Patents by Inventor Eric Lee Schroeder

Eric Lee Schroeder 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: 12655817
    Abstract: An inert blanket system includes a reformer that produces hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide. The hydrogen gas is separated from the carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is ported to a vapor region of a tank to reduce the flammability of the gases in the vapor region of the tank. Excess carbon dioxide is ported to an overflow system designed to store the excess carbon dioxide for future use or to sequester the carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, Richard Christopher Kulaga, David T. Montgomery
  • Publication number: 20260043381
    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 22, 2025
    Publication date: February 12, 2026
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, David Todd Montgomery, Dana Ray Coldren, Chad Koci
  • Publication number: 20260043382
    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 22, 2025
    Publication date: February 12, 2026
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, David Todd Montgomery, Dana Ray Coldren, Chad Koci
  • Patent number: 12546242
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses a NOx detector at the exhaust of an internal combustion engine to compensate for the effects of NO2 on the measurements of NOx detectors at other locations, such as the input and the output of an SCR system. A controller uses the difference in measured NOx volume fractions between the NOx detector at the exhaust and other NOx detectors to modify the operation of the combustion engine system as well as, in some examples, determine NO2 created by a device containing a precious metal catalyst, such as precious metal containing diesel particular filter (DPF) and/or a diesel oxidizing catalyst (DOC), that oxidizes a portion of the exhaust from NO to NO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2026
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Lynn Ratts, Hrishi Lalit Shah, Eric Lee Schroeder
  • Patent number: 12492670
    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: October 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2025
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, David Todd Montgomery, Dana Ray Coldren, Chad Koci
  • Publication number: 20250361828
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses an oxidation-enabled selective catalyst reactor (SCR) to treat NOx emissions and secondary exhaust components in an exhaust of the internal combustion engine. The oxidation-enabled SCR includes at least two stages: an NOx reduction stage having NOx reduction matrix configured to react with and reduce an amount of the NO2 and/or NO in the exhaust of the internal combustion engine; and an oxidation stage having an oxidation catalyst configured to oxidize at least a portion of the secondary exhaust components. The oxidation stage can be coated onto the NOx reduction matrix or may be substituted in for portions of the NOx reduction matrix.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2024
    Publication date: November 27, 2025
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Lynn Ratts, Eric Lee Schroeder, Michael Bardell
  • Patent number: 12429005
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses a mixer to mix two fuels to provide for a transition from using only one of the fuels to using only the other fuel as power demand changes. The output of the mixer is provided to the engine as a primary fuel. A controller opens and closes throttle valves to adjust the relative concentrations of a first fuel (e.g., diesel) and a second fuel (e.g., methanol) that enter the mixer. In some examples, rather than removing the desired performance and/or environmental benefits achieved by using the second fuel at power demand levels greater than the maximum achievable by only using the second fuel, the systems described herein allow the use of at least a portion of the second fuel in the primary fuel at those power demand levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2025
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael David Gerstner, Daniel Raymond Baldwin, Robert Graumüller, Eric Lee Schroeder
  • Patent number: 12359632
    Abstract: A dual fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a plurality of fuel injectors, a first fuel pump and a first fuel conduit extending to the plurality of fuel injectors, and a second fuel pump and a second fuel conduit extending to a fuel manifold fluidly connected to the plurality of fuel injectors. The dual fuel system also includes an overflow buffer arranged to receive a volume of the second fuel expelled from the second fuel conduit, and a valve movable from a closed position to an open position fluidly connecting the overflow buffer to the second fuel conduit. Expelling fuel from the second fuel conduit enables a rapid pressure drop in a supply pressure of the second fuel to hasten switchover of the internal combustion engine between fuel type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Baldwin, Eric Lee Schroeder, Bryan Edward Nelson
  • Publication number: 20250084800
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses a mixer to mix two fuels to provide for a transition from using only one of the fuels to using only the other fuel as power demand changes. The output of the mixer is provided to the engine as a primary fuel. A controller opens and closes throttle valves to adjust the relative concentrations of a first fuel (e.g., diesel) and a second fuel (e.g., methanol) that enter the mixer. In some examples, rather than removing the desired performance and/or environmental benefits achieved by using the second fuel at power demand levels greater than the maximum achievable by only using the second fuel, the systems described herein allow the use of at least a portion of the second fuel in the primary fuel at those power demand levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Publication date: March 13, 2025
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael David Gerstner, Daniel Raymond Baldwin, Robert Graumüller, Eric Lee Schroeder
  • Patent number: 12215616
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses an additive added to the exhaust of the internal combustion engine to maintain a range of NO2 to NO within a range that provides for a fast SCR reaction in a selective catalyst reduction unit. The additive and the exhaust enter a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), whereby the NO2 undergoes a two-stage process. In the first stage, the NO2 from the exhaust is adsorbed onto the precious metal catalyst of the DOC and an atomic oxygen is removed from the NO2, reducing the NO2 to NO. Because of the higher reactivity of the additive, the additive scavenges a portion of the atomic oxygen from the catalyst. During the second stage of the DOC process, the NO is oxidized over the catalyst to form NO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Lynn Ratts, Abhay Gupta, Arnold Myoungjin Kim, Eric Lee Schroeder, Kenth I Svensson
  • Patent number: 12163451
    Abstract: A combined heat and power system for generating power using a hydrogen internal combustion engine and producing usable heat from the exhaust gases of the hydrogen internal combustion engine is described. The system includes a heat exchanger and reduction device, such as a catalytic converter. The heat exchanger may extract heat from the exhaust gases upstream of the catalytic converter and thereby control the heat of exhaust gases provided to the catalytic converter for reduction of exhaust gases. The catalytic converter may use hydrogen as a reducing agent, thereby using the same fuel source for powering the engine and reduction of the exhaust gases rather than separate working fluids. The heat exchanger and/or operating parameters of the system may be controlled to control a temperature of exhaust gases at the catalytic converter and thereby control efficiency of the conversion of exhaust gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Joseph Loetz, Joshua Lynn Ratts, Eric Lee Schroeder, Joel Hiltner
  • Publication number: 20240384675
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses an additive added to the exhaust of the internal combustion engine to maintain a range of NO2 to NO within a range that provides for a fast SCR reaction in a selective catalyst reduction unit. The additive and the exhaust enter a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), whereby the NO2 undergoes a two-stage process. In the first stage, the NO2 from the exhaust is adsorbed onto the precious metal catalyst of the DOC and an atomic oxygen is removed from the NO2, reducing the NO2 to NO. Because of the higher reactivity of the additive, the additive scavenges a portion of the atomic oxygen from the catalyst. During the second stage of the DOC process, the NO is oxidized over the catalyst to form NO2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2024
    Publication date: November 21, 2024
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Lynn Ratts, Abhay Gupta, Arnold Myoungjin Kim, Eric Lee Schroeder, Kenth I Svensson
  • Patent number: 12129807
    Abstract: Operating an engine system includes combusting a gaseous hydrogen fuel (H2) and a gaseous hydrocarbon fuel (HC) at a first substitution ratio in a cylinder in an engine, determining at least one of an H2 fueling command or an HC fueling command based on an H2 availability input and an H2 cost, and outputting the H2 fueling command and the HC fueling command to an H2 injector and an HC admission valve, respectively. Operating the engine system further includes combusting H2 and HC at a varied substitution ratio based on the H2 fueling command and the HC fueling command. At least one of the H2 fueling command or the HC fueling command may be based on a monitored CO2 exhaust level which may be used to populate a stored history of CO2 output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, Michael Todd Graziano, Jr., Jaswinder Singh, David Todd Montgomery
  • Patent number: 12085050
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses a switching rail in combination with a first fuel rail to operate the internal combustion engine of the system. The first fuel rail receives the first fuel for combustion within one or more of the combustion cylinders of the internal combustion engine. The switching rails are configured to receive either the first fuel or a second fuel. A controller is used to operate a switching valve that, depending on the position of the switching valve, routes or directs either the second fuel or the first fuel from their respective fuel tanks. In a switching condition, such as startup, shutdown, or when the second fuel is not available, the controller can use the first fuel as the alternate source of fuel provided through the switching rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Hoisan Kim, Arnold Myoungjin Kim, Dana Ray Coldren, Eric Lee Schroeder
  • Patent number: 12006856
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses an additive added to the exhaust of the internal combustion engine to maintain a range of NO2 to NO within a range that provides for a fast SCR reaction in a selective catalyst reduction unit. The additive and the exhaust enter a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), whereby the NO2 undergoes a two-stage process. In the first stage, the NO2 from the exhaust is adsorbed onto the precious metal catalyst of the DOC and an atomic oxygen is removed from the NO2, reducing the NO2 to NO. Because of the higher reactivity of the additive, the additive scavenges a portion of the atomic oxygen from the catalyst. During the second stage of the DOC process, the NO is oxidized over the catalyst to form NO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Lynn Ratts, Abhay Gupta, Arnold Myoungjin Kim, Eric Lee Schroeder, Kenth I. Svensson
  • Publication number: 20240141857
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is described herein. The system uses a switching rail in combination with a first fuel rail to operate the internal combustion engine of the system. The first fuel rail receives the first fuel for combustion within one or more of the combustion cylinders of the internal combustion engine. The switching rails are configured to receive either the first fuel or a second fuel. A controller is used to operate a switching valve that, depending on the position of the switching valve, routes or directs either the second fuel or the first fuel from their respective fuel tanks. In a switching condition, such as startup, shutdown, or when the second fuel is not available, the controller can use the first fuel as the alternate source of fuel provided through the switching rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Hoisan Kim, Arnold Myoungjin Kim, Dana Ray Coldren, Eric Lee Schroeder
  • Patent number: 11959414
    Abstract: Operating a gaseous fuel engine includes spark-igniting gaseous hydrogen fuel and air, and propagating combustion gases of the spark-ignited mixture outwardly from a spark gap. The propagating combustion gases are impinged upon a cone surface of a piston so as to limit a flame area of the propagating combustion gases. Additional gaseous hydrogen fuel and air is ignited in the combustion cylinder by way of the propagating combustion gases to urge a piston toward a bottom-dead-center position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, Andrew Joseph Loetz, Jaswinder Singh, Yongxian Gu, Jonathan William Anders, Naga Krishna Chaitanya Kavuri
  • Patent number: 11939904
    Abstract: Operating a gaseous fuel engine system includes combusting a mixture containing a gaseous hydrogen fuel and air in a cylinder of an engine, varying an operating parameter of the engine to which a crown surface temperature of a piston within the cylinder is responsive, and populating a temperature model based on a value of the varied operating parameter. Operating a gaseous fuel engine system further includes operating an oil spray apparatus to spray oil onto the piston based on the populated temperature model, and maintaining the crown surface temperature of the piston between a high temperature limit and a pre-ignition mitigation temperature limit based on the operating of the oil spray apparatus. Related apparatus and control logic is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R Bochart, Jaswinder Singh, Patrick Seiler, Eric Lee Schroeder
  • Publication number: 20240044296
    Abstract: Operating a gaseous fuel engine system includes controlling at least one of a delivery location, a delivery timing, or in situ mixing of a gaseous fuel with air, based on at least one engine system parameter upon the basis of which a blowby amount of a gaseous fuel to a crankcase varies. Crankcase accumulation of the gaseous fuel is maintained below a flammability limit. Related apparatus and control logic is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jaswinder Singh, Eric Lee Schroeder, Adam Joseph Clute, Aaron Scott Ness
  • 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