Patents by Inventor Thomas LaRose, Jr.

Thomas LaRose, Jr. 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: 10794253
    Abstract: A coolant control system of a vehicle includes a coolant pump that pumps coolant to a second radiator that is different than a first radiator that receives coolant from an engine of the vehicle. A diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) injector injects a DEF into an exhaust system and receives coolant output from the second radiator. A fuel heat exchanger transfers heat between coolant and fuel flowing therethrough. An engine control module is configured to determine a temperature of the DEF injector, control a duty cycle of the coolant pump, determine a vaporized condition of the coolant based on a DEF injector temperature, optionally further, in response to determining a vaporized condition of the coolant, implement a vapor purge by oscillating the duty cycle of the coolant pump, and optionally further identify a low-coolant condition of the coolant control system based on the vapor purges implemented during a time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Douglas C. Sarsen, Thomas LaRose, Jr., Nicholas Girardi
  • Publication number: 20190383187
    Abstract: A coolant control system of a vehicle includes a coolant pump that pumps coolant to a second radiator that is different than a first radiator that receives coolant from an engine of the vehicle. A diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) injector injects a DEF into an exhaust system and receives coolant output from the second radiator. A fuel heat exchanger transfers heat between coolant and fuel flowing therethrough. An engine control module is configured to determine a temperature of the DEF injector, control a duty cycle of the coolant pump, determine a vaporized condition of the coolant based on a DEF injector temperature, optionally further, in response to determining a vaporized condition of the coolant, implement a vapor purge by oscillating the duty cycle of the coolant pump, and optionally further identify a low-coolant condition of the coolant control system based on the vapor purges implemented during a time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Douglas C. Sarsen, Thomas LaRose, JR., Nicholas Girardi
  • Publication number: 20190211740
    Abstract: A coolant control system of a vehicle includes a coolant pump that pumps coolant to a heat exchanger. A diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) injector injects a DEF into an exhaust system and receives coolant output from the heat exchanger. A fuel heat exchanger transfers heat between coolant and fuel flowing through the fuel heat exchanger. An engine control module is configured to determine a first requested speed for DEF injector cooling, determine a second requested speed for fuel cooling, and based on at least one of the first and second requested speeds, selectively increase at least one of: opening of a valve that controls a flow rate of fuel flowing from the fuel rail to the fuel tank, a flow rate of fuel from fuel injectors of an engine to the fuel tank, and a target speed of the coolant pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas LAROSE, JR., Nicholas Girardi, Douglas C. Sarsen, Michael A. Smith
  • Patent number: 10329995
    Abstract: A coolant control system of a vehicle includes a coolant pump that pumps coolant to a heat exchanger. A diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) injector injects a DEF into an exhaust system and receives coolant output from the heat exchanger. A fuel heat exchanger transfers heat between coolant and fuel flowing through the fuel heat exchanger. An engine control module is configured to determine a first requested speed for DEF injector cooling, determine a second requested speed for fuel cooling, and based on at least one of the first and second requested speeds, selectively increase at least one of: opening of a valve that controls a flow rate of fuel flowing from the fuel rail to the fuel tank, a flow rate of fuel from fuel injectors of an engine to the fuel tank, and a target speed of the coolant pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Larose, Jr., Nicholas Girardi, Douglas C. Sarsen, Michael A. Smith
  • Patent number: 10215072
    Abstract: Method for controlling and detecting ammonium nitrate and/or ammonium nitrite poisoning within selective catalytic reduction (SCR) devices and systems incorporating the same are provided. Methods can include detecting a SCR inlet exhaust gas NO2:NOx ratio above a poisoning NOx flux threshold, detecting a SCR temperature below a poisoning temperature threshold, and determining SCR catalyst poisoning. Methods can further include performing a SCR catalyst cleaning strategy, wherein the SCR cleaning strategy comprises heating the SCR catalyst composition to a temperature above the poisoning temperature threshold. Cleaning strategies can including utilizing a heater, implementing a post-injection, after-injection, and/or auxiliary injection engine strategy wherein the engine is configured to supply exhaust gas to the SCR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Michael A. Smith, Praveen S. Chavannavar, Po-I Lee, Sarah Funk, Thomas LaRose, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10151229
    Abstract: A method for controlling an exhaust gas treatment system is provided. The exhaust gas treatment system includes an exhaust gas stream supplied by an exhaust gas source to a selective catalytic reduction device, and a reductant supply source utilizing a volumetric pump. The exhaust gas source can include an internal combustion engine (ICE), such as a gasoline or diesel ICE. The method for controlling an exhaust gas treatment system includes commanding a reductant dosing quantity, determining a volumetric pump energizing time, determining an energizing time correction, and energizing the pump. The volumetric pump can comprise pump logic, and the volumetric pump energizing time can be determined by the pump logic. The energizing time correction can be determined using a calibration table. The calibration table can prescribe an energizing time correction based on a current pump pressure and the commanded dosing quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas LaRose, Jr., Giovanni David, Jose Marcelino Garcia
  • Publication number: 20180274421
    Abstract: Method for controlling and detecting ammonium nitrate and/or ammonium nitrite poisoning within selective catalytic reduction (SCR) devices and systems incorporating the same are provided. Methods can include detecting a SCR inlet exhaust gas NO2:NOx ratio above a poisoning NOx flux threshold, detecting a SCR temperature below a poisoning temperature threshold, and determining SCR catalyst poisoning. Methods can further include performing a SCR catalyst cleaning strategy, wherein the SCR cleaning strategy comprises heating the SCR catalyst composition to a temperature above the poisoning temperature threshold. Cleaning strategies can including utilizing a heater, implementing a post-injection, after-injection, and/or auxiliary injection engine strategy wherein the engine is configured to supply exhaust gas to the SCR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Michael A. Smith, Praveen S. Chavannavar, Po-I Lee, Sarah Funk, Thomas LaRose, JR.
  • Publication number: 20180149056
    Abstract: A method for controlling an exhaust gas treatment system is provided. The exhaust gas treatment system includes an exhaust gas stream supplied by an exhaust gas source to a selective catalytic reduction device, and a reductant supply source utilizing a volumetric pump. The exhaust gas source can include an internal combustion engine (ICE), such as a gasoline or diesel ICE. The method for controlling an exhaust gas treatment system includes commanding a reductant dosing quantity, determining a volumetric pump energizing time, determining an energizing time correction, and energizing the pump. The volumetric pump can comprise pump logic, and the volumetric pump energizing time can be determined by the pump logic. The energizing time correction can be determined using a calibration table. The calibration table can prescribe an energizing time correction based on a current pump pressure and the commanded dosing quantity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas LaRose, JR., Giovanni David, Jose Marcelino Garcia
  • Patent number: 9797286
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system includes an SCRF device, a reductant delivery system, and an SCR storage module. The SCRF device includes a filter portion having a washcoat formed thereon that defines a washcoat thickness (WCT). The reductant delivery system is configured to inject a reductant that reacts with the washcoat based on a reductant storage model. The SCR storage module is in electrical communication with the reductant delivery system to provide the reductant storage model the amount of reductant to be injected based on the reductant storage model. The exhaust treatment system further includes a WCT compensation module configured to electrically communicate a WCT compensation value to the SCR storage module. The SCR storage module modifies the reductant storage model according to the WCT compensation value such that the amount of ammonia that slips from the SCRF device is reduced thereby increasing a storage efficiency of the SCRF device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Larose, Jr., Christopher Whitt, Christopher C. Swoish, Justin Adam Shetney
  • Patent number: 9574483
    Abstract: An engine control system includes an injection determination module, a correction factor determination module, and a regeneration control module. The injection determination module determines a desired amount of hydrocarbons (HC) to inject into exhaust gas produced by an engine based a flow rate of the exhaust gas. The correction factor determination module determines a correction factor for the desired amount of HC based on engine speed and engine load. The regeneration control module controls injection of an adjusted amount of HC into the exhaust gas during regeneration of a particulate matter filter, wherein the adjusted amount of HC is based on the desired amount of HC and the correction factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Sarah Funk, Thomas Larose, Jr., Patrick Barasa, Michael V. Taylor
  • Patent number: 9441525
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is fluidly coupled to an exhaust aftertreatment system including a particulate filter. A method for operating the internal combustion engine includes determining an expected boost pressure of an intake air compressor system in response to an output torque request, determining a deviation between an actual boost pressure and the expected boost pressure, determining a engine-out soot generation rate correction based upon the deviation between the actual boost pressure and the expected boost pressure, adjusting a steady-state engine-out soot generation rate using the engine-out soot generation rate correction, time-integrating the adjusted steady-state engine-out soot generation rate, and commanding regeneration of the particulate filter when the time-integrated adjusted engine-out soot generation rate exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Swoish, Douglas Christopher Sarsen, Christopher Whitt, Thomas Larose, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9371763
    Abstract: A method of controlling an exhaust gas treatment system of a vehicle includes detecting a request to regenerate a particulate filter, and injecting hydrocarbons at an injection rate into a flow of exhaust gas upstream of an oxidation catalyst to heat the oxidation catalyst. The injection rate is increased at a current acceleration rate, and the current acceleration rate is reduced to define a reduced acceleration rate when the oxidation catalyst is quenched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Thomas LaRose, Jr., David Michael VanBuren, Patrick Barasa, Michael V. Taylor, Kari Jackson
  • Patent number: 9291084
    Abstract: A vehicle and a method of updating efficiency of a selective catalytic reduction filter (SCRF) of an exhaust treatment system of the vehicle are disclosed. The method includes obtaining an initial calculated efficiency of the SCRF, via a controller, regarding one of a NOx conversion, a reductant absorption, a reductant desorption and a reductant oxidation. The method also includes determining a soot mass estimate in the SCRF representative of an amount of soot collected inside the SCRF and determining a soot correction factor from the soot mass estimate. The method further includes calculating, via the controller, an updated efficiency value of the SCRF by multiplying the soot correction factor and the initial calculated efficiency to update efficiency of the SCRF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Larose, Jr., Christopher C. Swoish, Christopher Whitt, Joshua Clifford Bedford
  • Patent number: 9228467
    Abstract: A urea injection controller for a motorized system includes a passive regeneration model configured and disposed to calculate an amount of NOx conversion resulting from an interaction between exhaust gases and soot entrained in a selective catalyst reduction filter (SCRF) device, a replenishment mode trigger module configured to set an ammonia replenishment request based on the passive regeneration model, and a replenishment control module configured to selectively activate a urea injector to discharge a particular amount of urea based on the regeneration model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Swoish, Thomas Larose, Jr., Christopher Whitt, Joshua Clifford Bedford
  • Patent number: 9206719
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system to treat exhaust gas includes a particulate filter and a pressure sensor. The particulate filter is configured to trap soot contained in exhaust gas. The pressure sensor is configured to output a pressure signal indicative of a pressure differential of the particulate filter. The exhaust treatment system further includes a soot mass module configured to determine a soot mass. The soot mass is indicative of an amount of soot stored in the particulate filter based on the pressure differential and a soot model stored in a memory device. The exhaust treatment system further includes a continuously regenerating trap (CRT) compensation module configured to generate a variable CRT threshold. The CRT compensation module selectively outputs a CRT compensation value that modifies the soot model based on comparison between the NOx flow rate and the soot mass-based variable CRT threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Swoish, Douglas Christopher Sarsen, Christopher Whitt, Thomas Larose, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9149801
    Abstract: A system and method for adapting the clean filter correction map for a selective catalyst reduction filter SCRF of an exhaust gas aftertreatment system are provided. The system may be in fluid communication with an engine of a vehicle. The system may include a first pressure sensor and a second pressure. A differential pressure module is in communication with the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor and configured to generate a delta pressure signal corresponding to a pressure drop between the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor. The system may also include a controller configured to determine a number of completed regeneration events of the SCRF; compare the number of completed regeneration events to an evaluation element; and enable an adaptation module by executing one of a first control action, a second control action, and a third control action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Whitt, Thomas Larose, Jr., Christopher C. Swoish, Joshua Clifford Bedford
  • Patent number: 9133747
    Abstract: An exhaust treatment system includes a selective catalyst reduction filter (SCRF) device, a reductant delivery system, and a reductant storage module. The SCRF device includes a filter portion having a washcoat disposed thereon that defines a washcoat thickness (WCT). The reductant delivery system is configured to inject a reductant that reacts with the washcoat. The reductant storage module is in electrical communication with the reductant delivery system to determine a reductant setpoint that controls the amount of reductant injected from the reductant delivery system. The exhaust treatment system further includes a WCT compensation module configured to electrically communicate a WCT compensation value to the reductant storage module. The reductant storage module adjusts the setpoint according to the WCT compensation value such that the amount of ammonia that slips from the SCRF device is reduced as compared to the first setpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technoogy Operations LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Larose, Jr., Christopher C. Swoish, Christopher Whitt, Justin Adam Shetney
  • Publication number: 20150233277
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is fluidly coupled to an exhaust aftertreatment system including a particulate filter. A method for operating the internal combustion engine includes determining an expected boost pressure of an intake air compressor system in response to an output torque request, determining a deviation between an actual boost pressure and the expected boost pressure, determining a engine-out soot generation rate correction based upon the deviation between the actual boost pressure and the expected boost pressure, adjusting a steady-state engine-out soot generation rate using the engine-out soot generation rate correction, time-integrating the adjusted steady-state engine-out soot generation rate, and commanding regeneration of the particulate filter when the time-integrated adjusted engine-out soot generation rate exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: CHRISTOPHER C. SWOISH, DOUGLAS CHRISTOPHER SARSEN, CHRISTOPHER WHITT, THOMAS LAROSE, JR.
  • Patent number: 9080483
    Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method for controlling regeneration for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, wherein the exhaust system includes a particulate filter is provided, where the method includes determining a mass flow rate of oxygen received from the internal combustion engine, determining a particulate mass within the particulate filter, determining a desired particulate burn rate based on the mass flow rate of oxygen and the particulate mass and determining a current particulate burn rate. The method also includes determining a correction value based on the desired particulate burn rate and the current particulate burn rate, determining a temperature set point for exhaust gas entering the particulate filter based on the correction value, an engine speed and an engine load and communicating a signal, from a controller, to control a parameter for a regeneration system based on the determined temperature set point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Thomas LaRose, Jr., Christopher Whitt, Christopher C. Swoish, Douglas Christopher Sarsen
  • Patent number: 9051889
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an intake air compressor system and is fluidly coupled to an exhaust aftertreatment system having a particulate filter. A method for operating the internal combustion engine includes determining a total engine-out soot generation based upon a summation of a steady-state engine-out soot generation rate and an engine-out soot generation rate correction. The engine-out soot generation rate correction is either zero when the intake air compressor system is closed-loop controlled or a rate based upon a deviation between an actual boost pressure and an expected boost pressure from the intake air compressor system. The particulate filter is regenerated when the total engine-out soot generation exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Christopher C. Swoish, Douglas Christopher Sarsen, Christopher Whitt, Thomas Larose, Jr.