Patents by Inventor Robert Michael McDavid

Robert Michael McDavid 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: 12553396
    Abstract: Operating an engine includes energizing an electrical actuator for a valve in a fuel injector according to a waveform alternating a plurality of on-times with a plurality of dwell times, and outputting a pulsed injection of a gaseous hydrogen fuel from the fuel injector entraining air between pulses of the gaseous hydrogen fuel. Entrainment breaks are produced between the plurality of pulses in a spray cone of the pulsed injection. The gaseous hydrogen fuel and air experience enhanced in-cylinder mixing based upon the air entrainment. Related apparatus is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Michael McDavid, Chad Palmer Koci, Jonathan W. Anders
  • Publication number: 20260028942
    Abstract: Operating an engine includes energizing an electrical actuator for a valve in a fuel injector according to a waveform alternating a plurality of on-times with a plurality of dwell times, and outputting a pulsed injection of a gaseous hydrogen fuel from the fuel injector entraining air between pulses of the gaseous hydrogen fuel. Entrainment breaks are produced between the plurality of pulses in a spray cone of the pulsed injection. The gaseous hydrogen fuel and air experience enhanced in-cylinder mixing based upon the air entrainment. Related apparatus is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2024
    Publication date: January 29, 2026
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Michael McDavid, Chad Palmer Koci, Jonathan W. Anders
  • Patent number: 12516648
    Abstract: Operating an engine includes moving a piston toward a top-dead-center position in a cylinder, and directly injecting a gaseous hydrogen fuel into the cylinder in an injection path targeting a center cone in a combustion bowl of the piston. The gaseous hydrogen fuel is impinged upon an outer cone surface, and fluids advanced upwardly along a reentrant bowl wall toward a bowl throat opening. Squished fluids are advanced from a squish volume into the reentrant bowl throat, to produce a combined mixing flow of the advanced fluids and the squished fluids around a flow axis extending circumferentially around a piston center axis. Related apparatus is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2026
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Michael McDavid, Jonathan William Anders, Diego Bernardi Bestel, Chad P. Koci
  • Publication number: 20250389236
    Abstract: Operating an engine includes moving a piston toward a top-dead-center position in a cylinder, and directly injecting a gaseous hydrogen fuel into the cylinder in an injection path targeting a center cone in a combustion bowl of the piston. The gaseous hydrogen fuel is impinged upon an outer cone surface, and fluids advanced upwardly along a reentrant bowl wall toward a bowl throat opening. Squished fluids are advanced from a squish volume into the reentrant bowl throat, to produce a combined mixing flow of the advanced fluids and the squished fluids around a flow axis extending circumferentially around a piston center axis. Related apparatus is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2024
    Publication date: December 25, 2025
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Michael McDavid, Jonathan William Anders, Diego Bernardi Bestel, Chad P. Koci
  • Patent number: 12006658
    Abstract: A power system may include a high-speed flywheel connected to an engine of a machine; a battery; a motor-generator unit (MGU) connected to the engine and the battery; and a turbocharger connected to the engine. One or more of the high-speed flywheel, the battery and the MGU, or the turbocharger may be configured to provide supplemental power to power provided by the engine to operate the machine, or provide replacement power when no power is provided by the engine to operate the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Chad Koci, Jay R. Steffen, Fang Guo, Richard W. Kruiswyk, Gaurav Vasudeva, Robert Michael McDavid, Timothy Adam Bazyn
  • Publication number: 20220325501
    Abstract: A power system may include a high-speed flywheel connected to an engine of a machine; a battery; a motor-generator unit (MGU) connected to the engine and the battery; and a turbocharger connected to the engine. One or more of the high-speed flywheel, the battery and the MGU, or the turbocharger may be configured to provide supplemental power to power provided by the engine to operate the machine, or provide replacement power when no power is provided by the engine to operate the machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Chad KOCI, Jay R. STEFFEN, Fang GUO, Richard W. KRUISWYK, Gaurav VASUDEVA, Robert Michael MCDAVID, Timothy Adam BAZYN
  • Publication number: 20140261257
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cooling system having a coolant delivery matrix, such as for providing a two phase (vapour) cooling system for the engine. The coolant delivery matrix is configured for location in a cylinder block of an engine housing of the internal combustion engine. The coolant delivery matrix includes a manifold and a plurality of pipes extending from the manifold. The coolant delivery matrix is further configured to locate around at least one cylinder in the cylinder block, and each of the plurality of pipes has at least one aperture being directed to spray liquid coolant at a wall of the at least one cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Perkins Engines Company Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Morgan Williams, Robert Michael McDavid, Antonis Dris, James Wotherspoon
  • Publication number: 20070150254
    Abstract: A method of simulating performance characteristics of a product to be manufactured includes identifying a plurality of simulation modules each representative of one or more components of the product. The method also includes linking the plurality of simulation modules together to provide a model capable of generating an output associated with one or more performance characteristics of the product and running at least some of the simulation models in parallel to provide performance information related to the one or more performance characteristics of the product. The method can also include outputting the performance information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventors: Cathy Y. Choi, Stephen A. Faulkner, William Kent Rutan, James Joseph Faletti, Eric C. Fluga, Robert Michael McDavid, Donald B. Edwards, Mark D. Anderson, Adam John Covell