Patents by Inventor Rebecca J Darr

Rebecca J Darr 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: 20120004863
    Abstract: A method of monitoring soot mass in a particulate filter of an exhaust system includes determining a pressure differential across the filter, obtaining a first soot mass estimate by fitting the determined pressure differential to a first stored database of measured or modeled pressure differentials and corresponding measured soot masses taken during filter regeneration using a substantially similar filter previously loaded following a complete filter regeneration, and obtaining a second soot mass estimate by fitting the determined pressure differential to a second stored database of measured or modeled pressure differentials and corresponding measured soot masses taken during filter regeneration using a substantially similar filter loaded following an incomplete filter regeneration. Actual soot mass is estimated by calculating a weighted sum of the first and second soot mass estimates with weighting based on operating parameters indicative of regeneration efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Raffaello Ardanese, Michelangelo Ardanese, Rebecca J. Darr, Paul Jasinkiewicz
  • Publication number: 20110314793
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system for exhaust gas produced by an engine includes a condition control module, a load determination module, and an age determination module. The condition control module decreases a load on a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst below a predetermined load threshold and increases exhaust gas temperature (EGT) to a predetermined temperature. The load determination module increases injection of a dosing agent into the exhaust gas and determines a load on the SCR catalyst when dosing agent is detected downstream from the SCR catalyst. The age determination module determines an age of the SCR catalyst based the determined load and predetermined loads for first and second SCR catalysts, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Jason Daniel MULLINS, Kyle E. CRAWFORD, Rebecca J. DARR
  • Publication number: 20110308233
    Abstract: A dosing control system for a vehicle includes an adaption triggering module, a dosing management module, and an adaption ending module. The adaptation triggering module triggers performance of an adaptation event when a first amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx) measured by a first NOx sensor located downstream of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst is greater than a predicted value of the first amount of NOx. The dosing management module disables dosing agent injection during the adaptation event. The adaptation ending module selectively delays ending the adaptation event after a predetermined number of phases of the adaption event have been completed based on a comparison of the first amount of NOx with a second amount of NOx measured by a second NOx sensor located upstream of the SCR catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Rebecca J. Darr, James M. Perrin, Paul Jasinkiewicz, Jason Daniel Mullins, Kyle E. Crawford
  • Publication number: 20110311420
    Abstract: A dosing control system for a vehicle includes a current storage module, an adaption triggering module, and an adaption ending module. The current storage module estimates an amount of ammonia stored by a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst. The adaptation triggering module triggers a reduction of the amount of ammonia stored by the SCR catalyst to zero when a first amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx) measured by a first NOx sensor located downstream of the SCR catalyst is greater than a predicted value of the first amount of NOx. The adaptation ending module selectively ends the reduction and enables injection of dosing agent based on a comparison of the first amount of NOx with a second amount of NOx upstream of the SCR catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: James M. Perrin, Rebecca J. Darr, Paul Jasinkiewicz, Jason Daniel Mullins, Kyle E. Crawford
  • Publication number: 20110047971
    Abstract: A dosing control system for a vehicle includes a pump control module and an enabling/disabling module. The pump control module controls a pump that provides dosing agent to a dosing agent injector located upstream of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst in an exhaust system. The enabling/disabling module disables the pump for a predetermined melting period after engine startup when the dosing agent is frozen and selectively activates the pump during the predetermined melting period to cool the dosing agent injector when a tip temperature of the dosing agent injector is greater than a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Jason Daniel Mullins, Justin A. Shetney, Kyle E. Crawford, Paul Jasinkiewicz, Rebecca J. Darr
  • Publication number: 20110041477
    Abstract: An engine control system includes a dosing control module and an offset determination module. The dosing control module actuates an injector to inject a first amount of reducing agent into exhaust gas produced by an engine during a period when a temperature of the exhaust gas is greater than a predetermined temperature threshold. The offset determination module determines an efficiency of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) material based on measured amounts of nitrogen oxide (NOx) during the period and expected NOx amounts, wherein the measured amounts of NOx are measured at locations upstream and downstream from the SCR material, and wherein the expected NOx amounts are based on the temperature of the exhaust gas and the first amount of reducing agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Jason Daniel Mullins, Rebecca J. Darr, Kyle E. Crawford, Paul Jasinkiewicz
  • Publication number: 20100307139
    Abstract: An exhaust control system includes a temperature sensor, a temperature estimation module, and an exhaust condition adjustment module. The temperature sensor measures an outlet temperature of an exhaust gas downstream from an emission reduction device. The temperature estimation module estimates a highest temperature of the emission reduction device. The exhaust condition adjustment module controls operation of the exhaust control system based on the highest temperature of the emission reduction device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Jianwen Li, Michael Christopher Luckham, Paul Jasinkiewicz, Rebecca J Darr, Rahul Mital
  • Publication number: 20100223912
    Abstract: A method and system of controlling an engine includes a control system includes an exhaust gas flow rate module generating an exhaust gas flow rate signal corresponding to a flow rate of exhaust gases. The control system further includes a temperature adjustment module that determines a temperature correction factor based on the exhaust gas flow rate and that determines a corrected temperature particulate sensor signal in response to a measured particulate temperature signal and the temperature correction factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Larose, JR., Rebecca J. Darr
  • Patent number: 7684924
    Abstract: A control module comprises a thermal detection module and a protection module. The thermal detection module receives temperature data of a particulate matter filter and determines a temperature based on the temperature data. The protection module selectively reduces output of an engine when the temperature is greater than a temperature threshold. A method comprises receiving temperature data of a particulate matter filter and selectively reducing output of an engine when a temperature based on the temperature data is greater than a temperature threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Inventors: Rebecca J Darr, Steve L Melby
  • Publication number: 20090012694
    Abstract: A control module comprises a thermal detection module and a protection module. The thermal detection module receives temperature data of a particulate matter filter and determines a temperature based on the temperature data. The protection module selectively reduces output of an engine when the temperature is greater than a temperature threshold. A method comprises receiving temperature data of a particulate matter filter and selectively reducing output of an engine when a temperature based on the temperature data is greater than a temperature threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Rebecca J. Darr, Steve L. Melby
  • Patent number: 5623835
    Abstract: An engine cooling fan control system includes a vehicle speed sensor, a pressure sensor for sensing the pressure of refrigerant provided to a refrigerant condenser forming part of the vehicle air conditioning system and a controller responsive to the vehicle speed and refrigerant pressure signals to operate an engine cooling fan. The engine cooling fan is activated continuously while vehicle speed is below a first speed threshold if the refrigerant pressure exceeds a first pressure. While the vehicle speed is above the first speed threshold, but below a second speed threshold, the engine cooling fan is activated for a predetermined duration if the refrigerant pressure is above the first pressure. Finally, while the vehicle speed is above the second speed threshold, the engine cooling fan is activated in response to the refrigerant pressure exceeding the first pressure and deactivated in response to the refrigerant pressure falling below a second lower pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Layman, Rebecca J. Darr, Jimmie J. Trushlood