Patents by Inventor CHAD KOCI

CHAD KOCI 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).

  • Publication number: 20240044308
    Abstract: A dual fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a first fuel supply of a liquid pilot fuel, a primary fuel supply of a liquid primary fuel, and a dual fuel injector. The dual fuel injector includes a spill valve fluidly connected with a plunger cavity and movable to control a start of injection and an end of injection, and an admission valve. The admission valve is movable to admit a pilot fuel into the fuel injector, such that the pilot fuel is conveyed through an outlet check to form, within a primary fuel passage fluidly connected to the plunger cavity, a segmented fuel charge of leading pilot fuel and trailing primary fuel by displacing some of the primary fuel. The liquid pilot fuel may be a higher cetane/lower octane liquid fuel, and the primary fuel may be a lower cetane/higher octane liquid fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, David Todd Montgomery, Dana Ray Coldren, Chad Koci
  • Patent number: 11815054
    Abstract: A dual fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a first fuel supply of a liquid pilot fuel, a primary fuel supply of a liquid primary fuel, and a dual fuel injector. The dual fuel injector includes a spill valve fluidly connected with a plunger cavity and movable to control a start of injection and an end of injection, and an admission valve. The admission valve is movable to admit a pilot fuel into the fuel injector, such that the pilot fuel is conveyed through an outlet check to form, within a primary fuel passage fluidly connected to the plunger cavity, a segmented fuel charge of leading pilot fuel and trailing primary fuel by displacing some of the primary fuel. The liquid pilot fuel may be a higher cetane/lower octane liquid fuel, and the primary fuel may be a lower cetane/higher octane liquid fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, David Todd Montgomery, Dana Ray Coldren, Chad Koci
  • Patent number: 11639701
    Abstract: An engine system includes an engine housing having a cylinder block and a cylinder head. An intake opening and an exhaust opening and an igniter opening are formed in a fire deck surface of the cylinder head. A plurality of always-open fuel admission ports are fluidly connected to a combustion chamber and arranged in at least one of the cylinder block or the cylinder head. The always-open fuel admission ports convey a gaseous fuel such as a gaseous hydrogen fuel, a gaseous hydrocarbon fuel, or still others, to the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Chad Koci, Bobby John, Naga Krishna Chaitanya Kavuri, Jonathan William Anders
  • Publication number: 20220325501
    Abstract: A power system may include a high-speed flywheel connected to an engine of a machine; a battery; a motor-generator unit (MGU) connected to the engine and the battery; and a turbocharger connected to the engine. One or more of the high-speed flywheel, the battery and the MGU, or the turbocharger may be configured to provide supplemental power to power provided by the engine to operate the machine, or provide replacement power when no power is provided by the engine to operate the machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Chad KOCI, Jay R. STEFFEN, Fang GUO, Richard W. KRUISWYK, Gaurav VASUDEVA, Robert Michael MCDAVID, Timothy Adam BAZYN
  • Publication number: 20220290641
    Abstract: A dual fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a first fuel supply of a liquid pilot fuel, a primary fuel supply of a liquid primary fuel, and a dual fuel injector. The dual fuel injector includes a spill valve fluidly connected with a plunger cavity and movable to control a start of injection and an end of injection, and an admission valve. The admission valve is movable to admit a pilot fuel into the fuel injector, such that the pilot fuel is conveyed through an outlet check to form, within a primary fuel passage fluidly connected to the plunger cavity, a segmented fuel charge of leading pilot fuel and trailing primary fuel by displacing some of the primary fuel. The liquid pilot fuel may be a higher cetane/lower octane liquid fuel, and the primary fuel may be a lower cetane/higher octane liquid fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, David Todd Montgomery, Dana Ray Coldren, Chad Koci
  • Publication number: 20220243691
    Abstract: A dual fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a first fuel supply of a liquid pilot fuel, a primary fuel supply of a liquid primary fuel, and a dual fuel injector. The dual fuel injector includes a spill valve fluidly connected with a plunger cavity and movable to control a start of injection and an end of injection, and an admission valve. The admission valve is movable to admit a pilot fuel into the fuel injector, such that the pilot fuel is conveyed through an outlet check to form, within a primary fuel passage fluidly connected to the plunger cavity, a segmented fuel charge of leading pilot fuel and trailing primary fuel by displacing some of the primary fuel. The liquid pilot fuel may be a higher cetane/lower octane liquid fuel, and the primary fuel may be a lower cetane/higher octane liquid fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, David Todd Montgomery, Dana Ray Coldren, Chad Koci
  • Patent number: 11384721
    Abstract: A dual fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a first fuel supply of a liquid pilot fuel, a primary fuel supply of a liquid primary fuel, and a dual fuel injector. The dual fuel injector includes a spill valve fluidly connected with a plunger cavity and movable to control a start of injection and an end of injection, and an admission valve. The admission valve is movable to admit a pilot fuel into the fuel injector, such that the pilot fuel is conveyed through an outlet check to form, within a primary fuel passage fluidly connected to the plunger cavity, a segmented fuel charge of leading pilot fuel and trailing primary fuel by displacing some of the primary fuel. The liquid pilot fuel may be a higher cetane/lower octane liquid fuel, and the primary fuel may be a lower cetane/higher octane liquid fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, David Todd Montgomery, Dana Ray Coldren, Chad Koci
  • Patent number: 10612508
    Abstract: A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The fuel injector includes a body defining an orifice. The orifice is configured to provide passage to a fuel into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. The orifice includes an inlet port having a first oval shape and an outlet port having a second oval shape. The second al shape is orthogonal to the first oval shape. Moreover, a transition from the first oval shape to the second oval shape defines a stagnation plane, facilitating an exit of the fuel as a fan spray from the outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: David Ginter, Chad Koci, Russell P. Fitzgerald, Jonathan W. Anders
  • Publication number: 20190003438
    Abstract: A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The fuel injector includes a body defining an orifice. The orifice is configured to provide passage to a fuel into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. The orifice includes an inlet port having a first oval shape and an outlet port having a second oval shape. The second al shape is orthogonal to the first oval shape. Moreover, a transition from the first oval shape to the second oval shape defines a stagnation plane, facilitating an exit of the fuel as a fan spray from the outlet port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: David Ginter, Chad Koci, Russell P. Fitzgerald, Jonathan W. Anders
  • Patent number: 9915190
    Abstract: A ducted combustion system is disclosed. The ducted combustion system may include a combustion chamber, which is defined as an enclosure bound at a first end by a flame deck surface of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and bound at a second end by a piston top surface of a piston disposed within the internal combustion engine. The system may further include a fuel injector, having at least one orifice, injecting fuel into the combustion chamber as at least one fuel jet. The system may further include at least one Venturi duct disposed within the combustion chamber between the flame deck surface and the piston top surface, the at least one Venturi duct being disposed such that each of the at least one fuel jet, at least partially, enters the at least one Venturi duct structure upon being injected into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar, Inc.
    Inventor: Chad Koci
  • Patent number: 9803538
    Abstract: A ducted combustion system is disclosed. The ducted combustion system includes a combustion chamber bound by a flame deck surface of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and by a piston top surface of a piston disposed within the internal combustion engine. The system includes a fuel injector including a plurality of orifices, the plurality of orifices injecting fuel into the combustion chamber as a plurality of fuel jets. The system includes a duct structure defining a plurality of ducts and disposed within the combustion chamber between the flame deck surface and the piston top surface, the plurality of ducts being disposed such that each of the plurality of fuel jets at least partially enters one of the plurality of ducts upon being injected into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Anders, Kenth Svensson, Bobby John, Chad Koci, Christopher Gehrke, Glen Martin, Timothy Bazyn
  • Patent number: 9797351
    Abstract: A ducted combustion system is disclosed. The ducted combustion system may include a combustion chamber and a fuel injector in fluid connection with the combustion chamber and including at least one orifice opening from an injector tip of the fuel injector, the at least one orifice injecting fuel into the combustion chamber as at least one fuel jet. The system may further include at least one duct disposed within the combustion chamber such that the at least one fuel jet, at least partially, enters the at least one duct upon being injected into the combustion chamber. The system may further include a duct cooling system configured to cool a mixture of fuel and air of the at least one fuel jet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Kenth Svensson, Chad Koci, Christopher Gehrke
  • Patent number: 9638131
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder case forming a cylinder bore having a centerline and an inner bore surface. A piston disposed within the cylinder bore forms a crown surface. A region defined between the piston and the cylinder bore in a radial direction has an annularly shaped mouth opening surrounding the crown surface. A cylinder head is disposed to cover an open end of the cylinder bore such that a variable volume is defined within the cylinder bore between the cylinder head and the piston. The cylinder head also forms a flame deck in fluid contact with the variable volume. A deflector structure forms a portion of the inner bore surface adjacent the flame deck surface, and is disposed between the flame deck and a topmost ring seal groove of the piston when the piston is at a TDC position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Chad Koci, Steven C. Zoz, Jonathan Anders, Kenth I. Svensson
  • Patent number: 9587606
    Abstract: A ducted combustion system is disclosed. The ducted combustion system includes a combustion chamber bound by a flame deck surface of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and by a piston top surface of a piston disposed within the internal combustion engine. The system includes a fuel injector including one or more orifices, the one or more orifices injecting fuel into the combustion chamber as one or more fuel jets. The system includes one or more ducts disposed within the combustion chamber between the flame deck surface and the piston top surface, the one or more ducts being generally tubular shaped structures and being disposed such that each of the one or more fuel jets at least partially enters one of the one or more ducts upon being injected into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Anders, Kenth Svensson, Bobby John, Chad Koci, Christopher Gehrke, Glen Martin, Timothy Bazyn
  • Publication number: 20170016384
    Abstract: A ducted combustion system is disclosed. The ducted combustion system may include a combustion chamber, which is defined as an enclosure bound at a first end by a flame deck surface of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and bound at a second end by a piston top surface of a piston disposed within the internal combustion engine. The system may further include a fuel injector, having at least one orifice, injecting fuel into the combustion chamber as at least one fuel jet. The system may further include at least one Venturi duct disposed within the combustion chamber between the flame deck surface and the piston top surface, the at least one Venturi duct being disposed such that each of the at least one fuel jet, at least partially, enters the at least one Venturi duct structure upon being injected into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Chad Koci
  • Publication number: 20170009712
    Abstract: A ducted combustion system is disclosed. The ducted combustion system may include a combustion chamber and a fuel injector in fluid connection with the combustion chamber and including at least one orifice opening from an injector tip of the fuel injector, the at least one orifice injecting fuel into the combustion chamber as at least one fuel jet. The system may further include at least one duct disposed within the combustion chamber such that the at least one fuel jet, at least partially, enters the at least one duct upon being injected into the combustion chamber. The system may further include a duct cooling system configured to cool a mixture of fuel and air of the at least one fuel jet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Kenth Svensson, Chad Koci, Christopher Gehrke
  • Patent number: 9506439
    Abstract: A ducted combustion system is disclosed. The ducted combustion system includes a combustion chamber bound by a flame deck surface of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and by a piston top surface of a piston disposed within the internal combustion engine. The system includes a fuel injector including one or more orifices, the one or more orifices injecting fuel into the combustion chamber as one or more fuel jets. The system includes one or more adjustable length ducts disposed within the combustion chamber between the flame deck surface and the piston top surface, the one or more adjustable length ducts being disposed such that each of the one or more fuel jets, at least partially, enters one of the one or more adjustable length ducts upon being injected into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Anders, Kenth Svensson, Chad Koci
  • Publication number: 20160298531
    Abstract: A ducted combustion system is disclosed. The ducted combustion system includes a combustion chamber bound by a flame deck surface of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and by a piston top surface of a piston disposed within the internal combustion engine. The system includes a fuel injector including one or more orifices, the one or more orifices injecting fuel into the combustion chamber as one or more fuel jets. The system includes one or more adjustable length ducts disposed within the combustion chamber between the flame deck surface and the piston top surface, the one or more adjustable length ducts being disposed such that each of the one or more fuel jets, at least partially, enters one of the one or more adjustable length ducts upon being injected into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Anders, Kenth Svensson, Chad Koci
  • Publication number: 20160298584
    Abstract: A ducted combustion system is disclosed. The ducted combustion system includes a combustion chamber bound by a flame deck surface of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and by a piston top surface of a piston disposed within the internal combustion engine. The system includes a fuel injector including at least one orifice, the at least one orifice injecting fuel into the combustion chamber as at least one fuel jet. The system includes at least one duct disposed within the combustion chamber between the flame deck surface and the piston top surface. The system includes an air injector configured to receive air from an outside source, independent of the combustion chamber, and inject the air into the combustion chamber proximate to the at least one duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Kenth Svensson, Christopher Gehrke, Jonathan Anders, Chad Koci, Timothy Bazyn
  • Publication number: 20160298583
    Abstract: A ducted combustion system is disclosed. The ducted combustion system includes a combustion chamber bound by a flame deck surface of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and by a piston top surface of a piston disposed within the internal combustion engine. The system includes a fuel injector including one or more orifices, the one or more orifices injecting fuel into the combustion chamber as one or more fuel jets. The system includes one or more ducts disposed within the combustion chamber between the flame deck surface and the piston top surface, the one or more ducts being generally tubular shaped structures and being disposed such that each of the one or more fuel jets at least partially enters one of the one or more ducts upon being injected into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Anders, Kenth Svensson, Bobby John, Chad Koci, Christopher Gehrke, Glen Martin, Timothy Bazyn