Patents Examined by Patrick D Maines
  • Patent number: 10302003
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an exhaust insulator structure for a multi-cylinder engine of a vehicle. The structure includes an exhaust manifold, an exhaust gas purifier, and a heat insulator. The engine is able to switch its mode of operation from an all-cylinder operation in which all of four cylinders thereof are activated to a cylinder-cutoff operation in which two of the four cylinders are deactivated to serve as idle cylinders and the other two cylinders are activated to serve as active cylinders, or vice versa. The exhaust manifold includes: idle-cylinder-connected branched exhaust piping communicating with the idle cylinders; and active-cylinder-connected branched exhaust piping communicating with the active cylinders. A portion of the heat insulator facing the active-cylinder-connected branched exhaust piping has an opening that lets air blowing against the vehicle traveling into the heat insulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taku Kuramashi, Akira Hatsuzaki, Tomonori Nishida, Takashi Sasada
  • Patent number: 10301997
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for checking the signal of a temperature sensor in an exhaust-gas aftertreatment system for an internal combustion engine. The method may include: in an operating state which does not require heating of the reducing agent, activating the heating device for the purposes of checking the temperature sensor; determining whether the signal of the temperature sensor changes by a predefined expected value (?T) within a predefined time period (?t2); provisionally identifying the temperature sensor as fault-free if it does; deactivating the heating device; determining whether the signal of the temperature sensor reaches the start temperature (T0) again within a time period (?t3); and confirming the temperature sensor as fault-free if it does.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Paul Rodatz, Michael Nienhoff, Ingo Koops, Tino Arlt
  • Patent number: 10301998
    Abstract: A heat exchanger system for treatment of a flow of exhaust gases in an exhaust gas aftertreatment system of a vehicle. The heat exchanger system includes a nitrogen monoxide (NO) oxidation site for oxidizing nitrogen monoxide to nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The NO oxidation site is positioned such that the flow of exhaust gases at a downstream end (40) of the NO oxidation site in use of the heat exchanger system is arranged to proceed at a temperature within a predetermined temperature interval corresponding to a desired NO to NO2 (NO:NO2) ratio interval in the flow of exhaust gases. An exhaust gas aftertreatment system and a vehicle including such a heat exchanger system, and a method for using such a heat exchanger system, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventors: Lennart Andersson, Martin Lunden
  • Patent number: 10302034
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment is a method of operating a system comprising an internal combustion engine system, and an exhaust aftertreatment system comprising an SCR catalyst, and an electronic control system. The method comprises operating the electronic control system to perform the acts of determining a predicted temperature value indicative of a predicted future temperature of the SCR catalyst, determining a temperature profile value using the predicted temperature value and a current temperature value indicative of a current temperature of the SCR catalyst, operating a controller to provide an output indicating a difference between the temperature profile value and a temperature target, determining a heat request using the output of the controller, filtering the heat request using a prediction horizon, and controlling operation of the engine system using the filtered heat request to increase a temperature of the SCR catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Adam W. Kidd, Hoseinali Borhan, Bibin N. Pattel, Edmund P. Hodzen, Michael Haas, Jeffrey Diwakar Abraham, Bryon D. Staebler
  • Patent number: 10301952
    Abstract: A product for use in a turbocharger system. A turbine housing may define a center core that is circular in shape with a circumference. The turbine housing may define a first volute that extends for a length around only a part of the circumference of the center core, and a second volute that may be positioned radially outside the first volute and that may extend entirely around the circumference of the center core. The first volute and the second volute may define first and second exhaust gas passages through the turbine housing that may be asymmetric. All points of the second volute may be radially outside the first volute from the center core over the entire length of the first volute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Mike Ausbrooks
  • Patent number: 10294845
    Abstract: A system and method for managing the temperature of a urea solution are thereby provided, in which air bubble formation in the urea solution caused by increases in the urea solution temperature is suppressed while thawing of the urea solution stored in the urea solution tank and used for NOx purification treatment is ensured, the concentration of the urea contained in the urea solution is accurately determined, and NOx is precisely reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventor: Minehiro Imanishi
  • Patent number: 10294883
    Abstract: Methods and system for controlling air-fuel ratios in an internal combustion engine are disclosed. One embodiment comprises, adjusting a sensor calibration correction value of an exhaust sensor upstream of a catalyst based on an exhaust sensor downstream of the catalyst. The adjustment of the sensor calibration correction value takes advantage of the fact that certain aromatic hydrocarbons causing errors in the reading of the upstream sensor are not present at the downstream sensor due to sufficient catalytic activity of a catalyst positioned between the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Krengel, Steven Schwochert
  • Patent number: 10288004
    Abstract: A direct injection diesel engine is provided with a fuel injection nozzle which is capable of performing a multistage injection. In a middle-or-high load region, in order to reduce soot, an after-injection is performed immediately after a main injection. An injection timing of the after-injection is set from a map in accordance with a driving condition. During a transient time, the injection timing of the after-injection is corrected on a basis of a difference ?P between an actual rail pressure rPrail and a target rail pressure tPrail. In a case where the injection timing after the correcting is more retardation angle side than a threshold value, the after-injection is inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Isshou Uehara
  • Patent number: 10287943
    Abstract: The present invention provides up-fit after treatment technology for bringing Heavy-Heavy Duty Diesel (HHDD) engine powered vehicles into compliance with the Title 13 CCR, Part 2025 mandate (meeting 2010 criteria emission standards). It also includes a Dual Fuel system, Exhaust Thermal Management System further reducing: NOx constituents, consumption of diesel fuel, particulate matter and CO2 emissions. The invention further comprises multiple sensors that provide data to electronic control module(s). The APGV6000 enables rapid after-treatment thermal activation, compares “real-time” sensor data with target data, and adjusts the after treatment system and/or dual fuel system and/or Exhaust Thermal Management system to produce exhaust emissions well below 2010 exhaust emission standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Clean Power Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Mike Schiltz
  • Patent number: 10287944
    Abstract: A method of desulfurizing a lean NOx trap (LNT) of an exhaust purification system provided with the LNT and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst includes determining whether a desulfurization feasibility condition of the LNT is satisfied, determining whether a desulfurization demand condition of the LNT is satisfied, and performing desulfurization of the LNT if both of the desulfurization feasibility condition of the LNT and the desulfurization demand condition of the LNT are satisfied, wherein the desulfurization of the LNT is performed by repeating a desulfurization lean mode and a desulfurization rich mode according to whether a mode switching condition due to a desulfurization temperature is satisfied and whether a mode switching condition due to generation of H2S is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, FEV GMBH
    Inventors: Jin Ha Lee, Won Soon Park, Jin Woo Park, Ki Hyung Joo, Sera Lim, Thomas Wittka, Alexander Vovk, Joschka Schaub
  • Patent number: 10287956
    Abstract: In a failure diagnosis apparatus that carries out standard diagnosis processing in which a failure of the particulate filter is diagnosed by making a comparison between an output value of the PM sensor at the time when a predetermined period of time has passed from a point in time at which sensor regeneration processing for removing the particulate matter deposited on an insulation layer of the PM sensor has ended, and a predetermined threshold value, the standard diagnosis processing is carried out in the case where rich spike processing according to the in-cylinder rich control is not carried out during the predetermined period of time, whereas the rich spike processing according to the in-cylinder rich control is carried out during the predetermined period of time, the standard diagnosis processing is not carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirokazu Nishijima, Toru Kidokoro, Makoto Ogiso, Kazuya Takaoka
  • Patent number: 10287960
    Abstract: A method for detecting the aging of a heterogeneous catalytic converter, including the following steps: acquiring at least one measurement signal in a media flow passing through the catalytic converter downstream of the catalytic converter; applying a time-variant input signal to the media flow and/or the catalytic converter; evaluating a behavior of the at least one measurement signal as a function of the time-variant input signal; and detecting a state of aging of the catalytic converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: MTU FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH
    Inventors: Klaus Wehler, Klaus Rusch
  • Patent number: 10287940
    Abstract: A mobile emissions control system is provided for diesel engines operated on ocean-going ships at-berth. The emissions control system comprises two essential elements: an emissions capturing system and an emissions control system. The emissions control system may be mounted on a towable chassis or mounted on a barge, allowing it to be placed alongside ocean-going ships at-berth. The emission capturing system captures exhaust from a ship's diesel engine and conducts it into the emissions control system, which cleans the exhaust and then passes clean air into the atmosphere through an exhaust outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Clean Air-Engineering—Maritime, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas G. Tonsich
  • Patent number: 10280821
    Abstract: A gaseous emissions treatment system has a ceramic substrate body with a plurality of cells for passage therethrough of exhaust gases. An emitter electrode for emitting free electrodes is mounted adjacent one end of the substrate body for intercepting the flowing exhaust gas. A collector electrode for collecting electrons is mounted adjacent the other end of the substrate body for intercepting the flowing exhaust gas. An energizing and control circuit is used to apply a high voltage between the emitter and collector to stimulate the generation of free electrons while avoiding electrical breakdown of the flowing exhaust gas. Molecules and particles in the flowing exhaust gas are ionized and are subjected to electrohyrdrodynamically (EHD) induced forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Emission Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Robin Crawford, John Douglas
  • Patent number: 10280825
    Abstract: A multi-cylinder engine exhaust structure disclosed herein includes: four branched exhaust pipes respectively communicating with four cylinders classified into two groups, each being comprised of two of the four cylinders with discontinuous exhaust strokes; two intermediate collecting pipes, each being formed by combining associated two of the four branched exhaust pipes respectively communicating with the two cylinders in an associated one of the two groups; a last collecting pipe formed by combining these intermediate collecting pipes; and an exhaust gas purifier coupled to an exhaust gas downstream end of the last collecting pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taku Kuramashi, Ryota Joya, Tomonori Nishida
  • Patent number: 10280856
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment catalyst (13) arranged in an engine exhaust passage and a heat and hydrogen generation device (50) are provided. The amount of fuel fed to the heat and hydrogen generation device (50), which is required for making the temperature of the exhaust treatment catalyst (13) rise by exactly a predetermined temperature rise by heat and hydrogen fed from the heat and hydrogen generation device (50) when the exhaust treatment catalyst (13) is not poisoned and does not thermally deteriorate, is calculated based on the amount of exhaust gas. When fuel of the reference feed fuel amount corresponding to the amount of exhaust gas is fed to the heat and hydrogen generation device (50) and the temperature rise of the exhaust treatment catalyst (13) fails to reach the predetermined temperature rise, the treatment for restoration from poisoning of the exhaust treatment catalyst (13) is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Fujiwara, Shinichi Takeshima, Hiromasa Nishioka
  • Patent number: 10273861
    Abstract: An exhaust aftertreatment system for treating exhaust flow from an internal combustion engine, and associated method, allows for independent control of exhaust flow through plural exhaust legs of the exhaust aftertreatment system. The independent control of exhaust flow is carried out by adjusting a valve positioned in each the exhaust legs based on a value of a signal generated by a flow measurement device positioned along at least one of the exhaust legs. The valves can be adjusted to force a target flow in a exhaust leg, relative flow among exhaust legs, exhaust temperature in an exhaust leg, exhaust backpressure and/or imbalance within the exhaust legs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Cummins Intellectual Property, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin L. Norris, Richard J. Ancimer, Axel O. zur Loye, Randy W. Nelson, Gary Charles Salemme, Ousmane Gueye, John Franklin Wright
  • Patent number: 10273858
    Abstract: A system can include an engine, an aftertreatment system with a particulate filter, and a controller. The controller is configured to compare a time value since a last delta pressure soot load estimate process to a predetermined time threshold. Responsive to the time value being greater than or equal to the predetermined time threshold, the controller decreases a flow threshold value to a lower flow threshold value. If the flow amount is greater than or equal to the lower flow threshold value, then the controller activates a delta pressure soot load estimation process. A combined soot load estimate is then calculated using a delta pressure soot load estimation of the delta pressure soot load estimate process responsive to the lower flow threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Cummins Emission Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tony J. Hall, Yinghuan Lei, Weiwen Wang, Daniel D. Wilhelm
  • Patent number: 10273849
    Abstract: An injection module (10) for injecting a reducing agent into the exhaust system (22) of an internal combustion engine (2) has at least two outlet openings (12) for discharging at least one reducing agent primary jet (13), the outlet openings (12) being designed in such a way that that the reducing agent primary jets (13) exiting the outlet openings (12) collide and create a spray mist (11) in the exhaust system (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Bruno Zeyer, Markus Buerglin
  • Patent number: 10267206
    Abstract: In inline four cylinder internal combustion engine (1), exhaust ports for a #2 cylinder and a #3 cylinder merge inside cylinder head (3) and form an opening serving as a single collective exhaust port. Exhaust manifold (5) has individual exhaust pipes (6, 7) for #1 and #4 cylinders and collective exhaust pipe (8), and the leading ends of these three exhaust pipes (6, 7, 8) are connected to catalytic converter (11). Exhaust gas introduction angle (?2) of each of individual exhaust pipes (6, 7) is larger by 30-60 degrees than exhaust gas introduction angle (?1) of collective exhaust pipe (8). Consequently, flow velocity distribution and temperature distribution in a catalyst carrier become uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Hamamoto, Takanobu Sugiyama, Hidehiro Fujita