Patents by Inventor Christopher GESSENHARDT

Christopher GESSENHARDT 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: 20240102427
    Abstract: A method of heating a catalytic converter of an internal combustion engine, wherein the method comprises the steps of: igniting the gas charge in one of the cylinders in a range from 10° CA before ignition top dead center to 20° CA after ignition top dead center; and opening the exhaust valve of the cylinder exhaust of the cylinder in a range from 30° CA to 55° CA after ignition top dead center. The method allows the catalytic converter of the internal combustion engine to quickly reach operating temperature and thus contributes to the reduction of pollutant emissions. An internal combustion engine is also provided that is designed to carry out the method of the invention for heating a catalytic converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christopher GESSENHARDT, Karsten MICHELS
  • Publication number: 20230235712
    Abstract: A method for heating an exhaust gas aftertreatment component in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. At the combustion chamber, a fuel injector for injecting a fuel into the combustion chamber and a spark plug for igniting a flammable fuel-air mixture are arranged. The internal combustion engine has a valve lift curve switching mechanism, which allows for a shift and/or change of the opening times of the exhaust valve. The method includes: intake of fresh air into the combustion chamber, injection of a fuel into the combustion chamber, ignition of an ignitable fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber when the piston is in a range of 10° KW to 30° KW after the upper ignition dead point, and opening of the exhaust valve when the piston is in a range of 55° KW to 95° KW after the upper ignition dead point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christopher GESSENHARDT, Sven BRANNYS, Sergej JAKOVLEV
  • Patent number: 11118521
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine, which has an internal combustion motor, which forms at least two combustion chambers, which are bounded by cylinders formed in a cylinder housing and by pistons guided up and down cyclically in said cylinders and in which thermodynamic cycles can be performed during operation of the internal combustion engine, wherein then a gas exchange in the combustion chambers is controlled by means of at least one intake valve (28) and one exhaust valve in the case of each combustion chamber, which valves are actuated by means of cams, and wherein a first operating state is provided, in which the thermodynamic cycles are performed both in a first combustion chamber and in a second combustion chamber and a second operating state is provided, in which the thermodynamic cycles are performed in the first combustion chamber and the thermodynamic cycles are not performed in the second combustion chamber, is characterized in that, in order to switch
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Christopher Gessenhardt, Henrik Hoffmeyer, Nico Schreeck
  • Patent number: 11085379
    Abstract: A method for controlling a multi-cylinder combustion engine, wherein the combustion engine has a first operating state in which all cylinders are active, and a second operating state in which one of the multiple cylinders is active and one of the multiple cylinders is deactivated. The method comprises switching the combustion engine from the first to the second operating state, wherein, in the cylinder to be deactivated, an exhaust valve is deactivated after a combustion stroke and an intake valve is deactivated before an intake stroke following the combustion stroke in the closed state, and changing an ignition angle of the cylinder to be deactivated to an earlier ignition time and an optional change of the air/fuel mixture leads to a reduction in a temperature of an exhaust gas arising during the combustion stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Tim Thaler, Christopher Gessenhardt
  • Publication number: 20210140362
    Abstract: An exhaust gas turbocharger assembly for a turbocharged internal combustion engine with a spiral housing, having at least two separated flow passages, at least one separating tongue separating the adjacent flow passages, and a turbine rotor, wherein the separating tongue is arranged such that the end of the separating tongue, said end facing the turbine rotor, is spaced from the edge of the turbine rotor such that crosstalk between the flow passages in the flow direction occurs upstream of the turbine rotor, wherein a crosstalk cross section AÜS is determinable depending on the distance between the separating tongue end and the edge of the turbine rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christopher GESSENHARDT, Dirk HAGELSTEIN, Tobias CZAPKA
  • Patent number: 10961929
    Abstract: A method for a combustion motor that is initially used in a full Miller cycle or full Atkinson cycle that is advantageous with regard to efficiency. In full operation, a switchover to a partial operation takes place, wherein the intake valves associated with the combustion chambers that are to continue to be operated are switched over to actuation in accordance with a second valve lifting curve in order to achieve a switchover that is as torque-neutral as possible and is optimal with regard to efficiency. The closing time of the intake valve brought about by this second valve lifting curve is designed with respect to maximum volumetric efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Christopher Gessenhardt
  • Publication number: 20200325838
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine, which has an internal combustion motor, which forms at least two combustion chambers, which are bounded by cylinders formed in a cylinder housing and by pistons guided up and down cyclically in said cylinders and in which thermodynamic cycles can be performed during operation of the internal combustion engine, wherein then a gas exchange in the combustion chambers is controlled by means of at least one intake valve (28) and one exhaust valve in the case of each combustion chamber, which valves are actuated by means of cams, and wherein a first operating state is provided, in which the thermodynamic cycles are performed both in a first combustion chamber and in a second combustion chamber and a second operating state is provided, in which the thermodynamic cycles are performed in the first combustion chamber and the thermodynamic cycles are not performed in the second combustion chamber, is characterized in that, in order to switch
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Applicant: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Christopher GESSENHARDT, Henrik HOFFMEYER, Nico SCHREECK
  • Publication number: 20200088115
    Abstract: A method for controlling a multi-cylinder combustion engine, wherein the combustion engine has a first operating state in which all cylinders are active, and a second operating state in which one of the multiple cylinders is active and one of the multiple cylinders is deactivated. The method comprises switching the combustion engine from the first to the second operating state, wherein, in the cylinder to be deactivated, an exhaust valve is deactivated after a combustion stroke and an intake valve is deactivated before an intake stroke following the combustion stroke in the closed state, and changing an ignition angle of the cylinder to be deactivated to an earlier ignition time and an optional change of the air/fuel mixture leads to a reduction in a temperature of an exhaust gas arising during the combustion stroke.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Tim THALER, Christopher GESSENHARDT
  • Publication number: 20200040828
    Abstract: A method for a combustion motor that is initially used in a full Miller cycle or full Atkinson cycle that is advantageous with regard to efficiency. In full operation, a switchover to a partial operation takes place, wherein the intake valves associated with the combustion chambers that are to continue to be operated are switched over to actuation in accordance with a second valve lifting curve in order to achieve a switchover that is as torque-neutral as possible and is optimal with regard to efficiency. The closing time of the intake valve brought about by this second valve lifting curve is designed with respect to maximum volumetric efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Christopher GESSENHARDT