Patents by Inventor Joseph G. Ralph
Joseph G. Ralph 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).
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Patent number: 8677738Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment system for reducing emissions from an engine includes an exhaust conduit adapted to supply an exhaust stream from the engine to an exhaust treatment device. The conduit includes an aperture. An injector injects a reagent through the aperture and into the exhaust stream. A flow modifier is positioned within the exhaust conduit upstream of the injector. The flow modifier includes a diverter for increasing the velocity of the exhaust gas at a predetermined location within the conduit relative to the injected reagent.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2011Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.Inventors: Ryan A. Floyd, Stephen M. Thomas, Joseph G. Ralph, James J. Reynolds, III, Jeremy Popovich, Manoj K. Sampath, Michael Wenk, Alison Chambers
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Patent number: 8635854Abstract: A control system for reducing nitrogen oxides in an engine exhaust of an engine includes an emissions catalyst having an inlet adapted to receive an exhaust from the engine. A reductant tank stores a reductant. An injector is in fluid communication with the reductant tank and is operable to inject the reductant into the exhaust upstream of the catalyst. A reductant pump pumps the reductant from the reductant tank to the injector. A controller determines a target pressure of the reductant based on an engine operating condition and operates the reductant pump based on the target pressure.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2011Date of Patent: January 28, 2014Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.Inventors: Michael L. Shovels, Ryan A. Floyd, James J. Reynolds, III, Joseph G. Ralph
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Patent number: 8438839Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment system for reducing emissions from an engine includes an exhaust conduit adapted to supply an exhaust stream from an engine to an exhaust treatment device. An injector injects a reagent through an aperture in the conduit into the exhaust stream. A vortex breaker includes a mount having a cylindrical sleeve extending through the aperture as well as a flared tube fixed to and positioned within the cylindrical sleeve. A window extends through an upstream portion of the cylindrical sleeve exposing the flared tube to the exhaust stream. The sleeve includes a downstream aperture in fluid communication with the window.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2010Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.Inventors: Ryan A. Floyd, Joseph G. Ralph, Christopher J. Kleinfeld, James J. Reynolds, III, Larry J. Greer, Manoj K. Sampath, Michael L. Shovels, Robert P. M. Cloudt, Rik S. G. Baert, Johannes P. M. Smeulers, Erik van den Tillaart
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Publication number: 20130061577Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment system for reducing emissions from an engine includes an exhaust conduit adapted to supply an exhaust stream from the engine to an exhaust treatment device. The conduit includes an aperture. An injector injects a reagent through the aperture and into the exhaust stream. A flow modifier is positioned within the exhaust conduit upstream of the injector. The flow modifier includes a diverter for increasing the velocity of the exhaust gas at a predetermined location within the conduit relative to the injected reagent.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2011Publication date: March 14, 2013Inventors: Ryan A. Floyd, Stephen M. Thomas, Joseph G. Ralph, James J. Reynolds, III, Jeremy Popovich, Manoj K. Sampath, Michael Wenk, Alison Chambers
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Publication number: 20130047581Abstract: A method of injecting a reagent into a stream of exhaust output from an engine to change the composition of the exhaust includes obtaining a target reagent injection rate. A calculation period is set to a time greater than one second. The target injection rate is multiplied by the time of the calculation period to determine an amount of reagent to be injected during the calculation period. An injection duty cycle is set. An injection duration is determined to inject the determined amount of reagent based on the injection duty cycle. The reagent is injected at the duty cycle for the injection duration.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2011Publication date: February 28, 2013Inventor: Joseph G. Ralph
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Publication number: 20130031890Abstract: A control system for reducing nitrogen oxides in an engine exhaust of an engine includes an emissions catalyst having an inlet adapted to receive an exhaust from the engine. A reductant tank stores a reductant. An injector is in fluid communication with the reductant tank and is operable to inject the reductant into the exhaust upstream of the catalyst. A reductant pump pumps the reductant from the reductant tank to the injector. A controller determines a target pressure of the reductant based on an engine operating condition and operates the reductant pump based on the target pressure.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2011Publication date: February 7, 2013Inventors: Michael L. Shovels, Ryan A. Floyd, James J. Reynolds, III, Joseph G. Ralph
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Publication number: 20120275773Abstract: A reductant heating system may include a reductant tank, a reductant tank flange and a hollow tube residing within the reductant tank and passing through the reductant tank flange in two locations to carry coolant into and out of the reductant tank. The reductant heating system may further include a resistive wire wrapped around the hollow tube within the reductant tank and an electrical supply cord located outside of the reductant tank that supplies electrical power to the resistive wire. A temperature detector may be disposed within the reductant tank to detect a temperature within the reductant tank and govern electricity flow to the resistive wire. That is, the temperature detector may be wired in-line in the resistive wire and may be a thermal switch attached to the hollow tube. In another embodiment, the temperature detector may be a thermocouple that senses a temperature within the reductant tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2011Publication date: November 1, 2012Inventors: Ryan A. Floyd, Joseph G. Ralph, Michael L. Shovels, Dan McAninch, James J. Reynolds, III
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Publication number: 20120090305Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment system for reducing emissions from an engine includes an exhaust conduit adapted to supply an exhaust stream from an engine to an exhaust treatment device. An injector injects a reagent through an aperture in the conduit into the exhaust stream. A vortex breaker includes a mount having a cylindrical sleeve extending through the aperture as well as a flared tube fixed to and positioned within the cylindrical sleeve. A window extends through an upstream portion of the cylindrical sleeve exposing the flared tube to the exhaust stream. The sleeve includes a downstream aperture in fluid communication with the window.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2010Publication date: April 19, 2012Inventors: RYAN A. FLOYD, JOSEPH G. RALPH, CHRISTOPHER J. KLEINFELD, JAMES J. REYNOLDS, III, LARRY J. GEER, MANOJ K. SAMPATH, MICHAEL L. SHOVELS, ROBERT P.M. CLOUDT, RIK S.G. BAERT, JOHANNES P.M. SMEULERS, ERIK van den TILLAART
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Patent number: 7279133Abstract: In a planar oxygen sensor having a pump cell, a reference cell, a sensor chamber and a heating device, a ground plane electrode is provided and includes a sensing portion having a first sense lead and a second sense lead and a measuring portion having a first measuring lead and a second measuring lead, wherein the first measuring lead and the second measuring lead have increased surface area relative to said sensing portion such that the resistance between the first measuring lead and the second measuring lead is reduced and wherein the first measuring lead is disposed so as to be communicated with the first sense lead and the second measuring lead is disposed so as to be communicated with the second sense lead.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2001Date of Patent: October 9, 2007Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: David K. Chen, David P. Wallace, Da Yu Wang, Walter T. Symons, Paul C. Kikuchi, Yingjie Lin, Lora Thrun, Mark A. Shost, Joseph G. Ralph
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Publication number: 20030119196Abstract: In a planar oxygen sensor having a pump cell, a reference cell, a sensor chamber and a heating device, a ground plane electrode is provided and includes a sensing portion having a first sense lead and a second sense lead and a measuring portion having a first measuring lead and a second measuring lead, wherein the first measuring lead and the second measuring lead have increased surface area relative to said sensing portion such that the resistance between the first measuring lead and the second measuring lead is reduced and wherein the first measuring lead is disposed so as to be communicated with the first sense lead and the second measuring lead is disposed so as to be communicated with the second sense lead.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2001Publication date: June 26, 2003Inventors: David K. Chen, David P. Wallace, Da Yu Wang, Walter T. Symons, Paul C. Kikuchi, Yingjie Lin, Lora Thrun, Mark A. Shost, Joseph G. Ralph
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Patent number: 6213085Abstract: A torch jet spark plug (10) for use in a spark ignition system of an internal combustion engine. The spark plug (10) of this invention provides for ignition of an air/fuel mixture within a combustion prechamber (12) within the plug (10), which creates a jet of burning gases that are propelled through an orifice (32) into the engine main combustion chamber to increase the burning rate of the air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber. The orifice (32) is oriented in the plug (10) so that its axis is not parallel with the longitudinal axis of the plug (10), enabling the jet of burning gases to be selectively directed to any desired region within the combustion chamber, such as a region within the chamber that would not otherwise burn well compared to other regions of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 1999Date of Patent: April 10, 2001Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Harold E. Durling, Joseph G. Ralph