Patents Issued in July 2, 2019
  • Patent number: 10337403
    Abstract: A gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) facility (10A) provided with a gas turbine unit (20), a heat recovery steam generator (30) for recovering heat and producing steam from exhaust gas produced by the gas turbine unit (20), and an exhaust duct (32) for guiding the exhaust gas of the gas turbine unit (20) to the heat recovery steam generator (30). At least a portion of the heat recovery steam generator (30) is disposed in the same plane as the gas turbine unit (20), and the heat recovery steam generator (30) is disposed side-by-side so that a direction in which exhaust gas flows in the heat recovery steam generator is parallel to a turbine axis direction of the gas turbine unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Nagao, Masahiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10337404
    Abstract: Turbine nozzle assemblies include a plurality of circumferentially spaced first components and second components, which are designed to provide different amounts of cooling. The second components, which are generally aligned with an opening of transition pieces, are designed to provide more cooling than the first components, which are generally aligned with interfaces between the transition pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Joseph V. Citeno
  • Patent number: 10337405
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of cooling a rotatable member enclosed within a casing are provided. The gas compressor includes a rotor, a plurality of stages of compression extending along said rotor from an inlet stage configured to receive a flow of relatively low pressure gas to an outlet stage configured to discharge a flow of relatively high pressure gas, a casing at least partially surrounding said plurality of stages, and a conduit extending radially inwardly from said casing to an area proximate said rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tod Robert Steen, Amid Ansari, Anthony Paul Greenwood
  • Patent number: 10337406
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine that includes a compressor section, a combustor section, a diffuser case module, and a manifold. The diffuser case module includes a multiple of struts within an annular flow path from said compressor section to said combustor section, wherein at least one of said multiple of struts defines a mid-span pre-diffuser inlet in communication with said annular flow path. The manifold is in communication with said mid-span pre-diffuser inlet and a bearing compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, William K. Ackermann
  • Patent number: 10337407
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a fan, a compressor section having a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor, a combustor section, and a turbine section having a low pressure turbine, the low pressure turbine for driving the low pressure compressor and the fan; a gear reduction effecting a reduction in the speed of the fan relative to a speed of the low pressure turbine and the low pressure compressor; and at least one stage of the compressor section having a ratio of vanes to blades that is greater than or equal to 1.8. The corrected tip speed of the blades is greater than or equal to 480 ft/sec at an approach speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce L. Morin, David A. Topol
  • Patent number: 10337408
    Abstract: A thermal insulation blanket assembly having a thermal insulation blanket including an aerogel insulation material having a first surface and a second surface that is oppositely-disposed from the first surface, a backing covering the second surface of the aerogel insulation material, and a skin layer covering the first surface of the aerogel insulation material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: MRA Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Michael Roach, David Patrick Calder, Graham Frank Howarth
  • Patent number: 10337409
    Abstract: The invention relates to an architecture of a propulsion system of a multiple-engine helicopter comprising turboshaft engines (5, 6), characterised in that it comprises: at least one hybrid turboshaft engine (5) that is capable of operating in at least one standby mode during a stable flight of the helicopter, the other turboshaft engines (6) operating alone during this stable flight; an air turbine (30) that is mechanically connected to the gas generator (17) of the hybrid turboshaft engine (5) and is suitable for rotating said gas generator (17); means for withdrawing pressurised air from the gas generator (27) of a running turboshaft engine (6); and a duct (31) for routing this withdrawn air to said air turbine (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Olivier Bedrine, Olivier Pierre Descubes
  • Patent number: 10337410
    Abstract: An analysis method is disclosed for detecting a measurement error of operating parameters of a gas turbine. An embodiment of the method includes: obtaining multiple measured values of the operating parameters, the operating parameters being at least part of the variables of multiple functions, each of the functions including analysis ranges; putting the measured values of the operating parameters into the functions whose variables include the operating parameters to calculate the results of the functions; comparing the calculated results of the functions with the analysis ranges of the corresponding functions; identifying one or more measured values of operating parameters who are at least part of the variables of the functions whose calculated results fail to fall within the analysis ranges of the corresponding functions; and determining a measured value of an operating parameter including the highest likelihood of a measurement error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Feng Liang, Song Jun Lv, Shi Yun Tang
  • Patent number: 10337411
    Abstract: An auto thermal valve (ATV) for dual mode passive cooling flow modulation according to an embodiment includes: a gas flow inlet port; a gas flow outlet port; a temperature dependent expandable element; a rod coupled to the temperature expandable element; and a valve disc coupled to a distal end of the rod, the temperature dependent expandable element displacing the valve disc in response to a change in temperature; wherein the valve disc is displaced away from a valve seat by the temperature dependent expandable element at temperatures above and below a range of temperatures to allow a flow of cooling gas to pass from the gas flow inlet port to the gas flow outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Carlos Miguel Miranda, Kenneth Dale Moore
  • Patent number: 10337412
    Abstract: The invention may be embodied a valve for a combustor of a gas turbine, the valve including: a housing including a fluid inlet and fluid outlets; an actuator within the housing and movable between an open position and a closed position; a fluid path through the housing between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlets, wherein the fluid path is blocked while the actuator is in the closed positions such that fluid may not flow from the inlet to the outlets and fluid may not flow between the outlets, and wherein one of the fluid outlets is fluidly connected to a first combustion can of the combustor, and another of the fluid outlets is fluidly connected to a second combustion can of the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kenneth Eugene Selfridge, Hua Zhang
  • Patent number: 10337413
    Abstract: The invention relates to a flow limiter which comprises a body (1) comprising a fluid intake (2) and a fluid outlet (3), in which body a pipe (5) for circulating the fluid is provided, comprising a series of chambers having different cross-sections, connected to the fluid intake as well as to the fluid outlet, the pipe being generally tubular, and the pipe having a bottom which has a regular curve so that the pipe does not have one or more areas that retain the fluid circulating in the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Damien Falgareiro, Elisa Bariteau, Elise Thory, Pascal Rizzo, Alexis Longin
  • Patent number: 10337414
    Abstract: The invention includes a method for predicting the operational state of equipment with turbulent flow characterized by time series data relating to its operation. The invention further includes a system and method for predicting the onset of an impending oscillatory instability. Further, the invention includes a system and method for identifying an impending absorbing transition such as flame blowout in combustion systems. A variable representing the dynamics of operation is measured with the help of a sensor, to obtain time series data. A complex network is then derived from the measured time series data. Network properties are then calculated using the complex network to identify the state of stability relating to operation of the equipment. The stability information may include one of thermoacoustic instability, aero-elastic instability such as flutter, flow-induced vibration, magneto-hydrodynamic, aerodynamic, aeromechanical, aero-acoustic instability or onset of flame blowout of a combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS (IITM)
    Inventors: Meenatchidevi Murugesan, Vishnu R Unni, Vineeth Nair Vinod, Sujith Raman Pillai Indusekharan Nair
  • Patent number: 10337415
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle involves directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber using an injection device, and a mixture of the fuel and air is ignited in the combustion chamber by an ignition device. The internal combustion engine is operated selectively in at least one first operating mode with at least one first valve lift of at least one gas exchange valve of the internal combustion engine, associated with the combustion chamber, or in at least one second operating mode with at least one second valve lift of the gas exchange valve, which is smaller than the first valve lift. For assisting a charge movement of the mixture in the second operating mode, at least one further injection of fuel directly into the combustion chamber is carried out prior to the ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Rolf Klenk, Christopher Scherer
  • Patent number: 10337416
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving detection and mitigation of engine misfire are presented. Engine misfire is determined by sampling exhaust pressure of a cylinder only during a time when an exhaust valve of the cylinder is in an open state. If misfire is indicated, an actuator is adjusted to reduce the possibility of misfire during a subsequent cylinder cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 10337417
    Abstract: A control unit for an internal combustion engine is configured for suppressing knocking phenomenon with reduction of overlap, while maintaining an opening timing of an exhaust valve at the time of low-rotation, high-load state. A valve opening/closing timing control apparatus includes a phase adjustment mechanism configured to vary a relative rotational phase between a driving side rotary body rotatable in synchronism with a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine and a driven side rotary body rotatable together with an exhaust cam shaft. After an opening timing of the exhaust valve, an advancing operation is effected for displacing the relative rotational phase in the advancing direction relative to the opening timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Yabu, Masaaki Kaneko
  • Patent number: 10337418
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an engine with deactivating and non-deactivating valves are presented. In one example, an estimate of an amount of oil that may intrude into a deactivated cylinder is made. The deactivated cylinder may be reactivated in response to the amount of oil estimated to be in the deactivated cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Eric Rollinger, Adam J. Richards
  • Patent number: 10337419
    Abstract: A system and method for cylinder deactivation in a multi-cylinder diesel engine comprises pumping air in to an intake manifold of the diesel engine using a turbocharger. Air is pumped in to the intake manifold using an intake air assisting device. And, fuel injection is selectively deactivated to at least one of the cylinders in the diesel engine. An intake valve and an exhaust valve is selectively deactivated for the at least one of the cylinders of the diesel engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: James Edward McCarthy, Jr., Douglas John Nielsen
  • Patent number: 10337420
    Abstract: A method for controlling an engine system having a supercharger and a turbocharger includes: an accelerator-pedal-opening-degree determination operation of determining whether an opening degree of an accelerator pedal detected after an engine starts is a first reference value or more; a first coolant temperature determination operation of determining whether, when the opening degree of the accelerator pedal is less than the first reference value, a detected temperature of a coolant is a second reference value or more; a second coolant temperature determination operation of determining whether the temperature of the coolant is the second reference value or more and is within a temperature threshold; and a boosting operation of calculating boosting contribution rates of the supercharger and the turbocharger, respectively, when the determined temperature of the coolant is within the temperature threshold and driving the supercharger and the turbocharger using the calculated boosting contribution rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Seung Eun Yu, Young Ho Kim, Hyo Sang Cho
  • Patent number: 10337421
    Abstract: When a load on an engine device is lower than a first predetermined load falling within a low load range, feedback control is performed on a main throttle valve. When the load is higher than the first predetermined load, map control based on a data table is performed on the main throttle valve. When the load is higher than a second predetermined load higher than the first predetermined load, an opening degree of the main throttle valve is brought to a fully-open opening degree, and each of an exhaust bypass valve and an air supply bypass valve is controlled to allow pressure inside an intake manifold to be adjusted to a target value appropriate to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Hirose, Taishi Murakami, Tatsuro Ohsara
  • Patent number: 10337422
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a turbocharger, a bypass passage, a waste gate valve, a turbo bypass valve, an air-fuel ratio sensor and an electronic control unit. The air-fuel ratio sensor is provided in an exhaust passage downstream of a merging point at which the bypass passage merges with the exhaust passage. The electronic control unit is configured to, when a predetermined acceleration request is established and a required opening degree of the turbo bypass valve is larger than a predetermined reference opening degree, execute air-fuel ratio control for changing an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine for a predetermined first period, and close the waste gate valve based on a convergence status of detected air-fuel ratio fluctuations. The detected air-fuel ratio fluctuations are fluctuations in air-fuel ratio that is detected by the air-fuel ratio sensor resulting from the air-fuel ratio control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanobu Hosoya, Yasuyuki Irisawa, Hirofumi Kubota, Takashi Tsunooka
  • Patent number: 10337423
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting engine operation based on estimated vaporized and condensed portions of water injected during a water injection event. In one example, a method may include injecting an amount of water into the intake manifold in response to engine conditions and inferring vaporized and condensed portions of the injected water based on the injected amount and a change in manifold temperature following the injection. Further, the method may include adjusting water injection and engine operating parameters in response the evaporated and/or condensed portion of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohannad Hakeem, Gopichandra Surnilla, Stephen B. Smith
  • Patent number: 10337424
    Abstract: A system is disclosed including but not limited to a processor; a hybrid power source for servicing a system load, the hybrid power source comprising a natural gas engine, a diesel engine and a battery; a linear computer program comprising, instructions determining a current system load serviced by power provided from the hybrid power source; instructions to determine a current operating state for the natural gas engine, the diesel engine and the battery; instructions to use linear programming to determine a new operating state for the natural gas engine, the diesel engine and the battery to reduce for power consumption servicing the current system load the natural gas engine, the diesel engine and the battery; and instructions to replace the current operating state for the natural gas engine, the diesel engine and the battery to the new operating state for the natural gas engine, the diesel engine and the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Electronic Power Design, Inc.
    Inventor: John Bradford Janik
  • Patent number: 10337425
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a split exhaust engine system that provides blowthrough air and exhaust gas recirculation to an intake passage via a first exhaust manifold and exhaust gas to an exhaust passage via a second exhaust manifold. In one example, exhaust from a first set of exhaust valves coupled to the first exhaust manifold may be selectively routed to the intake passage via each of a first EGR passage coupled to the intake passage upstream of a compressor driven by a turbine and a second EGR passage coupled downstream of an outlet of the compressor. A decision of whether to route exhaust gas to the intake passage via the first EGR passage, second EGR passage, or both passages may be based on engine operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brad Alan Boyer, Joseph Norman Ulrey, Daniel Paul Madison, Corey Weaver
  • Patent number: 10337426
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing accumulation of condensate in an engine intake during an engine non-combusting condition. In one example, during an engine non-combusting condition, responsive to a higher than threshold ambient humidity and a lower than threshold intake manifold temperature, intake and exhaust valves of deactivatable cylinders may be closed in order to seal the cylinders and during an immediately subsequent engine combusting condition, the intake and exhaust valves of the deactivatable cylinders may be activated and combustion may be resumed in the deactivatable cylinders before starting combustion in non-deactivatable cylinders. Also, during the engine non-combusting condition, residual hot exhaust may be recirculated to the intake manifold to evaporate condensate in the intake manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed M. Dudar
  • Patent number: 10337427
    Abstract: A control device for a compression self-ignition combustion engine is provided, which includes a variable valve operating system configured to introduce internal exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) gas into a combustion chamber, a boosting system configured to boost intake air, a controller configured to control the valve operating system, and a sensor connected to the controller and configured to detect a parameter related to an operating state of the engine. An operation mode of the valve operating system is switchable between first and second modes. The boosting system boosts the intake air when an engine load is higher than a given load, and does not boost when lower than the given load. When the engine load is high, the controller controls the valve operating system to operate in the first mode, and when the load is low, the controller controls the valve operating system to operate in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Nagatsu, Takashi Kaminaga, Toru Miyamoto, Mingzhao Xie
  • Patent number: 10337428
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an EGR valve, includes: a measurement unit to measure at least one operation condition of an engine system; a fresh air amount setting unit to set a target amount of fresh air based on the operation condition; a fresh air amount sensor to measure a current amount of fresh air introduced through an intake line; a control calculation unit to set a signal for controlling an opening degree of the EGR valve so that the current amount of fresh air follows the target amount of fresh air; and an identifier to simulate an input and an output of the engine system, and output engine system input-output sensitivity which is a ratio of a change rate of the current amount of fresh air to a change rate of the opening degree of the EGR valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: DOOSAN INFRACORE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Byoung Gul Oh, Duk Sang Kim
  • Patent number: 10337429
    Abstract: A method of operating an internal combustion engine of a vehicle is provided to maintain cylinder balance. A first operating mode corresponding to a steady state operation of the internal combustion engine is differentiated from a second operating mode corresponding to a transient operation of the internal combustion engine based upon a first operating parameter of the internal combustion engine. In the first operating mode, a first control strategy provides cylinder balance. In the second operating mode, a second control strategy, different than the first control strategy, provides cylinder balance. The second control strategy utilizes a dynamic factor based upon a second operating parameter of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Luca Lauritano, Valerio Nuzzo
  • Patent number: 10337430
    Abstract: Methods and systems include determining a cylinder air-fuel ratio imbalance in a multi-cylinder engine. In one example, the method may include sequentially firing an engine cylinder to provide an expected air-fuel deviation and learning cylinder air-fuel ratio imbalance based on an error between an actual air-fuel ratio deviation from a maximum lean air-fuel ratio relative to an expected air-fuel deviation during a deceleration fuel shut-off event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hassene Jammoussi, Imad Hassan Makki, Michael Igor Kluzner, Gopichandra Surnilla, Robert Roy Jentz
  • Patent number: 10337431
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an engine with deactivating and non-deactivating valves are presented. In one example, mode changes between deactivating cylinders is based on an amount of time a valve is deactivated, and the longer the valve is deactivated the sooner cylinder valves may be deactivated. If the amount of time the valve is deactivated is short, the time that valves may be deactivated may be delayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Eric Rollinger, Karen Willard, Robert Michael Grant
  • Patent number: 10337432
    Abstract: A vehicle and method for controlling a vehicle having a variable displacement engine with an auxiliary machine connected directly to the engine crankshaft and to an energy storage device includes switching from a cylinder disablement (VDE) mode to a normal mode when the torque demand and engine speed lie outside an outer range defined by a first threshold (Tout), and switching from the normal mode to the VDE mode when the torque demand and engine speed lie within an inner range, which lies within the outer range and defined by a second threshold (Tin). When operating in a band between the two thresholds, the auxiliary machine draws energy from the energy storage device and supplements the output torque from the engine if operating in the VDE mode, and derives torque from the engine crankshaft to recharge the energy storage device if operating in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ashish Kumar Naidu, Peter George Brittle, Frederik De Smet, Timothy Sweet, Robert Fulbrook
  • Patent number: 10337433
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system includes: an NOx reduction type catalyst, which is provided in an exhaust passage; an intake air amount sensor, which detects an intake air amount of the internal combustion engine; and a controller, which executes a regeneration treatment that recovers an NOx purification capacity of the NOx reduction type catalyst by switching an exhaust air fuel ratio from a lean state to a rich state by using: an air-system control to reduce the intake air amount; and an injection-system control to increase a fuel injection amount, wherein, in response to a detection value of the intake air amount sensor, the controller changes at least one of a fuel injection timing and the fuel injection amount in the internal combustion engine, in at least one period of switching of: a period of starting the regeneration treatment; and a period of ending the regeneration treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Masaaki Nishito, Teruo Nakada, Takayuki Sakamoto, Daiji Nagaoka, Masashi Gabe
  • Patent number: 10337434
    Abstract: The sensor includes a filter member including cells that trap PM in exhaust gas, electrode members arranged to face each other with the cell interposed and forming a capacitor, an electric heater that executes, when an amount of PM has accumulated in the cells, filter regeneration for combusting and removing the PM, a temperature sensor that acquires the temperature of the filter member, a storage unit that stores therein a reference temperature, which is the temperature of the filter member where the filter regeneration has been executed in a state in which PM is not flowing into the filter member, and estimation units that estimate a PM amount included in the exhaust gas based on (a) an electrostatic capacitance change amount between the electrode members during a regeneration interval and (b) a difference between the temperature acquired by the temperature sensor and the reference temperature during a filter regeneration interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Tadashi Uchiyama, Naoto Murasawa, Satoshi Hanawa
  • Patent number: 10337435
    Abstract: A preheating control for controlling an energization of a heater is executed so that a sensor element of an exhaust gas sensor is preheated within a temperature range in which no element crack caused by water occurs until a predetermined preheating period elapses after an engine starts. In performing the preheating control, first, an energization duty of the heater is set to a preheating promotion energization duty to promptly raise a temperature of the sensor element until it is determined that the temperature of the sensor element reaches a predetermined upper limit temperature. After it is determined that the temperature of the sensor element reaches the upper limit temperature, the energization duty of the heater is set so that the temperature of the sensor element is maintained at the upper limit temperature to sufficiently raise the temperature of the overall sensor element during the preheating control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Sakashita
  • Patent number: 10337436
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for converting an asymmetric sensor response of an exhaust gas sensor to a symmetric response. In one example, a method includes adjusting fuel injection responsive to a modified exhaust oxygen feedback signal from an exhaust gas sensor, where the modified exhaust oxygen feedback signal is modified by transforming an asymmetric response of the exhaust gas sensor to a symmetric response. Further, the method may include adapting parameters of an anticipatory controller of the exhaust gas sensor based on the modified symmetric response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hassene Jammoussi, Imad Hassan Makki, Gladys G. Galicia, Kenneth John Behr, Zena Yanqing Yee
  • Patent number: 10337437
    Abstract: An abnormality diagnosis device for an engine includes an electronic control unit configured to execute temperature rise processing by controlling an air-fuel ratio of at least one of a plurality of cylinders to be a rich air-fuel ratio and controlling an air-fuel ratio of each of the other cylinders to be a lean air-fuel ratio. The electronic control unit is configured to determine whether or not the execution of the temperature rise processing is ongoing, to execute abnormality determination processing to determine whether or not the engine is in an abnormal state, to execute the abnormality determination processing based on whether or not the variation degree during stop of the temperature rise processing exceeds a first determination value, and to execute the abnormality determination processing based on whether or not the variation degree during the execution of the temperature rise processing exceeds a second determination value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Nakamura, Yuki Nose, Eiji Ikuta
  • Patent number: 10337438
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a no-start fault of a vehicle push-button start system including a push-button switch, where the system starts a vehicle engine if the switch is pressed and a vehicle brake is applied. The method includes detecting that a no engine crank condition has occurred if the switch is pressed and the brake is applied, and if so, performs a no crank diagnosis. The method also includes determining that a starter control relay has not been enabled after the system is in a crank power mode, and if so, performs a starter not-enabled diagnosis. The method also includes determining that the starter control relay has been disabled before the engine is running, and if so, performs a start disable diagnosis. The method also includes determining that the engine has stalled within some minimum time after it has successfully been started, and if so, performs an engine stall diagnosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Shengbing Jiang, Scott A. McCullough
  • Patent number: 10337439
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control method for controlling a fuel injection system (10) of an internal combustion engine, wherein, wherein, in a fault situation of the fuel injection system (10), a camshaft angle of a camshaft (34) which drives a pump piston (32) of a high-pressure fuel pump (14) of the fuel injection system (10) is adjusted such that an injection time (tI) of injector valve (42) which injects the fuel from the fuel injection system (10) into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine lies in a pressure trough (50) of a pressure oscillation in a high-pressure region (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: CPT Group GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Seegmüller, Tobias Ritsch
  • Patent number: 10337440
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining operation of a cylinder deactivating/reactivating device are disclosed. In one example, a warm engine is rotated without being supplied fuel to determine the presence or absence of valve actuator degradation. Degraded valve actuators may be determined when there is a lack of a temperature rise in the engine exhaust system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed Dudar
  • Patent number: 10337441
    Abstract: An engine control system of a vehicle includes a cylinder control module a first air per cylinder (APC) module, an adjustment module, and a fuel control module. The cylinder control module determines a target fraction of activated cylinders of an engine. The first APC module determines a first APC value based on an intake manifold pressure and an air temperature. The adjustment module determines an APC adjustment value based on the target fraction of activated cylinders. The first APC module also determines a second APC value based on the first APC value and the APC adjustment value. The fuel control module controls fuel injection based on the second APC value and a target air/fuel mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Gregory P. Matthews
  • Patent number: 10337442
    Abstract: Methods and systems for simultaneously operating port fuel injectors and direct fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine are described. In one example, a port fuel injection window is shorted to provide time for scheduling a direct fuel injector pulse width so that the direct fuel injector pulse width may be adjusted so that a desired amount of fuel enters a cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Hollar, Ethan D. Sanborn, Daniel Dusa, Xiaoying Zhang, Joseph Lyle Thomas
  • Patent number: 10337443
    Abstract: Methods and systems for evaluating whether or not a fuel amount that is greater than a threshold has been release to an engine via fuel injectors when the fuel injectors are commanded off are presented. In one example, an oxygen sensor is activated and engine cranking is prevented until a pumping current of the oxygen sensor is proportionate to a concentration of oxygen sensed via the oxygen sensor so that released fuel may be observed during engine starting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Ulrey, Michael Uhrich, Ross Pursifull, Steven Schwochert
  • Patent number: 10337444
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an engine with deactivating and non-deactivating valves are presented. In one example, fuel supplied to cylinders being reactivated is supplied by direct fuel injectors even though the engine is operating in a region (e.g., speed and torque) where under conditions where cylinders are not being reactivated the engine injects fuel solely via port fuel injectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Adam J. Richards, John Eric Rollinger
  • Patent number: 10337445
    Abstract: A method of operating an engine with dual fuel injection capabilities to address fuel rail over-pressure due to stagnating hot fuel is shown. The method comprises operating an engine cylinder with only port injection, and selectively activating and deactivating the second injector in response to a rail pressure increase of a fuel rail, the fuel rail coupled to the second injector, and deactivating the second injector in response to a rail pressure decrease of the fuel rail to a lower threshold determined based on engine operating conditions. In this way, degradation of the second injector may be reduced while maintaining a desired level of engine performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ethan D. Sanborn, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10337446
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine is configured to feed fuel to a combustion chamber in an intake stroke to form a homogeneous premix and make the homogeneous premix burn by flame propagation when a temperature of an engine body is less than a first threshold value, to feed fuel to the combustion chamber in the intake stroke to form a homogeneous premix and make the homogeneous premix burn by compression ignition when the temperature of the engine body is the first threshold value to less than a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value, and to directly feed fuel to the combustion chamber in a compression stroke to form a partial premix and make the partial premix burn by compression ignition when the temperature of the engine body is the second threshold value or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Kumagae
  • Patent number: 10337447
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus of an internal combustion engine, which can appropriately control the amount of fuel injection from an in-cylinder injection valve so as to achieve a desired air-fuel ratio, regardless of the operating state of the internal combustion engine, is provided. The fuel injection control apparatus comprises: an additional injection means which, when determining that the operating state of the internal combustion engine is a transient state, allows the in-cylinder injection valve to inject a fuel amount conformed to a changing intake air amount; and a subtraction means for subtracting a minimum fuel amount, injectable from the in-cylinder injection valve, from a fuel amount to be injected, before injection by the additional injection means is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyata, Hitoshi Toda
  • Patent number: 10337448
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for moving an injector needle of a fuel injector assembly from a first position to a second position to provide a first fuel injection at the first position, and moving the needle from the second position to the third position to provide a second fuel injection at the third position, and moving the needle back to the first position via the second position, and providing a third fuel injection at the second position. In this way, three fuel injections may be performed during a single actuation cycle of the injector during a single combustion cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10337449
    Abstract: Systems are provided for exhaust gas passages in integrated and conventional exhaust manifolds. In one example, a system may include an exhaust gas passage that has a cross section which features curved limb shapes. This passage may also feature other shapes of cross sections at other points along the passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Anselm Hopf, Guenter Bartsch, Stefan Quiring, Florian Huth
  • Patent number: 10337450
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cooling-channel piston for an internal combustion engine, having an upper part and a lower part, wherein the upper part and the lower part are connected to one another by way of a cohesive joint in the form of a weld seam, and the upper part and the lower part form an annularly encircling cooling channel which is arranged approximately behind a ring section, wherein a gap geometry is provided between a lower edge of the ring section and an upper edge of the lower part, wherein the gap geometry has at least one sliding surface which is arranged on a lower edge of the ring section of the cooling-channel piston and/or on the corresponding upper edge of the lower part of the cooling-channel piston, and to several methods for the operation of a cooling-channel piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: KS Kolbenschmidt GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Laqua, Volker Lehnert
  • Patent number: 10337451
    Abstract: Disclosed is an internal combustion engine's piston with a piston head having first and second thinnest portions that are thinnest in thickness of the piston head. With respect to the center axis of the first and second pin holes for supporting the piston pin, the first and second thinnest portions of the piston head are respectively provided on both sides of a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the center axis of the first and second pin holes. Each of first and second rib portions that are respectively formed on inner surfaces of first and second pin boss portions extends at the piston head in a direction along the transverse axis to overlap each of the first and second thinnest portions of the piston head. This piston is capable of relaxing stress concentration at a position above the piston pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Yuto Higasa
  • Patent number: 10337452
    Abstract: A combined heat and power system, or an energy system, is provided. A four-stroke opposed-piston engine provides efficient power from a generator set or genset. A heat exchange system is provided within the energy system to provide efficient waste heat recovery as the engine is operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Warren Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory B. Powell, James C. Warren