Patents Issued in September 1, 2020
  • Patent number: 10760481
    Abstract: An apparatus can include: a piston head configured to be disposed inside of a cylinder of an engine; a connecting rod device coupled to the piston head and extending therefrom, the connecting rod device including: a variable-length connecting rod including a female component with a hollow body and a male component disposed at least partially inside of the female component, the female component configured to be coupled to a crankshaft of the engine, one or more rollers rotatably disposed in or on the male component, and a connecting rod magnet movably coupled to the male component proximate to a position of the one or more rollers; and a piston coupling mechanism disposed at least partially inside of the piston head to couple the connecting rod device to the piston head. The connecting rod device can be configured to transition between a locked state and an unlocked state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Scott Agnew
  • Patent number: 10760482
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a vehicle that includes an engine and an electric machine are described. In one example, operation of the engine may be adjusted to compensate for conditions when carbon deposits may build on one or more engine spark plugs. The engine adjustments may help to remove carbon deposits from the engine's spark plugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Herhusky, Scott Steadmon Thompson, John Eric Rollinger, David Lew
  • Patent number: 10760483
    Abstract: A non-metallic tailcone in a tip turbine engine includes a tapered wall structure disposed about a central axis. The non-metallic tailcone is fastened to a structural frame in the aft portion of the tip turbine engine. The tip turbine engine produces a first temperature gas stream from a first output source and a second temperature gas stream from a second output source. The second temperature gas stream is a lower temperature than the first temperature gas stream. The second temperature gas stream is discharged at an inner diameter of the tip turbine engine over an outer surface of the tailcone. Discharging the cooler second temperature gas stream at the inner diameter allows a non-metallic to be used to form the tailcone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Merry, Gabriel L. Suciu, James W. Norris
  • Patent number: 10760484
    Abstract: Multi-engine aircraft power plants and associated operating methods are disclosed. An exemplary multi-engine power plant comprises a first turboshaft engine and a second turboshaft engine configured to drive a common load such as a rotary wing of an aircraft; and a heat exchanger in thermal communication with an exhaust gas of the first turboshaft engine and in thermal communication with pre-combustion air of the second turboshaft engine. The heat exchanger is configured to permit heat transfer from the exhaust gas of the first turboshaft engine to the pre-combustion air of the second turboshaft engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Daniel Alecu
  • Patent number: 10760485
    Abstract: A distributed control system for a vehicle includes one or more processors and one or more memory devices storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations comprise obtaining an instance of shared data for a control system of the vehicle from each of at least three separate nodes of the distributed control system. The shared data may include configuration or health data for the control system or the vehicle itself. The operations include comparing the at least three instances of shared data; detecting a shared data inconsistency amongst the at least three instances; and generating a control action associated with resolving the shared data inconsistency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Douglas Scott Jacobs, John Michael O'Neill
  • Patent number: 10760486
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aviation turbine engine fan module including a de-icing system (10) for de-icing an inlet cone (1) and comprising a sheath (30) placed inside an inside space defined upstream by the inlet cone, said sheath comprising a first duct (38) having at least one hot air admission orifice (42), said first duct being configured to convey hot air from a bearing enclosure (22) of the engine towards a wall of the inlet cone in order to heat it from the inside, the sheath further comprising a second duct (40) having at least one outlet situated downstream from the admission orifice of the first duct, said second duct being configured to discharge air from the first duct towards the downstream end of the engine. The invention also provides a method of de-icing a turbine engine inlet cone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engines
    Inventors: Kevin Morgane Lemarchand, Nils Bordoni, Guillaume Kubiak
  • Patent number: 10760487
    Abstract: An inertial inlet particle separator system for a vehicle engine is provided. A separator assembly and collector assembly are coupled to the scavenge flow path and configured to receive the scavenge air. The collector inlet has a throat defining a cumulative throat area at each position along the throat length from the first throat end to the second throat end. The collector body defines a cross-sectional area associated with each position along the throat length between the first throat end and the second throat end. The collector outlet is coupled to the collector body such that scavenge air flows into the collector inlet, through the collector body, and out through the collector outlet. At a first position between the first throat end and the second throat end, the respective cross-sectional area of the collector body is greater than or equal to the respective cumulative throat area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Zedic Daniel Judd, Yogendra Yogi Sheoran, Jennifer Ann Reich, Todd A. Kincheloe, Yates Wong, Cristopher Frost
  • Patent number: 10760488
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a fan section having a plurality of fan blades. The plurality of fan blades has a peak tip radius Rt and an inboard leading edge radius Rh at a first inboard boundary of a first flowpath. A core engine includes a first turbine configured to drive a first compressor, and a fan drive turbine configured to drive the fan section. A method of designing a gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, William G. Sheridan
  • Patent number: 10760489
    Abstract: An aircraft including a turbofan engine provided with an engine body and a fan located anterior to the engine body, further includes: an engine oil cooler that is a heat exchanger for cooling engine oil used in the engine body by using, as a heat source, a fan stream flowing from the fan into a gap between a core cowl surrounding the engine body and a nacelle surrounding the fan and the core cowl; and a pre-cooler that is a heat exchanger for cooling bleed air from the engine body by using the fan stream as a heat source, wherein the engine oil cooler and the pre-cooler are longitudinally arranged in one position in a circumferential direction of the nacelle, and the engine oil cooler is located anterior to the pre-cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jingo Tateiwa
  • Patent number: 10760490
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a novel modular cooling system for cooling an air injection system where the cooling system is configured to conform generally to the foot print of the air injection system. The cooling system utilizes a plurality of coolers through which coolant from the air injection system passes prior to being recirculated back to the air injection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: PowerPHASE LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Kraft, Scott Auerbach, Matthew Kraft
  • Patent number: 10760491
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided 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 in communication with said mid-span pre-diffuser inlet and said combustor section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, William K. Ackermann
  • Patent number: 10760492
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a fan and a compressor section with a first lower pressure location and a second higher pressure location. A heat exchanger and a higher pressure tap from the second higher pressure location pass through the heat exchanger. Air in the higher pressure tap is cooled by air from a lower pressure tap from the first lower pressure location. A valve controls flow to the heat exchanger from the lower pressure tap, the valve being controlled to limit flow from the lower pressure tap under certain conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: John W. Golan, Frederick M. Schwarz
  • Patent number: 10760493
    Abstract: An example flow control assembly includes a door that is moved to control flow through a heat exchanger, and a pneumatic device to move the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael R. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10760494
    Abstract: A bore basket assembly for a gas turbine engine. The assembly includes an outer cylindrical member. The assembly also includes an inner cylindrical member at least partially surrounded by the outer cylindrical member to define an annulus therebetween, one of the cylindrical members operatively coupled to an aft rotor stage, the other of the cylindrical members operatively coupled to a forward rotor stage, the cylindrical members moveable in an axially telescoping manner relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Konstantinos Panagiotis Giannakopoulos, Andrew C. Carmack, Mohammad G. Faisal
  • Patent number: 10760495
    Abstract: A method for delivering fuel to a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes: injecting fuel into a conduit of a fuel manifold; directing the fuel through a continuous first portion of the conduit; directing the fluid from the first portion into an inflexion of the conduit being a single exit of the first portion; directing the fuel from the inflexion into a second portion of the conduit in serial flow communication with the first portion; and carrying the fuel in the second portion in a direction different from that of the fuel in the first portion. As the fuel flows through the second portion of the conduit, the fuel exits from the second portion of the conduit into a plurality of fuel injection nozzles in exclusive fluid flow communication with the second portion for ejection into a combustor of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Eduardo David Hawie, Nigel Caldwell Davenport, Jian-Ming Zhou
  • Patent number: 10760496
    Abstract: A method for isolating a tank of oil from a downstream portion of an oil supply system for a turbine engine is provided. The oil supply system includes the oil tank and a cutoff valve located between the oil tank and the downstream portion. The cutoff valve is configured to limit a flow of oil towards the downstream portion. The cutoff valve is fluidically linked to a fire extinguishing system by a fluid communication device. The method includes closing the cutoff valve in response to an increase in extinguishant pressure in the fluid communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Jean-Louis Muller
  • Patent number: 10760497
    Abstract: Provided is a gas turbine starting device which has a sun gear, a planetary carrier, an internal gear, and a planetary gear, the sun gear, the planetary carrier and the internal gear serving as rotating bodies rotating about an axis; and a variable speed power source which has a rotor connected to one of the rotating bodies in the planetary gear mechanism. A rotating shaft of the gas turbine is connected to one of the rotating bodies other than the rotating body to which the variable speed power source is connected, and the rotating shaft of the compressor is connected to the remaining one of the rotating bodies other than the rotating bodies to which the rotor of the variable speed power source and the rotating shaft of the gas turbine are connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasushi Mori
  • Patent number: 10760498
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine engine structure and method for reducing or mitigating bowed rotor. The method includes coupling a rotor assembly to a mechanical energy storage device via a clutch mechanism when the rotor assembly is at or below a speed limit below an idle speed condition; storing mechanical energy at the mechanical energy storage device via rotation of the rotor assembly at or below the speed limit; releasing mechanical energy from the mechanical energy storage device to rotate the rotor assembly following shutdown of the gas turbine engine; and rotating the rotor assembly via the mechanical energy from the mechanical energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Bryan Cannella, Charles Stanley Orkiszewski, Milind Chandrakant Dhabade, Praveen Sharma, Brian Drummond, Shivam Mittal
  • Patent number: 10760499
    Abstract: A rotor for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of radially extending blades, each having a remote blade tip defining an outer tip surface, and a leading edge defined between opposed pressure and suction side airfoil surfaces. A shroud circumferentially surrounds the rotor, and a radial distance between an inner surface of the shroud and the outer tip surface of the blades defines a radial tip clearance gap therebetween. The tip of each of the blades has a pressure side edge formed at the intersection between the outer tip surface and the pressure side airfoil surface, and a suction side edge formed at the intersection between the outer tip surface and the pressure side airfoil surface. The suction side edge has a larger radius of curvature than the pressure side edge, thereby reducing the amount of tip leakage flow through the radial tip clearance gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Hien Duong, Jason Nichols, Vijay Kandasamy
  • Patent number: 10760500
    Abstract: A seal system is provided. The seal system may comprise a first duct having an annular geometry, a second duct overlapping the first duct in a radial direction, and a seal disposed between the first duct and the second duct. The seal may comprise a groove defined by the first duct and a piston configured to slideably engage the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Donald W. Peters, James P. Bangerter
  • Patent number: 10760501
    Abstract: To facilitate the removal of a bearing housed in an arm of a turbomachine casing, which bearing guides a transmission shaft of the turbomachine, a casing arm includes a body with a vertical portion and a base defining a portion of a shaft housing; an additional part removably attached to the body and defining a bearing housing opening in the shaft housing; and a removable shim inserted between the base and the additional part. A turbomachine including such a casing arm is also described, as well as a method for removing the bearing from such a turbomachine, including removing the shim and moving the additional part towards the base, thereby allowing access to the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Sebastien Nicolas Juigne, Kevin Michael Robert Contal, Mathieu Gaillot, Francois Marie Paul Marlin, Steve Marcel Nicaise
  • Patent number: 10760502
    Abstract: A lubricity estimation device is applied to a fuel supply system that supplies a fuel to an internal combustion engine, and includes a mixing ratio estimation unit and a lubrication index calculation unit. The mixing ratio estimation unit estimates the mixing ratio of each of plural types of molecular structures included in the fuel. The lubrication index calculation unit calculates a lubrication index, representing the lubricity of an outer peripheral portion S1 of the piston of a fuel pump and an outer peripheral portion of the valve body of a fuel injection valve by the fuel, based on the mixing ratio estimated by the mixing ratio estimation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsunori Okabayashi, Shinya Hoshi
  • Patent number: 10760503
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine includes a controlling section that controls a variable valve actuation device such that the phase of an intake valve becomes a target value. The controlling section executes a process of setting the target value to a steady or transient state phase, a process of calculating a load change rate, and a process of setting a change amount of the transient state phase. The change amount of the transient state phase is set to a change amount when the engine operating state is a transient state and the load change rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. The change amount of the transient state phase is set to a second change amount that is less than the first change amount when the engine operating state is the transient state and the load change rate is less than the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiaki Otani
  • Patent number: 10760504
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling an internal combustion engine including at least one first cylinder and at least one second cylinder with respective reciprocating pistons, each of the first and second cylinders being arranged to receive air from a fresh air intake arrangement, to receive fuel, and to provide repetitive combustions by means of the received air and fuel, the method including receiving in the first cylinder air from the fresh air intake arrangement, expelling from the first cylinder gases in the form of the air received in the first cylinder or gases including at least a portion of the air received in the first cylinder, guiding to the second cylinder gases expelled from the first cylinder, injecting fuel into the second cylinder so as to provide repetitive combustions with air in the gases guided from the first cylinder to the second cylinder, and, while guiding to the second cylinder gases expelled from the first cylinder, throttling or inhibiting the supply to the second cylinder of air
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mikael Forsberg, Sören Andermård
  • Patent number: 10760505
    Abstract: An engine device including an engine capable of coping with both a premix combustion mode in which premixed fuel obtained by mixing fuel with air in advance is supplied into a cylinder and combusted and a diffusion combustion mode in which liquid fuel is injected into the cylinder and combusted. The engine device further includes a gas supply device configured to supply the gaseous fuel into the cylinder in the premix combustion mode; a pilot injection device configured to inject the liquid fuel into the cylinder in the premix combustion mode; and a main injection device configured to inject the liquid fuel into the cylinder in the diffusion combustion mode. The liquid fuel is injected from the main injection device and the liquid fuel is injected from the pilot injection device during the diffusion combustion mode, thus diagnosing failure in the pilot injection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masayoshi Doui
  • Patent number: 10760506
    Abstract: A gaseous fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine may include a storage tank for storing liquefied gaseous fuel and supplying the fuel to the engine. The system may also include a liquid level sensor for measuring a level value of the liquefied gaseous fuel in the storage tank and a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure value of gaseous fuel in the fuel supply system. The system may further include a controller. The controller may be configured to: monitor a pressure signal of the pressure sensor indicating the pressure value and a tank level signal of the liquid level sensor indicating the level value; store the level value when the pressure value indicates the storage tank is empty; store the level value when the pressure value or the level value indicates the storage tank is full; and determine a calibrated level range based on the stored level values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Engfehr, Asha L. Pai, Roderick S. Zehrung, Derek P. Samsel, Brett M. Nee, Joshua Perko
  • Patent number: 10760507
    Abstract: A vehicular propulsion system, a vehicular fuel system and a method of producing fuel for an internal combustion engine. A separation unit that makes up a part of the fuel system includes one or more adsorbent-based reaction chambers to selectively receive and separate at least a portion of onboard fuel into octane-enhanced and cetane-enhanced components. Regeneration of an adsorbate takes place through interaction with a solvent, while subsequent separation allows the solvent to be reused. A controller may be used to determine a particular operational condition of the internal combustion engine such that the onboard fuel can be sent to one or more combustion chambers within the internal combustion engine without first passing through the separation unit, or instead to the separation unit in situations where the internal combustion engine may require an octane-rich or cetane-rich mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Esam Zaki Hamad, Eman AbdelHakim A. M. Tora, Amer A. Amer, Junseok Chang
  • Patent number: 10760508
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a control device, an EGR valve that adjusts an EGR rate, a PCV valve that adjusts an opening degree of a first PCV passage that communicates an inside of a crankcase and a downstream side of a throttle valve. The control device operates the throttle valve in a closing direction in response to a deceleration request. The control device adjusts an opening degree of the PCV valve based on an immediately preceding EGR rate immediately before reception of the deceleration request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hironori Ito
  • Patent number: 10760509
    Abstract: A system includes a fuel tank, an internal combustion engine, a generator, a recoil starter, a control unit, an injector, a fuel pump, an igniter, and a detection unit that detects the crank angle of the internal combustion engine. The control unit, in a starting period of the internal combustion engine, which is started using the recoil starter, supplies electric power to the igniter, the injector, and the fuel pump such that a power supply period of the igniter will not overlap a power supply period of the injector and the fuel pump, using the crank angle as a reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoichi Yamamura
  • Patent number: 10760510
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine is configured to execute a dither control process and an enlarging process. The enlarging process includes at least one of the following two processes: a process of causing an operation region of the internal combustion engine in which the dither control process is executed to be larger in a case in which an amount of particulate matter trapped by the filter is large than in a case in which the amount is small; and a process of causing a degree of richness of the rich combustion cylinder and a degree of leanness of the lean combustion cylinder to be greater in a case in which the amount of particulate matter trapped by the filter is large than in a case in which the amount of particulate matter trapped by the filter is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Nose, Takashi Nakamura, Keiichi Myojo
  • Patent number: 10760511
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system for controlling an idle speed of an internal combustion engine during certain vehicle component operations to minimize unwanted motion and vibration. A transmission neutral engagement, a transmission forward or reverse gear engagement, and a vehicle speed are detected. An engine target idle speed is set to a first speed during the neutral engagement. An engine target idle speed is set to a second idle speed when a vehicle speed is less than a threshold speed and the forward or reverse gear is activated. The vehicle target idle speed is set to a third idle speed when the vehicle speed is greater than a threshold speed while the forward or reverse gear is activated, wherein the first target idle speed, second target idle speed and third target idle speed are different engine speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Markman, Tomoharu Hozumi, Joaquin A. Pelaez, Andrew G. Shapiro
  • Patent number: 10760512
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting engine operating parameters in response to an emission output from vehicles within a region. In one example, a method comprises adjusting engine operating parameters in a portion of the vehicles to decrease an emission output therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Frederik De Smet, Turgay Aslandere
  • Patent number: 10760513
    Abstract: A method of increasing parasitic load on an internal combustion engine includes injecting a fuel into a combustion chamber of an active cylinder of the internal combustion engine, combusting the injected fuel in the combustion chamber of the active cylinder, and determining that increasing a temperature of an exhaust aftertreatment device is required. The method includes increasing a parasitic load on the internal combustion engine by deactivating a cylinder, wherein no fuel is injected in the deactivated cylinder for a combustion cycle of the internal combustion engine, and further increasing the parasitic load by pulsing a spill valve member of a spill valve of a fuel injector in the deactivated cylinder between a fully closed position and an at least partially open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Spencer Huhn, Wade J. Robel, Lifeng Wang, Dana Coldren, Kevin Weiss
  • Patent number: 10760514
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an engine that includes a compression ratio linkage for adjusting engine compression ratio are described. The systems and methods provide different ways of diagnosing the presence or absence of engine misfire in response to engine operating regions that may be more or less prone to torsional engine crankshaft vibration. In one example, engine misfire may be determined responsive to force applied to an engine compression ratio changing linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Glugla, Gopichandra Surnilla, Imtiaz Ali, Lyth Alobiedat
  • Patent number: 10760515
    Abstract: A controller of an internal combustion engine includes processing circuitry configured to execute a peak current command value calculating process of calculating a peak current command value, which is a command value of a peak current flowing through a coil, based on a detection value of a pressure in a delivery pipe, and a peak control process of controlling a value of the peak current at the peak current command value. The in-cylinder injection valve is configured to execute multi-stage injection including a first injection and a second injection carried out at a timing toward a retarding side from the first injection. A peak current command value for the second injection is larger than the peak current command value for the first injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuta Ochi
  • Patent number: 10760516
    Abstract: A leakage detection device detects leakage in a PCV passage that at least includes a scavenging line that communicates between a crank chamber of an engine and a portion of an intake passage of the engine that is on a downstream side of a throttle valve and a fresh air line that communicates between the crank chamber and a portion of the intake passage that is on an upstream side of the throttle valve. The leakage detection device includes a pressure measurement, a first valve and a leakage determination unit. The pressure measurement unit measures pressure in the PCV passage. The first valve opens/closes the fresh air line. The leakage determination unit determines presence or absence of leakage in the PCV passage on a basis of the pressure in the PCV passage at a time when the first valve is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Takahashi, Daiki Shiwa
  • Patent number: 10760517
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing degradation of an exhaust valve coupled to an engine cylinder. In one example, a method may include, routing compressed air from an electric booster into a cylinder with the intake valve of the cylinder open and the exhaust valve closed, and indicating degradation of the exhaust valve based on an exhaust airflow relative to a baseline airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed M. Dudar
  • Patent number: 10760518
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for calibrating engine port injectors. After pressurizing a low pressure fuel rail, a lift pump may be disabled and port injector variability may be correlated with a measured fuel rail pressure drop at each port injection event by sweeping injection pressure while maintaining injection voltage, and then sweeping injection voltage while maintaining injection pressure. A port injector variability map learned as a function of injection voltage and injection pressure is then transformed into a map learned as a function of injection current and injection pressure by accounting for injector variability caused due to changes in injector temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Adithya Pravarun Re Ranga, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 10760519
    Abstract: A method of implementing control logic of a compression-ignition engine is provided. A control part of the engine performs a calculation according to the control logic corresponding to an engine operating state in response to a measurement of a measurement part, controls a fuel injection part, a variable valve operating mechanism, an ignition part and a supercharger so that a G/F becomes leaner than a stoichiometric air fuel ratio and a A/F becomes equal to or richer than the stoichiometric air fuel ratio, while causing the supercharger to boost, and controls the ignition part so that unburnt mixture gas combusts by self-ignition after the ignition. The method includes determining a supercharging pressure P, and determining control logic defining a close timing IVC of an intake valve. When determining the control logic, the close timing IVC (deg.aBDC) is determined so that the supercharging pressure P (kPa) satisfies the following expression: P?8.0×10?11IVC6?1.0×10?8IVC5+3.0×10?7IVC4?4.0×10?6IVC3+0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masanari Sueoka, Atsushi Inoue, Keiji Maruyama, Takuya Ohura, Tomohiro Nishida, Yusuke Kawai, Tetsuya Chikada, Tatsuhiro Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 10760520
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described for controlling fuel injection in an engine equipped with a dual injector system including a port injector and a direct injector. A ratio of port injected fuel to direct injected fuel is adjusted based at least on intake valve temperature. The proportion of fuel port injected into a cylinder is increased as the intake valve temperature for the given cylinder increases to improve fuel vaporization in the intake port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Eric Krengel, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Todd Anthony Rumpsa, Michael Howard Shelby
  • Patent number: 10760521
    Abstract: A control device for a motor-driven fuel pump adapted for an internal combustion engine is provided. The fuel pump includes a cylinder, a mover in the cylinder, and an electric actuator configured to move the mover. The control device is configured to perform energization control on the electric actuator to reciprocate the mover so that the fuel pump draws in and discharges fuel. The control device is also configured to control a discharge count and a unit discharge amount based on an operating state of the internal combustion engine. The discharge count is a number of times of discharging fuel from the fuel pump to the fuel pipe during a period between a fuel injection from the fuel injection valve and the next fuel injection, and the unit discharge amount is an amount of fuel for one fuel discharge from the fuel pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seiji Okamura
  • Patent number: 10760522
    Abstract: The deterioration of combustion due to condensed water flowing into a cylinder is suppressed as much as possible. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is applied to an internal combustion engine which includes a fuel injection valve that directly injects fuel into a cylinder and a spark plug. The internal combustion engine is constructed so that the fuel goes to the spark plug. The control apparatus comprising a controller configured to: predict whether condensed water flows into the cylinder during an intake stroke; and carry out first injection control to perform fuel injection in a predetermined period of time within a period of time which is after closure of an exhaust valve and before the condensed water flows into the cylinder, and second injection control to perform fuel injection in a compression stroke before ignition, if an inflow of the condensed water into the cylinder is predicted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Manju, Kei Takachiho
  • Patent number: 10760523
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of an internal combustion engine having at least one fuel injector. A controller is configured to selectively command the at least one fuel injector to deliver a primary fuel injection of a first fuel quantity and a secondary fuel injection of a second fuel quantity. The first fuel quantity is above a predefined threshold and the second fuel quantity is at or below the predefined threshold. The controller is configured to command a primary pulse width and a secondary pulse width, based in part on a respective desired fuel injection mass and respective initialized values of fuel injector slope. Operation of the fuel injectors is controlled based in part on a converged primary fuel injector slope and a converged secondary fuel injector slope determined at partially from a comparison of a calculated fuel mass and an estimated fuel mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jun-mo Kang, Hanho Yun, Insu Chang
  • Patent number: 10760524
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an engine main body defining a cylinder bore, a piston received in the cylinder bore, and a crankshaft rotatably supported by the engine main body and connected with the piston via a connecting rod, the piston including a skirt. The cylinder bore includes a first region defined as a range along the cylinder axial line on a side of a top dead center from a first piston position, and a second region defined as a range along the cylinder axial line on a side of the bottom dead center from a second piston position closer to the bottom dead center than the first piston position, and a connection region positioned between the first and second regions. A diameter of the cylinder bore is smaller in the first region than in the second region, and the connection region connects the first and second regions smoothly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoaki Takeda, Naokazu Kawase, Yoshihiro Okada, Shinya Abe, Hidehumi Kuramitsu
  • Patent number: 10760525
    Abstract: A member having a sliding contact surface that exerts a reduced frictional force when making sliding contact with a prescribed member and retains the lubricating oil more uniformly is provided. The sliding contact surface is a honed surface having flat plateau parts and groove parts. As calculated in regard to the sliding contact surface by using a mean line derived from a cross-sectional curve of the sliding contact surface in accordance with ISO 13565-1, a ten-point average roughness is 0.6-7.0 ?m, a load length ratio at a cut level of 20% is 60-98%, an effective load roughness is 0-1 ?m, and a mean value of intervals between the groove parts having a depth of 0.2 ?m or greater from the mean line is 79-280 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Kaneko, Masakatsu Satoh
  • Patent number: 10760526
    Abstract: Provided is a piston for an internal combustion engine. The piston includes a body including, at an upper part of the body, a crown including a combustion chamber where fuel is burnt and including, at a lower part of the body, a piston pin boss into which a piston pin is inserted and a skirt corresponding to a cylinder wall, and a cooling channel including a refrigerant channel, a refrigerant inlet provided at a side of the refrigerant channel, and a refrigerant outlet provided at the other side of the refrigerant channel, wherein a cross section of the cooling channel has an overall elliptic shape to reduce stress occurring at an upper side of the cooling channel when the fuel is burnt in the internal combustion engine, and at least one of arcs of the ellipse is configured as a first elliptical arc of a quadratic curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: DONG YANG PISTON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Kui Yang, Kwan Ho Ryu, Sang Hyuk Jun, Woo Seok Shim, In Cheol Yoo, Jang Ik Park
  • Patent number: 10760527
    Abstract: An exhaust mixer for a gas turbine engine includes an annular wall having upstream end adapted to be fastened to an engine case and a downstream end forming a plurality of inner and outer mixer lobes. A support member interconnects at least a number of the inner lobes, and includes a circumferentially extending stiffener ring located radially inwardly from the inner lobes and a series of circumferentially spaced apart mixer struts radially extending from the inner lobes to the stiffener ring. The mixer struts have a radial length at least equal to a width of a main gas path defined between the inner lobes and the exhaust cone such that the mixer struts extend entirely through the main gas path. The stiffener ring being fixed solely to the mixer struts such as to float with respect to the exhaust cone and permit relative movement therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Guy Lefebvre, Nicolas Grivas, Richard Bouchard, Denis Leclair, Eric Durocher
  • Patent number: 10760528
    Abstract: A thrust reverser drive arrangement is described for use in driving a thrust reverser cowl for movement relative to first and second guide tracks, the drive arrangement comprising a first actuator located, in use, close to the first guide track, and a second actuator located, in use, close to the second guide track, the actuators being arranged to be driven in synchronism and at the same speed by a drive motor to drive the cowl for movement, wherein at least one of the first and second actuators is provided with a load limiter to limit the transmission of loads through that actuator in the event that that actuator is subject to a compressive loading greater than a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: GOODRICH ACTUATION SYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Paul Somerfield, Benjamin Thomas Tucker
  • Patent number: 10760529
    Abstract: A composite wear pad for being coupled to a slider block of a convergent nozzle of a gas turbine engine includes a high heat capacity composite having a resin and a plurality of carbon fibers bonded together by the resin. The composite wear pad also includes a first rod coupled to the high heat capacity composite at a first axial end of the composite wear pad such that a first end thickness. The composite wear pad also includes a second rod coupled to the high heat capacity composite at a second axial end of the composite wear pad such that the first axial end and the second axial end of the composite wear pad each have an end thickness that is greater than a middle thickness of the composite wear pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald W. Peters, Emma J. Place
  • Patent number: 10760530
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft including: engine core including a turbine; and fan including a plurality of fan blades extending radially from a hub, each fan blade having a leading and trailing edge. Turbine includes a lowest pressure turbine stage having a row of rotor blades each extending radially and having a leading and trailing edge. A fan-turbine radius difference is measured as radial distance between: a point on a circle swept by a radially outer tip of the trailing edge of each of the rotor blades of the lowest pressure stage of the turbine; and a point on a circle swept by a radially outer tip of the leading edge of each of fan blades; and a fan speed to fan-turbine radius ratio defined as: the ? ? maximum ? ? take ? - ? off ? ? rotational ? ? speed ? ? of ? ? the ? ? fan fan ? - ? turbine ? ? radius ? ? difference ? ? ( 120 ) is in a range between 0.8 rpm/mm to 5 rpm/mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Richard G Stretton, Michael C Willmot