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).

  • 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: 11384708
    Abstract: Operating an engine includes injecting a liquid alcohol fuel such as methanol into a stream of compressed intake air at an upstream injection location, and injecting the liquid fuel at a plurality of downstream injection locations into a plurality of streams of the compressed intake air from an intake manifold to combustion cylinders in the engine. A fueling control unit apportions a total injected quantity of the liquid fuel between the upstream injection location and the plurality of downstream injection locations based on a temperature parameter of the compressed intake air. The compressed intake air is combusted with the liquid fuel and a compression ignition pilot fuel in the plurality of combustion cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, David Todd Montgomery, Arnold Myoungjin Kim, Michael Bardell, Nikolas Karl Landin, Kenth I. Svensson
  • Publication number: 20220049661
    Abstract: An engine brake controller may obtain a performance characteristic of an engine. The engine brake controller may determine, based on the performance characteristic of the engine, that engine braking is enabled to control the engine. The engine brake controller may monitor a set of operating parameters of the engine. The engine brake controller may determine that operating values of the set of operating parameters satisfy corresponding thresholds of the set of operating parameters. The engine brake controller may determine, based on the operating values satisfying the corresponding thresholds, an engine braking configuration associated with activating engine braking of a set of cylinders of the engine. The set of cylinders may be a proper subset of a total quantity of cylinders of the engine. The engine brake controller may cause the engine braking to be applied to the set of cylinders to increase a temperature of exhaust gas from the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee SCHROEDER, David Andrew PIERPONT, Zach ENGSTROM, Shivangi WAGLE
  • Publication number: 20210207526
    Abstract: A recirculation system for a power system is disclosed. The recirculation system may determine, according to a sequence for individually activating a plurality of turbochargers of an engine, that a designated turbocharger of the plurality of turbochargers is to be activated. The recirculation system may cause a recirculation valve of a recirculation line to open to increase an airflow between an intake manifold and a compressor of the designated turbocharger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy BYRD, Eric Lee SCHROEDER, David Andrew PIERPONT, Brian R. BELL, Deborah Lee RIBORDY, Jared P. TOLAN, Craig P. HITTLE
  • Patent number: 11047293
    Abstract: Operating an internal combustion engine includes conveying fuel of spray plumes of directly injected fuel out of a swirl pocket in a combustion bowl in a piston, and impinging the fuel upon an anti-sooting ramp transitioning between a radially inner shelf surface of the combustion bowl and a radially outer squish surface of the piston. The shelf surface is spaced an axial distance (FA) from a plane defined by the squish surface that is from 1% to 2% of an outer diameter (OD) dimension of the piston. Impinging the fuel upon the anti-sooting ramp directs the fuel upwardly from the squish surface to limit wall-wetting in the combustion cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, Jonathan Kevin Tooker, Adam Joseph Clute
  • Publication number: 20100186382
    Abstract: An emissions control system is disclosed. The emissions control system may have a first exhaust treatment device. The emissions control system may also have an end cap defining a mixing chamber connected to an end of the first exhaust treatment device. The mixing chamber may be configured to promote mixing between a flow of exhaust received from the first exhaust treatment device and a reductant. The emissions control system may further have a second exhaust treatment device configured to receive the flow of exhaust and reductant after it passes through the mixing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, Jinhui Sun, Yuxiang Gu, Amarnath Nelli, Paul Frederick Olsen, Jack Albert Merchant, Stephan D. Roozenboom
  • Publication number: 20090035194
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system includes an oxidation device having a plurality of channels through which a flow of exhaust flows. A first portion of the channels of the oxidation device are coated with catalytic material for converting NO to NO2 and a second portion of the channels are uncoated with the catalytic material. The exhaust treatment system also includes a selective catalytic reduction device disposed downstream from the oxidation device. The selective catalytic reduction device is configured to receive the flow of exhaust passing through the oxidation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Wade J. Robel, Praveen Shivshankar Chavannavar, William Lyle Hardy, Eric Lee Schroeder