Patents by Inventor Tommaso De Fazio

Tommaso De Fazio 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: 8751135
    Abstract: A method is provided to diagnose a fault in a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine. The method includes, but is not limited to commanding an injection pulse for injecting a test quantity of fuel into an engine cylinder, determining the torque released to an engine crankshaft due to the injection pulse, calculating the difference between this released torque and an expected value for the torque, and of detecting a fault in the fuel injection system if the difference exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Marco Girotto, Tommaso De Fazio, Michele Bastianelli
  • Patent number: 8126633
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine is provided and at least a first map of prefixed first values is predetermined, each prefixed first value being a function of a prefixed nominal fuel quantity (Qecu—prefix). The method includes, but is not limited to the steps of determining a nominal fuel quantity (Qecu) for one injection, calculating an actual, torque forming, injected fuel quantity of the injection (QUEGO) and calculating at least one first parameter (Qdelta) which is related to the actual, torque forming, injected fuel quantity of the injection (QUEGO). After that, the nominal fuel quantity (Qecu) is modified according to the value of the at least one first parameter (Qdelta) so as to obtain a corrected fuel quantity (QecuCorr) that corresponds to the actual fuel quantity injected during the injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Tommaso De Fazio, Giovanni Rovatti
  • Patent number: 8036811
    Abstract: A method is provided that includes, but is not limited to acquiring the crankshaft speed signal while one fuel injector is energized for a determined period of time (ET) in which all the other fuel injectors are de-energized, processing the acquired crankshaft speed signal so as to obtain signals or data (A) representative of the amplitude of a predetermined harmonic component of the crankshaft speed signal, and calculating the power (RMS/MS) of said harmonic component, and assuming the calculated power value (C) as an estimation of the quantity of fuel actually injected by the energized injector in said predetermined period of time (ET).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Tommaso De Fazio, Michele Bastianelli, Giovanni Rovatti
  • Publication number: 20110224888
    Abstract: A method is provided to diagnose a fault in a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine. The method includes, but is not limited to commanding an injection pulse for injecting a test quantity of fuel into an engine cylinder, determining the torque released to an engine crankshaft due to the injection pulse, calculating the difference between this released torque and an expected value for the torque, and of detecting a fault in the fuel injection system if the difference exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Marco GIROTTO, Tommaso De FAZIO, Michele BASTIANELLI
  • Publication number: 20110160983
    Abstract: A method is provided for correcting the cylinder unbalancing in an internal combustion engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Tommaso De Fazio, Michele Bastianelli, Giovanni Rovatti
  • Publication number: 20110125389
    Abstract: A method is provided for the determination of the actual quantity of fuel injected in an internal combustion engine, in particular a Diesel engine. The engine includes, but is not limited to an inlet line and an exhaust line, at least one cylinder and at least an injector for each of the cylinders. The method includes, but is not limited to, during a fuel cut-off state of the engine, at least an injection into one of the cylinders of a nominal fuel test quantity and, in correlation to the test injection, a determination of the air flow quantity MAF at the inlet of the engine, a determination of the parameter ? in the exhaust line of the engine, and a calculation of the actual quantity of fuel Qfuel injected in the test injection using the Electronic Control Unit of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Tommaso DE FAZIO, Michele BASTIANELLI
  • Publication number: 20090228188
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine is provided and at least a first map of prefixed first values is predetermined, each prefixed first value being a function of a prefixed nominal fuel quantity (Qecu—prefix). The method includes, but is not limited to the steps of determining a nominal fuel quantity (Qecu) for one injection, calculating an actual, torque forming, injected fuel quantity of the injection (QUEGO) and calculating at least one first parameter (Qdelta) which is related to the actual, torque forming, injected fuel quantity of the injection (QUEGO). After that, the nominal fuel quantity (Qecu) is modified according to the value of the at least one first parameter (Qdelta) so as to obtain a corrected fuel quantity (QecuCorr) that corresponds to the actual fuel quantity injected during the injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Tommaso DE FAZIO, Giovanni ROVATTI
  • Publication number: 20090192696
    Abstract: A method is provided that includes, but is not limited to acquiring the crankshaft speed signal while one fuel injector is energized for a determined period of time (ET) in which all the other fuel injectors are de-energized, processing the acquired crankshaft speed signal so as to obtain signals or data (A) representative of the amplitude of a predetermined harmonic component of the crankshaft speed signal, and calculating the power (RMS/MS) of said harmonic component, and assuming the calculated power value (C) as an estimation of the quantity of fuel actually injected by the energized injector in said predetermined period of time (ET).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Tommaso DE FAZIO, Michele BASTIANELLI, Giovanni ROVATTI
  • Publication number: 20090018784
    Abstract: A method is provided for estimating a pressure drop (?p) between two sections of an exhaust line of an engine, such as a diesel engine. The method includes, but is not limited to the steps of measuring a fresh air flow rate ({dot over (m)}a) into the engine, measuring a fuel flow rate ({dot over (m)}f) into the engine, calculating an exhaust gas flow rate ({dot over (M)}) from the fresh air and fuel flow rates ({dot over (m)}a, {dot over (m)}f), determining an estimated pressure drop (?p) as a function of the exhaust gas flow rate ({dot over (M)}), characterized in that the exhaust gas flow rate ({dot over (M)}) is calculated as a weighted sum of the fresh air and fuel flow rates ({dot over (m)}a, {dot over (m)}f) wherein a weighting factor (k) of the fuel flow rate ({dot over (m)}f) is higher than a weighting factor of the fresh air flow rate ({dot over (m)}a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Maura DINTINO, Tommaso DE FAZIO, Giovanni ROVATTI