Patents by Inventor William Charles Ruona

William Charles Ruona 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: 11499471
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing heat loss to a turbocharger during cold engine starting are described. In one example, a turbocharger bypass pipe and a turbocharger turbine pipe are oriented at forty five degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of a catalyst so that a turbocharger turbine may be completely bypassed, thereby increasing the amount of energy that may be transferred to the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaogang Zhang, Peter Moilanen, Ray Host, Steven Wooldridge, William Charles Ruona, Jianwen Yi
  • Publication number: 20220235694
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing heat loss to a turbocharger during cold engine starting are described. In one example, a turbocharger bypass pipe and a turbocharger turbine pipe are oriented at forty five degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of a catalyst so that a turbocharger turbine may be completely bypassed, thereby increasing the amount of energy that may be transferred to the catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Xiaogang Zhang, Peter Moilanen, Ray Host, Steven Wooldridge, William Charles Ruona, Jianwen Yi
  • Patent number: 11300064
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for an aftertreatment system. In one example, a system comprising a spark-ignited engine comprising a selective catalytic reduction device (SCR) arranged in an exhaust passage downstream of a catalyst, and an injector positioned to inject a reductant directly into the exhaust passage downstream of the catalyst subsequent an engine shut-off event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James Uhrich, Giovanni Cavataio, William Charles Ruona, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Publication number: 20220003179
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for an aftertreatment system. In one example, a system comprising a spark-ignited engine comprising a selective catalytic reduction device (SCR) arranged in an exhaust passage downstream of a catalyst, and an injector positioned to inject a reductant directly into the exhaust passage downstream of the catalyst subsequent an engine shut-off event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Michael James Uhrich, Giovanni Cavataio, William Charles Ruona, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 11035315
    Abstract: The present description relates generally to methods and systems to compensate for oxygen sensor drift caused by hydrogen diffusion within the exhaust system. In one example, a method includes adjusting a fuel amount supplied to an engine based on an estimated amount of hydrogen in the reference cell of an oxygen sensor. In this way, oxygen sensor bias on sensed AFR may be corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Karl Bidner, Stephen William Magner, William Charles Ruona
  • Publication number: 20210095612
    Abstract: The present description relates generally to methods and systems to compensate for oxygen sensor drift caused by hydrogen diffusion within the exhaust system. In one example, a method includes adjusting a fuel amount supplied to an engine based on an estimated amount of hydrogen in the reference cell of an oxygen sensor. In this way, oxygen sensor bias on sensed AFR may be corrected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: David Karl Bidner, Stephen William Magner, William Charles Ruona
  • Patent number: 10946739
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle adapted to be operated based on fuel combustion or electric power. In one example, an accessory train of the vehicle, including an air conditioning pump and a power steering pump, may be operated according to a first mode or according to a second mode based on a power system of the vehicle. When in the second mode, the vehicle may be instructed to coordinate operation of the air conditioning pump and the power steering pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, William Charles Ruona
  • Patent number: 10914229
    Abstract: Embodiments for controlling condensate in a charge air cooler are provided. In one example, a charge air cooler comprises an inlet to admit charge air, a plurality of heat exchange passages to remove heat from the charge air, an outlet configured to discharge the charge air from the heat exchange passages to an intake passage upstream of an intake manifold of an engine, and a dispersion element extending at least partially across the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William Charles Ruona, Gopichandra Surnilla, David Karl Bidner
  • Patent number: 10865721
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating an engine to diagnose and compensate for cylinder imbalance in an engine. In one example, a method may include diagnosing a torque imbalance in a multi-cylinder engine by operating the engine at a lean air-fuel ratio (AFR) while an amount of ammonia stored in an selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system is greater than a threshold amount and a temperature of the engine is greater than a threshold temperature; and responsive to the diagnosed torque imbalance, adjusting fueling and spark timing for each cylinder, the adjustments based on an AFR offset of each cylinder determined while adjusting the lean AFR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Michael James Uhrich, William Charles Ruona, Giovanni Cavataio
  • Patent number: 10808650
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for implementing fluid injection through a cylinder valve seat. The engine system may include a cylinder valve with a valve head mating with a valve seat when the valve is closed. The valve seat includes an injection orifice blocked by the valve head when the cylinder valve is closed and unblocked when the cylinder valve is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph F. Basmaji, Mark Madin, William Charles Ruona, John Cornell
  • Patent number: 10711672
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling and coordinating control of a post-catalyst exhaust throttle and an EGR valve to expedite catalyst heating. By closing both valves during an engine cold start, an elevated exhaust backpressure and increased heat rejection at an EGR cooler can be synergistically used to warm each of an engine and an exhaust catalyst. The valves may also be controlled to vary an amount of exhaust flowing through an exhaust venturi so as to meet engine vacuum needs while providing a desired amount of engine EGR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, William Charles Ruona, Thomas G. Leone, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Publication number: 20200149497
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for implementing fluid injection through a cylinder valve seat. The engine system may include a cylinder valve with a valve head mating with a valve seat when the valve is closed. The valve seat includes an injection orifice blocked by the valve head when the cylinder valve is closed and unblocked when the cylinder valve is opened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Joseph F. Basmaji, Mark Madin, William Charles Ruona, John Cornell
  • Publication number: 20200114759
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle adapted to be operated based on fuel combustion or electric power. In one example, an accessory train of the vehicle, including an air conditioning pump and a power steering pump, may be operated according to a first mode or according to a second mode based on a power system of the vehicle. When in the second mode, the vehicle may be instructed to coordinate operation of the air conditioning pump and the power steering pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, William Charles Ruona
  • Patent number: 10450981
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing an engine thermal encapsulation positioned around a powertrain of a vehicle. In one example, degradation of the thermal encapsulation may be determined by comparing a temperature sampled via a sensor during engine off condition with an expected temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Anthony Tascillo, Thomas G. Leone, Kenneth James Miller, William Charles Ruona
  • Patent number: 10287938
    Abstract: A method for a vehicle comprises responsive to installation of a new exhaust particulate filter, doping fuel with an ash-producing additive, and combusting the doped fuel to produce ash, wherein the ash deposits as an ash coating on the new exhaust particulate filter. In this way, a filtration efficiency of an exhaust particulate filter can be increased quickly as compared to a filter with no deposited ash coating, inexpensively as compared to conventional methods using membranes, and with a lower back pressure drop as compared to conventional methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James Robert Warner, Timothy Brian Chanko, William Charles Ruona, Giovanni Cavataio, Douglas Allen Dobson
  • Publication number: 20190111939
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes an engine and an electric motor each configured to power the vehicle, and a controller configured to, responsive to both an engine-only drive range being less than a threshold and a drive mode being electric-only, operate an engine to charge a battery to deplete fuel for the engine and to reduce the engine-only drive range toward zero, and responsive to the engine-only drive range becoming zero, generate an alert.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Joseph Norman ULREY, Ross Dykstra PURSIFULL, William Charles RUONA
  • Patent number: 10163279
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for compensating an instantaneous fuel economy reading for stored energy. One method comprises, when a vehicle undergoes a sufficient change in one or more of square of vehicle speed and vehicle altitude, estimating a conversion factor for fuel due to stored vehicle energy and adjusting the instantaneous fuel economy reading by the estimated conversion factor. The adjusted instantaneous fuel economy reading may be displayed to an operator of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull, William Charles Ruona
  • Publication number: 20180347493
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing an engine thermal encapsulation positioned around a powertrain of a vehicle. In one example, degradation of the thermal encapsulation may be determined by comparing a temperature sampled via a sensor during engine off condition with an expected temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Anthony Tascillo, Thomas G. Leone, Kenneth James Miller, William Charles Ruona
  • Patent number: 10138840
    Abstract: A surface of a piston and/or a cylinder head and/or a cylinder bore of an internal combustion cylinder with selectively applied plasma transferred wire arc coating which acts as a thermal barrier improving fuel efficiency and reducing fuel emissions and a method of producing the plasma transferred wire arc coating on a surface of a piston and/or cylinder head and/or a cylinder bore of a compression ignition and/or spark ignition engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William Charles Ruona, Rick L. Williams, Thomas G. Leone, Clifford E. Maki
  • Patent number: 9964058
    Abstract: Methods and systems for increasing fuel economy of a vehicle including a SCR catalyst are presented. In one example, an amount of EGR provided to an engine is decreased in response to performance of the SCR being within a predetermined range of performance. The methods and systems may increase vehicle fuel economy while vehicle tailpipe emissions are achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Kurtz, Paul Joseph Tennison, William Charles Ruona, Waheed Alashe, David A. May, Joshua Putman Styron