Patents by Inventor Bradley E. Melanson

Bradley E. Melanson 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: 10384701
    Abstract: A supply of gaseous fuel on a tender car for fuelling a locomotive engine requires the coordination of a variety of operational modes to improve the safety and efficiency 10 when operating components for delivering, refueling, draining, capturing and storing gaseous fuel. A method and apparatus for managing a supply of gaseous on a tender car comprises receiving on the tender car a command signal from the locomotive commanding delivery of gaseous fuel from the tender car to the locomotive; transferring from the tender car at least one status signal to the locomotive indicating 1 status of the tender car; representing a plurality of operational modes of the tender car as a plurality of states; and transitioning between the plurality of states in response to the command signal and the at least one status signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Jose F. Rosa, Stefan Barthel, Bradley E. Melanson
  • Patent number: 10030613
    Abstract: A method for supplying gaseous fuel from a liquid state to an internal combustion engine includes employing a second internal combustion engine as a source of energy, pumping the gaseous fuel in the liquid state by transforming energy from the source of energy into mechanical work for the pumping, exchanging waste heat from the second internal combustion engine in a first heat exchange fluid circulating through the second internal combustion engine to a second heat exchange fluid, vaporizing the gaseous fuel pumped from the liquid state with heat from the second heat exchange fluid, and delivering the gaseous fuel vaporized from the liquid state to the internal combustion engine. Pressure of the gaseous fuel delivered to the internal combustion engine is maintained within a predetermined range of tolerance by the pumping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Bradley E. Melanson, David K. Mumford, Paul M. Blomerus, Melissa S. McKinnon
  • Patent number: 9863365
    Abstract: An improved apparatus supplies gaseous fuel from a liquid state to an internal combustion engine comprising an electrical energy generating apparatus for generating electrical energy from a store of chemical energy. A liquid pumping apparatus for pumping the gaseous fuel in the liquid state includes an energy converter for converting the electrical energy to mechanical energy which drives the liquid pumping apparatus. The liquid pumping apparatus also includes a first heat exchanger for vaporizing the gaseous fuel received from the pumping apparatus and a controller programmed to operate the liquid pumping apparatus to maintain a pressure of the gaseous fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Bradley E. Melanson, David K. Mumford, Paul M. Blomerus, Melissa S. A. McKinnon
  • Publication number: 20170184056
    Abstract: A method for supplying gaseous fuel from a tender car to an internal combustion engine on a locomotive comprising storing the gaseous fuel at a cryogenic temperature in a cryogenic storage tank on the tender car; pumping the gaseous fuel to a first pressure from the cryogenic storage tank; vaporizing the gaseous fuel at the first pressure; and conveying the vaporized gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine; whereby a pressure of the vaporized gaseous fuel is within a range between 310 bar and 575 bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Bradley E. Melanson, Melissa S.A. McKinnon, Paul M. Blomerus
  • Patent number: 9624871
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for supplying gaseous fuel from a tender car to an internal combustion engine on a locomotive comprising storing the gaseous fuel at a cryogenic temperature in a cryogenic storage tank on the tender car; pumping the gaseous fuel to a first pressure from the cryogenic storage tank; vaporizing the gaseous fuel at the first pressure; and conveying the vaporized gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine; whereby a pressure of the vaporized gaseous fuel is within a range between 310 bar and 575 bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Bradley E. Melanson, Melissa S. A. McKinnon, Paul M. Blomerus
  • Publication number: 20160325769
    Abstract: A supply of gaseous fuel on a tender car for fuelling a locomotive engine requires the coordination of a variety of operational modes to improve the safety and efficiency 10 when operating components for delivering, refueling, draining, capturing and storing gaseous fuel. A method and apparatus for managing a supply of gaseous on a tender car comprises receiving on the tender car a command signal from the locomotive commanding delivery of gaseous fuel from the tender car to the locomotive; transferring from the tender car at least one status signal to the locomotive indicating 1 status of the tender car; representing a plurality of operational modes of the tender car as a plurality of states; and transitioning between the plurality of states in response to the command signal and the at least one status signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: Jose F. ROSA, Stefan BARTHEL, Bradley E. MELANSON
  • Publication number: 20150219044
    Abstract: A method for supplying gaseous fuel from a liquid state to an internal combustion engine includes employing a second internal combustion engine as a source of energy, pumping the gaseous fuel in the liquid state by transforming energy from the source of energy into mechanical work for the pumping, exchanging waste heat from the second internal combustion engine in a first heat exchange fluid circulating through the second internal combustion engine to a second heat exchange fluid, vaporizing the gaseous fuel pumped from the liquid state with heat from the second heat exchange fluid, and delivering the gaseous fuel vaporized from the liquid state to the internal combustion engine. Pressure of the gaseous fuel delivered to the internal combustion engine is maintained within a predetermined range of tolerance by the pumping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Bradley E. Melanson, David K. Mumford, Paul M. Blomerus, Melissa S. McKinnon
  • Publication number: 20150083055
    Abstract: An improved apparatus supplies gaseous fuel from a liquid state to an internal combustion engine comprising an electrical energy generating apparatus for generating electrical energy from a store of chemical energy. A liquid pumping apparatus for pumping the gaseous fuel in the liquid state includes an energy converter for converting the electrical energy to mechanical energy which drives the liquid pumping apparatus. The liquid pumping apparatus also includes a first heat exchanger for vaporizing the gaseous fuel received from the pumping apparatus and a controller programmed to operate the liquid pumping apparatus to maintain a pressure of the gaseous fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine within a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Bradley E. Melanson, David K. Mumford, Paul M. Blomerus, Melissa S.A. McKinnon
  • Publication number: 20140299101
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for supplying gaseous fuel from a tender car to an internal combustion engine on a locomotive comprising storing the gaseous fuel at a cryogenic temperature in a cryogenic storage tank on the tender car; pumping the gaseous fuel to a first pressure from the cryogenic storage tank; vaporizing the gaseous fuel at the first pressure; and conveying the vaporized gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine; whereby a pressure of the vaporized gaseous fuel is within a range between 310 bar and 575 bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: Bradley E. Melanson, Melissa S.A. McKinnon, Paul M. Blomerus