Patents by Inventor Christopher Whitt

Christopher Whitt 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: 10132256
    Abstract: A particulate filter device monitoring system for an engine includes a regeneration mode trigger module configured to set a regeneration request based on soot accumulation in the particulate filter device, a regeneration control module configured to control regeneration of the particulate filter device, and a soot out model module including a soot out model configured to calculate changes in soot out rate during prolonged engine idling periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Swoish, Christopher Whitt
  • Patent number: 9797286
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system includes an SCRF device, a reductant delivery system, and an SCR storage module. The SCRF device includes a filter portion having a washcoat formed thereon that defines a washcoat thickness (WCT). The reductant delivery system is configured to inject a reductant that reacts with the washcoat based on a reductant storage model. The SCR storage module is in electrical communication with the reductant delivery system to provide the reductant storage model the amount of reductant to be injected based on the reductant storage model. The exhaust treatment system further includes a WCT compensation module configured to electrically communicate a WCT compensation value to the SCR storage module. The SCR storage module modifies the reductant storage model according to the WCT compensation value such that the amount of ammonia that slips from the SCRF device is reduced thereby increasing a storage efficiency of the SCRF device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Larose, Jr., Christopher Whitt, Christopher C. Swoish, Justin Adam Shetney
  • Patent number: 9574484
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling a diesel engine equipped with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). The method includes detecting steady state operation of the engine generating a first flow rate of particulate matter (PM) directed into the DPF. The method also includes, during the steady state operation, triggering exhaust gas recirculation to the engine and thereby directing a second PM flow rate that is greater than the first flow rate into the DPF. The method additionally includes detecting a PM flow rate exiting the DPF in response to the second PM flow rate directed into the DPF. The method also includes comparing the detected PM flow rate exiting the DPF with a PM flow rate threshold. Furthermore, the method includes regulating injection of fuel to regenerate the DPF, if the detected PM flow rate exiting the DPF is greater than the PM flow rate threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Vincent J. Tylutki, Igor Anilovich, Christopher Whitt, Cristian Taibi
  • Patent number: 9562841
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control system including an internal combustion engine including at least one cylinder configured to perform combustion of an air/fuel mixture therein during a drive cycle. An electronic engine control module is configured to selectively execute at least one soot-based diagnostic operation that diagnoses the internal combustion engine based on exhausted soot. An electronic diagnostic evaluation module is in electrical communication with the engine control module and is configured to disable the at least one soot-based diagnostic operation based on at least one transient drive event of the internal combustion engine during the drive cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Vincent J. Tylutki, John Coppola, Christopher Whitt
  • Patent number: 9476341
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system configured to treat exhaust gas generated by an internal combustion engine includes a reductant delivery system that injects a reductant solution into an exhaust gas. A selective catalyst reduction (SCR) device reacts with the reductant solution to reduce NOx from the exhaust gas. A control module is in electrical communication with the SCR device and the reductant delivery system. The control module determines at least one of an injection status of the reduction delivery system and a performance of the SCR device. The control module further determines at least one debounce time for delaying diagnosis of a NOx sensor based on at least one of the injection status and the performance of the SCR device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Whitt, Justin Adam Shetney
  • Patent number: 9441525
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is fluidly coupled to an exhaust aftertreatment system including a particulate filter. A method for operating the internal combustion engine includes determining an expected boost pressure of an intake air compressor system in response to an output torque request, determining a deviation between an actual boost pressure and the expected boost pressure, determining a engine-out soot generation rate correction based upon the deviation between the actual boost pressure and the expected boost pressure, adjusting a steady-state engine-out soot generation rate using the engine-out soot generation rate correction, time-integrating the adjusted steady-state engine-out soot generation rate, and commanding regeneration of the particulate filter when the time-integrated adjusted engine-out soot generation rate exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Swoish, Douglas Christopher Sarsen, Christopher Whitt, Thomas Larose, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9366172
    Abstract: A particulate filter device monitoring system for an internal combustion engine includes a particulate accumulation register configured to store an amount of particulate in a particulate filter. The particulate accumulation register includes a particulate accumulation trigger zone having a power limiting mode trigger. A power limiting mode trigger module is configured to limit output power of the internal combustion engine when the amount of particulate accumulation reaches the power limiting mode trigger. A particulate accumulation model module includes a particulate accumulation model configured to calculate changes in particulate accumulation in the particulate accumulation register at a first sampling rate when particulate accumulation is outside the particulate accumulation trigger zone, and at a second sampling rate when particulate accumulation is within the particulate accumulation trigger zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Whitt, Douglas Christopher Sarsen, Christopher C. Swoish
  • Patent number: 9328645
    Abstract: A method for determining an over-temperature condition in an exhaust gas treatment system is provided. The method compares a current soot load in a particulate filter with a threshold soot load. The method compares each of a plurality of temperatures sensed by a plurality of temperature sensors with a threshold temperature. Based on determining that the current soot load in a particulate filter of the exhaust gas treatment system exceeds a threshold soot load and that one of the plurality of temperatures exceeds the threshold temperature, the method determines that the exhaust gas treatment system is in an over-temperature condition. Based on determining that the current soot load in the particular filter does not exceed the threshold soot load and that two or more of the plurality of temperatures exceed the threshold temperature, the method determines that the exhaust gas treatment system is in an over-temperature condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Vincent J. Tylutki, Christopher Whitt, Cristian Taibi, Michelangelo Ardanese
  • Patent number: 9303579
    Abstract: A method of monitoring a particulate filter of an exhaust aftertreatment device includes sensing a first pressure drop across the particulate filter at a first instant in time, and sensing a second pressure drop across the particulate filter at a second instant in time. A controller may then calculate a rate-of-change of the pressure drop between the first instant in time and the second instant in time while sensing a flow rate of an exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust aftertreatment device. Using the sensed exhaust flow rate, the controller may determine a rate-of-change threshold, and subsequently compare the calculated rate-of-change to the rate-of-change threshold. The method further includes updating a soot model using the sensed second pressure drop if the calculated rate-of-change is less than the rate-of-change threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Swoish, Christopher Whitt, Douglas Christopher Sarsen
  • Patent number: 9291084
    Abstract: A vehicle and a method of updating efficiency of a selective catalytic reduction filter (SCRF) of an exhaust treatment system of the vehicle are disclosed. The method includes obtaining an initial calculated efficiency of the SCRF, via a controller, regarding one of a NOx conversion, a reductant absorption, a reductant desorption and a reductant oxidation. The method also includes determining a soot mass estimate in the SCRF representative of an amount of soot collected inside the SCRF and determining a soot correction factor from the soot mass estimate. The method further includes calculating, via the controller, an updated efficiency value of the SCRF by multiplying the soot correction factor and the initial calculated efficiency to update efficiency of the SCRF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Larose, Jr., Christopher C. Swoish, Christopher Whitt, Joshua Clifford Bedford
  • Publication number: 20160033385
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control system including an internal combustion engine including at least one cylinder configured to perform combustion of an air/fuel mixture therein during a drive cycle. An electronic engine control module is configured to selectively execute at least one soot-based diagnostic operation that diagnoses the internal combustion engine based on exhausted soot. An electronic diagnostic evaluation module is in electrical communication with the engine control module and is configured to disable the at least one soot-based diagnostic operation based on at least one transient drive event of the internal combustion engine during the drive cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Vincent J. Tylutki, John Coppola, Christopher Whitt
  • Publication number: 20160024988
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system configured to treat exhaust gas generated by an internal combustion engine includes a reductant delivery system that injects a reductant solution into an exhaust gas. A selective catalyst reduction (SCR) device reacts with the reductant solution to reduce NOx from the exhaust gas. A control module is in electrical communication with the SCR device and the reductant delivery system. The control module determines at least one of an injection status of the reduction delivery system and a performance of the SCR device. The control module further determines at least one debounce time for delaying diagnosis of a NOx sensor based on at least one of the injection status and the performance of the SCR device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Christopher Whitt, Justin Adam Shetney
  • Patent number: 9228467
    Abstract: A urea injection controller for a motorized system includes a passive regeneration model configured and disposed to calculate an amount of NOx conversion resulting from an interaction between exhaust gases and soot entrained in a selective catalyst reduction filter (SCRF) device, a replenishment mode trigger module configured to set an ammonia replenishment request based on the passive regeneration model, and a replenishment control module configured to selectively activate a urea injector to discharge a particular amount of urea based on the regeneration model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Swoish, Thomas Larose, Jr., Christopher Whitt, Joshua Clifford Bedford
  • Patent number: 9206719
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system to treat exhaust gas includes a particulate filter and a pressure sensor. The particulate filter is configured to trap soot contained in exhaust gas. The pressure sensor is configured to output a pressure signal indicative of a pressure differential of the particulate filter. The exhaust treatment system further includes a soot mass module configured to determine a soot mass. The soot mass is indicative of an amount of soot stored in the particulate filter based on the pressure differential and a soot model stored in a memory device. The exhaust treatment system further includes a continuously regenerating trap (CRT) compensation module configured to generate a variable CRT threshold. The CRT compensation module selectively outputs a CRT compensation value that modifies the soot model based on comparison between the NOx flow rate and the soot mass-based variable CRT threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Swoish, Douglas Christopher Sarsen, Christopher Whitt, Thomas Larose, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9149801
    Abstract: A system and method for adapting the clean filter correction map for a selective catalyst reduction filter SCRF of an exhaust gas aftertreatment system are provided. The system may be in fluid communication with an engine of a vehicle. The system may include a first pressure sensor and a second pressure. A differential pressure module is in communication with the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor and configured to generate a delta pressure signal corresponding to a pressure drop between the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor. The system may also include a controller configured to determine a number of completed regeneration events of the SCRF; compare the number of completed regeneration events to an evaluation element; and enable an adaptation module by executing one of a first control action, a second control action, and a third control action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Whitt, Thomas Larose, Jr., Christopher C. Swoish, Joshua Clifford Bedford
  • Patent number: 9140156
    Abstract: A method of correcting a soot mass estimate in a vehicle exhaust after-treatment device includes monitoring an exhaust gas pressure drop across a particulate filter included with the vehicle exhaust after-treatment device; determining an initial soot mass estimate from a monitored exhaust gas pressure drop; revising the initial soot mass estimate in view of a monitored engine speed, engine load, exhaust gas temperature, and NOx gas flow rate; and generating a particulate filter regeneration request if the revised soot mass estimate exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Swoish, Douglas Christopher Sarsen, Christopher Whitt
  • Patent number: 9133747
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system includes a selective catalyst reduction filter (SCRF) device, a reductant delivery system, and a reductant storage module. The SCRF device includes a filter portion having a washcoat disposed thereon that defines a washcoat thickness (WCT). The reductant delivery system is configured to inject a reductant that reacts with the washcoat. The reductant storage module is in electrical communication with the reductant delivery system to determine a reductant setpoint that controls the amount of reductant injected from the reductant delivery system. The exhaust treatment system further includes a WCT compensation module configured to electrically communicate a WCT compensation value to the reductant storage module. The reductant storage module adjusts the setpoint according to the WCT compensation value such that the amount of ammonia that slips from the SCRF device is reduced as compared to the first setpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technoogy Operations LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Larose, Jr., Christopher C. Swoish, Christopher Whitt, Justin Adam Shetney
  • Publication number: 20150240695
    Abstract: A method for determining an over-temperature condition in an exhaust gas treatment system is provided. The method compares a current soot load in a particulate filter with a threshold soot load. The method compares each of a plurality of temperatures sensed by a plurality of temperature sensors with a threshold temperature. Based on determining that the current soot load in a particulate filter of the exhaust gas treatment system exceeds a threshold soot load and that one of the plurality of temperatures exceeds the threshold temperature, the method determines that the exhaust gas treatment system is in an over-temperature condition. Based on determining that the current soot load in the particular filter does not exceed the threshold soot load and that two or more of the plurality of temperatures exceed the threshold temperature, the method determines that the exhaust gas treatment system is in an over-temperature condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Vincent J. Tylutki, Christopher Whitt, Cristian Taibi, Michelangelo Ardanese
  • Publication number: 20150233277
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is fluidly coupled to an exhaust aftertreatment system including a particulate filter. A method for operating the internal combustion engine includes determining an expected boost pressure of an intake air compressor system in response to an output torque request, determining a deviation between an actual boost pressure and the expected boost pressure, determining a engine-out soot generation rate correction based upon the deviation between the actual boost pressure and the expected boost pressure, adjusting a steady-state engine-out soot generation rate using the engine-out soot generation rate correction, time-integrating the adjusted steady-state engine-out soot generation rate, and commanding regeneration of the particulate filter when the time-integrated adjusted engine-out soot generation rate exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: CHRISTOPHER C. SWOISH, DOUGLAS CHRISTOPHER SARSEN, CHRISTOPHER WHITT, THOMAS LAROSE, JR.
  • Patent number: 9091190
    Abstract: A method of correcting a soot mass estimate in a vehicle exhaust aftertreatment device includes monitoring an exhaust gas pressure drop across a particulate filter included with the vehicle exhaust aftertreatment device. Following the detection of a pressure drop, a controller may determine a soot mass estimate from the monitored pressure drop; determine an ash volume estimate representative of an amount of ash within the particulate filter; determine an ash correction factor from the soot mass estimate and the ash volume estimate; and calculate a corrected soot mass value by multiplying the ash correction factor with the soot mass estimate. If the corrected soot mass value exceeds a threshold, the controller may generate a corresponding particulate filter regeneration request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Christopher Sarsen, Christopher Whitt, Christopher C. Swoish, Rebecca J. Darr