Patents by Inventor Bert Ritscher

Bert Ritscher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9599040
    Abstract: A method for controlling fuel flow in a multi fuel engine is disclosed. An input power for operating the multi fuel engine at a desired engine speed is determined and a fuel flow rate based on the input power, one or more fuel properties and a specified fuel substitution ratio for apportioning the plurality of fuels is determined. Also, a correction factor for the fuel flow rate based on a desired charge density, wherein the desired charge density is based at least on a relationship between an engine load and charge density is determined and a corrected fuel flow rate, based on the determined correction factor, is output to a corresponding actuator of a fluid flow control device for the one of the fuels to cause the corresponding actuator to provide the one of the plurality of fuels at the corrected fuel flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Arvind Sivasubramanian, Christopher F. Gallmeyer, Eike J. Sixel, Bert Ritscher
  • Publication number: 20150345408
    Abstract: A method for controlling fuel flow in a multi fuel engine is disclosed. An input power for operating the multi fuel engine at a desired engine speed is determined and a fuel flow rate based on the input power, one or more fuel properties and a specified fuel substitution ratio for apportioning the plurality of fuels is determined. Also, a correction factor for the fuel flow rate based on a desired charge density, wherein the desired charge density is based at least on a relationship between an engine load and charge density is determined and a corrected fuel flow rate, based on the determined correction factor, is output to a corresponding actuator of a fluid flow control device for the one of the fuels to cause the corresponding actuator to provide the one of the plurality of fuels at the corrected fuel flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co.KG
    Inventors: Arvind Sivasubramanian, Christopher F. Gallmeyer, Eike J. Sixel, Bert Ritscher
  • Patent number: 9175614
    Abstract: The present disclosure refers to a gas fuel admission system for a gas fired engine. A gas pressure regulating unit includes a gas pressure regulating unit inlet and a gas pressure regulating unit outlet. The gas pressure regulating unit is configured to receive gas and to discharge the gas at an injection pressure. An engine gas inlet is configured to direct gas into the at least one combustion chamber. A gas admission valve is configured to admit the gas having an injection pressure at a predetermined time for a predetermined duration into the engine gas inlet. A gas pressure relief device is fluidly connected to the gas conduit and it is configured to relieve overpressure of the gas in the gas supply conduit, if a pressure differential between the injection gas pressure and the intake air pressure is above a predetermined threshold. A specific engine control module is configured to control the gas admission valve in response to inputs from various sensing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Hoefer, Manfred Meissner, Bert Ritscher
  • Publication number: 20150241306
    Abstract: A method of detecting an incomplete combustion, such as a misfire, in an internal combustion engine operating at least partly on a gaseous fuel, includes: receiving pressure data corresponding to a temporal development of a cylinder pressure during a combustion event within a combustion cycle; deriving from the pressure data a combustion energy value of the combustion; determining that the derived combustion energy value is beyond a predetermined combustion-cycle specific combustion threshold level; and associating the combustion event with an incomplete combustion in the combustion cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR MOTOREN GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Eike Joachim SIXEL, Bert RITSCHER, Hendrik HEROLD, Andre SCHMIDT, Stefan HAAS, Arvind SIVASUBRAMANIAN
  • Publication number: 20150034042
    Abstract: Control systems comprising electronic control modules (104, 106) may be configured to control operation of a dual fuel internal combustion engine (1). In case of a failure of an electronic control module (104, 106), the dual fuel internal combustion engine (1) may interrupt operation. The disclosed control system and method may maintain operation of the dual fuel internal combustion engine (1) when a malfunction within an operation mode of the dual fuel internal combustion engine (1), particularly when an electronic control module (104, 106) fails, is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR MOTOREN GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Bert Ritscher, Rodney Stazicker
  • Publication number: 20130226438
    Abstract: A method for controlling an injection process of an engine that is configured to operate with multiple types of fuels is disclosed. The method may comprise the steps of receiving a fuel amount request indicating a requested amount of fuel to be delivered, receiving at least one physical parameter indicating the type of fuel provided to operate the engine, providing a map comprising a control parameter in dependence of the physical parameter, reading the control parameter associated with the received physical parameter, determining an injection parameter for the injection process based on the control parameter and the requested amount of fuel, and operating the engine based on the injection parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR MOTOREN GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Alan Schroeder, Bert Ritscher
  • Patent number: 8307810
    Abstract: A fuel injection system supplies fuel at high pressure to an internal combustion engine via at least two high-pressure fuel pumps and a high-pressure fuel distribution line. The high-pressure fuel pumps can operate in a first pump mode and a second pump mode, which differ in the amount of fuel that is pumped. A control unit alternately operates the high-pressure fuel pumps such that, during a first time period, at least one of the high-pressure fuel pumps is operated in the first pump mode and all other high-pressure fuel pumps are simultaneously operated in the second pump mode and such that, during a second time period, at least one of the high-pressure fuel pumps, which was operated in the second pump mode during the first time period, is operated in the first pump mode and the remaining high-pressure fuel pumps are simultaneously operated in the second pump mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignees: Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG, L'Orange GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Haas, Bert Ritscher, Bodo Gneist, Horst Ressel, Wolfgang Scheibe, Jürgen Schick
  • Publication number: 20120199102
    Abstract: The present disclosure refers to a gas fuel admission system for a gas fired engine. A gas pressure regulating unit includes a gas pressure regulating unit inlet and a gas pressure regulating unit outlet. The gas pressure regulating unit is configured to receive gas and to discharge the gas at an injection pressure. An engine gas inlet is configured to direct gas into the at least one combustion chamber. A gas admission valve is configured to admit the gas having an injection pressure at a predetermined time for a predetermined duration into the engine gas inlet. A gas pressure relief device is fluidly connected to the gas conduit and it is configured to relieve overpressure of the gas in the gas supply conduit, if a pressure differential between the injection gas pressure and the intake air pressure is above a predetermined threshold. A specific engine control module is configured to control the gas admission valve in response to inputs from various sensing devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: Wolfgang Hoefer, Manfred Meissner, Bert Ritscher
  • Publication number: 20110023830
    Abstract: A fuel injection system supplies fuel at high pressure to an internal combustion engine via at least two high-pressure fuel pumps and a high-pressure fuel distribution line. The high-pressure fuel pumps can operate in a first pump mode and a second pump mode, which differ in the amount of fuel that is pumped. A control unit alternately operates the high-pressure fuel pumps such that, during a first time period, at least one of the high-pressure fuel pumps is operated in the first pump mode and all other high-pressure fuel pumps are simultaneously operated in the second pump mode and such that, during a second time period, at least one of the high-pressure fuel pumps, which was operated in the second pump mode during the first time period, is operated in the first pump mode and the remaining high-pressure fuel pumps are simultaneously operated in the second pump mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicants: CATERPILLAR MOTOREN GMBH & CO. KG, L'Orange GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Haas, Bert Ritscher, Bodo Gneist, Horst Ressel, Wolfgang Scheibe, Jürgen Schick
  • Patent number: 7591258
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a control strategy for balancing injector-to-injector fueling variations for a combustion engine having multiple combustion chambers (and cylinders), with multiple individually actuated injectors for injecting fuel into the combustion chambers, wherein at least one injector is assigned to each combustion chamber and a common rail supplies fuel to the multiple injectors. The method includes changing the actuation waveform of an injector assigned to a combustion chamber having an exhaust gas temperature deviating by more than the predetermined value from the average exhaust gas temperature, in order to change the amount of fuel injected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Juergen Nagel, Bert Ritscher, Alan R. Schroeder
  • Publication number: 20070289584
    Abstract: In order to improve the performance of a common rail engine and reduce the number of false alarms by the exhaust gas temperature monitoring system, the present disclosure provides a control strategy for balancing injector-to-injector fueling variations for a combustion engine having multiple combustion chambers (and cylinders), with multiple individually actuated injectors for injecting fuel into the combustion chambers, wherein at least one injector is assigned to each combustion chamber and a common rail supplies fuel to the multiple injectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Juergen Nagel, Bert Ritscher, Alan R. Schroeder