi
  • Patent number: 10502126
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor for a turbocharger includes an inlet-adjustment mechanism in an air inlet for the compressor, operable to move between an open position and a closed position in the air inlet. The inlet-adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of vanes formed as ring segments and disposed about the air inlet and each movable circumferentially and radially inwardly through a slot in the air inlet wall so as to form an orifice of reduced diameter relative to a nominal diameter of the inlet. Movement of the inlet-adjustment mechanism from the open position to the closed position is effective to shift the compressor's surge line to lower flow rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Garrett Transportation I Inc.
    Inventors: Pascal Villemin, Hani Mohtar, Stephane Pees, Alain Lombard, Stephane Doise