Patents by Inventor Michiel van Nieuwstadt

Michiel van Nieuwstadt 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: 6973776
    Abstract: A system for effective NOx control in a diesel or other lean burn internal combustion engine is presented. The system includes a urea-based SCR catalyst having an oxidation catalyst coupled upstream of it and an ALNC coupled upstream of the oxidation catalyst. This system configuration results in improved NOx conversion due to faster SCR catalyst warm-up and higher operating temperatures. Additionally, placing the ALNC upstream of the oxidation catalyst prevents hydrocarbon slip into the SCR catalyst at low exhaust gas temperatures. Also, system reliability is improved by adding an auxiliary NOx aftertreatment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Inventors: Michiel van Nieuwstadt, William Ruona, Devesh Upadhyay
  • Publication number: 20050198942
    Abstract: A system for effective NOx control in a diesel or other lean burn internal combustion engine is presented. The system includes a urea-based SCR catalyst having an oxidation catalyst coupled upstream of it and an ALNC coupled upstream of the oxidation catalyst. This system configuration results in improved NOx conversion due to faster SCR catalyst warm-up and higher operating temperatures. Additionally, placing the ALNC upstream of the oxidation catalyst prevents hydrocarbon slip into the SCR catalyst at low exhaust gas temperatures. Also, system reliability is improved by adding an auxiliary NOx aftertreatment device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2005
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventors: Michiel van Nieuwstadt, William Ruona, Devesh Upadhyay
  • Patent number: 6925796
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing degradation in a pair of NOx sensors coupled upstream and downstream of a NOx catalyst is presented. The method is performed when catalyst temperature is such that its NOx conversion efficiency is substantially zero, such as when the catalyst temperature is very low (at cold start) or very high (e.g., following regeneration). Under those conditions, sensor degradation can be diagnosed if the upstream and downstream NOx sensor readings are not substantially the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michiel van Nieuwstadt, Devesh Upadhyay
  • Publication number: 20050102998
    Abstract: An accurate thermodynamic model of an Active Lean NOx (ALNC) Catalyst is presented. The model takes into account hydrocarbon storage and release mechanisms of the ALNC, as well as the degradation in the ALNC hydrocarbon conversion efficiency due to ageing, and thus provides a more accurate estimate of an exotherm generated by hydrocarbon combustion in the ALNC. The estimated exotherm can them be used to detect system degradation and identify components responsible for the degradation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventors: Michiel van Nieuwstadt, Michele Reichenbach, Fumin Yuan
  • Publication number: 20050103099
    Abstract: An accurate thermodynamic model of an Active Lean NOx (ALNC) Catalyst is presented. The model takes into account hydrocarbon storage and release mechanisms of the ALNC, as well as the degradation in the ALNC hydrocarbon conversion efficiency due to ageing, and thus provides a more accurate estimate of an exotherm generated by hydrocarbon combustion in the ALNC. The estimated exotherm can them be used to detect system degradation and identify components responsible for the degradation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventors: Michiel van Nieuwstadt, Michele Reichenbach, Fumin Yuan
  • Publication number: 20050091968
    Abstract: A system for effective NOx control in a diesel or other lean burn internal combustion engine is presented. The system includes a urea-based SCR catalyst having an oxidation catalyst coupled upstream of it and an ALNC coupled upstream of the oxidation catalyst. This system configuration results in improved NOx conversion due to faster SCR catalyst warm-up and higher operating temperatures. Additionally, placing the ALNC upstream of the oxidation catalyst prevents hydrocarbon slip into the SCR catalyst at low exhaust gas temperatures. Also, system reliability is improved by adding an auxiliary NOx aftertreatment device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventors: Michiel van Nieuwstadt, William Ruona, Devesh Upadhyay
  • Publication number: 20050091969
    Abstract: A method and a system for improved reductant delivery to an exhaust gas aftertreatment device for a lean burn internal combustion engine exhaust is presented. The system includes a heated evaporator unit into which a mixture of reductant and air in injected, wherein the mixture is vaporized and introduced into the exhaust gas aftertreatment device. Introducing the reductant mixed with air into the heated evaporator unit prevents lacquering and soot deposits on the heated element housed inside the unit, and also speeds up the vaporization process due to better reductant distribution thus reducing system response delays and improving conversion efficiency of the exhaust gas aftertreatment device. The reductant delivery system is further improved by adding a catalyst to it, and by preventing the reductant and air mixture from coming into direct contact with the surface of the heating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventors: Michiel van Nieuwstadt, Devesh Upadhyay, Michael Goebelbecker, William Ruona