Patents by Inventor Karen Marie Adams

Karen Marie Adams 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: 20150094200
    Abstract: A method including the steps of combining a catalyst metal and a leachable metal to obtain a metallic alloy; and electrochemically removing at least a portion of the leachable metal from the metallic alloy to form a catalyst structure having nanometric pores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Chi Paik, Lifeng Xu, Hungwen Jen, Karen Marie Adams, Mark S. Sulek, Sherry A. Mueller
  • Patent number: 8875489
    Abstract: A method for controlling emissions from an engine includes reducing trapped nitrogen oxides to ammonia on an LNT catalyst while concurrently oxidizing soot accumulated on the LNT catalyst, and, flowing the ammonia so formed to an SCR catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Karen Marie Adams, Yisun Cheng, Giovanni Cavataio
  • Patent number: 8726638
    Abstract: The reduction of a NOx trap upon engine shutdown is disclosed. One disclosed embodiment comprises adjusting a timing of creating a reductive environment in the exhaust conduit upstream of the lean NOx trap based upon the determined engine stop position. The creation of a reductive environment in the exhaust conduit upstream of the lean NOx trap may help to at least partially reactivate the lean NOx trap during engine shutoff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John William Hoard, Lifeng Xu, Robert Walter McCabe, Karen Marie Adams
  • Publication number: 20120269706
    Abstract: A method for controlling emissions from an engine includes reducing trapped nitrogen oxides to ammonia on an LNT catalyst while concurrently oxidizing soot accumulated on the LNT catalyst, and, flowing the ammonia so formed to an SCR catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Karen Marie Adams, Yisun Cheng, Giovanni Cavataio
  • Patent number: 8209955
    Abstract: A method for controlling emissions from an engine includes reducing trapped nitrogen oxides to ammonia on an LNT catalyst while concurrently oxidizing soot accumulated on the LNT catalyst, and, flowing the ammonia so formed to an SCR catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Karen Marie Adams, Yisun Cheng, Giovanni Cavataio
  • Publication number: 20120110981
    Abstract: The reduction of a NOx trap upon engine shutdown is disclosed. One disclosed embodiment comprises adjusting a timing of creating a reductive environment in the exhaust conduit upstream of the lean NOx trap based upon the determined engine stop position. The creation of a reductive environment in the exhaust conduit upstream of the lean NOx trap may help to at least partially reactivate the lean NOx trap during engine shutoff.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: John William Hoard, Lifeng Xu, Robert Walter McCabe, Karen Marie Adams
  • Patent number: 8096111
    Abstract: The reduction of a NOx trap upon engine shutdown is disclosed. One disclosed embodiment comprises adjusting a timing of creating a reductive environment in the exhaust conduit upstream of the lean NOx trap based upon the determined engine stop position. The creation of a reductive environment in the exhaust conduit upstream of the lean NOx trap may help to at least partially reactivate the lean NOx trap during engine shutoff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John William Hoard, Lifeng Xu, Robert Walter McCabe, Karen Marie Adams
  • Publication number: 20110131949
    Abstract: A method for controlling emissions from an engine includes reducing trapped nitrogen oxides to ammonia on an LNT catalyst while concurrently oxidizing soot accumulated on the LNT catalyst, and, flowing the ammonia so formed to an SCR catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Karen Marie Adams, Yisun Cheng, Giovanni Cavataio
  • Publication number: 20110020735
    Abstract: According to at least one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fuel cell catalyst formed from a metallic alloy of one or more catalyst metals and one or more leachable metals through potential cycling to remove at least a portion of the leachable metals such that an effective catalytic surface area of the fuel cell catalyst per a given amount of the catalyst metals is enhanced after removal of the at least a portion of the one or more leachable metals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Chi Paik, Lifeng Xu, Hungwen Jen, Karen Marie Adams, Mark S. Sulek, Sherry A. Mueller
  • Patent number: 7788910
    Abstract: A system and method may be provided for operating a system having an engine with an emission control system, the emission control system including a lean NOx trap and a particulate filter, where after lean exhaust gas air-fuel ratio regeneration of the particulate filter at an elevated regeneration temperature, a rich or intermittently rich exhaust air-fuel ratio is provided for a duration lasting until LNT temperature falls to a minimum threshold, where said rich or intermittently rich operation reactivates catalysts in the LNT and reverses deactivation caused by the elevated temperature lean operation associated with previous particulate filter regeneration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Walter McCabe, Lifeng Xu, John William Hoard, Karen Marie Adams
  • Publication number: 20080314020
    Abstract: The reduction of a NOx trap upon engine shutdown is disclosed. One disclosed embodiment comprises detecting an engine shutoff, determining an engine stop position, and creating a reductive environment in the exhaust conduit upstream of the lean NOx trap at a time based upon the determined engine stop position. The creation of a reductive environment in the exhaust conduit upstream of the lean NOx trap may help to at least partially reactivate the lean NOx trap during engine shutoff.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: John William Hoard, Lifeng Xu, Robert Walter McCabe, Karen Marie Adams
  • Publication number: 20080276602
    Abstract: A system and method may be provided for operating a system having an engine with an emission control system, the emission control system including a lean NOx trap and a particulate filter, where after lean exhaust gas air-fuel ratio regeneration of the particulate filter at an elevated regeneration temperature, a rich or intermittently rich exhaust air-fuel ratio is provided for a duration lasting until LNT temperature falls to a minimum threshold, where said rich or intermittently rich operation reactivates catalysts in the LNT and reverses deactivation caused by the elevated temperature lean operation associated with previous particulate filter regeneration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Walter McCabe, Lifeng Xu, John William Hoard, Karen Marie Adams
  • Patent number: 7320781
    Abstract: A method for controlling reductant injection into an exhaust stream upstream of a catalyst coupled to an internal combustion engine is disclosed. In the method, an ammonia sensor located downstream of the exhaust catalyst is used to determine ammonia concentration in the exhaust stream. The ammonia concentration is compared to an allowable threshold and an allowable fraction, i.e., a maximum limit on a fraction of ammonia in the exhaust stream compared with the ammonia supplied by the reductant injector. Additionally, based on a NOx sensor, it is determined whether NOx conversion of the catalyst has increased in response to an increase in reductant injection. If not, reductant injection quantity is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Inventors: Christine Kay Lambert, Karen Marie Adams, Robert Henry Hammerle
  • Patent number: 6532736
    Abstract: A reductant injection control strategy for controlling an amount of nitrogen oxide reducing agent injected upstream of a selective reduction catalyst uses an ammonia sensor located downstream of the catalyst. An open loop injection quantity is first determined based on operation conditions. Ammonia concentration detected downstream of the catalyst is controlled to a desired value, with the desired value based on catalyst temperature and the open loop injection quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Henry Hammerle, Karen Marie Adams, Paul Matthew Laing
  • Publication number: 20030005683
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling reductant injection into an exhaust stream upstream of a catalyst coupled to an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The method and system determine a reductant fraction representative of the fractional amount of the reductant used in the catalyst (i.e., the amount of reductant used in the reaction in the catalyst) and the amount of the reductant passing through the catalyst. The method and system vary the amount of reductant injection in accordance with both the determined reductant fraction and the amount of reductant passing from the catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Inventors: Christine Kay Lambert, Karen Marie Adams, Robert Henry Hammerle
  • Patent number: 6305160
    Abstract: A reductant injection control strategy for controlling an amount of nitrogen oxide reducing agent injected upstream of a selective reduction catalyst uses a NOx sensor located downstream of the catalyst. An open loop injection quantity is first determined based on operation conditions. Nitrogen oxide conversion efficiency of the catalyst is controlled by controlling the reductant injection based on after catalyst NOx sensor reading and engine out nitrogen oxide concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Henry Hammerle, Karen Marie Adams, Paul Matthew Laing
  • Patent number: 6295809
    Abstract: A reductant injection control strategy for controlling an amount of nitrogen oxide reducing agent injected upstream of a selective reduction catalyst uses an ammonia sensor located downstream of the catalyst. An open loop injection quantity is first determined based on operation conditions. Ammonia concentration detected downstream of the catalyst is controlled to a desired value, with the desired value based on catalyst temperature and the open loop injection quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Henry Hammerle, Karen Marie Adams, Paul Matthew Laing
  • Publication number: 20010023586
    Abstract: A reductant injection control strategy for controlling an amount of nitrogen oxide reducing agent injected upstream of a selective reduction catalyst uses an ammonia sensor located downstream of the catalyst. An open loop injection quantity is first determined based on operation conditions. Ammonia concentration detected downstream of the catalyst is controlled to a desired value, with the desired value based on catalyst temperature and the open loop injection quantity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Henry Hammerle, Karen Marie Adams, Paul Matthew Laing
  • Patent number: 6182443
    Abstract: The invention is a method of treating exhaust gases generated by a diesel engine by locating two catalyst components in the engine exhaust gas passage. The first catalyst component which exposed to oxidizing diesel exhaust is located nearest to the engine and is a nitrogen oxide absorbent made of support material carrying precious metal. The second component is a catalyst such as a lean-NOx catalyst or a selective reduction catalyst which is capable of converting the exhaust gas passing over it including reducing the nitrogen oxides desorbed from the first component into nitrogen (N2) or nitrous oxide (N2O). Materials like hydrocarbons or ammonia or urea may be injected into the vicinity of the second catalyst component to aid in the reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mottlene Jarvis, Karen Marie Adams