Using Multiple Injectors Or Injections Patents (Class 123/299)
  • Patent number: 10294908
    Abstract: A fuel injector, preferably a dual fuel injector, for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The fuel injector comprises first and second valve needles (80, 100) arranged to control the injection of first and second fuels, first and second control chambers (88, 10) associated with the first and second valve needles (80, 100) respectively, a first control valve (26) comprising a first control valve member (48) and arranged to vary the pressure of a control fluid in the first control chamber (88) so as to cause opening and closing movement of the first valve needle (80), and a second control valve (28) comprising a second control valve member (60) and arranged to vary the control fluid 10 pressure in the second control chamber (110) so as to cause opening and closing movement of the second valve needle (100). The first and second control valve members (48, 60) are arranged for linear movement along a common control valve axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: George A. Meek, Lukhbir Panesar, Michael Colin Wickstone
  • Patent number: 10288005
    Abstract: Additional approaches for the reduction of particulate emissions in gasoline engines using optimized port+direct injection are described. These embodiments include control of the amount of directly injected fuel so as to avoid a threshold increase in particulates due to piston wetting and reduction of cold start emissions by use of air preheating using variable valve timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Ethanol Boosting Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel R. Cohn, Leslie Bromberg
  • Patent number: 10280881
    Abstract: An ECU calculates a cylinder flowing air amount based on an intake tube pressure, using an air intake valve model simulating a behavior of air flowing into a combustion chamber via an air intake valve. The ECU calculates an air intake amount based on a detection result of an air amount detection sensor, and determines whether the air intake amount matches an actual amount of air flowing into the combustion chamber. When the air intake amount is determined to match the actual amount, the ECU calculates a learnt value based on comparison of the cylinder flowing air amount with the air intake amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Takezoe
  • Patent number: 10273888
    Abstract: A GDCI engine recirculates exhaust gases to a combustion chamber using desired early injection parameters for a steady state engine operation from a controller. An engine control system detects a load increase relative to the steady state engine operation, and insufficient recirculated exhaust gases to the combustion chamber are delivered in response to the detected load increase as a result of transport delays. A last fuel injection into the combustion chamber during an engine cycle with multiple fuel injections is delayed as compared to the steady state engine operation. Combustion phasing within the combustion chamber is retarded in response to the delayed injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES IP LIMITED
    Inventors: Mark C. Sellnau, Wayne R. Moore, James F. Sinnamon
  • Patent number: 10240554
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing direct injector fueling errors due to injection variability in a transition region of a direct injector map. Fuel injection, including usage of one or more direct and port injected fuel pulses, may be planned based on engine operating conditions including engine temperature and driver demand. Responsive to any of the direct injected fuel pulses having a pulse-width that lies in a high variability transition region of the direct injector, the fuel injection may be adjusted via adjustments to a number and/or split ratio of the injections so as to not operate in the transition region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ethan D. Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10240553
    Abstract: This fuel injection system includes a port injector, an in-cylinder injector, and a control device. The control device sets the number of executions of maximum partial lift injection per injection stroke based on the pressure of a fuel supplied to the in-cylinder injector and within a range of the number of injections in which an injection amount of the maximum partial lift injection per injection stroke becomes equal to or less than a target amount. This control device allows the in-cylinder injector to execute the number of executions of the maximum partial lift injection and allows the port injector to inject the fuel by the amount equal to the shortfall compared to the total injection amount only in the maximum partial lift injection by the in-cylinder injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakano, Eiji Murase
  • Patent number: 10233859
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a port injector that injects fuel into an intake port and a direct injection injector that injects fuel directly into a combustion chamber. When the internal combustion engine is in a low load condition while requiring fuel injection, a controller stops fuel injection through the port injector so that an entire required fuel injection amount is injected through the direct injection injector. As a result of this processing, the fuel pressure of the direct injection injector is reduced quickly in the low load condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takanobu Ikeuchi
  • Patent number: 10233858
    Abstract: A method and a device for determining the minimum hydraulic injection interval of a piezo-servo injector are described. The closing time of the nozzle needle of the injector is determined on the basis of the characteristic pressure profile in the control spring chamber of the injector. By incrementally reducing the injection interval of a subsequent injection by successively advancing the timing of the start of actuation of a subsequent injection and continuing to observe the pressure profile in the control spring chamber, the smallest injection interval is obtained from the last iteration step in which closing of the nozzle needle of the preceding injection could still be detected in the characteristic pressure profile. Particularly precise determination of the minimum injection interval is possible with this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Janos Radeczky, Christian Bauer, Janos Kerekgyarto
  • Patent number: 10190523
    Abstract: Methods and systems for simultaneously operating port fuel injectors and direct fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine are described. In one example, port fuel injection timing is adjusted to reduce particulate matter formation in the engine so that particulate filter loading may be reduced until a time when the particulate filter may be purged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen George Russ, Ethan D. Sanborn, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 10174703
    Abstract: Disclosed is a homogeneous charge compression ignition and diffusion compression ignition combined ignition control method for low-octane gasoline, using a diffusion compression ignition control mode as a forced ignition measure, to ignite a premixed homogeneous lean oil and gas mixture, and meanwhile to achieve homogeneous charge compression ignition of the oil and gas mixture. During an intake stroke, a fuel is partially injected into the cylinder or an intake manifold, to form a low-concentrated, homogeneous, premixed oil and gas mixture. Before the piston reaches a top dead center during the compression stroke, the remaining part of fuel is injected into the cylinder, diffuses in the air, and spontaneously ignites, thus achieving diffusion compression ignition. A flame is generated in the diffusion compression ignition, and ignites the premixed oil and gas mixture in the cylinder, to achieve ignition and combustion of the homogeneous lean fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Inventor: Xiangjin Zhou
  • Patent number: 10138839
    Abstract: There is provided a controller configured to carry out at least one of first control and second control, in cases where the internal combustion engine is in a predetermined operating state in which the EGR valve is caused to be fully closed, the first control being that an amount of fuel to be injected into an intake passage is made smaller, and an amount of fuel to be injected into a cylinder is made larger, in the presence of the abnormality of the EGR valve being not fully closed than in the absence of the abnormality, and the second control being that a pressure of fuel to be injected into the cylinder is made higher in the presence of the abnormality of the EGR valve being not fully closed than in the absence of the abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuuichi Katou, Makoto Tomimatsu
  • Patent number: 10119492
    Abstract: A fuel injection control unit (engine controller 100) performs a main injection (72) over a period ranging from a last stage of a compression stroke to an initial stage of an expansion stroke, and also performs a preceding injection (71), injecting a smaller amount of a fuel than the main injection, over a period ranging from an intake stroke to a first half of the compression stroke, and also determines whether or not the fuel injected by the preceding injection causes a partial oxidation reaction during a second half of the compression stroke, and on determining that the fuel causes the partial oxidation reaction, performs a middle-stage injection (73). The middle-stage injection is performed at such a timing that allows the fuel injected by the middle-stage injection to ignite spontaneously on or after the fuel injected by the main injection has spontaneously ignited and before the partial oxidation reaction occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Harada, Tatsuya Tanaka, Hiroyuki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10072622
    Abstract: When a state where a lowered amount of a detection value of high-pressure side fuel pressure with respect to target fuel pressure is at least equal to a specified lowering determination value at least continues for a specified lowering determination time, a pump high-temperature determination is set “ON”. In the case where the pump high-temperature determination is set “ON”, boost control for increasing pressure of fuel that is supplied from a feed pump to a high-pressure pump (a set value of feed pressure) from a low-pressure set value to a high-pressure set value is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 10066590
    Abstract: An opposed piston engine may include a first housing, first and second pistons, and first, second, and third fuel injector nozzles. The first housing may define a first passage extending along a first longitudinal axis. The first and second pistons may be slidably disposed within the first passage. The first, second, and third fuel injector nozzles may be in fluid communication with the first passage. At least one of the first, second, and third fuel injector nozzles may be angularly offset from another one of the first, second, and third fuel injector nozzles by an oblique angle about the first longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: AVL POWERTRAIN ENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Gustav R. Johnson, Gary L. Hunter
  • 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: 10060420
    Abstract: A high-pressure pump including a drive shaft (2) supported about an axis of rotation (26) and having at least one cam (3). The pump includes at least two pistons (5); at least two cylinders (6) supporting the pistons (5); wherein the pistons (5) have longitudinal axes (16) oriented at an angle to each other in a projection of the piston longitudinal axes (16) in the direction of the axis of rotation (26) onto a fictitious projection plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation (26). Each of the pistons (5) is supported on a shaft rolling surface (4) of the drive shaft (2) having the at least one cam (3) indirectly by means of a respective supporting element (14) having a supporting rolling surface (15), such that a translational motion can be performed by the pistons (5) as the result of a rotational motion of the drive shaft (2), wherein the piston longitudinal axes (16) have an axial distance in the direction of the axis of rotation (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Dohms
  • Patent number: 10060380
    Abstract: An inter-connect circuit (ICC) device for a fuel delivery system of a vehicle is disposed between an engine control unit (ECU) and a fuel control device. The ECU transmits a drive pulse to the fuel control device by way of a drive pulse line passing through the ICC device. The ICC device includes a housing and a sense circuit. The housing has a first side that is connectable to the ECU and a second side different from the first side that is connectable to the fuel control device. The sense circuit is disposed within the housing. The sense circuit is electrically coupled to the drive pulse line by way of a sense circuit line and is communicably coupled to the ECU by way of a data communication line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO International America, Inc.
    Inventors: Dhyana Ramamurthy, Hiroshi Katsurahara, Atsushi Koike
  • Patent number: 10041434
    Abstract: A method of operating an engine with multi-fuel injector per cylinder capabilities to accommodate reaching minimum fuel pulsewidth conditions of any of the injectors under various operating conditions including hot and cold engine starts. The method reduces engine performance and emissions variations resulting from changes in fuel injection mass below minimum mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Dusa, Paul Hollar, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ethan D. Sanborn
  • Patent number: 10024227
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling boost pressure in a staged engine system comprising a turbocharger and an upstream electric supercharger based on altitude. During vehicle operation at higher altitudes, where vacuum availability for wastegate actuation is limited, boost pressure may be provided by operating the electric supercharger more aggressively. The wastegate may be used for boost control once the vacuum reserve is replenished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Baitao Xiao, John Erik Mikael Hellstrom, Hamid-Reza Ossareh, Mario Anthony Santillo
  • Patent number: 10018112
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine; wherein at least two cylinders continuously communicate via the cylinder head; and wherein the connecting rod in one cylinder is offset from the connecting rod in the second cylinder by a first angle between 8 and 12 degrees as measured from the crankshaft, and a camshaft having a second offset of one-half of the first angle offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: WISE MOTOR WORKS, LTD.
    Inventor: Kyle Vos Strache
  • Patent number: 9995261
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes an injector body defining a liquid fuel passage, a gaseous fuel passage, and a first guide bore; a gaseous fuel check guided within the first guide bore between a retracted position and an advanced position to selectively open and block, respectively, fluid communication between the gaseous fuel passage and a gaseous fuel nozzle outlet; and a sleeve seal seated within the first guide bore, the sleeve seal having an inner surface defining a sleeve seal bore therethrough, and at least a portion of the gaseous fuel check is disposed within the sleeve seal bore; an outer surface of the sleeve seal including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being disposed closer to a longitudinal axis of the sleeve seal bore along a radial direction than the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Hoisan Kim
  • Patent number: 9976506
    Abstract: A method for calibrating post-injections in a fuel injection system, including a fuel accumulator, of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, in which it is provided in particular that the calibration of at least one post-injection takes place based on the pressure drop in the fuel accumulator caused by the fuel injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Schenk, Rene Zieher
  • Patent number: 9970377
    Abstract: A method and controller provide a corrected standard characteristic curve for a fuel injector to inject fuel into an internal combustion engine. A minimum fuel injector energizing time is determined where a predetermined parameter based upon a plurality of fuel injector energizing times and a plurality of master fuel injector energizing times is a minimum. An energizing time correction value is the difference between a reference energizing time and the minimum energizing time. The standard characteristic curve is corrected based on the energizing time correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Daniele Carboni, Antonio Arpaia
  • Patent number: 9964062
    Abstract: A first test injection of a fuel injector is performed with a first test Energizing Time and the actual fuel quantity injected is measured to obtain a first point of a characteristic curve representing a relationship between the injector Energizing Time and the fuel quantity which is actually injected. A ratio between the actual fuel quantity injected and a nominal fuel quantity corresponding to the first test Energizing Time is calculated and used to determine a plurality of corrected Energizing Times for subsequent test injections. The subsequent test injections are performed using the corrected Energizing Times and the actual fuel quantity that has been injected during each one of the subsequent test injections is measured to obtain further points of the characteristic curve. The characteristic curve of the fuel injector is modeled based on the obtained further points and used to control the operation of the fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Angelo Cancellieri, Paul Leonardo Claude
  • Patent number: 9957913
    Abstract: A control device for a compression-ignited internal combustion engine includes a nozzle that includes plural injection holes arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction and that directly injects fuel to a combustion chamber, a piston that includes a cavity with an inner circumferential side surface to which a distance from the nozzle varies in the circumferential direction, a first injection hole for injecting fuel to a portion of the inner circumferential side surface to which the distance from the nozzle is the largest out of the plural injection holes, a second injection hole for injecting fuel to a portion of the inner circumferential side surface to which the distance from the nozzle is the smallest out of the plural injection holes, a detection unit that detects a heat release rate in the combustion chamber, and a control unit that determines which of the first and second injection holes is abnormal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Ono
  • Patent number: 9909523
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling spark plug fouling in newly manufactured vehicles. In one example, a method may include operating an engine with a first direct injection fueling strategy including single intake direct injection on an engine start when in a pre-delivery state, and transitioning to a second different direct injection fueling strategy including split direct injection on the engine start when in a post-delivery state. In this way, spark plug fouling may be avoided in newly manufactured vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Nelson William Morrow, Jr., Michael Damian Czekala, Garlan J. Huberts, Jianwen James Yi
  • Patent number: 9903325
    Abstract: The invention relates to a dual-fuel fuel injector that includes a plurality of stroke-controllable gas nozzle needles which are axially movably mounted on the dual fuel fuel-injector in a plurality of respective seats and which are distributed in a circumferential direction of the dual fuel fuel-injector, and a nozzle chamber provided for the plurality of stroke-controllable gas nozzle needles. The nozzle chamber includes a plurality of externally positioned bulges, wherein within each respective cross section of which an inlet cross section of a flow path is defined which can be blocked selectively via a respective stroke-controllable gas nozzle needle of the plurality of stroke-controllable gas nozzle needles to at least one nozzle opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: L'Orange GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Kalenborn
  • Patent number: 9903294
    Abstract: An injection system for an injection system includes at least one injection valve for injecting fuel into an internal combustion engine. A closing element of the injection valve is moved in recurring injection cycles such that the closing element hits an upper stop at an actual opening time and/or hits a closing position at an actual closing time and thereby triggers a characteristic signal of a sensor element of the injection valve, wherein a signal course of the sensor element over time is detected and a part of the signal course contained in a searching time period of the injection system is examined, wherein a searching method is performed in subsequent injection cycles if the characteristic signal is not detected in said part of the signal course over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Matthias Russe, Hans-Joerg Wiehoff
  • Patent number: 9897037
    Abstract: A fuel control system of an engine is provided which controls, by using a tumble flow, a behavior of fuel directly injected into a combustion chamber formed inside a cylinder of the engine. The fuel control system includes a fuel injector for directly injecting the fuel into the combustion chamber, a tumble flow generator for generating the tumble flow within the combustion chamber, and a fuel injector controlling module for causing the fuel injector to inject the fuel at a first injection timing and then inject a smaller amount of fuel than an amount injected at the first injection timing, in a direction opposing a positive direction of the tumble flow at a second injection timing, the first injection timing designed to be in an intake stroke of the cylinder, the second injection timing designed to be in a latter half of the compression stroke of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Junsou Sasaki, Naohiro Yamaguchi, Yusuke Oda, Yoshitaka Wada, Yuya Honda
  • Patent number: 9897031
    Abstract: The present disclosure is a method of controlling an operation of a swirl control valve for a diesel engine, which predicts an internal temperature of a swirl control valve for a diesel engine, and limit a motor duty ratio of the swirl control valve based on the predicted temperature. In particular, the method predicts an internal temperature (a temperature of a motor coil) of a swirl control valve in real time through modelling, and controls a motor duty ratio of the swirl control valve, so that the internal temperature does not reach a maximum coil temperature, at which the swirl control valve is damaged and/or is irresistible, based on the predicted temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Moo Seock Seo
  • Patent number: 9863359
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the hydraulic dwell time between a first injection and a second injection performed by a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine are disclosed, in which the injector is equipped with a needle operated by a control valve. A value of a nominal electric dwell time between the first injection and the second injection is determined. An actual instant of hydraulic closing of the fuel injector after the first injection is also determined. A corrected electric dwell time is calculated as a function of the nominal electric dwell time and the actual instant of hydraulic closing of the fuel injector after the first injection. The fuel injector is operated using the corrected electric dwell time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Massimiliano Melis, Francesco Pesce
  • Patent number: 9856807
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes an electronic control unit configured to: carry out a first diagnosis and a second diagnosis; control a first injection valve and a second injection valve such that fuel is injected from both the first injection valve and the second injection valve, and such that a fuel injection amount from the second injection valve is not reduced and a fuel injection amount from the first injection valve is reduced, when carrying out the first diagnosis; and control the first injection valve such that fuel is not injected from the first injection valve, and control the second injection valve such that the fuel injection amount from the second injection valve is reduced in a state where fuel is injected from the second injection valve, when carrying out the second diagnosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuki Tsuruoka
  • Patent number: 9856840
    Abstract: Fuel is injected by energizing a solenoid of a fuel injector for an on-time that terminates at a first end-of-current timing. An end-of-current trim is determined at least in part by estimating a duration between an induced current event in a circuit of the solenoid and a valve/armature interaction event. An induced current event occurs when an armature abruptly stops, and a valve/armature interaction event occurs when the armature couples with or de-couples from the valve member. Fuel is injected in a subsequent injection event by adjusting the end-of-current timing by the end-of-current trim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpiller Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Puckett, Bryan Moore, Michael E. Sattler, Prasanna M. Ballal, Bradley S. Bashore, Kranti K. Nellutla
  • Patent number: 9850870
    Abstract: A liquid injector atomizer for direct injection in to the cylinder of an internal combustion engine is provided, with a supply of pressurized liquid a supply of pressurized gas, a body, and a nozzle with two or more orifices each for the liquid and the gas. Each orifice directs a jet of metered pressurized liquid or gas out of the injector body. At least two of the liquid jets are aimed at one or more collision points, where at least two gas jet streams collide at a same collision point or another collision point, thereby creating a finely atomized liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: NOSTRUM ENERGY PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Nirmal Mulye, Osanan L. Barros Neto
  • Patent number: 9850827
    Abstract: Emission targets, such as NOx levels, for gaseous fuelled internal combustion engines that burn a gaseous fuel in a diffusion combustion mode are increasingly more challenging to achieve. A method of fuel injection for an internal combustion engine fuelled with a gaseous fuel comprises introducing a first amount of pilot fuel in a first stage of fuel injection; introducing a first amount of main fuel (the gaseous fuel) in a second stage of fuel injection; and introducing a second amount of main fuel in a third stage of fuel injection. The first and second amounts of main fuel contribute to load and speed demand of the internal combustion engine. Engine maps calibrated for different engine performance can be employed in different regions of the load and speed range of the engine. The engine maps are blended when the engine transitions between two regions; and momentary excursions into different regions do not change the engine calibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Wei Fei, James D. Walker, Gordon P. McTaggart-Cowan, Kenneth R. Mann
  • Patent number: 9840993
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a fuel injection valve which has a needle, wherein a valve opening speed of the needle during post injection is raised as compared with a valve opening speed of the needle during main injection if a pressure of the fuel is not more than a first predetermined pressure, while the valve opening speed of the needle during the post injection is lowered as compared with the valve opening speed of the needle during the main injection if the pressure of the fuel is not less than a second predetermined pressure that is a pressure larger than the first predetermined pressure, when a requested post injection fuel amount is larger than an injection amount threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masato Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 9835107
    Abstract: A microcomputer determines a presence of an abnormality of a fuel injection quantity control device based on a comparison between a required injection quantity as a command value for the amount of a fuel injected from an injector in one engine cycle and a total monitor injection quantity as a total value of monitor injection quantities obtained from an energization time monitor value of the injector for each fuel injection in the one engine cycle. The microcomputer removes a micro-injection correction amount from the monitor injection quantity when the monitor injection quantity is below a determination value and executes a removal processing in which the removal of the micro-injection correction amount from the monitor injection quantity is not performed when the monitor injection quantity is at least the determination value. The total value of the monitor injection quantities after the removal processing is regarded as the total monitor injection quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiyasu Ito, Takuya Inamasu
  • Patent number: 9822720
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine and a particulate filter that is situated to filter particulates from the exhaust fluid. A controller is configured to implement a sequence of particulate filter regeneration techniques including a first technique during an engine cold start condition, a second technique during a running engine idle condition, and a third technique during a driving condition. The controller is configured to determine whether particulate filter regeneration is desired, implement the first technique when particulate filter regeneration is desired, determine whether particulate filter regeneration is still desired after using the first technique, implement the second technique when regeneration is still desired after using the first technique, determine whether particulate filter regeneration is still desired after using the second technique, and implement the third technique when regeneration is still desired after using the second technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventors: Aden Bott, Jamil Khan, Tim Slaney
  • Patent number: 9822747
    Abstract: Method to control an electromagnetic actuator of an internal combustion engine, in particular for a fuel pump of a direct-injection system; wherein the electromagnetic actuator is controlled by an electric current pulse of the Peak&Hold type, i.e. subdivided into a peak phase and a hold phase; the method includes acquiring the initial duration of the peak phase, during which a peak control current is to be supplied to the electromagnetic actuator to control the movement of a component of the electromagnetic actuator moving towards a position defined by a limit stop; and determining the duration of the peak phase by progressively decreasing the initial duration of the peak phase by a first change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giovanni Prodi, Fabio Sensi, Luca Mancini
  • Patent number: 9803581
    Abstract: Provided is an exhaust gas purifying apparatus capable of making a filter entrance temperature reach a target temperature while suppressing excessive temperature increases and release of THC even upon extension of the exhaust path or decreases in outside air temperature. The exhaust gas purifying apparatus includes an oxidation catalyst 18 and a filter 19 that are placed in an exhaust path 5 of an engine 1, a fuel injection device 13 for injecting fuel in accordance with a fuel injection pattern, and a control device 50 configured to be capable of setting the fuel injection pattern including post-injection, wherein an upper-limit value of post-injection quantity increases with decreasing outside air temperature and/or with elongating path length of the exhaust path 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Yamane, Masahiro Koura, Hiroshi Sueto
  • Patent number: 9803568
    Abstract: A control system of an internal combustion engine which performs diffusion combustion by compression autoignition on fuel injected in a main injection in at least a partial operating range and which performs stratified combustion by spark ignition using a spark plug on fuel injected prior to the main injection. The control system determines whether or not the diffusion combustion occurs and performs combustion by spark ignition using the spark plug on the fuel injected in the main injection when it is determined that the diffusion combustion does not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuta Ochi, Toshimi Kashiwagura, Akio Yoshimatsu
  • Patent number: 9797328
    Abstract: An Equipment Health Monitoring method for an engine and an Equipment Health Monitoring system for performing the method are provided. At least some of the following units are used: an Engine Simulation Unit, a Possibilistic Drift Computation Unit, a Fuzzy String Generator Unit, an Experience-based String Matching Unit and an Information Fusion and Prognosis Unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventors: Alvaro Martinez, Luciano Sanchez
  • Patent number: 9797296
    Abstract: Described herein is a combustion pre-chamber apparatus for a main combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine that includes a body that defines an internal combustion cavity. The apparatus also includes at least one orifice that extends through the body. The at least one orifice includes a first end open to the internal combustion cavity and a second end open to the main combustion chamber. The first end is bigger than the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Premjee Sasidharan, Leon A. LaPointe
  • Patent number: 9784201
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control device for an internal combustion engine using the center-of-gravity position of a heat generation rate for combustion control. This control device controls the center-of-gravity position of a heat generation rate to correspond to a reference position in a case where an engine cooling water temperature is equal to or higher than a reference cooling water temperature and controls the center-of-gravity position of a heat generation rate to correspond to a crank angle further on an advance side than the reference position in a case where the engine cooling water temperature is lower than the reference cooling water temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Oyagi, Kazuyasu Iwata, Akira Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9777665
    Abstract: An electronic control unit provided in an internal combustion engine detects a degree of inter-cylinder variation of the amount of fuel that is injected from a port injector, and a degree of inter-cylinder variation of the amount of fuel that is injected from an in-cylinder injector. In a case where the inter-cylinder variation of one of the port injector and the in-cylinder injector is equal to or greater than a predefined value, a process is executed of limiting, so as not to exceed an upper limit value, an injection proportion of the injector for which the inter-cylinder variation is equal to or greater than the predefined value. This upper limit value is set to be smaller as the degree of inter-cylinder variation of the injector, for which the inter-cylinder variation is equal to or greater than a predefined value, increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kinji Morihiro
  • Patent number: 9777694
    Abstract: A control device of an engine is provided. The engine is operated at a high compression ratio, a geometric compression ratio of the engine being 14:1 or higher. The control device includes a fuel injection controller for controlling a fuel injector of the engine to start a fuel injection in a latter half of a compression stroke within an engine operating range where an engine speed is below a predetermined value and an engine load is above a predetermined value, and an ignition controller for controlling an ignition plug of the engine to retard an ignition timing when a timing for the fuel injection controller to start the fuel injection is on a retarding side of a predetermined timing, the ignition timing being retarded based on a retarding amount of the fuel injection start timing from the predetermined timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Nagano, Masahisa Yamakawa, Takashi Youso, Kazuhiro Nagatsu, Atsushi Inoue, Kota Matsumoto, Takashi Kaminaga, Toru Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 9765722
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for an engine, the fuel injection system includes injectors and an electronic control unit. The injectors include needle valves; and the ECU is configured to: (i) execute partial lift injection and full lift injection with the injectors, the partial lift injection being injection during which the needle valve does not reach a fully-open state and the full lift injection being injection during which the needle valve reaches the fully-open state; (ii) operate the engine in a partial lift injection region where the injection of a required injection amount of a fuel is shared by the partial lift injection and the full lift injection; and (iii) perform the amount of correction of the required injection amount with respect to the injection amount shared by the full lift injection when the required injection amount is corrected while the engine is operated in the partial lift injection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiko Higuchi, Tomohiro Nakano, Rihito Kaneko, Eiji Murase
  • Patent number: 9754429
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a set of components of a device, including: a detecting system including a set of agents for detecting anomalies, with each agent receiving measurements on physical parameters relating to a sub-set of components of a device and delivering an initial distribution of the probability of an anomaly; an acquiring system which receives feedback information and the initial distributions of the probability of an anomaly from the agents; an emerging system which iteratively emerges current distributions of the probability of an anomaly, with the current distributions of the probability of an anomaly converging towards a set of optimum distributions of the probability of an anomaly; and a synthesizing system which synthesizes optimum distributions of the probability of an anomaly relating to at least one sub-set of interest of components of the device in order to extract the risks of an anomaly specific to the sub-set of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Jerome Lacaille, Tsirizo Rabenoro
  • Patent number: 9752529
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine includes a fuel injection valve injecting fuel directly into a cylinder. The control apparatus includes an ECU. The ECU is configured to execute a divided injection control to inject fuel from the fuel injection valve by a plurality of partial lift injections. The ECU is configured to execute a division number reduction control when the value of a spray shape parameter representing spray shape fluctuation is greater than a division number reduction determination value. The division number reduction control is control to reduce the number of partial lift injections in one engine cycle and to lengthen an injection time of each of the partial lift injections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichi Mitani, Daisuke Uchida, Naoya Kaneko, Kenji Hoshi, Hiroaki Adachi, Susumu Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9745877
    Abstract: In an exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine which is provided with an NOx catalyst arranged in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine, the present invention has for its problem to be solved to suppress an increase in exhaust emissions, which results from processing for raising the temperature of the NOx catalyst, to a small level. In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine of the invention is constructed such that when an amount of increase in the NOX removal rate becomes smaller with respect to an amount of rise in the temperature of the NOx catalyst, the execution of temperature raising processing is deferred, and processing to make small the flow rate of exhaust gas discharged from the internal combustion engine and processing to make small the amount of smoke discharged from the internal combustion engine are executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuhiro Ito