Patents Issued in September 4, 2018
  • Patent number: 10066525
    Abstract: An exhaust gas control system includes: a housing, an exhaust gas purification catalyst, and a microwave irradiator. The microwave irradiator is configured to irradiate the exhaust gas purification catalyst with a microwave such that a standing wave that has: a high magnetic field region; and a high electric field region. The exhaust gas purification catalyst includes a carrier substrate and a catalytic substance that purifies the exhaust gas. The catalytic substance is disposed on the carrier substrate. The carrier substrate includes a magnetic body region and a dielectric region. The magnetic body region of the carrier substrate is disposed in the high magnetic field region in the housing. The dielectric region of the carrier substrate is disposed in the high electric field region in the housing. The magnetic body region has a magnetic body that absorbs the microwave. The dielectric region has a dielectric that absorbs the microwave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Hoki, Shinji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10066526
    Abstract: An exhaust gas line section, through which an exhaust gas can flow, includes a flow guiding structure, a feed unit configured to supply a liquid additive to the exhaust gas, and a permeable impingement structure, the flow guiding structure, the feed unit, and the permeable impingement structure being positioned one behind the other in the flow direction. The feed unit and the flow guiding structure are arranged and configured such that an impingement region of the liquid additive on the impingement structure overlaps the center of gravity of a flow distribution of the exhaust gas flowing through the impingement structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Klaus Mueller-Haas
  • Patent number: 10066527
    Abstract: A cooling device for a reducing agent injection module includes a coolant circulation line connected to a module cooling channel for cooling the reducing agent injection module and configured that a coolant circulates therethrough, a closed circuit circulation line respectively connected to a first portion of the coolant circulation line in front of the module cooling channel and to a second portion of the coolant circulation line in rear of the module cooling channel and configured that a portion of the coolant circulation line is selectively used to form a closed circuit, and at least one heat dissipating part provided in the closed circuit to dissipate heat which is transported from the module cooling channel by natural convection of the coolant within the closed circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: DOOSAN INFRACORE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eun-Hyoung Kim, Nam-Il Choi
  • Patent number: 10066528
    Abstract: An arrangement for testing or treating a dosing valve of a dosing device of a dosing system in a vehicle includes connecting an electrical test drive to an electrical connector of the dosing device and connecting a dosing tester to a liquid inlet of the dosing device. Thereafter, an outlet valve of the dosing tester is opened to provide liquid under pressure to a liquid inlet of the dosing device. After a first given time, the electrical test drive provides pulses to repeatedly attempt to open the dosing valve. Upon a reduction in liquid level of liquid within the dosing tester in response to opening of the dosing valve, an operator closes the outlet valve of the dosing tester to discontinue the treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: David B. Lewis, David R. Nowak, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10066529
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an exhaust gas aftertreatment device for purification of exhaust gas emissions. The exhaust gas aftertreatment device is arranged in an exhaust gas passage subsequently of an internal combustion engine and includes an encapsulating portion, a first catalytic substrate and a second catalytic substrate. The second catalytic substrate may be of SCR type. The exhaust gas aftertreatment device includes a reductant injecting device, a pipe and an obstructing portion, where the reductant injecting device is arranged such that reductant is injectable within the pipe and the exhaust gas flow through the pipe can be controlled by the obstructing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Mats Laurell, Jan Dahlgren, Peter Sandberg, Marie Stenfeldt
  • Patent number: 10066530
    Abstract: Systems are provided for a mixer. In one example, the mixer may include tubes and an outer pipe configured to receive exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10066531
    Abstract: In order to purify NOx in exhaust gas discharged from an engine, a urea water supply system is configured by a urea water injection valve, a urea water tank, urea water supply piping (22) and a urea water supply device (30). Cooling water piping (40) that allows cooling water of the engine to flow through is laid along the urea water supply piping (22), while the cooling water piping (40) is connected to the urea water supply device (30) at a connection portion (34) of an inflow pipe and a connection portion (35) of an outflow pipe, and a part (46) of the inflow pipe is installed to be close to connection portions (31, 32, 33) of the urea water supply piping (22) to the urea water supply device (30) within a predetermined distance range in which heat of the cooling water reaches the connection portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidenori Mano, Shohei Kamiya, Toshinori Fujii
  • Patent number: 10066532
    Abstract: An object is to improve fuel consumption, drivability and exhaust gas purification by efficiently converting waste heat of the engine into electrical power and storing the electrical power in a dedicated electric storage so that the boost pressure from the electric air compressor can be flexibly outputted. The electric supercharging device includes a steam cycle device configured to expand the steam generated by waste heat of an engine to rotate an expander, a first generator connected to the expander and configured to generate an electrical power by torque of the expander, a dedicated battery which stores the electrical power generated by the first generator, and an electric supercharger configured to drive a compressor with a motor driven by the electrical power of the dedicated battery to generate compressed air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yukio Yamashita, Byeongil An, Motoki Ebisu, Musashi Sakamoto, Hiroshi Ogita
  • Patent number: 10066533
    Abstract: A device is provided, which makes it possible to perform a failure diagnostics for a filter more accurately even in the case of an internal combustion engine which is constructed to be capable of using both of gaseous fuel and liquid fuel. The device of the invention comprises judging means which judges any failure of the filter by comparing the added-up amount of the particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas as detected by a PM amount detecting sensor during a predetermined period and the added-up amount of the particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas as estimated by PM amount estimating means during the predetermined period, wherein the PM amount estimating means estimates the added-up amount of the particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas on the basis of the predetermined parameter and only a fuel injection amount of the liquid fuel out of a fuel injection amount of the gaseous fuel and the fuel injection amount of the liquid fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kogo, Makoto Ogiso, Taiga Hagimoto
  • Patent number: 10066534
    Abstract: The internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust purification catalyst 20, a downstream side sensor 41, an air-fuel ratio control unit, and an oxygen storage amount calculating unit for calculating the oxygen excess/deficiency of the inflowing exhaust gas in an air-fuel ratio maintenance time period and cumulatively adding the calculated oxygen excess/deficiency to calculate a maximum oxygen storage amount of the exhaust purification catalyst. The oxygen storage amount calculating unit uses a point of time that an absolute value of an output slope of the downstream side sensor finally becomes less than a threshold value in the air-fuel ratio maintenance time period as an end point of cumulative addition of the oxygen excess/deficiency. The threshold value is made larger when a maximum value of the absolute value of the output slope in the air-fuel ratio maintenance time period is relatively large compared to when the maximum value is relatively small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyamoto, Tatsuhiro Hashida, Takahiko Fujiwara, Yasushi Iwazaki, Toru Kidokoro
  • Patent number: 10066535
    Abstract: An exhaust aftertreatment system includes a housing including at least one exhaust aftertreatment component. The housing defines a body portion and an outlet portion terminating in an outlet opening. The outlet portion decreases in diameter from the body portion toward the outlet opening. A sampling tube is positioned within the outlet portion and extends between opposing sides of an inner wall of the outlet portion, with the sampling tube having a plurality of openings facing the body portion. A NOx sensor is positioned in fluid communication with an interior of the sampling tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Yi, Bogdan Balea, Eric Paul Spaeth
  • Patent number: 10066536
    Abstract: The vehicle exhaust device has an exhaust passage from an exhaust port of an engine body to an exhaust muffler provided behind the engine body, and the exhaust passage is formed by a plurality of exhaust passage forming units. The exhaust device includes an exhaust gas sensor attached to one of the exhaust passage forming units, such as a collecting pipe, halfway on the exhaust passage. At least a portion of the exhaust gas sensor is covered from a front side thereof with one of the exhaust passage forming units, such as an individual exhaust pipe, upstream of an attached position of the exhaust gas sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10066537
    Abstract: An exhaust connection coupler and a method for manufacturing a braid cover incorporated therein are provided. The method of manufacturing comprises the steps of providing a tubular sleeve formed of braided wire filaments and forming at least one end of the sleeve into shape using a forming die such that the at least one end of the cover includes a circumferential neck portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter of a body portion of the cover. In the method, the sleeve may be pressed between male and female forming dies in order to create the cover's desired shape, which can include a shoulder extending radially outwardly from the cover's neck portion and meeting the cover's body portion at a corner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TRU-FLEX, LLC
    Inventors: Robert F. Stalcup, II, Scott R. Swank
  • Patent number: 10066538
    Abstract: In an aspect, an electromechanical apparatus is provided, comprising an electromagnet, a magnetically permeable rotor, a drive, a current source, a current sensor and processing logic. The electromagnet includes a magnetically permeable housing and a wire coil disposed therein. The rotor spins and is disposed in the path of a magnetic circuit generated by the electromagnet. The drive rotates the rotor relative to the electromagnet housing. The rotor and electromagnet housing vary the reluctance therebetween as the rotor rotates. The current source applies a current to the electromagnet coil, wherein, during rotation of the rotor, fluctuations in the current result in the electromagnet coil due to the aforementioned varying reluctance are superimposed on the applied current. The current sensor senses fluctuations in current in the electromagnet coil. The processing logic reads the sensed current and determines the frequency of the fluctuations, which are correlated to rotor speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Litens Automotive Partnership
    Inventors: Yongguang Zhu, Zbyslaw Staniewicz, Noel Abreu, Bashar Yazigi, Roman Tracz
  • Patent number: 10066539
    Abstract: A control unit controls a first power converter so as to make the speed of a motor/generator coincide with a prescribed speed command. A speed command (N*) set by an upper stream control system is inputted to a smoothing unit of the control unit. In the smoothing unit, the speed command (N*) is smoothed by a first-order lag element, and the rate of change is limited by a rate limiter to a prescribed value or less. For the speed command (Ns*) outputted from the smoothing unit, the difference (?N) from the actual speed (N) of the motor/generator is calculated in a difference calculator, a control command (S) based on this difference (?N) is generated in a control signal generator, and the first power converter is controlled on the basis of this control command (S). Fluctuations in the supply of power to the electric motor are thereby suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Yamashita, Musashi Sakamoto, Yoshihisa Ono
  • Patent number: 10066540
    Abstract: A control arrangement (1) of an exhaust-gas turbocharger having a bearing bushing (3); a control shaft (4) which is connected at a first end (5) to a first adjustment lever (6) and which is guided in the bearing bushing (3); and a second adjustment lever (9) which is connected to a second end (8) of the control shaft (4) and which, on a free end region (10), bears a control device (11), wherein the free end region (10) is designed to be cranked in the direction of the first adjustment lever (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Ralf Christmann, Raduz Zahoransky
  • Patent number: 10066541
    Abstract: Control techniques for a turbocharger of an engine utilize a wastegate valve configured to divert exhaust gas from a turbine of the turbocharger that is rotatably coupled to a compressor of the turbocharger. A controller is utilized to obtain a torque request for the engine, determine a target compressor power based on the engine torque request, determine a normalized target turbine power based on the target compressor power, determine a target position for the wastegate valve based on the normalized target turbine power and a normalized exhaust flow, and actuate the wastegate valve to the target position. Such control techniques involve the actual calculation of much less intermediate parameters, such as target turbine pressure ratio, which results in more efficient calibration and implementation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Yang Li, Songping Yu
  • Patent number: 10066542
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for an automatic branch communication valve. In one example, a method includes rotating the valve to a second position in response to a non-electrical actuation of the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10066543
    Abstract: Supply a control device for an internal combustion engine in which an abnormality of an exhaust-bypass valve, such as a WGV, can be certainly detected under wide operation conditions. In the control device, a required-operation position of the exhaust-bypass valve, which is set in accordance with an operating condition of the internal combustion engine, is set to a target position, and an exhaust-bypass-valve-driving device is controlled in such a way that a real position, which is detected by a position sensor, agrees with the target position, and when a real position, which is detected by a position sensor, reaches a predetermined abnormality-judgment value, it is judged that an abnormality is caused in a mechanical-connecting condition from the exhaust-bypass valve to the exhaust-bypass-valve-driving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiko Ono
  • Patent number: 10066544
    Abstract: A box-type generator driven by an engine, comprising a box-type soundproof hood assembly (3) enclosing the whole generator, a controller (2), an oil tank (19), a front and a back fans (13, 14), air ducts (11, 12), a permanent magnetic generator (4), an engine (5), a double-cavity type muffler assembly (6) and the like. With the novel designs such as forward fans air inlet (17) and controller arrangement, dual cooling air ducts and double muffler structure, and the integrated overall layout of the control system, the box-type generator ensures a generator cooling system to sequentially cool down heating components in a temperature ascending order, thus effectively reducing the system noise of a generator assembly, and facilitating the use, installation and maintenance of the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Zhejiang Everlast Power Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youheng Qian
  • Patent number: 10066545
    Abstract: In an opposed-piston engine, two or more fuel injectors are mounted to a cylinder for direct side injection into the cylinder. The injectors are controlled so as to inject either a single fuel pulse or a plurality of fuel pulses per cycle of engine operation in order to initiate combustion during varying engine speeds and operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Clark A. Klyza, Fabien G. Redon
  • Patent number: 10066546
    Abstract: A heat shield film is formed on a bottom surface of a cylinder head and a heat shield film is formed on an inner peripheral surface of a small diameter hole portion. The film is a thermal spraying film made from the same film material. Since the film is thicker than the film, the film has higher thermal capacity than the film and thus heat retaining effect of the film is higher than that of the film. Therefore, combustion gas generated in a combustion chamber is suppressed to lose its momentum around the portion. Even if the combustion gas goes off around the portion, excessive temperature decrease of the combustion gas in the portion is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo Yamashita, Akio Kawaguchi, Hiroki Iguma
  • Patent number: 10066547
    Abstract: A drive architecture comprises a rotor and a gearbox for driving the rotor. A pair of input gears provides rotational drive to the gearbox. A first recuperative cycle engine drives one of the pair of gears and a second engine drives the other of the pair of gears. The first recuperative cycle engine and the second engine are both gas turbine engines. A power takeoff from a drive shaft of the second engine supplies rotational drive to drive at least one component in the first recuperative cycle drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel Bernard Kupratis
  • Patent number: 10066548
    Abstract: A geared turbofan engine includes a first rotor, a fan, a second rotor, a gear train, a fan casing, a nacelle and a plurality of discrete acoustic liner segments. The fan is connected to the first rotor and is capable of rotation at frequencies between 200 and 6000 Hz and has a fan pressure ratio of between 1.25 and 1.60. The gear train connects the first rotor to the second rotor. The fan casing and nacelle are arranged circumferentially about a centerline and define a bypass flow duct in which the fan is disposed. The plurality of discrete acoustic liner segments with varied geometric properties are disposed along the bypass flow duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Gilson, Constantine Baltas
  • Patent number: 10066549
    Abstract: A variable vane pack includes an inner platform, an outer platform, radially outward of the inner platform, a plurality of vanes connecting the inner platform to the outer platform, wherein the outer platform comprises a platform body and an impingement plate, the impingement plate having a radially inward impingement plate, a radially outward pressure distribution plate, and an impingement plenum defined between the radially inward impingement plate and the radially outward pressure distribution plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas N. Slavens, Brooks E. Snyder
  • Patent number: 10066550
    Abstract: An improved system, apparatus and method for intercooling a turbo fan engine, and more specifically, a system for intercooling a turbo fan engine employing a secondary bypass duct that minimizes pressure losses. The secondary bypass duct is radially inwardly disposed from a fan bypass duct and receives fan bypass air through an inlet. The portion of fan bypass air flows through one or more microchannel or minichannel heat exchangers. The secondary bypass duct has an outlet in communication with the bypass air stream downstream of the throat of a fan bypass nozzle. The secondary bypass air is accelerated at the exit to create thrust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradford J. Riehle, James C. Loebig
  • Patent number: 10066551
    Abstract: Ventilation of an internal compartment of a fairing device of a propulsion assembly in an aircraft moving at low speed on the ground or when it is stopped cannot be provided optimally using a conventional dynamic air intake. To solve this problem, the use of a fan housed within the internal compartment is proposed, for which the fan propeller can alternately be coupled to an accessory gear box to drive the fan propeller, and uncoupled from the accessory gear box when it is unnecessary to drive the fan propeller or when it represents a danger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.)
    Inventor: Olivier Verseux
  • Patent number: 10066552
    Abstract: A mounting link between an engine and a gearbox comprises an engine attachment piece, a gearbox attachment piece, and primary and secondary retention fasteners. The engine attachment piece is rotatably secured to the engine, and the gearbox attachment piece is rotatably secured to the gearbox. The primary retention fastener rigidly constrains the gearbox attachment piece with respect to the engine attachment piece in a single degree of freedom, but is configured to shear at a breakpoint load. The secondary retention fastener constrains the gearbox attachment piece loosely with respect to the engine attachment piece, and can withstand the breakpoint load. The gearbox attachment piece and engine attachment piece abut in a friction fit that provides Coulomb damping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Yiwei Jiang, Michael R. Blewett
  • Patent number: 10066553
    Abstract: Provided is a V engine which uses common cylinder heads, and permits favorable arrangement of oil passages so as to accommodate various oil regulating features that are required to operate valve property varying mechanisms. Each end of each cylinder head is formed with a plurality of distribution oil passages opening out at an upper surface of the cylinder head for supplying oil pressure from a main gallery to a valve actuating mechanism. A pair of oil passage connecting members internally defining mutually different connecting oil passages are attached to the upper surfaces of the corresponding end parts of the respective cylinder heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yukio Konishi
  • Patent number: 10066554
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a kit for an LPG fuel for petrol run engines and in particular, a kit of electronic and hydraulic components for the realization of a dual fuelling LPG/petrol system (100) particularly suitable for outboard engines of boats navigating in waters with high salt content. Said kit includes a tube-bundle heat exchanger (10) and a pressure regulator (20) separated one from the other and made of antioxidant materials and devices. The heat exchanger (10) is provided at its end with two respective sacrificial anodes (12b, 11b) for the protection from corrosive galvanic currents and with one temperature sensor (11c) placed at one of said ends. The kit also includes a plurality of electrohydraulic LPG injectors (I) and an electronic control unit (CE) set to manage and adjust the operation of such injectors (I), of the pressure regulator (20) and of a plurality of other devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: MARCO CASAMASSIMA
    Inventor: Marco Casamassima
  • Patent number: 10066555
    Abstract: A hydraulic system includes an engine; at least one hydraulic pump operatively coupled to the engine for transfer of mechanical power therebetween; and a controller operatively coupled to the engine and the at least one hydraulic pump. The controller is configured to determine a lug speed error as a difference between a target lug speed value and a speed of the engine, set at least one closed-loop gain to zero when the speed of the engine is greater than or equal to the target lug speed value, set the at least one closed-loop gain to a non-zero value when the speed of the engine is less than the target lug speed value, generate a pump control signal by scaling the lug speed error by the at least one closed-loop gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Forest Products Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Opdenbosch, Joseph R. Storey
  • Patent number: 10066556
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods in interoperating with multiple clean energy sources, such as pneumatic energy, electrical energy, hydrogen energy and steam energy, with engine configurations employing theses clean energy sources dynamically and synchronously. Further embodiments including fossil fuel energies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Inventor: Marvin W. Ward
  • Patent number: 10066557
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine adjusts the flow rate ratio between an amount of exhaust gas flowing to an exhaust gas recirculation cooler and an amount of exhaust gas flowing to a bypass passage, which bypasses the exhaust gas recirculation cooler, such that the amount of exhaust gas flowing to the exhaust gas recirculation cooler becomes zero during (i) a predetermined period from a point in time at which the exhaust gas recirculation operation shifts to execution, (ii) a period in which fuel cut is performed and the bed temperature of a catalyst is lower than a predetermined overheat temperature, or (iii) a period in which the flow rate of refrigerant flowing to the exhaust gas recirculation cooler is lower than a predetermined flow rate and the temperature of the refrigerant is lower than a predetermined first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akinori Morishima, Taku Ibuki
  • Patent number: 10066558
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for detecting air-fuel ratio imbalances across all engine cylinders. In one example, a method (or system) may include indicating cylinder imbalance based on each of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, exhaust manifold pressure, and cylinder torque weighted by a confidence factor, where in the confidence factor is determined based on operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Raymond Martin, Kenneth James Miller, John Eric Rollinger
  • Patent number: 10066559
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for coordinating cylinder deactivation adjustments with changes to individual cylinder piston displacement. In doing do, the benefits of variable displacement and variable compression ratio may be synergized. An engine can be operated with some cylinders deactivated while active cylinders operate with knock addressed while spark timing is at MBT for a longer duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Chris Paul Glugla
  • Patent number: 10066560
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine comprising at least one turbocharger, at least one catalytic converter and a variable valve train, a valve overlap parameter being determined in at least one operating mode of the internal combustion engine and being used to set the valve train. According to the invention, the valve overlap parameter is adapted on the basis of at least one parameter for the condition of the catalytic converter and/or at least one parameter for the condition of the turbocharger, prior to being used to set the valve train. The invention also relates to an internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Reza Azadeh, Markus Sonner, Knut Weber
  • Patent number: 10066561
    Abstract: A method of controlling a rate of warm-up of an internal combustion engine fluidly connected to an exhaust system is disclosed. The method includes identifying a cold-start of the engine. The method also includes regulating, in response to the identified cold-start of the engine, an exhaust pressure modulation (EPM) valve arranged in a main exhaust passage of the exhaust system. The main exhaust passage channels engine exhaust gas to the ambient. Such regulation of the EPM valve will restrict a flow of the engine exhaust gas to the ambient and increase exhaust gas backpressure in the exhaust system up to a predetermined pressure value. Furthermore, the subject regulation of the EPM valve will increase a load on and the rate of warm-up of the engine. A vehicle having an engine and a controller programmed to control a rate of the engine's warm-up of according to the method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Chad E. Marlett, Lawrence P. Ziehr, Francesco Cianflone, Francesco Castorina
  • Patent number: 10066562
    Abstract: In a catalyst warming-up control, a first time injection is performed by an injector in an intake stroke. A second time injection is performed with an amount smaller than the first time injection in an expansion stroke after a compression top dead center. In the catalyst warming-up control, an interval from the start of the ignition period of an spark plug to the completion of the second time injection is controlled by the ECU so that the initial flame generated from an air-fuel mixture containing the fuel spray injected by the first time injection is brought into contact with the fuel spray injected by the second time injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shota Tsukamoto, Kotaro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10066563
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system for adjusting a fuel injector drive signal during a fuel injection event wherein the system comprises an engine having a fuel injector, a fuel control module configured to generate control signals corresponding to a desired fueling profile of a fuel injection event, and a fueling profile interface module that outputs drive profile signals to the fuel injector in response to the control signals to cause the fuel injector to deliver an actual fueling profile, wherein the fueling profile interface module changes the drive profile signals during the fuel injection event in response to a parameter signal indicating a characteristic of the actual fueling profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventor: Syed Shah Jalel
  • Patent number: 10066564
    Abstract: An engine control system for a vehicle includes an oxygen mass flow rate module, an oxygen per cylinder module, and a fuel control module. The oxygen mass flow rate module generates a mass flow rate of oxygen flowing into an engine based on a mass air flow rate (MAF) into the engine and a percentage of oxygen by volume measured using an intake oxygen (IO) sensor in an intake system. The oxygen per cylinder module generates a mass of oxygen for a combustion event of a cylinder of the engine based on the mass flow rate of oxygen flowing into the engine. The fuel control module controls fueling to the cylinder for the combustion event based on the mass of oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: B. Jerry Song, Ethan E. Bayer, Ben W. Moscherosch, Calvin K. Koch
  • Patent number: 10066565
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine, in particular a gas engine having at least two cylinders, includes acquiring a cylinder-specific first cylinder signal (pmax, E) from each cylinder. At least one combustion parameter (Q, Z) of the corresponding cylinder is controlled as a function of the first cylinder signal (pmax, E), and a cylinder-specific reference cylinder value (pmax?, E?) is set for the first cylinder signal (pmax, E) for each cylinder. The at least one combustion parameter (Q, Z) of the cylinder is adjusted as a function of the deviation of the first cylinder signal (pmax, E) from the reference cylinder value (pmax?, E?), and the first cylinder signal (pmax, E) tracks the reference cylinder value (pmax?, E?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: GE JENBACHER GMBH & CO OG
    Inventors: Christian Barth, Herbert Kopecek, Nikolaus Spyra, Michael Waldhart
  • Patent number: 10066566
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device, in particular a control and evaluating unit, for operating a particle sensor (20) for determining a particle content in a gas flow, wherein the particle sensor (20) has, on the surface of the particle sensor, a sensor structure for determining a soot load and at least one heating element (26) separated from the sensor structure by an insulating layer, by means of which at least one heating element the particle sensor (20) can be heated up in a regeneration phase and in the process a soot load on the particle sensor (20) can be removed, and by means of the heating element (26) a heating phase can be performed at least at times before the regeneration phase, wherein in said heating phase a temperature that is significantly lower than the regeneration temperature is set, wherein short-term temperature drops as a result of wetting with water can be detected by means of a temperature sensor (27) integrated in the particle sensor (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Knuebel, Enno Baars, Michael Bessen
  • Patent number: 10066567
    Abstract: A control device of an internal combustion engine is configured to perform a fuel cut-off control and an abnormality diagnosis control. A heating device for heating an element of an air-fuel ratio sensor is controlled by making an element temperature of the air-fuel ratio sensor become a target element temperature. The target element temperature of the air-fuel ratio sensor during a high temperature control period from a time when a prescribed high temperature control begins after a start of the internal combustion engine to a time when the prescribed high temperature control is completed after completion of the abnormality diagnosis control of the air-fuel ratio sensor is set to be higher than the target element temperature outside the high temperature control period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mie Kato
  • Patent number: 10066568
    Abstract: System and method for learning an intake oxygen concentration of an engine. In one embodiment, the system includes an intake oxygen sensor and an electronic control unit. The intake oxygen sensor is configured to measure an oxygen concentration of intake air and output a signal indicative of an intake oxygen concentration value. The electronic control unit is configured to receive the signal indicative of the intake oxygen concentration value, determine whether fuel is being injected into an engine, determine whether the engine is operating in an over-run condition, control a valve to sweep an air pressure of an intake path of the engine across a plurality of air pressures, and store information indicative of intake oxygen concentration values across the plurality of air pressures to learn the intake oxygen concentration of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Justin Allen
  • Patent number: 10066569
    Abstract: An engine control device for an engine provided with a supercharger, including a cylinder injection valve and a port injection valve. The device includes an injection controller that controls injections of fuel through the cylinder injection valve and through the port injection valve, on the basis of at least a load on an engine. The injection controller, in a low load operating state, causes the fuel to be injected through the port injection valve; in an intermediate load operating state, causes the fuel to be injected through the cylinder injection valve during an intake stroke, and causes the fuel to be injected through the port injection valve; and in a high load operating state, causes the fuel to be injected through the cylinder injection valve at least during an intake stroke and during a compression stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kawabe, Koji Hata, Fumiaki Hiraishi
  • Patent number: 10066570
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for continuously estimating a direct injector tip temperature based on heat transfer to the injector from the cylinder due to combustion conditions, and heat transfer to the injector due to flow of cool fuel from the fuel rail. Variations in the injector tip temperature from a steady-state temperature are monitored when the direct injector is deactivated. Upon reactivation, a fuel pulse width commanded to the direct injector is updated to account for a temperature-induced change in fuel density, thereby reducing the occurrence of air-fuel ratio errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nathan Morris, Mark Richard Skilling
  • Patent number: 10066571
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for leveraging the charge cooling effect of a manifold fuel injection. A charge cooling effect of a scheduled manifold fuel injection may be predicted based on feedback received from a manifold charge temperature sensor during a preceding manifold injection event. If sufficient charge cooling is not predicted, the manifold fuel injection is temporarily disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kutaiba Alrefaai, Adithya Pravarun Re Ranga, Calvin Trescott, Mohannad Hakeem, Stephen B. Smith, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 10066572
    Abstract: Feedback control of combustion in a gas diesel dual-fuel engine (20), based on the measured cylinder pressure, has been invented. The center of combustion and pressure rise rate is controlled by manipulating the start of diesel injection and duration of diesel injection. Measurements of transient engine operation show, that the proposed controller is able to control the center of combustion and the maximum pressure rise rate. The influence of changing intake manifold pressure, changing exhaust gas recirculation rate and changing air-fuel ratio can be compensated by the controller (10). Steady state measurements show that the gas diesel dual fuel engine reaches efficiencies around 40% with stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and diesel ratios below 5%. The results have been obtained on a slightly modified production type common-rail diesel engine with four cylinders and a displacement volume of 2 liters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: ETH Zurich
    Inventors: Christopher H Onder, Tobias Ott
  • Patent number: 10066573
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for restarting an engine when a high pressure fuel pump is degraded. In response to an indication of high pressure fuel pump degradation, fuel may be injected during an intake stroke, rather than a compression stroke, for a selected number of combustion events since the engine restart. By shifting to an intake stroke injection, the engine may be started even when sufficient fuel rail pressures are not available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Lyle Thomas, Alex O'Connor Gibson, Xiaoying Zhang, Robert Sarow Baskins
  • Patent number: 10066574
    Abstract: An object is to achieve stable diesel combustion and improvement in the thermal efficiency of the diesel combustion in an internal combustion engine using a fuel having a relatively high self-ignition temperature. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel injection valve capable of injecting fuel into a combustion chamber and an ignition device whose position relative to the fuel injection valve is set in such a way that it can ignite fuel spray directly. The apparatus causes pre-injected fuel to burn and generates unburned residue of the pre-injected fuel in the combustion chamber by pre-injection performed at a predetermined pre-injection time during the compression stroke and ignition of pre-spray formed by the pre-injection by the ignition device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta Ochi, Toshimi Kashiwagura