Patents Issued in June 21, 2016
  • Patent number: 9371757
    Abstract: A catalytic converter of an internal combustion engine may include: at least one inlet channel having an end through which an exhaust gas is flowed into and the other end which is blocked; at least one outlet channel having an end which is blocked and the other end through which the exhaust gas is discharged; and a wall defining a boundary between neighboring inlet channel and outlet channel, and adapted to flow the exhaust gas from the inlet channel to the outlet channel, wherein the wall includes a single-layered portion formed at an end portion and having a three-way catalyst layer, and a multi-layered portion being the portion other than the single-layered portion and having a three-way catalyst layer, a hydrocarbon trap layer and an insulating layer. An apparatus of purifying an exhaust gas is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Ki Young Yoon, Chibum In
  • Patent number: 9371758
    Abstract: A delivery device for delivering reducing agent into an exhaust-gas treatment device includes at least one delivery duct with at least one flexible wall region. The flexible wall region can deform when reducing agent in the delivery duct freezes. The flexible wall region separates the delivery duct from a compressed-air chamber which is connected to a compressed-air source. Methods for operating and deactivating a delivery device and a motor vehicle having a delivery device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: EMITEC Gesellschaft fuer Emissionstechnologie mbH
    Inventor: Anthony Truong
  • Patent number: 9371759
    Abstract: For a method for determining the concentration of aerosols in hot gases, particularly in exhaust gases of internal combustion engines, the removal of volatile and semi-volatile particles by heating the exhaust gas is provided, as well as the measurement of the concentration of the aerosols, optionally in a partial flow of an optionally diluted exhaust gas flow. In order to enable precise measurements of the aerosol concentration in the exhaust gas with lower energy consumption, the exhaust gas is divided in a first stage into two partial flows, both of which are heated, with one of the partial flows being filtered at least once, preferably before heating, and the two partial flows are subsequently recombined. In a second stage, the exhaust gas is again divided into two partial flows, with one of the partial flows being heated even further than in the first stage, and with the other partial flow being filtered at least once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: AVL List GmbH
    Inventors: Barouch Giechaskiel, Alexander Bergmann
  • Patent number: 9371760
    Abstract: A method for operating an exhaust gas treatment device including an electric heater for heating an exhaust gas flow in the exhaust gas treatment device and/or a surface in the exhaust gas treatment device and a feed point for feeding an additive into the exhaust gas treatment device to impinge upon the electric heater, includes supplying additives to the feed point, determining an operational state of the exhaust gas treatment device, in which deposits can impinge upon the electric heater, using at least one state variable, determining a cycle frequency in dependence on the operating state when the operating state lies in a predetermined operating state range, and cyclically activating and deactivating the electric heater using the determined cycle frequency when the determined operating state lies in the predetermined operating state range. A motor vehicle having the exhaust-gas treatment device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: EMITEC Gesellschaft fuer Emissionstechnologie mbH
    Inventors: Peter Hirth, Peter Bauer, Jan Hodgson
  • Patent number: 9371761
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to achieve improvement in an exhaust gas purification rate as well as suppression of breakage or damage of a heater element in an electric heating catalyst (EHC), by causing the heater element to generate heat in a more suitable manner. In an EHC according to the present invention, a pair of surface electrodes (7a) are formed in such a manner that they extend spirally from one end toward the other end of a heater element (3), which is formed into a cylindrical shape, along an outer circumferential surface of the heater element (3), and mutually cross each other while sandwiching the heater element (3) therebetween. Moreover, the width in each of the surface electrodes (7a) in the vicinity of their ends which are in contact with circumferences of end faces of the heater element (3) is enlarged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mamoru Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 9371762
    Abstract: A catalyst protection device includes: a catalyst provided in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine and purifying exhaust gas; a bed temperature acquisition unit acquiring a current bed temperature of the catalyst; a base increase value calculation unit calculating a base increase value that is a base value of an increase value of a fuel injection amount injected by a fuel injection valve included in the internal combustion engine in order to cool the catalyst when the current bed temperature exceeds a predetermined determination value; a compensator acquiring a corrected increase value by correcting the base increase value using a reduction coefficient that is calculated by incorporating a value of a target bed temperature set to a value strictly lower than the determination value; and an injection amount increasing unit selecting any one of the base increase value and the corrected increase value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinya Kondo, Yasuyuki Takama, Koji Aso
  • 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: 9371764
    Abstract: An after-treatment component for receiving an exhaust stream from an internal combustion engine comprises a vessel having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate section. The vessel defines an inlet port and an outlet port. The inlet port is in fluid communication with an inlet diffuser disposed within the vessel. The inlet diffuser is in fluid communication with the inlet port and with a diesel oxidation catalyst disposed within the vessel. The diesel oxidation catalyst is in fluid communication with the inlet diffuser and with a transfer duct. The transfer duct is in fluid communication with the diesel oxidation catalyst and with an intermediate diffuser disposed within the vessel. The intermediate diffuser is in fluid communication with the transfer duct and with a catalyzed filter disposed within the vessel. The catalyzed filter is in fluid communication with the intermediate diffuser and with the outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Moran, David E. Winn
  • Patent number: 9371765
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a metal filter for purifying the exhaust gas from a ship, and a preparation method thereof. The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a metal filter for purifying the exhaust gas from a ship, capable of reducing nitrogen oxide by 85% or more at 250-300° C.; and a preparation method thereof. The metal filter for removing nitrogen oxide contained in the exhaust gas from a ship of the present invention comprises an integrated catalyst, wherein a metal substrate comprising irregularities is coated with a low temperature active catalyst in which vanadium (V), tungsten (W) and alumina sol are supported in a Ti-pillared clay (Ti-PILC) powdered support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignees: HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES CO., LTD., HYUNDAI BNGSTEEL CO., LTD., E&D CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hee-Sung Yang, Joon-Ho Ko, Chan-Do Park, Seok-Lyong Song, Jae-Woo Lee, Sung-Young Lee, Jai-Hyun Park, Kyoung-Jae Kim, Seung-Han Han, Young-Jin Cho, Tae-Min Kim, Ju-Yong Jung
  • Patent number: 9371766
    Abstract: A method to control a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) having a compression ignition engine includes operating the engine based on an engine-on request and performing an exhaust aftertreatment procedure based on a completion time for the aftertreatment procedure compared to a predicted engine-on time determined using a driving pattern. An HEV is provided with a compression ignition engine with an aftertreatment system, and a controller. The controller is configured to: (i) operate the engine based on an engine-on request, and (ii) perform an exhaust aftertreatment procedure for the vehicle based on a completion time for the aftertreatment procedure compared to a predicted engine-on time determined using a driving pattern. A computer readable medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a controller to control a vehicle is provided with instructions for operating the engine based on an engine-on request, and instructions for performing an exhaust aftertreatment procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Qing Wang, Hai Yu, Ryan Abraham McGee, Fling Tseng
  • Patent number: 9371767
    Abstract: An aftertreatment system for treating exhaust gas discharged from a combustion engine may include a particulate filter, a reductant-injection system, an ammonia sensor and a control module. The particulate filter may be configured to filter exhaust gas discharged from the combustion engine. The reductant-injection system may be configured to inject a reductant into a stream of the exhaust gas upstream of the particulate filter. The ammonia sensor may be configured to sense a concentration of ammonia in the stream of exhaust gas downstream of the particulate filter. The control module may be in communication with the ammonia sensor and may determine a soot load of the particulate filter based on data received from the ammonia sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: John W. DeGeorge, Timothy P. Gardner
  • Patent number: 9371768
    Abstract: An exhaust system member having an upstream-side opening into which exhaust gas flows and a downstream-side opening from which exhaust gas flows includes: first and second members. The first member includes first facing portions each having a distal end portion bulged radially outward in the exhaust system member, a notch is provided at a boundary between the distal end portion and a proximal end portion radially inward of the distal end portion at each end portion of each first facing portion, adjacent to the corresponding opening. The second member includes second facing portions, each arranged on the radially inner side of the corresponding distal end portion, each second facing portion is welded at a portion overlapped with the corresponding first facing portion, and a distal end face of each second facing portion facing a proximal end-side notch face of the notch in the corresponding first facing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SANGO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Yamanari, Ryoji Tachibana, Keisuke Hatamura, Masayuki Kuno
  • Patent number: 9371769
    Abstract: An engine equipped with a secondary air supply device where a cylinder extends obliquely to define a space therebeneath, which includes: a cooling fan disposed laterally of the cylinder; a carburetor disposed closer to the space than the cooling fan; an exhaust muffler disposed opposite from the carburetor with the cylinder interposed therebetween and in communication with a cylinder head via an exhaust pipe; a secondary air introduction pipe connected to the exhaust pipe and extending from the exhaust pipe to the space so that its inlet end portion is located in the space; an intake nozzle provided in communication with the inlet end portion of the introduction pipe and having an opening portion that opens in an opposite direction from the cooling fan; and a partition wall disposed between the opening portion of the intake nozzle and the carburetor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Ninomiya, Chisako Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9371770
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) termed the Leaschauer Engine (LE). The Leaschauer Engine (LE) is a single or multiple step compression cycle ICE machine, employing the Pressure/Heat Detonation Principle (Diesel Principle). The Leaschauer Engine employs extreme combustion pressure to achieve high combustion efficiency operation without risking a pre-detonation condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Inventor: Eitan Leaschauer
  • Patent number: 9371771
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a precombustion chamber structure for a gas engine. The precombustion chamber structure is configured to facilitate disassembly of a precombustion chamber tip, thus making maintenance, repair or inspection of the precombustion chamber easy. For this, the precombustion chamber structure includes: a body (110) having a main body (111), a water jacket (112) and a precombustion chamber tip (113); and a spark plug (120) for igniting fuel gas injected into the precombustion chamber (114) formed in the body (110). The precombustion chamber structure ignites fuel gas and supplies the ignited fuel gas into a main combustion chamber. A tool insert groove (1131) is formed in the junction between the precombustion chamber tip and the water jacket. The tool insert groove (1131) allows a tool for disassembly to be inserted into a space between the precombustion chamber tip and the water jacket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dae-Jin Lee, Kwang-Cheol Heo, Chae-Soon Lim, Jong-Suk Kim
  • Patent number: 9371772
    Abstract: A supercharged internal combustion engine may include an exhaust gas turbocharger which is integrated into an exhaust section on the turbine side and into an intake section on the compressor side. An exhaust gas recirculation line may connect the exhaust section and the intake section. The exhaust gas recirculation line may branch off from the exhaust section downstream of a turbine of the exhaust gas turbocharger and opens into the intake section upstream of a compressor. A valve device for performing at least one of open-loop and closed-loop control of an exhaust gas recirculation rate may be arranged in the region of the exhaust gas recirculation line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignees: Mahle International GmbH, Behr Thermot-Tronik GmbH
    Inventors: Swen-Juri Bauer, Andreas Gruener, Martin Janssen, Hans-Peter Klein, Mandy Noack, Joerg Rueckauf, Bernd Van Eickels, Eike Willers
  • Patent number: 9371773
    Abstract: A two-stage supercharger for an engine having a radial high-pressure turbine and an axial low-pressure turbine. The high-pressure turbine has a spiral housing with an exhaust-gas inlet connected to an exhaust line and via which exhaust-gas flows from the engine to the high-pressure turbine. A partial flow of the exhaust-gas flows past the high-pressure turbine in a bypass unit and is adjustable by a shut-off valve. The bypass unit includes a branch line and an annular duct housing integral with the spiral housing. The branch line branches off the exhaust-gas inlet at a point where the shut-off valve is arranged and issues into a duct of the annular duct housing. The partial flow flows through the branch line into the duct and an axially arranged annular gap into an exhaust-gas duct. The partial flow merges with a main exhaust-gas flow from the high-pressure turbine and flows into the low-pressure turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: MTU FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Thoss, Thomas Zink
  • Patent number: 9371774
    Abstract: A fully automated emergency generator fuel oil system comprises a plurality of emergency generator fuel oil system components, a plurality of sensors for continuously monitoring the physical status of the system components, and a master control panel in communication with the plurality of sensors, wherein a master control panel in operative communication with the system components interprets signals received from the plurality of sensors to determine if an event has occurred, an event indicating the physical status of one or more of the system components, and when an event has occurred, the master control panel issues one or more instructions responsive to the event that control the function of one or more of the system components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Lescure, Allen Lescure, Brian Lescure
  • Patent number: 9371775
    Abstract: One-stroke internal combustion engines may comprise reciprocating pistons which are either straight or rotary. Three principles are required to make one-stroke engines work: create four dedicated chambers, assign the chambers with coordinated functions, and make pistons move in unison. The functions will be assigned only to a single stroke but an Otto cycle produces a repeating four stroke cycle. Since four functions are performed simultaneously during one stroke, every stroke becomes a power stroke. In reality, 1-stroke engines are physically rearranged 4-stroke engines. Both straight and rotary 1-stroke engines can be modified to comprise opposed piston opposed cylinder (OPOC) engines. The reciprocating piston output of 1-stroke pistons may be converted to continuously rotating output by using crankshafts with split bushings or newly developed Crankgears with conventional bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Differential Dynamics Corporation
    Inventor: Kyung Soo Han
  • Patent number: 9371776
    Abstract: A jet engine having an air intake and a compression section having first and second separate flow paths coupled to the air intake, the second flow path containing a fuel rich, fuel air mixture having an equivalence rate above the mixture flammability limit, the first flow path containing only air, a burner turbine section, the compression section being coupled directly to the burner turbine section, and means for injecting air from the first flow path into the fuel rich fuel air mixture of the said flow path in the burner turbine section to generate intraturbine diffusion layer burning of said fuel air mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Inventor: Darren Levine
  • Patent number: 9371777
    Abstract: Solutions for efficiently filtering air for a machine are disclosed. In one embodiment, a filter element for a filter assembly of a rotary machine is provided. The filter element includes: a first set of pleats, each pleat including a first tip radius and a first spacing; and a second set of pleats, each pleat including a second tip radius and a second spacing, wherein the first and second set of pleats are positioned upon a continuous filter media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: BHA Altair, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Sherwood Bryant, Hongyi Zhou
  • Patent number: 9371778
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an engine casing of an aircraft gas turbine having a radially inner honeycomb-structured layer arranged on the engine casing in the flow direction upstream of a fan in the area of an inflow-side air inlet, characterized in that sound-absorbing elements are arranged radially outside at least one axial section of the honeycomb-structured layer, said elements extending in the axial direction and being arranged annularly next to one another in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventors: Predrag Todorovic, Thomas Kubisch
  • Patent number: 9371779
    Abstract: A method of adjusting a setpoint value of at least one parameter that has an influence on thrust of a gas turbine engine propelling an aircraft during a stage of flight of the aircraft, the method including: obtaining a current value of at least one operating variable of the engine; extracting from a pre-established table a decrement value for the at least one parameter associated with the current value of the at least one operating variable of the engine; and adjusting the setpoint value of the at least one parameter by applying thereto the decrement value extracted from the table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Hichem Belghagi, Sylvain Clermonte, Laurence Garin
  • Patent number: 9371780
    Abstract: A four-stroke internal combustion engine having an engine brake, at least one exhaust valve per cylinder, each valve actuated by a camshaft and at least one first valve lever arrangement, and a device which advances the exhaust control, with the valve lever arrangement having an exhaust lever actuated by an exhaust cam and a brake lever actuated by a brake cam. The brake lever has a first brake lever part on the side of the camshaft and a second brake lever part on the side of the exhaust valve, with the two brake lever parts being rotatably mounted independent of each other about a lever axis and being rotationally connectable with each other in engine braking operation by a locking element which is adjustable between two positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: AVL LIST GMBH
    Inventors: Gyula Toth, Michael Gröger
  • Patent number: 9371781
    Abstract: A method for reducing a nitrogen oxide emission in a diesel engine. The method can include taking at least one exhaust gas of an in engine combustion in a combustion chamber and: segmenting a first portion of exhaust gas enters as an internal exhaust gas recirculation from the combustion chamber of the diesel engine via an outlet valve associated with the combustion chamber, and is recirculated, via the outlet valve, from the subsequent exhaust gas tract, into the combustion chamber of the diesel engine; segmenting a second portion of exhaust gas remains in the combustion chamber and is not expelled; and segmenting a third portion of exhaust gas is recirculated as external exhaust gas recirculation via an exhaust gas recirculation valve into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: FEV GMBH
    Inventor: Thorsten Schnorbus
  • Patent number: 9371782
    Abstract: When a working angle of an intake valve is increased in accordance with a deficiency in a working fluid pressure of a VVT mechanism, an electronic control unit corrects an opening degree of a throttle valve so as to increase an intake air amount, and thereby restraining the intake air amount from decreasing in accordance with the increase in the working angle with a valve timing of the intake valve retarded, and hence suppressing a fall in an engine rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ippei Wakaya, Yuji Miyanoo, Yoshiyuki Shogenji, Hibiki Ueura
  • Patent number: 9371783
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for expediting purging of LP-EGR from an air intake system during conditions of decreasing engine load. During a tip-out, an EGR valve is closed while the engine is shifted to a VDE mode of operation to improve engine tolerance to EGR at lower engine loads and until the EGR is sufficiently purged. A non-VDE mode is resumed if higher engine loads are restored, else, a deceleration fuel shut-off mode is selected if the tip-out continues to zero load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, James Alfred Hilditch, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Adam Nathan Banker, Daniel Joseph Styles
  • Patent number: 9371784
    Abstract: A dual fuel system for an engine is disclosed. The dual fuel system may have a first fuel supply providing a first fuel to the engine, and a second fuel supply providing a second fuel. The dual fuel system may also have a regulator configured to pass the second fuel from the second fuel supply to the engine, with the regulator also in fluid communication with the first fuel supply. The dual fuel system may further have a damper in fluid communication with the first fuel supply and an output of the regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua W. Steffen, Dana R. Coldren
  • Patent number: 9371785
    Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle is provided with an electric machine connected to a battery of less than 150 volts and coupled to an internal combustion engine such that a crankshaft of the engine rotates at all times the electric machine operates to supply power from the battery and all times the electric machine operates to capture power for storage in the battery. Motive force is provided to the vehicle with power output by the internal combustion engine. During movement of the vehicle, ignition of the engine is ceased in response to an engine load below a specified threshold. Pumping losses and drive train drag are reduced by altering at least one mechanical property of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Jason Schwanke, Jeffrey S. Sterniak
  • Patent number: 9371786
    Abstract: An engine system may include a fuel and air supply circuit and an exhaust circuit, a temperature sensor mounted on an exterior of the engine and an oxygen sensor located in the exhaust circuit. The fuel and air supply circuit may include a throttle body mounted on the engine and having a throttle valve to control the flow rate of air delivered to the engine, a fuel injector carried by the throttle body to deliver fuel to the engine and a fuel rail carried by at least one of the throttle body and the fuel injector and having an input to receive a supply of fuel and an outlet through which fuel is routed to the fuel injector. An engine control unit may be communicated with these components to control the fuel and air mixture provided to the engine as a function of the temperature and oxygen sensor outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: WALBRO LLC
    Inventors: Massimo Casoni, William E. Galka, Bradley J. Roche, David L. Speirs, Mark S. Swanson, Eric G. Zbytowski
  • Patent number: 9371787
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for adjusting the operation of a gasoline-fueled engine based on monitored conditions within a combustion chamber of the engine. In some cases, the system monitors regions within the combustion chamber, identifies or determines a satisfactory condition, and applies an ionization voltage to a fuel injector to initiate a combustion event during the satisfactory condition. In some cases, the system monitors the conditions within the combustion chamber, determines a monitored condition is associated with an adjustment, and adjusts a parameters of a combustion event in order to adjust ionization levels within a combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 9371788
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine in which an intake valve is provided in each of a plurality of cylinders and an ECU for controlling the engine. An intake valve provided for at least any one of the plurality of cylinders opens when an output shaft of the engine stops. The ECU changes an intake valve which opens when the output shaft of the engine stops, while the vehicle is running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeo Okubo, Yasushi Ando, Daichi Yagi
  • Patent number: 9371789
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a system and method that eliminates the need for manually calibrating or adjusting a dual fuel internal combustion engine to compensate for variations in composition of a gaseous fuel or other variations, such as ambient or site conditions. The system and method functions by determining an engine load, determining an advantageous gaseous fuel substitution rate from the engine load and speed in addition to an actual gaseous fuel substitution rate, modifying the advantageous gaseous fuel substitution rate by a minimum liquid fuel flow rate, engine protection parameters, and oxidation catalyst protection parameters, and then determining an error term in response to the modified advantageous gaseous fuel substitution rate and the actual gaseous fuel substitution rate. The error term is used to adjust a gaseous fuel control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: CUMMINS INC.
    Inventors: Mark A. Rosswurm, Axel O. zur Loye
  • Patent number: 9371790
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are provided for controlling fuel injection to an engine. In one example, fuel injection timing of a cylinder of the engine is adjusted during a hot engine restart such that a fuel injector is open only when the cylinder pressure is greater than a threshold cylinder pressure. The threshold cylinder pressure may be adjusted responsive to a fuel rail pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William Charles Ruona, Fred Howard Trinker
  • Patent number: 9371791
    Abstract: A combustion state control device for an internal combustion engine includes an abnormal combustion detecting unit for detecting abnormal combustion of the internal combustion engine, a fuel supply cut-off unit for cutting off a fuel supply to a cylinder where the abnormal combustion is detected during a cycle from an intake stroke of the cylinder to a next intake stroke thereof, when the abnormal combustion detecting unit detects the abnormal combustion of a cylinder, a vehicle vibration detecting unit for detecting vibration of a vehicle, and a fuel supply cut-off ending unit for ending cutting off of the fuel supply when the vehicle vibration detecting unit detects the vibration of the vehicle while the fuel supply is being cut off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shunsuke Yamana
  • Patent number: 9371792
    Abstract: A method for an engine control unit to update internal tables based on feedback from the engine without external computing, comprising the steps of establishing flash memory and RAM memory in the ECU, assigning a portion of the RAM memory to storage of a table of engine conditions from the flash memory, updating all program code pointers to the table to read the table from the assigned portion of RAM, and revise the table in RAM based on input received from the engine sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Hondata, Inc.
    Inventor: Derek Stevens
  • Patent number: 9371793
    Abstract: A method for operating a fuel vapor recirculation system in a motor vehicle having a fuel tank. In the method, in the operating strategy of the fuel vapor recirculation system, predictive route data of the motor vehicle are taken into account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Blumenstock, Andreas Pape
  • Patent number: 9371794
    Abstract: A method and control system are disclosed for controlling an internal combustion engine having fuel injector(s), a camshaft for actuating inlet and/or outlet valve(s), a valve-train adjusting device for controllable switchover between different valve actuating characteristics, and optionally a camshaft sensor which supplies a camshaft signal representing the camshaft angle, a crankshaft sensor which supplies a crankshaft signal representing the crankshaft angle, and a control unit which controls the fuel injectors to inject predetermined fuel quantities at predetermined injection instants, wherein these stipulations take place as a function of the switching state of the valve-train adjusting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Harry Schüle, Markus Stutika
  • Patent number: 9371795
    Abstract: During high-load operation of an engine, fuel for initial slow-burning combustion and premixed combustion is injected into a combustion chamber by continuous fuel injection, then fuel injection is paused, and fuel for diffusion combustion is injected after a predetermined interval has elapsed. Also, the fuel injection amount in the continuous fuel injection is set higher than the fuel injection amount for diffusion combustion. A spray autointerference cooling effect is achieved by the continuous fuel injection, thus promoting ignition delay so as to increase the proportion of premixed combustion, thereby suppressing the production of smoke. This enables high-volume EGR to be performed, thus enabling reducing the amount of NOx produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Patent number: 9371796
    Abstract: A diesel engine 100 is provided with a common rail type fuel injection device. A controller 14 controls a common rail pressure and an engine control parameter other than the common rail pressure, respectively, to target values that are determined on the basis of the engine load. The controller 14 corrects the engine control parameter other than the common rail pressure when the common rail pressure does not coincide with the target common rail pressure in a transient state of the diesel engine, thereby preventing an air-fuel ratio in the combustion region from becoming lean.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Issho Uehara, Masahiko Emi
  • Patent number: 9371797
    Abstract: To provide a high-thermal-conductivity piston ring having excellent scuffing resistance and wear resistance, which can be used in a high-heat-load environment in engines, a TiN coating as thick as 10-60 ?m, in which the texture coefficient of a (220) plane is 1.1-1.8 in X-ray diffraction on the coating surface, larger than those of (111) and (200) planes, is formed under the optimized ion plating conditions on a peripheral surface of the piston ring. Also, to obtain excellent sliding characteristics with low friction without losing excellent thermal conductivity of TiN, a hard amorphous carbon coating is formed on the TiN coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA RIKEN
    Inventors: Takuma Sekiya, Yuuichi Murayama, Masayuki Sato, Yuji Shima, Junya Takahashi, Masaki Moronuki
  • Patent number: 9371798
    Abstract: A free-piston type stirling engine 1 includes a power piston 30 which partitions the inside of a case 2 into a work space 80 and a bounce space 90, a displacer 40, a communication hole 32 provided in the power piston 30, a displacer rod 41 extending from the displacer 40 and passing through the communication hole 32, a first displacer supporting spring 50 elastically supporting the displacer rod 41 at its proximal end, and a second displacer supporting spring 60 elastically supporting the displacer rod 41 at its distal end. The power piston 30 and the displacer 40 reciprocate along a central axis X of the case 2 with a phase difference therebetween by expansion and compression of a working gas in the work space 80, and bias forces of the first displacer supporting spring 50 and the second displacer supporting spring 60 restrict tilting of the displacer 40 and the displacer rod 41 with respect to the central axis X.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Shou Ozaki, Yasushi Yamamoto, Hirotsugu Yabe
  • Patent number: 9371799
    Abstract: Thrust-reverser assemblies that utilize active flow-control and systems and methods including the same are disclosed herein. The thrust-reverser assemblies define a forward-thrust configuration and a reverse-thrust configuration. The thrust-reverser assemblies include a bullnose fairing that defines a portion of a reverser duct and an active flow-control device. The active flow-control device is located to energize a boundary layer fluid flow within a boundary layer that is adjacent to the bullnose fairing to resist separation of the boundary layer from the bullnose fairing when the thrust-reverser assembly is in the reverse-thrust configuration. The methods include flowing a thrust-reverser fluid stream through the reverser duct to generate the boundary layer and energizing a boundary layer fluid flow within the boundary layer with an active flow-control device to resist separation of the boundary layer from the bullnose fairing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Nathan Owen Packard, Daniel Paul Brzozowski, Zachariah B. Vandemark, Hin-Fan M. Lau, Michael L. Sangwin, Frederick W. Roos
  • Patent number: 9371800
    Abstract: This invention relates to an engine (2) for use in aerial vehicle (1) including a rocket (9) and ram jet engine formed from an intake (8) and a combustion chamber (10). The rocket engine (9) includes an oxidiser combustion chamber (21) which exhausts through the combustion chamber (10). The engine also includes a nozzle (12). Both the intake (8) and nozzle (12) include rectilinear ducts which are defined in part by baffles (16) and panels (33) respectively. Both the baffles (16) and panels (33) are adjustable to adjust the airflow characteristics therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: GROLLO AEROSPACE
    Inventor: Mark Grollo
  • Patent number: 9371801
    Abstract: In a two-pulse rocket motor provided with a pressure vessel, a first propellant placed within the pressure vessel that burns during a first pulse stage, a second propellant placed within the pressure vessel that burns during a second pulse stage following the first pulse stage, and a barrier membrane placed so as to cover the entire initial burning surface of the second propellant, wherein the barrier membrane is provided with an inner barrier membrane that covers the inner peripheral surface of the second propellant and an aft barrier membrane that covers the rear surface of the second propellant, and an end portion where the aft barrier membrane and the inner barrier membrane meet is joined over the entire circumference thereof. The ignition device includes an energy supply unit, an energy transfer unit connected at one end to the energy supply unit, and an ignition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignees: ASAHI KASEI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kishida, Yukihiro Tsunezumi, Chiyako Mihara, Tasuku Suzuki, Katsunori Ieki
  • Patent number: 9371802
    Abstract: In an engine provided with a supercharger and a low pressure loop EGR apparatus, an ECU controls an EGR valve to fully close when a detected operating condition is a predetermined operating condition. An outlet of an EGR passage is located at a higher position than an inlet in a vertical direction to allow condensed water to flow downward from downstream to upstream of the EGR valve and flow downward through the EGR passage to an exhaust passage. When the EGR valve has to be controlled to fully close, the ECU forcibly opens the EGR valve when a predetermined discharge condition is established to discharge the condensed water from a downstream side of the EGR valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mamoru Yoshioka, Takehide Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9371803
    Abstract: An angle flow valve comprises a housing and a cover. The housing comprises a first recess for receiving a flow restrictor, a second recess for receiving a relief valve, a first port fluidly connected to the first recess, an angled flow path fluidly connected to the first recess and to the second recess, a second port fluidly connected to the angled flow path, and a relief passage between the first recess and the second recess. The first recess is parallel to the second recess, permitting drop-in assembly of the flow restrictor and relief valve. The cover comprises a solenoid assembly, and the cover couples to the housing by adjoining the solenoid against the flow restrictor and by adjoining the cover against the relief valve. A single o-ring seals the leak path between the cover and the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Lee Pifer, Vaughn Mills, Ronald Sexton
  • Patent number: 9371804
    Abstract: A filter box assembly for integrating into a bi-directional vent and air intake line associated with a vehicle fuel tank. The assembly includes an outer shell having an open inserting end and an opposite closed end. An inner communicable component is engageable within the open inserting end of the outer shell and collectively defines a plurality of continuous and reverse flow passageways extending between a plurality of inlet apertures defined upon a base surface of the inner component and a conduit attachment nipple extending from the inner component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: U.S. Farathane Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen G. Leonard, Kevin Charles Baxter
  • Patent number: 9371805
    Abstract: In a fuel injection valve support structure which can apply a substantially constant set load, the fuel injection valve has first and second load receiving portions, the first load receiving portion being supported on the engine, the second load receiving portion being supported on an elastic support member which receives a set load from a fuel supply cap. The elastic support member includes a base plate placed on the second load receiving portion, and an elastic piece curving rearward from one end toward the other end of the base plate, with an apex portion in pressure contact with the cap, the base plate has a portion overhanging from the second load receiving portion and supporting a tip end portion of the elastic piece. The overhang portion starts bending when a load the overhang portion receives from the cap through the elastic piece reaches or exceeds a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Yasuda, Noriaki Sumisya, Daisuke Kondo, Kenichi Saito
  • Patent number: 9371806
    Abstract: A spark plug 1 includes a housing 2, an insulator 3, a center electrode 4 held inside the insulator 3 such that a distal end portion 41 protrudes, a ground electrode 5 including a standing portion 51 and an opposing portion 52, and a guide member 22 that has a guide surface 221 facing the standing portion 51 of the ground electrode 5 and functions to guide a flow of an air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine to a spark discharge gap G formed between the center electrode 4 and the opposing portion 52 of the ground electrode 5. The opposing portion 52 of the ground electrode 5 has an opposing surface 521 that opposes the center electrode 4, a back surface 522 on the opposite axial side to the opposing surface 521, and a pair of side surfaces 523 and 524 that connect the opposing surface 521 and the back surface 522.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanobu Aochi, Takayuki Inohara, Shinichi Okabe, Masamichi Shibata, Noriaki Nishio