Patents by Inventor Wade James Robel

Wade James Robel 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: 11391223
    Abstract: A controller may identify an indication to initiate an engine braking procedure associated with an engine of a machine. The controller may obtain, based on identifying the indication to initiate the engine braking procedure, information relating to a requested amount of engine braking power of the engine. The controller may cause one or more components of a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) of the engine to adjust, and a throttle valve of the engine to adjust, based on the information relating to the requested amount of engine braking power of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Wade James Robel, Spencer Landon Huhn, Kevin Weiss, John Robert McDonald, Jason Kenneth Bloms
  • Publication number: 20220056854
    Abstract: A controller may identify an indication to initiate an engine braking procedure associated with an engine of a machine. The controller may obtain, based on identifying the indication to initiate the engine braking procedure, information relating to a requested amount of engine braking power of the engine. The controller may cause one or more components of a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) of the engine to adjust, and a throttle valve of the engine to adjust, based on the information relating to the requested amount of engine braking power of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Wade James ROBEL, Spencer Landon HUHN, Kevin WEISS, John Robert McDONALD, Jason Kenneth BLOMS
  • Patent number: 10975815
    Abstract: A fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel system, a valve train, and a fuel injector including a cam actuated plunger. The fuel injector has a noise suppressor fluidly connecting a plunger cavity to each of a spill passage and a nozzle supply passage in the fuel injector. The noise suppressor has an inlet configuration forming a fuel admission flow area to the plunger cavity, and an outlet configuration forming a fuel discharge flow area. The fuel discharge flow area is smaller than the fuel admission flow area, and the noise suppressor adjusts to the outlet configuration to throttle discharging of fuel from the plunger cavity to limit valve train noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Wade James Robel, Thomas Jeffrey Crowell, Lifeng Wang
  • Publication number: 20190353125
    Abstract: A fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel system, a valve train, and a fuel injector including a cam actuated plunger. The fuel injector has a noise suppressor fluidly connecting a plunger cavity to each of a spill passage and a nozzle supply passage in the fuel injector. The noise suppressor has an inlet configuration forming a fuel admission flow area to the plunger cavity, and an outlet configuration forming a fuel discharge flow area. The fuel discharge flow area is smaller than the fuel admission flow area, and the noise suppressor adjusts to the outlet configuration to throttle discharging of fuel from the plunger cavity to limit valve train noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Wade James Robel, Thomas Jeffrey Crowell, Lifeng Wang
  • Patent number: 8828325
    Abstract: A catalyst is disclosed. The catalyst contains a ternary nitride and at least one of gold, osmium, iridium, palladium, rhodium, rhenium, ruthenium, or cesium. The catalyst may be used for a particulate filter in an engine exhaust treatment system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Herbert Florey Martins DaCosta, Thomas Edward Paulson, Svetlana Mikhailovna Zemskova, James Joshua Driscoll, Wade James Robel
  • Publication number: 20090056320
    Abstract: A catalyst is disclosed. The catalyst contains a ternary nitride and at least one of gold, osmium, iridium, palladium, rhodium, rhenium, ruthenium, or cesium. The catalyst may be used for a particulate filter in an engine exhaust treatment system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Herbert Florey Martins DaCosta, Thomas Edward Paulson, Svetlana Mikhailovna Zemskova, James Joshua Driscoll, Wade James Robel
  • Patent number: 7464540
    Abstract: A power system is provided having a power source, a first power source section with a first intake passage and a first exhaust passage, a second power source section with a second intake passage and a second exhaust passage, and an oxygen separator. The second intake passage may be fluidly isolated from the first intake passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: William Lanier Easley, Jr., Gerald Nelson Coleman, Wade James Robel
  • Publication number: 20080202096
    Abstract: A particulate regeneration system for an engine is disclosed. The particulate regeneration system may have a particulate filter configured to remove particulate matter from a flow of engine exhaust, and a diesel oxidation catalyst located upstream of the particulate filter to facilitate oxidation of the trapped particulate matter. The particulate regeneration system may further have a regeneration device located upstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst and configured to selectively heat the exhaust above an oxidation temperature of the trapped particulate matter, and a selective catalytic reduction device located downstream of the particulate filter to remove NOx from the engine exhaust. The particulate regeneration system may also have a controller in communication with the regeneration device and the engine. The controller may be configured to modify engine operation in response to initiation of a regeneration event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: James Joshua Driscoll, Wade James Robel
  • Publication number: 20070277506
    Abstract: A power system is provided having a power source, a first power source section with a first intake passage and a first exhaust passage, a second power source section with a second intake passage and a second exhaust passage, and an oxygen separator. The second intake passage may be fluidly isolated from the first intake passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventors: William Lanier Easley, Gerald Nelson Coleman, Wade James Robel
  • Patent number: 7171924
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has at least one combustion chamber and a piston slidably disposed within the at least one combustion chamber. The piston is configured to reciprocate between a top-dead-center position and a bottom-dead-center position. The internal combustion engine also has an air supply in selective fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber and a fuel supply in selective fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber. The internal combustion engine further has a supply of non-combustible gas and at least one injector in fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber and the supply of non-combustible gas. The at least one injector is configured to inject non-combustible gas from the supply into the at least one combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventors: Wade James Robel, Scott B. Fiveland, Joel D. Hiltner
  • Patent number: 7055472
    Abstract: An engine valve actuator is provided. The actuator includes an actuator housing that defines a tank adapted to store a supply of fluid and a bore in fluid communication with the tank. A piston is slidably disposed in the bore of the actuator housing. The piston is adapted to move between a first position and a second position where the piston selectively engages an engine valve. A mechanical biasing element acts on the piston to move the piston towards the second position. A control valve is disposed between the tank and the bore in the actuator housing. The control valve is moveable between a first position where fluid is allowed to flow between the tank and the bore and a second position where fluid is prevented from flowing between the bore and the tank to trap fluid in the bore. The trapped fluid prevents the piston from moving with respect to the actuator housing to thereby prevent the engine valve from moving to a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Wade James Robel, Sean O. Cornell
  • Patent number: 6941909
    Abstract: An engine valve actuator is provided. The actuator includes an actuator housing that defines a tank adapted to store a supply of fluid and a bore in fluid communication with the tank. A piston is slidably disposed in the bore of the actuator housing. The piston is adapted to move between a first position and a second position where the piston selectively engages an engine valve. A mechanical biasing element acts on the piston to move the piston towards the second position. A control valve is disposed between the tank and the bore in the actuator housing. The control valve is moveable between a first position where fluid is allowed to flow between the tank and the bore and a second position where fluid is prevented from flowing between the bore and the tank to trap fluid in the bore. The trapped fluid prevents the piston from moving with respect to the actuator housing to thereby prevent the engine valve from moving to a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventors: Wade James Robel, Sean O. Cornell
  • Publication number: 20040250783
    Abstract: An engine valve actuator is provided. The actuator includes an actuator housing that defines a tank adapted to store a supply of fluid and a bore in fluid communication with the tank. A piston is slidably disposed in the bore of the actuator housing. The piston is adapted to move between a first position and a second position where the piston selectively engages an engine valve. A mechanical biasing element acts on the piston to move the piston towards the second position. A control valve is disposed between the tank and the bore in the actuator housing. The control valve is moveable between a first position where fluid is allowed to flow between the tank and the bore and a second position where fluid is prevented from flowing between the bore and the tank to trap fluid in the bore. The trapped fluid prevents the piston from moving with respect to the actuator housing to thereby prevent the engine valve from moving to a closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Wade James Robel, Sean O. Cornell