Patents Examined by Thomas Denion
  • Patent number: 9512741
    Abstract: A binary power generation device is equipped with the flow path of a medium circulating through a heat exchanger, a turbine, a condenser, and a pump. A method for removing air that has intruded into the flow path of the medium includes: an air intrusion detection step of calculating, based on the pressure and temperature of a gas retaining portion communicatively connected to the flow path of the medium, a pressure threshold value obtained by adding the saturated vapor pressure of the medium and a margin value and of detecting, by comparing the pressure of a gas phase portion with the pressure threshold value, that air has intruded into the medium; a medium liquefaction step of producing a gas by pressurizing a mixed gas of the medium and air to reduce the amount of the medium in the mixed gas; and an exhaust step of exhausting the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ichiro Myogan, Hiroaki Shibata, Yoshitaka Kawahara, Isamu Osawa, Kokan Kubota
  • Patent number: 9512793
    Abstract: A method for controlling ammonia generation in an exhaust gas feedstream output from an internal combustion engine equipped with an exhaust aftertreatment system including a first aftertreatment device includes executing an ammonia generation cycle to generate ammonia on the first aftertreatment device. A desired air-fuel ratio output from the engine and entering the exhaust aftertreatment system conducive for generating ammonia on the first aftertreatment device is determined. Operation of a selected combination of a plurality of cylinders of the engine is selectively altered to achieve the desired air-fuel ratio entering the exhaust aftertreatment system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Joel G. Toner, Kushal Narayanaswamy, Gerald A. Szekely, Jr., Paul M. Najt
  • Patent number: 9512843
    Abstract: A turbocharger system for achieving both improvement of fuel efficiency by engine downsizing and excellent shock loading resistance. The system includes: a power-assisted turbocharger mounted on a vehicle having an accessory and including a turbine disposed on an exhaust passage of an engine and driven by exhaust, a compressor disposed on an intake passage and driven by a rotational torque of the turbine, and an electric motor that assists a drive force of the compressor; and an electric motor control unit that drives the electric motor when the accessory is being driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Isao Kitsukawa, Tomohiro Sugano, Yoshiyuki Abe, Haruyo Kimura, Akira Iijima, Naoki Ishibashi, Syougo Sakashita
  • Patent number: 9512756
    Abstract: A proportional heater controls a marine diesel powered generator with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). A proportional control is applied to the heater based upon exhaust temperature. The heater heats exhaust gas to a regeneration temperature to remove soot and sulphur from the processed gas when the diesel fuel has a sulphur content exceeding 1,000 ppm. The heater is supplied power via SCRs to reduce electromagnetic and radio frequency interference. A manual override permits the operator to set a temperature setpoint, force the heater to meet a certain temperature and establish a load bank for diesel engine electrical generator set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Boggs
  • Patent number: 9512769
    Abstract: A pump share-type urea water supply system includes a first supply valve and a second supply valve. A urea water tank is connected with the respective supply valves by a urea water supply path that includes a first supply path for the first supply valve and a second supply path for the second supply valve. The second supply path has a larger capacity than the first supply path by a predetermined volume. A suck-back control controls opening and closing of the respective supply valves such that a first estimated valve-opening time of the first supply valve for suck-back control in the first supply valve and supply path is shorter than a second estimated valve-opening time of the second supply valve for suck-back control in the second supply valve and in-the-second supply path by at least a first control time corresponding to the predetermined volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Matsuo, Nobumoto Ohashi, Akira Mikami, Keishi Takada, Shigeki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9512825
    Abstract: The structure disclosed within creates shelter, insulating the contents or individuals inside from the elements, while also generating electrical power. The electrical power is generated using one or more methods, the methods being interchangeable and varying depending upon the location of the structure, the time of day, and the seasons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Inventor: Mohammad Omar A. Jazzar
  • Patent number: 9512826
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a power plant includes a solar heat collector which collects solar heat and then supplies the solar heat to a heat medium. The power plant includes a heat exchanger which changes a secondary medium into steam by heat exchange with the heat medium. The power plant includes a turbine. The power plant includes a temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the heat medium. The power plant includes and a controller which supplies the heat medium with heat obtained by the conversion of an output variation component having a period shorter than a predetermined value in electricity generated by a wind power generator when the temperature does not satisfy a predetermined condition associated with the driving of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Mikhail Rodionov, Nobuo Okita
  • Patent number: 9512757
    Abstract: A proportional heater controls a diesel powered electrical generator with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). A proportional control is applied to the heater based upon exhaust temperature. The heater heats exhaust gas to a regeneration temperature to remove soot and sulphur from the processed gas when the diesel fuel has a sulphur content exceeding 1,000 ppm. The heater is supplied power via SCRs to reduce electromagnetic and radio frequency interference. A manual override permits the operator to set a temperature setpoint, force the heater to meet a certain temperature and establish a load bank for diesel engine electrical generator set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Boggs
  • Patent number: 9512827
    Abstract: A steam or vapor condensing system (10) for use with radiant solar energy collecting apparatus (17) of the type having solar energy concentrators (20) and in which steam or vapor is generated for supply to a load such as to a steam turbine, the system (10) using the solar energy concentrators (20) to directly or indirectly radiate heat energy of exhaust steam or vapor from the load. The collecting apparatus (17) may float on a body of liquid (19) and heat energy of the exhaust steam or vapor is transferred to the body of liquid for example by being passed through a duct (23) in the body of liquid (19) and heat energy transferred to the body of liquid (19) is radiated by the concentrators (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Inventor: Allan James Yeomans
  • Patent number: 9512762
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system for an internal combustion engine having dedicated EGR and operating at a lean air-fuel ratio. In such engines, one or more cylinders is operable as a dedicated EGR cylinder, such that all of the exhaust produced by the dedicated EGR cylinder(s) may be recirculated to the engine's main (non dedicated) cylinders. Because the engine is lean burn, its exhaust aftertreatment system has a NOx-reducing device. An EGR loop is configured to recirculate EGR from the dedicated EGR cylinder(s) to the engine's intake manifold. A diversion line connects the EGR loop to the exhaust aftertreatment system, thereby delivering EGR as syngas for the NOx-reducing device. The syngas is used either directly as a reductant or to a catalyst that reduces the syngas to ammonia for use as a reductant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Charles E. Roberts, Jr., Cary A. Henry
  • Patent number: 9504961
    Abstract: An exhaust purifying system includes a selective reduction catalyst provided on an exhaust passage of an engine, a fluid supply device for supplying a urea fluid to a section of the exhaust passage that is upstream of the selective reduction catalyst, a gas separator for separating source gas into oxygen-enriched gas and nitrogen-enriched gas, an ozone generator that includes an ozone producing space, to which the oxygen-enriched gas is introduced, and produces ozone from the introduced oxygen-enriched gas, an ozone supplier for supplying ozone to a section of the exhaust passage that is upstream of the selective reduction catalyst, a vortex tube for separating the nitrogen-enriched gas into cool air and warm air and discharging the cool air and the warm air, and a cooling device for cooling the ozone producing space by applying the cool air discharged from the vortex tube to the ozone generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: HINO MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Ichiro Tsumagari, Yoshihiro Kawada
  • Patent number: 9505489
    Abstract: A flexible joint assembly for providing flexure to a rotor blade comprising an upper hub plate and a lower hub plate configured to secure a rotor blade yoke via a bolted joint located radially outward of a mast; and an upper flexure assembly connected to the upper hub plate and a lower flexure assembly connected to the lower hub plate, wherein the upper flexure assembly and lower flexure assembly are configured to promote flapping of the rotor blade yoke about a flapping hinge located radially outward of the bolted joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.
    Inventors: Drew Sutton, Frank B. Stamps, Patrick Ryan Tisdale, Paul Oldroyd
  • Patent number: 9506361
    Abstract: A gas turbine having an annular casing with a series of circumferentially spaced openings defined therethrough; a plurality of vanes extending radially inwardly though respective casing openings, an outer end of the vanes projecting radially outwardly from the casing through the respective openings and located within the respective openings by grommets, and an inner end of the vanes being mounted to an inner portion of the casing; a flexible, segmented strap extending around the annular casing, surrounding the projecting outer ends of the vanes; and a spring radially loading the flexible strap configured to apply a tension force to the flexible strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bruce Fielding, Nathan Tomes, Thomas Veitch
  • Patent number: 9506358
    Abstract: Disclosed is a variable pitch propeller having a blade pivoted rotatably to a cylindrical propeller casing, a drive shaft, coupled to a propulsor and positioned coaxially inside the propeller casing, a kinematic mechanism coupled to the drive shaft, or to the propeller casing, and to the blade, for adjusting the rotary motion of the blade about its axis of pivoting to the propeller casing, and means for coupling in rotation the drive shaft to the propeller casing. The propeller provides a non-null angular range of relative rotation of the blade about its axis of pivoting, with respect to the propeller casing, or vice versa. The means for coupling in rotation the drive shaft to the cylindrical propeller casing include an elastic element interposed between the drive shaft and the cylindrical casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: MAX PROP S.R.L.
    Inventor: Massimiliano Bianchi
  • Patent number: 9505490
    Abstract: A hub system comprises at least one yoke, at least one shear bearing, and at least one mast adapter. The at least one mast adapter is configured to support the at least one yoke and the at least one shear bearing, and the at least one yoke has a flapping hinge that is non-coincident with a flapping hinge of the at least one shear bearing. Another hub system comprises a stacked yoke and a mast adapter. The mast adapter is configured to transfer rotation from a rotor mast to the hub system to rotate the hub system about a central axis of rotation. The mast adapter is further configured to support the stacked yoke such that each yoke in the stacked yoke is configured to accommodate at least some amount of rotation about an axis that is perpendicular to or about perpendicular to the central axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Maresh, Frank Bradley Stamps, Patrick Ryan Tisdale, Robert Wardlaw, Andrew Haldeman, Drew Sutton
  • Patent number: 9509026
    Abstract: A power station arrangement is provided having an energy generation unit for generating useful thermal energy on the basis of physical and/or chemical processes, a high-temperature storage unit to be at least partially supplied with heat for regular operation, particularly a metal oxide/air storage unit, and a piping system for thermally coupling the energy generation unit to the high temperature storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Uwe Lenk, Alexander Tremel
  • Patent number: 9500119
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a turbocharger (1) for an internal combustion engine (2), having at least one low-pressure exhaust-gas recirculation line (3) which opens out via an exhaust-gas mixing-in opening (12) into an intake line (10) of the internal combustion engine (2); having a turbine (4) and having a compressor (5) which is drive-connected to the turbine (4) and which has a compressor wheel (6) which is arranged in a compressor housing (7) into which the intake line (10) opens out via a compressor inlet (11), and having a mixing device (18) for mixing recirculated exhaust gas (AG) and fresh air (FL), characterized in that the mixing device (18) has an inflow distributor (21) in which the exhaust-gas recirculation line (3), which extends at least substantially along the longitudinal axis (L) thereof, and the intake line (10), which extends at least substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis (L), open out, and in that, as viewed in the flow direction (R) of the exhaust gases (AG), an im
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Lischer
  • Patent number: 9500095
    Abstract: A segmented shroud ring surrounds a circumferential array of blades of a gas turbine engine rotor. The shroud ring has a plurality of shroud segments disposed circumferentially one adjacent to another. The circumferentially adjacent shroud segments have confronting sides defining an inter-segment gap therebetween. The inter-segment gaps are sealed by a sealing band mounted to the radially outer surface of the segmented shroud ring so as to extend across the inter-segment gaps around the full circumference of the shroud ring. Impingement jet holes may be defined in the sealing band for cooling the shroud segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: John Pietrobon, Remy Synnott
  • Patent number: 9500113
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an exhaust system, and a plurality of active exhaust valves configured to modulate an exhaust flow through the exhaust system. A controller is configured to detect an ignition state of the vehicle, determine whether any of the plurality of active exhaust valves has malfunctioned, and, upon determining that all of the plurality of active exhaust valves were operating normally when the ignition state transitioned from a first on state to a first off state and that all of the plurality of active exhaust valves have malfunctioned when the ignition state transitions from the first off state to a second on state, enable normal operation of an engine of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Andrew M. Bucci
  • Patent number: 9494111
    Abstract: A variable geometry turbine for turbochargers in exhaust gas recirculation engines incorporates a turbine housing having an exhaust inlet with a first side receiving exhaust from cylinders having exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and a second side receiving exhaust from non-EGR cylinders. The first side has a first EGR-driving passage and a second EGR-driving passage and the second side having a first non-EGR-driving passage and a second non-EGR-driving passage. A first control valve is associated with the second EGR-driving passage and a second control valve is associated with the second non-EGR-driving passage. A controller is adapted to control the first and second control valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: KANGYUE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Wang Hang, Steven Don Arnold, Yuan Daojun, Li Yanzhao, Sang Wuhai