Patents by Inventor Steven Thomas Grant

Steven Thomas Grant 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: 9657653
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting pressure deviation of a first fluid in an engine is disclosed. The method may comprise calculating, for each of a plurality of measurements, a delta between an actual first fluid pressure and a target pressure, summing each delta obtained from the calculating, and determining pressure deviation of the first fluid based on a cumulative sum of the deltas. In an embodiment, the first fluid may be natural gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Behnaz Ensan, Steven Thomas Grant, Matthew Benjamin Yandell, Hardikkumar Shah, Sunil Jefferey Bean
  • Patent number: 9518518
    Abstract: A compression ignition engine is 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. Before and after a rapid load loss transient, the liquid and gaseous rail pressures are controlled toward respective pressures based upon engine speed and load. During the transient, the liquid rail pressure is controlled relative to the gas rail pressure in order to maintain the liquid rail pressure greater than the gas pressure during the transient to avoid migration gaseous fuel into the liquid fuel side of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Steven Thomas Grant, Frank Lombardi, Daniel R. Puckett
  • Publication number: 20150354473
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting pressure deviation of a first fluid in an engine is disclosed. The method may comprise calculating, for each of a plurality of measurements, a delta between an actual first fluid pressure and a target pressure, summing each delta obtained from the calculating, and determining pressure deviation of the first fluid based on a cumulative sum of the deltas. In an embodiment, the first fluid may be natural gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Behnaz Ensan, Steven Thomas Grant, Matthew Benjamin Yandell, Hardikkumar Shah, Sunil Jefferey Bean
  • Patent number: 9181886
    Abstract: A compression ignition engine is 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. Before and after a rapid fueling increase transient, the liquid and gaseous rail pressures are controlled toward respective pressures based upon engine speed and load. During the transient, the liquid rail pressure is controlled toward an elevated liquid pressure in order to cause a surge in the supply of gaseous fuel to the gaseous fuel common rail to proactively satisfy the increased gaseous fuel injection rate while obviating a substantial pressure deficit in the gaseous fuel common rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Thomas Grant, Frank Lombardi, Daniel R. Puckett, Cory Brown
  • Patent number: 9091240
    Abstract: A system, related method and computer program product are disclosed for controlling fuel mass of CNG received by an engine. The system may comprise a heat exchanger configured to receive CLNG and supply coolant and to output CNG and return coolant, an injector configured to inject CNG into the engine, a gas line between the injector and heat exchanger, a control valve configured to receive return coolant from the heat exchanger and to change the amount of return coolant flowing through control valve, and a controller connected to the control valve. The gas line may be configured to carry CNG from the heat exchanger to the injector. The controller may be configured to maintain a Gas Line Temperature within an operating range by adjusting the amount of return coolant flowing through the control valve based, at least in part, on the Gas Line Temperature and a Target Return Coolant Temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Thomas Grant, Frank Lombardi, Daniel Reese Puckett, Cory A. Brown, Joshua Wayne Steffen, Paul Joseph Desiderio
  • Patent number: 9064401
    Abstract: A method of detecting leakage of a fluid from a tank is disclosed. The method may include determining cumulative commanded fluid consumption of the fluid in the tank over a selected time period, determining an actual change of a volume of the fluid in the tank over the selected time period, and comparing the cumulative commanded fluid consumption to the actual change of volume of the fluid. The method may further include producing a leak warning upon the actual change of volume of the fluid over the selected time period exceeding the cumulative commanded fluid consumption over the selected time period plus a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Thomas Grant, Frank Lombardi, Daniel Reese Puckett
  • Patent number: 8909457
    Abstract: A dual fuel common rail system may be operated in a regular mode in which a relatively large charge of gaseous fuel is ignited by compression igniting a relatively small injection quantity of liquid diesel fuel. The dual fuel system may be operated in a single fuel limp home mode in which liquid diesel fuel is injected at higher pressures. When transitioning from the single fuel limp home mode to the dual fuel regular mode, accumulated leaked liquid fuel in the gaseous nozzle chamber of each fuel injector is purged and burned in the respective engine cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Puckett, Steven Thomas Grant, Frank Lombardi
  • Publication number: 20140331964
    Abstract: A compression ignition engine is 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. Prior to servicing the engine, a service tool may establish a communication link with an electronic controller that controls operation of the engine. Pressure information for a gaseous fuel common rail and a liquid fuel common rail are displayed with the service tool, when the engine is stopped, in order to determine whether the rails are completely depressurized indicating that it is then o.k. to perform servicing tasks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Thomas Grant, Frank Lombardi, Daniel R. Puckett, Alan R. Stockner
  • Publication number: 20140333444
    Abstract: A method of detecting leakage of a fluid from a tank is disclosed. The method may include determining cumulative commanded fluid consumption of the fluid in the tank over a selected time period, determining an actual change of a volume of the fluid in the tank over the selected time period, and comparing the cumulative commanded fluid consumption to the actual change of volume of the fluid. The method may further include producing a leak warning upon the actual change of volume of the fluid over the selected time period exceeding the cumulative commanded fluid consumption over the selected time period plus a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: STEVEN THOMAS GRANT, FRANK LOMBARDI, DANIEL REESE PUCKETT
  • Publication number: 20140331963
    Abstract: A compression ignition engine is 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. Before and after a rapid fueling increase transient, the liquid and gaseous rail pressures are controlled toward respective pressures based upon engine speed and load. During the transient, the liquid rail pressure is controlled toward an elevated liquid pressure in order to cause a surge in the supply of gaseous fuel to the gaseous fuel common rail to proactively satisfy the increased gaseous fuel injection rate while obviating a substantial pressure deficit in the gaseous fuel common rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Thomas Grant, Frank Lombardi, Daniel R. Puckett, Cory Brown
  • Publication number: 20140311444
    Abstract: A compression ignition engine is 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. Before and after a rapid load loss transient, the liquid and gaseous rail pressures are controlled toward respective pressures based upon engine speed and load. During the transient, the liquid rail pressure is controlled relative to the gas rail pressure in order to maintain the liquid rail pressure greater than the gas pressure during the transient to avoid migration gaseous fuel into the liquid fuel side of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar, Inc.
    Inventors: Dana R. Coldren, Steven Thomas Grant, Frank Lombardi, Daniel R. Puckett
  • Publication number: 20140238353
    Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting leakage of a liquid fuel into a gas fuel rail of a dual-fuel system for an internal combustion engine are disclosed. The methods and systems include sending an injection signal from a controller to a fuel injector and subsequently injecting gas fuel and liquid fuel into a cylinder for combustion. A pressure in the gas rail detects the pressure in the gas rail over a pre-determined time period after the injection event. A controller measures pressure fluctuations in the gas rail over a pre-determined time period after the injection event. If the pressure in the gas rail fluctuates by more than the pre-determined amount, the controller is programmed to take at least one mitigating action to prevent or limit damage to the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Cory A. Brown, Michael A. Brown, Steven Thomas Grant, Daniel Reese Puckett, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140202429
    Abstract: A system, related method and computer program product are disclosed for controlling fuel mass of CNG received by an engine. The system may comprise a heat exchanger configured to receive CLNG and supply coolant and to output CNG and return coolant, an injector configured to inject CNG into the engine, a gas line between the injector and heat exchanger, a control valve configured to receive return coolant from the heat exchanger and to change the amount of return coolant flowing through control valve, and a controller connected to the control valve. The gas line may be configured to carry CNG from the heat exchanger to the injector. The controller may be configured to maintain a Gas Line Temperature within an operating range by adjusting the amount of return coolant flowing through the control valve based, at least in part, on the Gas Line Temperature and a Target Return Coolant Temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Steven Thomas Grant, Frank Lombardi, Daniel Reese Puckett, Cory A. Brown, Joshua Wayne Steffen, Paul Joseph Desiderio
  • Publication number: 20140188372
    Abstract: A dual fuel common rail system may be operated in a regular mode in which a relatively large charge of gaseous fuel is ignited by compression igniting a relatively small injection quantity of liquid diesel fuel. The dual fuel system may be operated in a single fuel limp home mode in which liquid diesel fuel is injected at higher pressures. When transitioning from the single fuel limp home mode to the dual fuel regular mode, accumulated leaked liquid fuel in the gaseous nozzle chamber of each fuel injector is purged and burned in the respective engine cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Puckett, Steven Thomas Grant, Frank Lombardi