Patents by Inventor Nicholas James Welch

Nicholas James Welch 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: 20240077006
    Abstract: A lubrication system for an internal combustion engine includes a fluid flow control device at an outlet side of the pump that regulates pressure conditions at the outlet side of the pump upstream of the lubrication circuit in the engine. The fluid flow control device is located in a recirculation path, and opens in response to a fluid pressure at the outlet of the pump exceeding a first threshold to allow the fluid to pass from the outlet side of the pump back to an inlet side of the pump. The recirculation path includes a tuning device that maintains the fluid pressure at engine speeds above the first threshold. In response to engine speeds above a second threshold, the tuning device restricts fluid flow in the recirculation path so that the fluid pressure in the fluid flow path increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Nicholas James Welch, Matthew D. Flessner
  • Patent number: 11799271
    Abstract: Spark plugs are disclosed that include electrode arrangements to improve the charge flow into and out of the annular volume around the insulator nose and a pre-chamber volume of a pre-chamber device, thus directing a purge of exhaust gases trapped in the annular volume to a space formed by the exterior of the spark plug body and the interior of the pre-chamber device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: David Guillermo Gonzalez Medina, William Marshall Cover, Xu Han, Andrew Guy Kitchen, Daniel J. O'Connor, Alan C. Anderson, Nicholas James Welch, Jisang Sun
  • Publication number: 20230313728
    Abstract: A cooling system of an internal combustion engine system includes an engine cooling circuit for defining a flow path and direction for engine coolant fluid flowing through the internal combustion engine system. The cooling system also includes a heat exchanger assembly positioned along the engine cooling circuit. The heat exchanger assembly is structured to transfer heat from the engine coolant fluid to a working fluid and includes a shell defining an inner cavity, a core disposed within the inner cavity and structured to receive the working fluid, and a main flow path and a bypass flow path of the engine coolant fluid, the core comprising a baffle in the bypass flow path, the baffle including: a base portion coupled to an end of the core and a curved portion extending from the base portion such that the curved portion impedes a bypass flow of engine coolant fluid from continuing along the bypass flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventor: Nicholas James Welch
  • Patent number: 11614027
    Abstract: A combustion pre-chamber assembly includes pre-chamber device body defining an annular plenum that is in fluid communication with the at least one bore that extends through the spark plug shell. The annular plenum is also in communication with at least one purging passage that extends from the annular plenum to an end surface of the pre-chamber device body. Residual exhaust gases in the annular volume of the spark plug are purged by fresh charge flow from the main combustion chamber as the piston approaches top dead center. The fresh charge flow that is provided to the annular plenum through the at least one purging passage and into the annular volume of the spark plug through the at least one bore through the spark plug shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Alan C. Anderson, William Marshall Cover, Xu Han, Nicholas James Welch, David Guillermo Gonzalez Medina, Xiao Qin, Andrew Guy Kitchen, Daniel J. O'Connor, Benjamín L. Olivas
  • Patent number: 11434811
    Abstract: A combustion pre-chamber device for a spark ignition internal combustion engine is configured to engage a spark plug and be mounted to a cylinder head in communication with a combustion chamber of a cylinder of the engine. The combustion pre-chamber device includes any one or combination of a number of features to improve operating effectiveness, including extending the combustion operating range by improving cooling and optimizing the flow field inside the combustion pre-chamber device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Xu Han, Xiao Qin, Alan C. Anderson, Nicholas James Welch
  • Publication number: 20210184437
    Abstract: Spark plugs are disclosed that include electrode arrangements to improve the charge flow into and out of the annular volume around the insulator nose and a pre-chamber volume of a pre-chamber device, thus directing a purge of exhaust gases trapped in the annular volume to a space formed by the exterior of the spark plug body and the interior of the pre-chamber device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: David Guillermo Gonzalez Medina, William Marshall Cover, Xu Han, Andrew Guy Kitchen, Daniel J. O'Connor, Alan C. Anderson, Nicholas James Welch, Jisang Sun
  • Patent number: 10975759
    Abstract: A spark plug is disclosed that includes at least one bore extending through a shell of the spark plug in order to form a passageway between an annular volume around the spark plug insulator nose and a pre-chamber volume of a pre-chamber device, thus directing a purge of exhaust gases trapped in the annular volume to a space formed by the exterior of the spark plug body and the interior of the pre-chamber device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Alan C. Anderson, William Marshall Cover, Xu Han, Benjamin L. Olivas, Daniel J. O'Connor, Daniel Guillermo Gonzalez Medina, Xiao Qin, Nicholas James Welch, Andrew Guy Kitchen
  • Publication number: 20200332705
    Abstract: A combustion pre-chamber device for a spark ignition internal combustion engine is configured to engage a spark plug and be mounted to a cylinder head in communication with a combustion chamber of a cylinder of the engine. The combustion pre-chamber device includes any one or combination of a number of features to improve operating effectiveness, including extending the combustion operating range by improving cooling and optimizing the flow field inside the combustion pre-chamber device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Xu Han, Xiao Qin, Alan C. Anderson, Nicholas James Welch
  • Publication number: 20200080466
    Abstract: A combustion pre-chamber assembly includes pre-chamber device body defining an annular plenum that is in fluid communication with the at least one bore that extends through the spark plug shell. The annular plenum is also in communication with at least one purging passage that extends from the annular plenum to an end surface of the pre-chamber device body. Residual exhaust gases in the annular volume of the spark plug are purged by fresh charge flow from the main combustion chamber as the piston approaches top dead center. The fresh charge flow that is provided to the annular plenum through the at least one purging passage and into the annular volume of the spark plug through the at least one bore through the spark plug shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Alan C. Anderson, William Marshall Cover, Xu Han, Nicholas James Welch, David Guillermo Gonzalez Medina, Xiao Qin, Andrew Guy Kitchen, Daniel J. O'Connor, Benjamin L. Olivas
  • Publication number: 20190284988
    Abstract: A spark plug is disclosed that includes at least one bore extending through a shell of the spark plug in order to form a passageway between an annular volume around the spark plug insulator nose and a pre-chamber volume of a pre-chamber device, thus directing a purge of exhaust gases trapped in the annular volume to a space formed by the exterior of the spark plug body and the interior of the pre-chamber device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Alan C. Anderson, William Marshall Cover, Xu Han, Benjamin L. Olivas, Daniel J. O'Connor, Daniel Guillermo Gonzalez Medina, Xiao Qin, Nicholas James Welch, Andrew Guy Kitchen