Patents by Inventor Nando Vennettilli

Nando Vennettilli 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: 9168881
    Abstract: Automotive electrical system for a motor vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle; the electric vehicle system comprising a series of electric vehicle loads, an electric battery, and an alternator generating a supply voltage of the electric vehicle loads and of the electric battery; the alternator comprising an inductive electric circuit adapted to be crossed by an electric control current; the electric vehicle system comprises an alternator electronic control system configured so as to determine a series of battery parameters (pam_bat) indicating the state of operation of the electric battery; determine at least a first vehicle parameter indicating the acceleration of the motor vehicle; determine the operative state of the internal combustion engine; determine an electric regulation voltage according to the operative engine station, to the vehicle parameter and to the battery parameters; vary an electric control current circulating in the inductive electric circuit of the alternato
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.
    Inventors: Fabio Garofalo, Alessandro Riegel, Angelo Sanapo, Domenico Tavella, Nando Vennettilli
  • Publication number: 20130313897
    Abstract: Automotive electrical system for a motor vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle; the electric vehicle system comprising a series of electric vehicle loads, an electric battery, and an alternator generating a supply voltage of the electric vehicle loads and of the electric battery; the alternator comprising an inductive electric circuit adapted to be crossed by an electric control current; the electric vehicle system comprises an alternator electronic control system configured so as to determine a series of battery parameters (pam_bat) indicating the state of operation of the electric battery; determine at least a first vehicle parameter indicating the acceleration of the motor vehicle; determine the operative state of the internal combustion engine; determine an electric regulation voltage according to the operative engine station, to the vehicle parameter and to the battery parameters; vary an electric control current circulating in the inductive electric circuit of the alternato
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2011
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: Fiat Group Automobiles S.p. A.
    Inventors: Fabio Garofalo, Alessandro Riegel, Angelo Sanapo, Domenico Tavella, Nando Vennettilli
  • Patent number: 8522748
    Abstract: A method is provided for diagnosing the integrity of a swirl generating system for an internal combustion engine. The swirl generating system includes, but is not limited to swirl controlling elements that are individually located in a respective air passage connecting the intake manifold of the engine to an intake port of an engine combustion chamber, an actuator having a movable shaft, a cinematic chain for mechanically connecting the swirl controlling elements to the actuator movable shaft, an actuator control unit for normally moving the actuator movable shaft in a first direction towards a first final position, and in a second opposite direction towards a second final position, and actuator sensor for sensing the position of the actuator movable shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Fulvio Brosio, Nando Vennettilli, Domenico Rampone
  • Patent number: 8386204
    Abstract: A method is provided for the diagnosis of the EGR cooler efficiency in a Diesel engine that includes but is not limited to construction of a model for determining the temperature drop y=?T in the EGR cooler, the model having a parameter vector ? and an input vector x; performing a model calibration phase in order to estimate the bias h0 of the system; calculation of a set of primary residuals ?(?0, x, ?T), staffing from the model equation and using the results of the calibration phase; calculation of a set of improved residuals ?N(?0): ? N ? ( ? 0 ) = 1 N ? ? k = 1 N ? ( ? ? ( ? 0 , x k , y k ) - h 0 ) where N is the number of samples on which the diagnostic test is performed; calculation of a diagnostic index S: S=?TNR0?1?N and, use of the diagnostic index S in order to diagnose the efficiency of the EGR cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Francesco Cianflone, Morena Bruno, Nando Vennettilli
  • Patent number: 8190297
    Abstract: A control method is provided for a fluid control device, particularly for an internal combustion engine, equipped with a position sensor having a nominal characteristic curve representative of a predetermined relationship between an admissible range of position values and a corresponding range of return electric signal values. The method includes, but is not limited to determining an offset (offsetopen; offsetclose) between a returned signal related to at least one defined position of the device and an expected signal related to the defined position of the device according to the nominal characteristic curve, estimating an updated characteristic curve of the sensor by applying the offset (offsetopen; offsetclose) to the nominal characteristic curve, and applying a predetermined control strategy of the fluid control device according to the updated characteristic curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Andreas Gunnarsson, Simone Barbero, Ronnie Magnusson, Nando Vennettilli
  • Publication number: 20120006296
    Abstract: A method is provided for diagnosing the integrity of a swirl generating system for an internal combustion engine. The swirl generating system includes, but is not limited to swirl controlling elements that are individually located in a respective air passage connecting the intake manifold of the engine to an intake port of an engine combustion chamber, an actuator having a movable shaft, a cinematic chain for mechanically connecting the swirl controlling elements to the actuator movable shaft, an actuator control unit for normally moving the actuator movable shaft in a first direction towards a first final position, and in a second opposite direction towards a second final position, and actuator sensor for sensing the position of the actuator movable shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Fulvio BROSIO, Nando VENNETTILLI, Domenico RAMPONE
  • Patent number: 8051834
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for controlling a throttle valve and an EGR valve in internal combustion engine. The method includes, the steps of measuring an actual fresh mass air flow value entering the engine, determining an exhaust oxygen concentration set point indicative of the oxygen concentration in the exhaust manifold, calculating an air reference value as a function of the exhaust oxygen concentration set point ([O2]spEM) and determining an oxygen concentration feedback value representative of the oxygen concentration in the engine. The method further includes, but is not limited to the steps of obtaining a position information for the throttle valve by comparing the actual fresh mass air flow value and air reference value and obtaining a position information for the EGR valve by comparing the oxygen concentration feedback value and oxygen concentration set point. The method also includes the steps of controlling the throttle valve and the EGR valve according to the position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Nando Vennettilli, Massimiliano Maira
  • Publication number: 20110224948
    Abstract: A method is provided for the diagnosis of the EGR cooler efficiency in a Diesel engine that includes but is not limited to construction of a model for determining the temperature drop y=?T in the EGR cooler, the model having a parameter vector ? and an input vector x; performing a model calibration phase in order to estimate the bias h0 of the system; calculation of a set of primary residuals ?(?0, x, ?T), staffing from the model equation and using the results of the calibration phase; calculation of a set of improved residuals ?N(?0): ? N ? ( ? 0 ) = 1 N ? ? k = 1 N ? ( ? ? ( ? 0 , x k , y k ) - h 0 ) where N is the number of samples on which the diagnostic testis performed; calculation of a diagnostic index S: S=?TNR0?1?N and, use of the diagnostic index S in order to diagnose the efficiency of the EGR cooler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Francesco CIANFLONE, Morena BRUNO, Nando VENNETTILLI
  • Patent number: 8001834
    Abstract: A method for detecting faults in an air system of an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold includes, but is not limited to the steps of measuring an oxygen concentration of the gas flowing in the exhaust manifold, estimating an intake oxygen control value in the intake manifold and estimating an intake oxygen reference value in the intake manifold based on said oxygen concentration of the gas flowing in the exhaust manifold. The method further includes, but is not limited to the steps of calculating an intake deviation value as a difference between the intake oxygen control value and the intake oxygen reference value and verifying if the intake deviation value is greater than a predetermined first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Nando Vennettilli, Massimiliano Maira, Morena Bruno
  • Patent number: 7946162
    Abstract: A method for estimating the oxygen concentration in an internal combustion engine that includes, but is not limited to an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, an EGR system, a throttle valve, an air mass sensor for measuring a fresh air flow ({dot over (m)}thr) entering the intake manifold through the throttle valve, and cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Nando Vennettilli, Massimiliano Maira
  • Publication number: 20100175674
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for controlling a throttle valve and an EGR valve in internal combustion engine. The method includes, but is not limited to the steps of measuring an actual fresh mass air flow value entering the engine, determining an exhaust oxygen concentration set point ([O2]spEM) indicative of the oxygen concentration in the exhaust manifold, calculating an air reference value (Airreference) as a function of the exhaust oxygen concentration set point ([O2]spEM) and determining an oxygen concentration feedback value ([O2]fdIM, [O2]fdEM) representative of the oxygen concentration in the engine. The method further includes, but is not limited to the steps of obtaining a position information for the throttvalve by by comparing the actual fresh mass air flow value and air reference value (Airreference) and obtaining a position information for the EGR valve by comparing the oxygen concentration feedback value ([O2]fdIM, [O2]fdEM) and oxygen concentration set point ([O2]spEM).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Nando VENNETTILLI, Massimiliano MAIRA
  • Publication number: 20100094469
    Abstract: A control method is provided for a fluid control device, particularly for an internal combustion engine, equipped with a position sensor having a nominal characteristic curve representative of a predetermined relationship between an admissible range of position values and a corresponding range of return electric signal values. The method includes, but is not limited to determining an offset (offsetopen; offsetclose) between a returned signal related to at least one defined position of the device and an expected signal related to the defined position of the device according to the nominal characteristic curve, estimating an updated characteristic curve of the sensor by applying the offset (offsetopen; offsetclose) to the nominal characteristic curve, and applying a predetermined control strategy of the fluid control device according to the updated characteristic curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Andreas GUNNARSSON, Simone BARBERO, Ronnie MAGNUSSON, Nando VENNETTILLI
  • Publication number: 20100005872
    Abstract: A method for estimating the oxygen concentration in an internal combustion engine that includes, but is not limited to an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, an EGR system, a throttle valve, an air mass sensor for measuring a fresh air flow ({dot over (m)}thr) entering the intake manifold through the throttle valve, and cylinders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Nando VENNETTILLI, Massimiliano MAIRA
  • Publication number: 20090320577
    Abstract: A method for detecting faults in an air system of an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold includes, but is not limited to the steps of measuring an oxygen concentration of the gas flowing in the exhaust manifold, estimating an intake oxygen control value in the intake manifold and estimating an intake oxygen reference value in the intake manifold based on said oxygen concentration of the gas flowing in the exhaust manifold. The method further includes, but is not limited to the steps of calculating an intake deviation value as a difference between the intake oxygen control value and the intake oxygen reference value and verifying if the intake deviation value is greater than a predetermined first threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Nando VENNETTILLI, Massimiliano MAIRA, Morena BRUNO