Patents by Inventor Nandagopal Methil

Nandagopal Methil 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: 20170009693
    Abstract: A method of diagnosing a fault in a common rail fuel system having a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller includes determining a first integral output corresponding to a first fuel flow condition and a first rail pressure setting. The method includes comparing the first integral output with a threshold integral output and determining a second integral output corresponding to a second fuel flow condition and the first rail pressure setting, when the first integral output is greater than the threshold integral output. The method includes determining a third integral output corresponding to the first fuel flow condition and a second rail pressure setting, when the first integral output is greater than the threshold integral output. The method includes identifying a failure in at least one of a flow control valve arrangement and a pressure relief valve of the common rail fuel system based on the first, second, and the third integral outputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Nandagopal Methil, Daniel R. Puckett
  • Patent number: 9482165
    Abstract: A machine includes a compression ignition engine fueled from common rail fuel injectors that predominately inject natural gas fuel that is compression ignited with a small pilot injection of liquid diesel fuel. When an engine shutdown command is communicated to an electronic controller, the supply of gaseous fuel to the gas rail is stopped and the gaseous fuel common rail is depressurized by continuing to run the engine and inject gaseous and liquid fuels while commanding a liquid pressure greater than the gas pressure. After the gas rail pressure has achieved an acceptable shutdown pressure, the engine is stopped. The gas rail pressure is then reduced to atmospheric pressure followed by the liquid fuel common rail being reduced to atmosphere pressure after stopping the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Alan R. Stockner, Nandagopal Methil, Daniel Puckett
  • Patent number: 9376977
    Abstract: A common rail fuel system includes a common rail supplied by an inlet metered high pressure pump and fluidly connected to a plurality of zero-leak fuel injectors. An electronic controller controls pressure in the common rail predominantly responsive to a rail pressure error when outside of an overshoot avoidance condition corresponding to the error being less than a first threshold and a time rate of change of the error being greater than a second threshold. Pressure in the common rail is controlled predominantly responsive to the time rate of change of the error during the overshoot avoidance condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Nandagopal Methil-Sudhakaran, Daniel R. Puckett, Frank Lombardi
  • Patent number: 9032788
    Abstract: A common rail fuel system diagnostic algorithm is executed by an engine control and real time to detect and identify a faulty fuel system component. Rail pressure data is processed through a digital resonating filter having a resonance frequency corresponding to a fault signature. A peak magnitude and phase of the output from the digital resonating filter reveals a degradation level of a fuel injector, and a phase of the output identifies which fuel injector is faulted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Nandagopal Methil-Sudhakaran, Daniel Reese Puckett, Frank Lombardi
  • Publication number: 20150106040
    Abstract: A method of diagnosing a fault in a common rail fuel system having a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller includes determining a first integral output corresponding to a first fuel flow condition and a first rail pressure setting. The method includes comparing the first integral output with a threshold integral output and determining a second integral output corresponding to a second fuel flow condition and the first rail pressure setting, when the first integral output is greater than the threshold integral output. The method includes determining a third integral output corresponding to the first fuel flow condition and a second rail pressure setting, when the first integral output is greater than the threshold integral output. The method includes identifying a failure in at least one of a flow control valve arrangement and a pressure relief valve of the common rail fuel system based on the first, second, and the third integral outputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Nandagopal Methil, Daniel R. Puckett
  • Publication number: 20140316677
    Abstract: A machine includes a compression ignition engine fueled from common rail fuel injectors that predominately inject natural gas fuel that is compression ignited with a small pilot injection of liquid diesel fuel. When an engine shutdown command is communicated to an electronic controller, the supply of gaseous fuel to the gas rail is stopped and the gaseous fuel common rail is depressurized by continuing to run the engine and inject gaseous and liquid fuels while commanding a liquid pressure greater than the gas pressure. After the gas rail pressure has achieved an acceptable shutdown pressure, the engine is stopped. The gas rail pressure is then reduced to atmospheric pressure followed by the liquid fuel common rail being reduced to atmosphere pressure after stopping the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Alan R. Stockner, Nandagopal Methil, Daniel Puckett
  • Publication number: 20140238352
    Abstract: An electronic controller for a common rail fuel system detects a fault when a time sum accumulated error exceeds a threshold. The time sum accumulated error is left unchanged when the operating condition is transient, and either adds to or subtracts from the time sum accumulated error responsive to a rail pressure error and the operating condition being steady state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Nandagopal Methil, Daniel Puckett
  • Publication number: 20140074382
    Abstract: A common rail fuel system includes a common rail supplied by an inlet metered high pressure pump and fluidly connected to a plurality of zero-leak fuel injectors. An electronic controller controls pressure in the common rail predominantly responsive to a rail pressure error when outside of an overshoot avoidance condition corresponding to the error being less than a first threshold and a time rate of change of the error being greater than a second threshold. Pressure in the common rail is controlled predominantly responsive to the time rate of change of the error during the overshoot avoidance condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Nandagopal Methil-Sudhakaran, Daniel R. Puckett, Frank Lombardi
  • Publication number: 20130275026
    Abstract: A common rail fuel system diagnostic algorithm is executed by an engine control and real time to detect and identify a faulty fuel system component. Rail pressure data is processed through a digital resonating filter having a resonance frequency corresponding to a fault signature. A peak magnitude and phase of the output from the digital resonating filter reveals a degradation level of a fuel injector, and a phase of the output identifies which fuel injector is faulted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Nandagopal Methil-Sudhakaran, Daniel Reese Puckett, Frank Lombardi