Patents by Inventor Giacomo LATROFA

Giacomo LATROFA 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: 10337377
    Abstract: Exhaust gas systems includes an oxidation catalyst (OC) capable of receiving exhaust gas and oxidizing one or more of combustable hydrocarbons (HC) and one or more nitrogen oxide (NOx) species, a selective catalytic reduction device (SCR) disposed downstream from and in fluid communication with the OC, an upstream NOx sensor disposed upstream from the SCR, and a downstream NOx sensor disposed downstream from the SCR. Methods for controlling systems include providing exhaust gas to the OC and subsequently the SCR, measuring an upstream exhaust gas NOx concentration, measuring a downstream exhaust gas NOx concentration, determining a NOx differential by subtracting the downstream exhaust gas NOx concentration from the upstream exhaust gas NOx concentration; and comparing the NOx differential to a differential threshold to determine OC catalytic performance. The method is conducted under while OC is above a NOx to NH3 conversion yield threshold, and/or under rich conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Giacomo Latrofa, Raffaele Esposito, Giovanni Montinaro
  • Publication number: 20190024557
    Abstract: Exhaust gas systems includes an oxidation catalyst (OC) capable of receiving exhaust gas and oxidizing one or more of combustable hydrocarbons (HC) and one or more nitrogen oxide (NOx) species, a selective catalytic reduction device (SCR) disposed downstream from and in fluid communication with the OC, an upstream NOx sensor disposed upstream from the SCR, and a downstream NOx sensor disposed downstream from the SCR. Methods for controlling systems include providing exhaust gas to the OC and subsequently the SCR, measuring an upstream exhaust gas NOx concentration, measuring a downstream exhaust gas NOx concentration, determining a NOx differential by subtracting the downstream exhaust gas NOx concentration from the upstream exhaust gas NOx concentration; and comparing the NOx differential to a differential threshold to determine OC catalytic performance. The method is conducted under while OC is above a NOx to NH3 conversion yield threshold, and/or under rich conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Giacomo Latrofa, Raffaele Esposito, Giovanni Montinaro
  • Patent number: 10054019
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling the operation of an aftertreatment system for a motor vehicle having a Lean NOx Trap and a tail pipe for conveying exhaust gasses from the LNT to the external environment. Values are calculated for a NOx content in the exhaust gasses flowing in the tail pipe and the quantity of NOx stored in the LNT. A DeNOx request index is calculated as a function of these values. A raw threshold value of the DeNOx request index is calculated as a function of a LNT temperature and of an exhaust gas mass flow. A corrected threshold value of the DeNOx request index is calculated as a function of the raw threshold value of the DeNOx request index and of a correction factor. A DeNOx regeneration is initiated when the calculated value of the DeNOx request index is larger than the corrected threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Giacomo Latrofa, Giovanni Montinaro, Fabrizio Ramolivo, Luisa Cusanno, Matteo Venturini, Barbara Maisola
  • Publication number: 20170211443
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling the operation of an aftertreatment system for a motor vehicle having a Lean NOx Trap and a tail pipe for conveying exhaust gasses from the LNT to the external environment. Values are calculated for a NOx content in the exhaust gasses flowing in the tail pipe and the quantity of NOx stored in the LNT. A DeNOx request index is calculated as a function of these values. A raw threshold value of the DeNOx request index is calculated as a function of a LNT temperature and of an exhaust gas mass flow. A corrected threshold value of the DeNOx request index is calculated as a function of the raw threshold value of the DeNOx request index and of a correction factor. A DeNOx regeneration is initiated when the calculated value of the DeNOx request index is larger than the corrected threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Giacomo LATROFA, Giovanni MONTINARO, Fabrizio RAMOLIVO, Luisa CUSANNO, Matteo VENTURINI, Barbara MAISOLA
  • Patent number: 9097150
    Abstract: A method of estimating a variation of a quantity of soot accumulated in a diesel particulate filter coupled to an internal combustion engine is provided. The method includes a passive-regeneration check for checking whether a passive regeneration of the diesel particulate filter is occurring and, if this check yields that a passive regeneration is actually occurring, the method includes determining an initial quantity of soot that was accumulated in the diesel particulate filter when the passive regeneration began and determining a rough variation of the quantity of soot accumulated in the diesel particulate filter. An engine speed and an engine load are determined and, using the engine speed, the engine load, and the initial quantity of soot, a correction is determined. The variation of the quantity of soot accumulated in the diesel particulate filter is calculated as a function of the rough variation and the correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Giuseppe Schiavone, Giacomo Latrofa, Markus Hemm
  • Publication number: 20140318103
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a diesel particulate filter is disclosed. The control is carried out with the aid of a soot loading model selected from a plurality of available soot loading models including at least one soot loading physical model which makes use of signals from an exhaust gas pressure sensor. A reliability score is allocated to each soot loading model such that the soot loading model with the best reliability score is used for the diesel particulate filter control. If a DPF parking effect is identified based on an engine shut-off time a DPF inlet temperature either the reliability score of the soot loading physical model or the reliability scores of all remaining (non-physical) soot loading models are changed, and use of the soot loading physical model is avoided or disabled to help the control of the diesel particulate filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Giacomo LATROFA, Giuseppe SCHIAVONE, Markus HEMM, Christian SCHAEFER
  • Publication number: 20130291520
    Abstract: A method of estimating a variation of a quantity of soot accumulated in a diesel particulate filter coupled to an internal combustion engine is provided. The method includes a passive-regeneration check for checking whether a passive regeneration of the diesel particulate filter is occurring and, if this check yields that a passive regeneration is actually occurring, the method includes determining an initial quantity of soot that was accumulated in the diesel particulate filter when the passive regeneration began and determining a rough variation of the quantity of soot accumulated in the diesel particulate filter. An engine speed and an engine load are determined and, using the engine speed, the engine load, and the initial quantity of soot, a correction is determined. The variation of the quantity of soot accumulated in the diesel particulate filter is calculated as a function of the rough variation and the correction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventors: Giuseppe SCHIAVONE, Giacomo LATROFA, Markus Hemm