Patents by Inventor Dana R. Coldren

Dana R. Coldren 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: 20150330316
    Abstract: A dual fuel engine utilizes a compression ignited pilot injection of liquid diesel fuel to ignite a mixture of gaseous fuel and air in each engine cylinder. The gaseous fuel is injected at a relatively low pressure directly into the engine cylinder from a fuel injector. The liquid diesel fuel is injected directly into the engine cylinder from the same fuel injector. In-cylinder dynamic gas blending during the compression stroke can reduce potential hydrocarbon slip that could occur when unburned fuel resides in crevice volumes within the engine cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Cory A. Brown
  • Patent number: 9181881
    Abstract: A dual fuel common rail engine supplies pressurized natural gas and liquid diesel fuel at different pressures through a co-axial quill assembly for direct injection from a single fuel injector into an engine cylinder. Each coaxial quill assembly includes a matched pair of inner and outer quills that are chosen to have dimensions that allow both quills to sealingly engage each fuel injector at a common conical seat responsive to a clamping force applied along an axis. Matched pairs of inner and outer quills are retained together during pre-installation handling with a retainer that is left between the inner and outer quills after installation in an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Baldwin, Dennis H. Gibson, Dana R. Coldren, Mark F. Sommars
  • Patent number: 9157384
    Abstract: A dual fuel engine utilizes a compression ignited pilot injection of liquid diesel fuel to ignite a mixture of gaseous fuel and air in each engine cylinder. The gaseous fuel is injected at a relatively low pressure directly into the engine cylinder from a fuel injector. The liquid diesel fuel is injected directly into the engine cylinder from the same fuel injector. In-cylinder dynamic gas blending during the compression stroke can reduce potential hydrocarbon slip that could occur when unburned fuel resides in crevice volumes within the engine cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Cory A. Brown
  • Patent number: 9140224
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling fluid flow is disclosed. An electromagnetic actuator may include a stator having an inner pole member and an outer pole member. The outer pole member may have a fluid passageway therein for transmitting fluid through the outer pole member. The actuator may further include a coil disposed around the inner pole member and arranged between the inner pole member and the outer pole member. The actuator may also include an armature moveable under the influence of a magnetic field generated by the stator and coil and operable to affect transmission of the fluid through the fluid passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Harish K Krishnaswamy, Nadeem N Bunni, Stephen R Lewis, Dana R Coldren
  • Patent number: 9127600
    Abstract: An engine system is disclosed that combusts both gaseous and diesel fuels. The system includes a diesel reservoir in communication with an internal combustion engine via a diesel rail. The system also includes a liquefied gaseous fuel reservoir in communication with the internal combustion engine via a gaseous fuel rail. The gaseous fuel and diesel rails both are in communication with a pressure control device. The pressure control device measures the pressure differential between the gaseous fuel and diesel rails. If the pressure differential exceeds a desired range, the pressure control device vents gaseous fuel from the gaseous fuel rail to a spark ignited engine, where the vent gas is used as fuel. The spark ignited engine then converts the vented gaseous fuel to useful work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Joshua Wayne Steffen
  • Patent number: 9068539
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes a first check valve member that seats on an injector body, and a second check valve member that seats on the first check valve member covers a first nozzle outlet set when in a closed position. When the first check valve member moves to an open position, gaseous fuel is injected through both a first nozzle outlet set and a second nozzle outlet set. When the second check valve member moves to an open position, liquid fuel moves through a through passage defined by the first check valve member to facilitate injection of the second nozzle outlet set. The first and second check valve members may be controlled by first and second control valves, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Dana R. Coldren
  • Patent number: 8991363
    Abstract: A machine includes a machine body and a dual fuel compression ignition engine attached to the machine body. A dual fuel system is operably coupled to supply the engine with liquid diesel fuel and natural gas fuel directly into respective cylinders of the engine. The fuel system includes an insulated tank for storing the natural gas fuel, a pressure sensor positioned to measure fluid pressure within the tank, and a pump for drawing the natural gas fuel from the tank. An electronic controller is in communication with the pressure sensor and has a cryogenic system diagnostics algorithm executable thereon that is configured to receive a pressure signal from the pressure sensor, detect a cryogenic system fault based on the signal, and generate a notification signal based on the fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua W. Steffen, Dana R. Coldren, Alan R. Stockner
  • Patent number: 8944033
    Abstract: A dual fuel engine powers a machine by burning natural gas and liquid diesel fuel. When operating in a low load mode, some of the engine cylinders are fueled with a high ratio of diesel/gas, and the remaining cylinders are unfueled. When operating in a high load mode, all of the engine cylinders are fueled with a low ratio of diesel/gas. When operating in a limp home mode, the fuel injectors are configured to inject only diesel fuel into all of the plurality of engine cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Joshua W. Steffen, Gregg W. Uhland, Brian K. Garman, Alan R. Stockner
  • Publication number: 20140352664
    Abstract: The present disclosure is related to a flow limiting system for a dual fuel engine is disclosed. The flow limiting system includes a first valve configured to regulate a flow of a liquid fuel therethrough based on a pressure difference across the first valve. The flow limiting system further includes a second valve configured to regulate a flow of a gaseous fuel therethrough based on a pressure difference across the second valve. The second valve includes a valve body movably provided within a valve chamber. The valve body includes a control orifice extending therethrough. The valve body also includes grooves defined on an outer surface thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Dennis H. Gibson, Sana Mahmood, Sunil J. Bean
  • Publication number: 20140346254
    Abstract: A fuel injector comprises a liquid fuel cavity and a gas fuel cavity disposed within an injector cavity housing a liquid needle valve stem and a gas needle valve stem, respectively. The gas needle valve stem includes a guide stem portion distal to the injector tip and a check proximal to the injector tip. A drain passage terminates in a drain annulus groove disposed in a guide cavity wall of a gas valve guide cavity. The gas valve guide cavity houses the guide stem portion defining a clearance between the guide cavity wall below the drain annulus groove and the guide stem portion. The liquid fuel from the drain passage flows to the gas needle valve stem and an inner surface of the gas fuel cavity, through the clearance. The liquid fuel drained through the clearance collects in a plurality of grooves on the check.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Alan R. Stockner, David T. Montgomery
  • Publication number: 20140311444
    Abstract: A compression ignition engine is fueled from common rail fuel injectors that predominately inject natural gas fuel that is compression ignited with a small pilot injection of liquid diesel fuel. Before and after a rapid load loss transient, the liquid and gaseous rail pressures are controlled toward respective pressures based upon engine speed and load. During the transient, the liquid rail pressure is controlled relative to the gas rail pressure in order to maintain the liquid rail pressure greater than the gas pressure during the transient to avoid migration gaseous fuel into the liquid fuel side of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar, Inc.
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Steven Thomas Grant, Frank Lombardi, Daniel R. Puckett
  • Patent number: 8820295
    Abstract: Fuel injectors are disclosed that are capable of simultaneously delivering liquid and gaseous fuels to the combustion chamber of a compression ignition engine. For example, fuel injectors are disclosed that can deliver liquid diesel fuel, as a pilot liquid, along with a gaseous fuel, such as natural gas or other available fuels that are gases at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. The fuels are delivered to the needle control valve cavity sequentially via separate passageways. The delivery of the pressurized liquid fuel is actuated by the single actuator that is provided for each fuel injector. The actuator may be of a solenoid type or of a piezoelectric type or other suitable actuator as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. A liquid fuel check valve, in combination with the actuator, controls the delivery of the pilot liquid fuel to the needle control valve cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Dana R. Coldren
  • Publication number: 20140196686
    Abstract: A gaseous fuel engine combines the efficiencies associated with high compression ratio engines with the attractiveness of fueling with natural gas. Each engine cylinder has an associated fuel injector positioned for direct injection and supplied with gaseous fuel from a high pressure common rail. A separate ignition prechamber is also supplied with natural gas and includes an ignition device. Hot gas generated by igniting a mixture of gaseous fuel and air in the prechamber are used to ignite a much larger charge of gaseous fuel injected into the engine cylinder from the fuel injector. The engine has a compression ratio greater than 14: to 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Cory A. Brown, Martin L. Willi
  • Publication number: 20140196687
    Abstract: A dual fuel engine utilizes a compression ignited pilot injection of liquid diesel fuel to ignite a mixture of gaseous fuel and air in each engine cylinder. The gaseous fuel is injected at a relatively low pressure directly into the engine cylinder from a fuel injector. The liquid diesel fuel is injected directly into the engine cylinder from the same fuel injector. In-cylinder dynamic gas blending during the compression stroke can reduce potential hydrocarbon slip that could occur when unburned fuel resides in crevice volumes within the engine cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar, Inc.
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Cory A. Brown
  • Publication number: 20140182552
    Abstract: A dual fuel common rail system may be operated in a regular mode in which a relatively large charge of gaseous fuel is ignited by compression igniting a relatively small injection quantity of liquid diesel fuel. The dual fuel system may be operated in a single fuel limp home mode in which liquid diesel fuel is injected at higher pressures. Over pressurization of the gaseous fuel side of the fuel system due to leaked liquid fuel is avoided by regularly injecting leaked liquid fuel, but not gaseous fuel, from the gaseous nozzle outlet set during the limp home mode of operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Cory A. Brown, Joshua W. Steffen, Dana R. Coldren, Alan R. Stockner, Hoisan Kim, Dianqi Fang
  • Publication number: 20140182559
    Abstract: The disclosure describes an engine system having liquid and gaseous fuel systems, each of which injects fuel directly into an engine cylinder. A controller controls the pumping of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the gaseous fuel system using variable speeds for reciprocally moving a pumping piston of a pumping element with a drive assembly. The controller adjustably controls the drive assembly of the pump system to vary a time period for the pump cycle based upon a comparison of a pressure measured in the accumulator and a target pressure condition. When the accumulator pressure satisfies the target pressure condition, the controller is adapted to control the drive assembly such that the pumping element is in a creep mode in which the pumping piston continues to move, but produces no more than a nominal amount of compressed LNG.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua W. Steffen, Dana R. Coldren
  • Publication number: 20140174402
    Abstract: A dual fuel system for an engine is disclosed. The dual fuel system may have a first fuel supply providing a first fuel to the engine, and a second fuel supply providing a second fuel. The dual fuel system may also have a regulator configured to pass the second fuel from the second fuel supply to the engine, with the regulator also in fluid communication with the first fuel supply. The dual fuel system may further have a damper in fluid communication with the first fuel supply and an output of the regulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua W. STEFFEN, Dana R. Coldren
  • Publication number: 20140150422
    Abstract: A clean fill port system for a compressed gas tank having a fill port includes a sealable enclosure surrounding the fill port. The sealable enclosure includes a closeable lid that defines a sealed cavity within the sealable enclosure when the lid is in a closed position. A pressurized fluid supply port is directly fluidly connected with the sealed cavity. The sealable enclosure completely encloses the fill port and is configured to maintain a pressurized fluid within the sealed cavity such that ingress of water or debris into the sealed cavity is prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Cory A. Brown, Dana R. Coldren
  • Publication number: 20140123936
    Abstract: A dual fuel injector utilizes first and second control valves to open and close first and second nozzle outlet sets to inject a first fuel and a second fuel, respectively. The first and second control valves have concentric lines of action, and include a self alignment feature with respect to a flat seat. The two fuels may differ in at least one of chemical identity, matter phase and pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Hoisan Kim, Dana R. Coldren, Mayank Mittal
  • Publication number: 20140123916
    Abstract: A system for the exchange of thermal energy generated by electrical components in an electrical locker to a flow of a liquefied gas is provided. The system includes a storage container for cryogenically storing the liquefied gas at low pressure, a heat exchanger configured into the electrical locker, and a cryogenic pump in fluid communication with the storage container. The cryogenic pump pressurizes the liquefied gas received from the storage container to a higher pressure and pumps the pressurized liquefied gas to a location where vaporization of the liquefied gas into a gaseous form is performed using the thermal energy drawn from the electrical locker by the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc.
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Aaron G. Foege