Patents by Inventor Giovanni Cavataio

Giovanni Cavataio 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: 10898886
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon and NOx catalyst trap includes a three-way catalyst, and a zeolite layer adjacent to the three-way catalyst and including alumina and silica arranged to form a repeating skeletal frame that defines cavities including active metal active sites for hydrocarbon and NOx trapping such that individual atoms of the active metal are bound to the frame within the cavities via oxygen atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Lifeng Xu, Giovanni Cavataio, Justin Anthony Ura, Jeffrey Scott Hepburn, Gang Guo
  • Publication number: 20210016257
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for emissions control of a vehicle. In one example, a catalyst may include a cerium-based support material and a transition metal catalyst loaded on the support material, the transition metal catalyst including nickel and copper, wherein nickel in the transition metal catalyst is included in a monatomic layer loaded on the support material. In some examples, limiting nickel to the monatomic layer may mitigate extensive transition metal catalyst degradation ascribed to sintering of thicker nickel washcoat layers. Further, by utilizing the cerium-based support material, side reactions involving nickel in the transition metal catalyst with other support materials may be prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Rachael Jean Harrington, Eva Thanasiu, Hungwen Jen, Giovanni Cavataio, Jeffrey Scott Hepburn
  • Patent number: 10865721
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating an engine to diagnose and compensate for cylinder imbalance in an engine. In one example, a method may include diagnosing a torque imbalance in a multi-cylinder engine by operating the engine at a lean air-fuel ratio (AFR) while an amount of ammonia stored in an selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system is greater than a threshold amount and a temperature of the engine is greater than a threshold temperature; and responsive to the diagnosed torque imbalance, adjusting fueling and spark timing for each cylinder, the adjustments based on an AFR offset of each cylinder determined while adjusting the lean AFR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Michael James Uhrich, William Charles Ruona, Giovanni Cavataio
  • Publication number: 20200276563
    Abstract: An automotive catalytic converter includes a three-way catalyst having Rh as the only precious metal configured as a front zone and a three-way catalyst having a mixture of Rh and Pd, Pt, or both configured as a rear zone, such that an exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine passes through the front zone before passing through the rear zone to minimize sulfur poisoning of the catalytic converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Yisun CHENG, Giovanni CAVATAIO, Jeffrey Scott HEPBURN, Mira BUMBAROSKA, Carolyn Parks HUBBARD
  • Publication number: 20200095915
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a multicomponent aftertreatment device arranged in a vehicle exhaust gas passage. In one example, a system may include an oxygen storage catalyst and an underbody trap catalyst comprising metal modified zeolite, the oxygen storage catalyst arranged upstream of the underbody trap catalyst in an exhaust passage of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Gang Guo, Jason Lupescu, Giovanni Cavataio, Eva Thanasiu, Hungwen Jen, Jeffrey Scott Hepburn
  • Patent number: 10337374
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a steam reforming catalyst. In one example, a method may include flowing exhaust gas from a first cylinder bank directly to a three-way catalyst, flowing exhaust gas from a second cylinder bank directly to a steam reforming catalyst, and flowing exhaust gas from the steam reforming catalyst to the three-way catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rachel Alison Snow, Eva Thanasiu, Paul M. Laing, Giovanni Cavataio
  • Patent number: 10287938
    Abstract: A method for a vehicle comprises responsive to installation of a new exhaust particulate filter, doping fuel with an ash-producing additive, and combusting the doped fuel to produce ash, wherein the ash deposits as an ash coating on the new exhaust particulate filter. In this way, a filtration efficiency of an exhaust particulate filter can be increased quickly as compared to a filter with no deposited ash coating, inexpensively as compared to conventional methods using membranes, and with a lower back pressure drop as compared to conventional methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James Robert Warner, Timothy Brian Chanko, William Charles Ruona, Giovanni Cavataio, Douglas Allen Dobson
  • Patent number: 10105691
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon (HC) traps are disclosed. The HC trap may include a first zeolite material having an average pore diameter of at least 5.0 angstroms and configured to trap hydrocarbons from an exhaust stream and to release at least a portion of the trapped hydrocarbons at a temperature of at least 225° C. The HC trap may also include a second zeolite material having an average pore diameter of less than 5.0 angstroms or larger than 7.0 angstroms. One or both of the zeolite materials may include metal ions, such as transition, Group 1A, or platinum group metals. The HC trap may include two or more discrete layers of zeolite materials or the two or more zeolite materials may be mixed. The multiple zeolite HC trap may form coke molecules having a relatively low combustion temperature, such as below 500° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Aaron Lupescu, Giovanni Cavataio
  • Patent number: 10092897
    Abstract: A catalytic converter includes a hydrocarbon catalyst trap including BEA zeolite configured to adsorb iso-octane at ambient temperatures and desorb iso-octane at temperatures between 150° C. and 170° C., and active metal supercage impregnated USY zeolite configured to adsorb and coke iso-octane at temperatures greater than 150° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Lifeng Xu, Giovanni Cavataio, Gang Guo, Jeffrey Scott Hepburn
  • Publication number: 20180266292
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a steam reforming catalyst. In one example, a method may include flowing exhaust gas from a first cylinder bank directly to a three-way catalyst, flowing exhaust gas from a second cylinder bank directly to a steam reforming catalyst, and flowing exhaust gas from the steam reforming catalyst to the three-way catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Rachel Alison Snow, Eva Thanasiu, Paul M. Laing, Giovanni Cavataio
  • Patent number: 9987626
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon trap catalyst and method of forming the same are disclosed. The method may include introducing copper into a zeolite at 10% to 75% of an ion-exchange level of the zeolite, introducing at least one of nickel and manganese into a zeolite at 50% to 100% total of an ion-exchange level of the zeolite, and applying a three-way catalyst layer. The copper and nickel and/or manganese may be introduced into a single zeolite or the copper may be introduced into a first zeolite layer and the nickel and/or manganese may be introduced into a second zeolite layer. If copper and another metal are introduced into the same zeolite, copper may be introduced first. The disclosed trap catalyst may increase the release temperature of hydrocarbons such as ethanol, propylene and toluene, and thus reduce vehicle cold start tailpipe emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gang Guo, Giovanni Cavataio, Hungwen Jen, Rachael Harrington, Lifeng Xu, Jason Aaron Lupescu, Jeffrey Scott Hepburn
  • Patent number: 9957871
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for exhaust heat recovery and hydrocarbon trapping at an exhaust bypass assembly. Exhaust gas may flow in both directions through an exhaust bypass passage and each of a HC trap and a heat exchanger coupled to the bypass passage. The HC trap may be purged with the hot exhaust and heat from the exhaust may be recovered at the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James Uhrich, Joseph Norman Ulrey, Giovanni Cavataio, Adam Nathan Banker
  • Patent number: 9951669
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a HC trap in a bypass passage. In one example, a method may include closing a diverter valve to flow exhaust gas from a main exhaust passage to the bypass passage during a cold-start.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Giovanni Cavataio, Michael James Uhrich
  • Publication number: 20180087422
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a HC trap in a bypass passage. In one example, a method may include closing a diverter valve to flow exhaust gas from a main exhaust passage to the bypass passage during a cold-start.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Giovanni Cavataio, Michael James Uhrich
  • Patent number: 9919294
    Abstract: Phosphorus tolerant or resistant three-way catalysts (TWC) are disclosed. The TWC may include a substrate defining a plurality of channels. It may include front and rear washcoat portions overlying the substrate and having respective first and second washcoat loadings, the first washcoat loading being at most 2.0 g/in3 and less than the second washcoat loading. The front washcoat portion may include a catalyst material supported on a support material comprising a cerium oxide, such as ceria or CZO, or a pre-phosphated material, such as AlPO4, or CePO4. In one embodiment, the support material may comprise at least 85 wt. % of a cerium oxide or at least 85 wt. % of a phosphate-containing material. The front portion and the underlying substrate may comprise from 3 to 25 vol. % of the three-way catalyst or the front portion may overly up to an initial 15% of an axial length of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul M. Laing, Carolyn Parks Hubbard, Jeffrey Scott Hepburn, Eva Thanasiu, Giovanni Cavataio, Hungwen Jen, Mark John Jagner, Rachael Jean Harrington, Michael Daniel Shane
  • Publication number: 20180056282
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon and NOx catalyst trap includes a three-way catalyst, and a zeolite layer adjacent to the three-way catalyst and including alumina and silica arranged to form a repeating skeletal frame that defines cavities including active metal active sites for hydrocarbon and NOx trapping such that individual atoms of the active metal are bound to the frame within the cavities via oxygen atoms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Lifeng Xu, Giovanni Cavataio, Justin Anthony Ura, Jeffrey Scott Hepburn, Gang Guo
  • Publication number: 20170312740
    Abstract: Phosphorus tolerant or resistant three-way catalysts (TWC) are disclosed. The TWC may include a substrate defining a plurality of channels. It may include front and rear washcoat portions overlying the substrate and having respective first and second washcoat loadings, the first washcoat loading being at most 2.0 g/in3 and less than the second washcoat loading. The front washcoat portion may include a catalyst material supported on a support material comprising a cerium oxide, such as ceria or CZO, or a pre-phosphated material, such as AlPO4, or CePO4. In one embodiment, the support material may comprise at least 85 wt. % of a cerium oxide or at least 85 wt. % of a phosphate-containing material. The front portion and the underlying substrate may comprise from 3 to 25 vol. % of the three-way catalyst or the front portion may overly up to an initial 15% of an axial length of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Paul M. LAING, Carolyn Parks HUBBARD, Jeffrey Scott HEPBURN, Eva THANASIU, Giovanni CAVATAIO, Hungwen JEN, Mark John JAGNER, Rachael Jean HARRINGTON, Michael Daniel SHANE
  • Publication number: 20170304811
    Abstract: A catalytic converter includes a hydrocarbon catalyst trap including BEA zeolite configured to adsorb iso-octane at ambient temperatures and desorb iso-octane at temperatures between 150° C. and 170° C., and active metal supercage impregnated USY zeolite configured to adsorb and coke iso-octane at temperatures greater than 150° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Lifeng Xu, Giovanni Cavataio, Gang Guo, Jeffrey Scott Hepburn
  • Patent number: 9782761
    Abstract: A selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst includes a support layer. A copper-loaded chabazite (Cu/CHA) layer is supported on the support layer. A copper-loaded beta zeolite (Cu/beta) is supported on the Cu/CHA layer. The Cu/beta may be hydrothermally pre-aged prior to use of the SCR catalyst in a vehicle. The pre-aged Cu/beta is essentially free of phosphorous (P), calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn), sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), CaSO4, Ca19Zn2(PO4)14, CaZn2(PO4)2, ash, and/or soot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christine Kay Lambert, Justin Anthony Ura, Giovanni Cavataio
  • Publication number: 20170282166
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon (HC) traps are disclosed. The HC trap may include a first zeolite material having an average pore diameter of at least 5.0 angstroms and configured to trap hydrocarbons from an exhaust stream and to release at least a portion of the trapped hydrocarbons at a temperature of at least 225° C. The HC trap may also include a second zeolite material having an average pore diameter of less than 5.0 angstroms or larger than 7.0 angstroms. One or both of the zeolite materials may include metal ions, such as transition, Group 1A, or platinum group metals. The HC trap may include two or more discrete layers of zeolite materials or the two or more zeolite materials may be mixed. The multiple zeolite HC trap may form coke molecules having a relatively low combustion temperature, such as below 500° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: JASON AARON LUPESCU, GIOVANNI CAVATAIO