Injecting Diverse Fuels Or Different States Of Same Fuel Patents (Class 123/304)
  • Patent number: 11927165
    Abstract: The electronic control unit performs a retarding process of retarding the ignition timing when the fuel pressure decreases, and lowers the peak of the combustion pressure in the cylinder, thereby suppressing the inflow of the combustion gas to the injector. Further, the electronic control unit performs an increasing process of increasing the injection amount of the hydrogen gas together with the retarding process, thereby suppressing the torque decrease of the engine due to the retard of the ignition timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Yui, Tomohiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 11879401
    Abstract: An internal combustion-type engine or powertrain that is capable of burning wet-alcohol fuel mixture and including a piston reciprocating within a cylinder attached to a cylinder head and connecting to a crank shaft via a connecting rod. An intake cam and valve is mounted within an intake port formed in the cylinder head and an exhaust cam and valve is mounted within an exhaust port also formed in the cylinder head. A pressurized fuel source is introduced into the cylinder by a fuel injector and the percentage of water in the alcohol/water mix operates to prolong the cylinder pressure in order to increase a mean effective pressure (IMEP), leading to a higher torque (improved Brake Mean Effective Pressure—BMEP) of the engine via a longer pressure pulse attained during the period of preferred mechanical advantage of the crank-arm of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Maymaan Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Yehuda Shmueli, Eitan Shmueli, Doron Shmueli
  • Patent number: 11719154
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for engine startup. In one example, a method for an engine includes injecting a fuel mixture with a proportion of a first fuel to a second fuel to decrease carbon emissions, in response to detection of or request for the engine to start. The proportion of the first fuel to the second fuel in the injected fuel mixture is decreased in response to engine speed reaching an idling speed. The first fuel may be a non-hydrocarbon-based fuel and the second fuel may be a hydrocarbon-based fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Edgar Klingbeil, Thomas Michael Lavertu, Eric Dillen
  • Patent number: 11650064
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving the manner in which different fuel types are used under different driving scenarios. In one example, a method may include determining a travel route based on a particular transportation request input by a customer into a software application, where the software application selects a vehicle from a plurality of available vehicles to fulfill the transportation request based on a relative fuel octane content of fuel stored by the available vehicles. In this way, appropriate fuel type usage for different driving scenarios may be improved, and non-appropriate fuel type usage may be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, James Eric Anderson, Michael Kruntovski, Chad Boarman
  • Patent number: 11643983
    Abstract: Spark ignition engine operation at higher RPM so as to reduce alcohol requirements in high efficiency alcohol enhanced gasoline engines is disclosed. Control of engine upspeeding (use of a higher ratio of engine RPM to wheel RPM) so as to achieve an alcohol reduction objective while limiting any decrease in efficiency is described. High RPM alcohol enhanced gasoline engine operation in plug-in series hybrid powertrains for heavy duty trucks and other vehicles is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Daniel R. Cohn, Leslie Bromberg
  • Patent number: 11643987
    Abstract: A system includes a fuel tank and a dehydration reactor that are configured to provide a primary fuel and a pilot fuel to a power system. The fuel tank is configured to store the primary fuel and is fluidly connected to a reactor feed line and a primary fuel line provide the primary fuel. The dehydration reactor is configured to receive the primary fuel via the reactor feed line and convert a portion of the primary fuel to the pilot fuel and a byproduct. The power system is configured to receive the pilot fuel from the dehydration reactor to initiate combustion of the primary fuel. The power system also includes a cylinder with an internal piston that receives the pilot fuel and the primary fuel, contains the combustion reaction, and generates power from the combustion reaction; and contains the combustion reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: David T. Montgomery, David M. Ginter, Michael Bardell, Arnold Kim, Kenth Svensson
  • Patent number: 11624327
    Abstract: An engine includes a reformer, a reforming-air adjuster, a reforming-fuel supply unit, a reformed-gas adjuster, and a control unit. The reformer is configured to reform fuel into a reformed gas. When a start signal is input, the control unit controls the reforming-air adjuster and the reforming-fuel supply unit to a reformable state in which the fuel is reformable in the reformer, and the control unit controls the reformed-gas adjuster so that the reformed gas flows through the reformed-gas adjuster with a degree of opening smaller than a normal degree of opening that is a degree of opening of the reformed-gas adjuster when composition of the reformed gas is in a stable state before the composition of the reformed gas becomes in the stable state, for a given period of time including at least a period immediately after the engine starts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11598271
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for a method for a multi-pressure fueling system. In one example, the multi-pressure fueling system includes providing a first fuel delivery pressure enabling high pressure direct injection of a fuel at a first injector and a second fuel delivery pressure insufficient for high pressure direct injection, at a second injector, based on engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Edgar Klingbeil, Thomas Michael Lavertu, Eric Dillen
  • Patent number: 11598276
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a substitution ratio based on water in a combustion mixture of a multi-fuel engine. In one example, a method includes adjusting a substitution ratio in response to an amount of water provided to a multi-fuel engine configured to combust a first fuel and a second fuel, the second fuel different than the first fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Edgar Klingbeil, Thomas Michael Lavertu, Eric Dillen
  • Patent number: 11578674
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of controlling operation of an ICE arrangement (1), comprising acquiring (100) a first signal indicative of a required torque; acquiring (102) a second signal indicative of a temperature (T) of an EATS (23); and when the second signal indicates that the temperature (T) of the EATS (23) is lower than a predefined first threshold temperature (T1): determining (108; 118) an amount of second fuel (17) needed to deliver the required torque; supplying the amount of second fuel (17); controlling (112; 122) an inlet valve (19) to allow flow of a second fuel-air mix into the cylinder (3); injecting first fuel (13) into the cylinder (3) when the second fuel-air mix is compressed by the piston (9), resulting in flame propagation ignition of the second fuel-air mix; and controlling (116; 126) and outlet valve (21) to allow flow of exhaust from the cylinder (3) during an exhaust stroke (ES) of the piston (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Staffan Lundgren
  • Patent number: 11506161
    Abstract: A fuel injector has means to directly inject one type of fuel or two types of fuels collectively with fuel ratios on demand. Once being used as a single fuel injector, the injector can enable injection rate shaping. Once being used as a dual fuel injector, the injector can tailor fuel properties on demand. The fuel injector has the capability to enable tailored chemical and thermal-physical fuel properties to enable high efficiency clean combustion for different engine loads and speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Inventor: Deyang Hou
  • Patent number: 11428186
    Abstract: Some embodiments described herein relate to a method of operating a compression ignition engine. The method of operating the compression ignition engine includes opening an intake valve to draw a volume of air into a combustion chamber, closing an intake valve, and moving a piston from a bottom-dead-center (BDC) position to a top-dead-center (TDC) position in the combustion chamber at a compression ratio of at least about 15:1. The method further includes injecting a volume of fuel into the combustion chamber at an engine crank angle between about 330 degrees and about 365 degrees during a first time period. The fuel has a cetane number less than about 40. The method further includes combusting substantially all of the volume of fuel. In some embodiments, a delay between injecting the volume of fuel into the combustion chamber and initiation of combustion is less than about 2 ms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Clearflame Engines, Inc.
    Inventors: Julie Blumreiter, Bernard Johnson, Robert Schanz
  • Patent number: 11384721
    Abstract: A dual fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a first fuel supply of a liquid pilot fuel, a primary fuel supply of a liquid primary fuel, and a dual fuel injector. The dual fuel injector includes a spill valve fluidly connected with a plunger cavity and movable to control a start of injection and an end of injection, and an admission valve. The admission valve is movable to admit a pilot fuel into the fuel injector, such that the pilot fuel is conveyed through an outlet check to form, within a primary fuel passage fluidly connected to the plunger cavity, a segmented fuel charge of leading pilot fuel and trailing primary fuel by displacing some of the primary fuel. The liquid pilot fuel may be a higher cetane/lower octane liquid fuel, and the primary fuel may be a lower cetane/higher octane liquid fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lee Schroeder, David Todd Montgomery, Dana Ray Coldren, Chad Koci
  • Patent number: 11378023
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gas tank arrangement (100) for an internal combustion engine (102), said gas tank arrangement (100) comprising a gas tank (104) for containing a combustible gas, and an additional gas tank (106) arranged in upstream fluid communication with said internal combustion engine (102), wherein the gas tank arrangement (100) further comprises a valve arrangement (108) positioned in fluid communication with the internal combustion engine (102), wherein the valve arrangement (108) is further arranged in upstream fluid communication with the gas tank (104) and the additional gas tank (106) for controllably direct combustible gas from the internal combustion engine (102) to either the gas tank (104) or the additional gas tank (106).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventors: Marcus Leidefeldt, Bengt Henström, Peter Gollungberg
  • Patent number: 11371447
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for operating an engine that includes a knock control system that may determine contributions of individual noise sources to an engine background noise level. The contributions of the individual noise sources may be the basis for establishing the presence or absence of knock in one or more engine cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rani Kiwan, Christopher P. Glugla, Mohannad Hakeem, James M. Kindree
  • Patent number: 11111829
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine including a crank chamber housing a crankshaft connected to moving parts able to supply torque to the crankshaft, a lubrication circuit, an oil sump for collecting the lubricating oil, the engine including a separating partition which separates the crank chamber from the oil sump, in which the lubrication circuit includes a first oil pump and a second oil pump, where the first oil pump is fluidically connected in aspiration to the crank chamber and in delivery to the oil sump, the second oil pump being fluidly connected in aspiration to the oil sump and in delivery to the crank chamber by means of the lubrication circuit, to re-introduce pressurised oil in the crank chamber and lubricate the moving parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: PIAGGIO & C. S.P.A.
    Inventors: Giuseppe Gatti, Adriano Magherini
  • Patent number: 11073070
    Abstract: Methods of operation of liquid and gaseous multi-fuel compression ignition engines that may be operated on a gaseous fuel or a liquid fuel, or a combination of both a gaseous fuel and a liquid fuel at the same time and in some embodiments, in the same combustion event. Various embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Sturman Digital Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Oded Eddie Sturman
  • Patent number: 10941715
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pressure coupled control method and system for diffusion combustion of a natural gas engine, the method comprising: S11: detecting an operating condition of a natural gas engine; S12: an electronic control unit calculating a target diesel fuel pressure value flowing into a fuel rail of the natural gas engine according to the operating condition, and detecting an actual diesel fuel pressure value flowing into the fuel rail by means of a diesel pressure sensor in the fuel rail; S13: the electronic control unit calculating a target natural gas pressure value flowing into a gas rail of the natural gas engine according to the actual diesel fuel pressure value, and regulating a natural gas flowing into the gas rail by means of a signal of a gas rail pressure sensor in the gas rail; S14: after the target diesel fuel pressure value and the target natural gas pressure value are established, successively injecting high pressure diesel fuel and a high pressure natural gas into a gas cy
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Weichai Power Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xuguang Tan, Dongchao Su, Junyin Li, Shitong Liu
  • Patent number: 10823094
    Abstract: An engine system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include an engine including a plurality of cylinders; a fuel separator separating into a low-octane fuel and a high-octane fuel based on an octane number; a cylinder deactivation device deactivating some cylinders among the plurality of cylinder based on a driving region; a low-octane fuel injector injecting the low-octane fuel separated by the fuel separator into the plurality of cylinder; a high-octane fuel injector injecting the high-octane fuel separated by the fuel separator into the activated cylinders without being deactivated by the cylinder deactivation device; and a controller configured to control the cylinder deactivation device to deactivate some cylinders or activate all the cylinders, and to control the low-octane fuel injector and the high-octane fuel injector to inject the low-octane fuel or the high-octane fuel into the cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Dong Hee Han, Jong Il Park, Kwanhee Lee, Yeongseop Park, Seungwoo Hong, Jaegu Kang, Dong Ho Chu, Heechang Oh
  • Patent number: 10808886
    Abstract: A fuel-filling system of an LPG vehicle is provided. LPG remaining in an LPG bombe is forcibly fed to a fuel injection pipe using a fuel pump and is used to pressurize new LPG, which is injected into the fuel injection pipe, toward the LPG bombe. Thus, the LPG bombe is refilled with new LPG despite warmer weather conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jae Min Lee, Jong Ki Kim, Chang Han Kim
  • Patent number: 10774755
    Abstract: A system for exchanging of different fuels that can be used for operation of an engine. The system includes a fuel exchange unit, a control and an exchange return conduit. The fuel exchange unit is configured to deliver a first fuel at pressure into the injections system given a switched-off engine, in order to replace a second fuel, which is located in the injection system, with the first fuel. A fuel delivery system includes a media converter which includes a deflectable element. The media converter is driven by a drive unit via the fluid by way of the fluid being able to be led at a varying pressure to the media transformer via a first feed conduit, and is configured to deliver the fuel via a pumping effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: BEFINAL GMBH
    Inventor: Holger Becker
  • Patent number: 10724487
    Abstract: An injection hole body has multiple injection holes for injecting fuel. A valve body is unseated from and seated on a seating surface of the injection hole body. The injection hole body and the valve body form a specific space therebetween to communicate with inflow ports of the injection holes. A virtual region is surrounded by multiple straight lines. The straight lines connect portions of peripheral edges of the inflow ports, which are closest to a center axis of the valve body in the radial direction. A center volume is formed by extending the virtual region from the injection hole body toward the valve body along the center axis. A total injection hole volume is a total volume of the injection holes. The total injection hole volume is larger than the center volume in a state where the valve body is seated on the seating surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keita Imai
  • Patent number: 10655582
    Abstract: A fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine may include a plurality of fuel injection pumps, each fuel injection pump being configured to pressurize fuel and provide the pressurized fuel to an associated fuel injector. The fuel supply system may further include a low-pressure fuel supply line fluidly connected to the plurality of fuel injection pumps and configured to provide fuel from a fuel supply tank to the plurality of fuel injection pumps. The fuel supply system may still further include a low-pressure fuel return line fluidly connected to the plurality of fuel injection pumps and configured to return remaining fuel from the plurality of fuel injection pumps to the fuel supply tank. The fuel supply system may include a first fuel cut-off valve disposed in the low-pressure fuel supply line and configured to stop a flow of fuel from the fuel supply tank to the plurality of fuel injection pumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Ole Ohrt, Stefan Haas, Thorsten Tuexen, Sven Ernst
  • Patent number: 10570861
    Abstract: In a multi-fuel injector for an internal combustion engine, including a housing with a nozzle needle movably disposed therein between a closed position in which the nozzle needle blocks a discharge of fuel from a collection chamber, to which a first fuel is supplied, above the nozzle needle, a control chamber is arranged to which a high pressure second fuel is supplied which acts on the nozzle needle to bias it into a closed position, and a control valve is provided in a pressure release line extending from the control chamber for a controlled release of the second fuel from the control chamber by opening the control valve so as to relief the closing pressure on the nozzle needle in order to permit lifting of the nozzle needle from the closed position for discharging the fuel from the collection chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: MTU FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH
    Inventors: Joachim Schwarte, Samuel Vogel, Robby Gerbeth
  • Patent number: 10344686
    Abstract: A large two-stroke turbocharged compression-ignited internal combustion crosshead engine with a plurality of cylinders has at least one pressure booster for each cylinder for boosting fuel pressure, two or more electronically controlled fuel valves for each cylinder with an inlet of the two or more electronically controlled fuel valves being connected to an outlet of the at least one pressure booster. An electronic control unit is connected to the at least one pressure booster and the two or more electronically controlled fuel valves. The electronic control unit is configured to determine a start time for a fuel injection event, activate the at least one pressure booster ahead of the determined start time and pen the two or more electronically controlled fuel valves at the determined start time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: MAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS, FILIAL AF MAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS SE, TYSKLAND
    Inventors: Niels Kjemtrup, Stefan Mayer, Peter Hagen
  • Patent number: 10215113
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine is presented in which a noise characteristic value, which is representative of a measurement of a noise of the measurement signal of a respective exhaust gas probe, is determined as a function of a profile of the measurement signal of the respective exhaust gas probe. A pressure characteristic value, which is assigned to a respective cylinder, is determined as a function of a profile of a measurement signal of a crankshaft angle sensor and a profile of a pressure measurement signal of a cylinder pressure sensor. Respective actuation signals for actuating respective injection valves are adapted as a function of the pressure characteristic value and the noise characteristic value assigned to the respective cylinder, for the purpose of approximating an air/fuel ratio in the individual cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GMBH
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Gerhard Eser
  • Patent number: 10208711
    Abstract: A gas injector for directly injecting a gaseous fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, including a valve closure element for releasing and closing a passage opening, the valve closure element opening in the direction of a flow direction of the gas injector, a sealing seat between the valve closure element and a valve body, a flow-guiding element being situated downstream of the sealing seat in the flow direction of the gas injector and configured to form a gas jet to be injected into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Friedrich Moser, Guenther Hohl, Michael Knorpp, Olaf Schoenrock
  • Patent number: 10190527
    Abstract: An action of injection of the main injection fuel (QM) from the fuel injector (3) is started within a range of crank angle from 10 degree before the compression top dead center to 10 degree after the compression top dead center. A smaller amount of the auxiliary injection fuel (QN) than the main injection fuel (QM) is made to be injected from the fuel injector (3) before the main injection fuel (QM) so as to make the auxiliary injection fuel (QN) ignite by the premixed charge compression ignition. The injection timing of the auxiliary injection fuel (QN) is controlled to a timing whereby a heat generated by the premixed charge compression ignition of the auxiliary injection fuel (QN) causes the premixed charge compression ignition of the main injection fuel (QM) after the start of injection of the main injection fuel (QM).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Shimizu, Noriyuki Takada, Yusuke Takasu
  • Patent number: 10167806
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting engine operating conditions for reduction of NOx emissions. In one example, immediately after a fuel shut-off event, in response to an oxygen content of an exhaust catalyst being higher than a threshold, manifold charge cooling may be increased by increasing the portion of fuel delivered to the engine via manifold injection relative to the portion to fuel delivered via one or more of port and direct injection. By increasing manifold cooling, NOx production may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Adithya Pravarun Re Ranga, Mohannad Hakeem, Calvin Trescott, Joseph Norman Ulrey, Peter C. Moilanen
  • Patent number: 9957884
    Abstract: A condensed-water supply control apparatus is applied to an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine (1) where fuel is injected from a central area (2a) lying in a cylinder (2). The condensed-water supply control apparatus comprises: a storage tank (21) storing condensed water (CW) generated in the internal combustion engine (1); and a condensed-water supply mechanism (22) which is capable of supplying the condensed water stored in the storage tank (21) into the cylinder (2), and also controlling the supply amount of condensed water (CW) to a central area (2a) and the supply amount of condensed water (CW) to a peripheral area (2b), and in a low load state of the internal combustion engine (1), opens an adding water valve (27) and closes an adding water valve (26) so that the condensed water (CW) is supplied limitedly to the peripheral area (2b) of the cylinder (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kentaro Nishida
  • Patent number: 9885309
    Abstract: Methods and a system are provided for controlling fuel injection in a vehicle engine. The system specifically relates to an engine fueled with both port and direct fuel injectors. In one example, a method may include delivering a first portion of fuel via port injection during a first injection window, and subsequently delivering a second portion of fuel directly during a second injection window before the engine exits cranking speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Hollar, Ron Reichenbach, Ethan D. Sanborn, Daniel Dusa, Joseph Lyle Thomas
  • Patent number: 9776624
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for synergizing the benefits of an electric fuel separator in a hybrid vehicle system. A vehicle controller may hold the engine in a narrow operating range where usage of a selected higher octane or lower octane fuel fraction is optimal while using motor and/or CVT adjustments to address transients generated as driver demand varies. The controller may also adjust a fuel separator speed/pressure opportunistically during regenerative braking to maximize electrical usage as well as at low load conditions to enable extended engine operation in a more fuel efficient load region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Kenneth James Miller, Douglas Raymond Martin
  • Patent number: 9581119
    Abstract: In an auxiliary chamber gas supplying device for a gas engine including an auxiliary chamber gas supply path (5, 14, 28, and 29) through which fuel gas is supplied to an auxiliary chamber (4), the auxiliary chamber gas supply path is connected to a fuel gas supply source (24) through a solenoid valve (23), and when the solenoid valve is opened, the fuel gas, in an amount corresponding to an opened period of the solenoid valve, is supplied from the fuel gas supply source to the auxiliary chamber through the auxiliary chamber gas supply path, and the opened period of the solenoid valve is set in such a manner that a predetermined amount of fuel gas is supplied to the auxiliary chamber, and a restriction unit (30) that extends the opened period of the solenoid valve is formed in the auxiliary chamber gas supply path (5, 14, 28, and 29).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Terakado, Yuta Furukawa, Hiroshi Yoshizumi
  • Patent number: 9476335
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine; a motor, a catalyst used to purify exhaust gas of the engine, and an ECU configured to control the engine and the motor according to an output request of the hybrid vehicle, execute a target engine output keeping control for controlling an engine output such that the, target engine output keeps at a predetermined value during warm-up of the catalyst, and set an engine speed to a first engine speed when the target engine output keeping control is executed, the first engine speed being lower than a lower limit engine speed at which the engine is operated without executing the target engine output keeping control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuta Teraya, Daigo Ando, Hidekazu Nawata, Tatsuya Fujii
  • Patent number: 9371789
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a system and method that eliminates the need for manually calibrating or adjusting a dual fuel internal combustion engine to compensate for variations in composition of a gaseous fuel or other variations, such as ambient or site conditions. The system and method functions by determining an engine load, determining an advantageous gaseous fuel substitution rate from the engine load and speed in addition to an actual gaseous fuel substitution rate, modifying the advantageous gaseous fuel substitution rate by a minimum liquid fuel flow rate, engine protection parameters, and oxidation catalyst protection parameters, and then determining an error term in response to the modified advantageous gaseous fuel substitution rate and the actual gaseous fuel substitution rate. The error term is used to adjust a gaseous fuel control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: CUMMINS INC.
    Inventors: Mark A. Rosswurm, Axel O. zur Loye
  • Patent number: 9279391
    Abstract: A dual fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a gaseous fuel subsystem and a liquid fuel subsystem. A plurality of fuel injectors each define a gaseous fuel passage fluidly connected to a gaseous fuel manifold of the gaseous fuel subsystem, a liquid fuel passage fluidly connected to a liquid fuel manifold of the liquid fuel subsystem, and a liquid fuel leak path from the liquid fuel passage to the gaseous fuel passage. A liquid fuel purging mechanism includes a drain conduit and at least one valve positioned fluidly between the drain conduit and the gaseous fuel manifold, and being adjustable to fluidly connect the drain conduit to the gaseous fuel manifold, to drain leaked liquid fuel to a low pressure outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dianqi Fang, Daniel Puckett
  • Patent number: 9267425
    Abstract: An air supply device of a gas engine having a turbocharger includes a first intake passage configured to guide the mixture of outdoor air and unpurified gas into the turbocharger, a second intake passage configured to guide indoor air into the turbocharger, a filter configured to remove a solid impurity in the unpurified gas which is disposed in the first intake passage, a first damper capable of opening and closing the first intake passage disposed on the downstream side of the filter in the first intake passage, a heating unit for heating the indoor air disposed in the second intake passage, a second damper capable of opening and closing the second intake passage disposed on the downstream side of the heating unit in the second intake passage, and a damper control device configured to control the opening degree of each of the first and second dampers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hajime Suzuki, Yuuichi Shimizu, Hideki Nishio
  • Patent number: 9194339
    Abstract: An internally cooled internal combustion piston engine and method of operating a piston engine is provided, with the combination of liquid water injection, higher compression ratios than conventional engines, and leaner air fuel mixtures than conventional engines. The effective compression ratio of the engines herein is greater than 13:1. The engines may employ gasoline or natural gas and use spark ignition, or the engines may employ a diesel-type fuel and use compression ignition. The liquid water injection provides internal cooling, reducing or eliminating the heat rejection to the radiator, reduces engine knock, and reduces NOx emissions. The method of engine operation using internal cooling with liquid water injection, high compression ratio and lean air fuel mixture allow for more complete and efficient combustion and therefore better thermal efficiency as compared to conventional engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Nostrum Energy Pte, Otd.
    Inventor: Nirmal Mulye
  • Patent number: 9181893
    Abstract: An electronically controlled fuel injection valve can control the time to inject fuel and the amount of fuel to be injected in response to a control signal independently from the operating condition of an engine unlike a traditional mechanical fuel injection valve. The electronically controlled fuel injection valve employs a control method for fuel injection that increases the force of lifting up a cutoff needle of an injection controller by delivering high-pressure fuel to a lower pressure chamber via a control needle, thereby rapidly controlling fuel injection, has a simple structure making it easy to assemble, replace and precisely machine parts, and has a simple flow path structure which facilitates fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dong-Hun Kim, Seung-Hyup Ryu, Tae-Hyung Park
  • Patent number: 9169758
    Abstract: The present invention has its object to provide a technique which can eliminate HC poisoning of an exhaust gas purification catalyst in a suitable manner in a fuel injection control system of an internal combustion engine which can use a liquid fuel and a gas fuel. In order to achieve this object, the present invention is constructed such that in the fuel injection control system of an internal combustion engine capable of using a liquid fuel and a gas fuel, when HC poisoning of the exhaust gas purification catalyst has occurred, HC poisoning is intended to be eliminated by causing the internal combustion engine to operate by the use of the gas fuel if the temperature of the exhaust gas purification catalyst is less than a specified value, whereas the elimination of HC poisoning is intended by causing the internal combustion engine to operate by the use of the liquid fuel if the temperature of an exhaust gas purification device is not less than the specified value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Nakayama, Toru Kidokoro, Kenji Sakurai
  • Patent number: 9115640
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a first injector and a second injector for injecting fuel directly into a combustion chamber in a cylinder in a crank case of the internal combustion engine. The combustion chamber is delimited at one side by a piston which is arranged in the cylinder so as to carry out a stroke and at the other side by a cylinder head. At least one gas exchange inlet valve and a gas exchange outlet valve are provided in the cylinder head for a charge exchange. The first injector is largely oriented in the direction of a cylinder axis, and the second injector is oriented at an angle to the cylinder axis. Maximally 80% of a full-load fuel quantity required by the internal combustion engine for a full load can be introduced into the cylinder using the first injector and maximally 50% using the second injector. The injectors can be configured for smaller fuel flow rates using the internal combustion engine design and operating method, whereby the precision of the injection is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Ulrich Gutzer
  • Patent number: 9038613
    Abstract: As one example, a fuel rail assembly for supplying pressurized fuel to a plurality of cylinders of an engine is provided. The fuel rail assembly includes a fuel rail housing defining an internal fuel rail volume having at least a first region and a second region; a fuel separation membrane element disposed within the fuel rail housing that segregates the first region from the second region. The membrane element can be configured to pass a first component of a fuel mixture such as an alcohol through the membrane element from the first region to the second region at a higher rate than a second component of the fuel mixture such as a hydrocarbon. The separated alcohol and hydrocarbon components can be provided to the engine in varying relative amounts based on operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Mark Allen Dearth, Tom G. Leone
  • Publication number: 20150136073
    Abstract: A dual fuel injector may be used to inject both gas and liquid fuel into a cylinder of a compression ignition engine. An injector body defines a first set of nozzle outlets, a second set of nozzle outlets, a first fuel inlet and a second fuel inlet. A dual solenoid actuator includes a first armature, a first coil, a second armature and a second coil that share a common centerline. The dual solenoid actuator has a non-injection configuration at which the first armature is at an un-energized position and the second armature is at an un-energized position. The dual solenoid actuator has a first fuel injection configuration at which the first fuel inlet is fluidly connected to the first set of nozzle outlets, the first armature is at an energized position and the second armature is at the un-energized position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Hoisan Kim, Mark F. Sommars, Xiangdong Ding
  • Publication number: 20150128902
    Abstract: A method of controlling fuel injection in a dual fuel engine system includes determining, with a first controller, a diesel injection pulse indicative of a first amount of diesel fuel to be injected into a combustion chamber of the engine and a first timing at which the first amount of diesel fuel is to be injected. The method also includes determining, with a second controller, a combined injection pulse based on the diesel injection pulse. The method further includes injecting the second amount of diesel fuel and the third amount of natural gas into the combustion chamber in accordance with the combined injection pulse. In such a method, injection in accordance with the combined injection pulse results in a combustion event characterized by a second combustion characteristic substantially equal to a first combustion characteristic associated with the diesel injection pulse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventor: Pushkar Joshi
  • Publication number: 20150122218
    Abstract: An object of this invention is, in an internal combustion engine having of in-cylinder direct injection and port injection, to enable the early elimination of a difference between fuel concentrations of fuel injected from different injection valves that can arise when a mixing ratio of different kinds of fuel contained in the fuel that is used changes significantly. To achieve this, the control device of this invention normally controls a fuel injection amount of each injection valve in accordance with the operating state of the internal combustion engine, while a change arose in the mixing ratio of different kinds of fuel contained in the fuel that is used or while there is a possibility for such a change, the control device controls a fuel injection amount of each injection valve so that fuel is temporarily injected from both the in-cylinder injection valve and the port injection valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Wakao, Mie Kato, Takahiro Tsukagoshi, Kazuhisa Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9020738
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to suppress, in an internal combustion engine in which two injectors are disposed in a line upstream and downstream in an intake pipe, adhesion of deposits to the downstream-side injector. In order to suppress such adhesion, a fuel injection control device according to one embodiment of the present invention operates both injectors together when a required fuel injection amount is equal to or greater than a reference value. The reference value is set to a value equal to or greater than the sum of lower limit injection amounts of the injectors. In such case, the fuel injection control device adjusts the proportion of fuel injected from the injector disposed downstream in the intake pipe to be greater than the proportion of fuel injected from the injector disposed upstream in the intake pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoya Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20150107550
    Abstract: A method is proposed for controlling and regulating an internal combustion engine according to the HCCI combustion method, in which a first fuel in a basic mixture is ignited using a pilot fuel, and in which the fuel quantities of the first fuel and the pilot fuel are changed to represent an operating point of the internal combustion engine. The invention is characterized in that a target combustion energy (VE(SL)) is calculated as a function of a power demand and, based on the target combustion energy (VE(SL)), the fuel quantity of the first fuel and the fuel quantity of the pilot fuel are determined using a distribution factor (CHI), wherein the distribution factor (CHI) is calculated as a function of an actual combustion position (VL(IST)) to a target combustion position (VL(SL)) using a combustion position controller (18).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Remele, Christina Sauer, Aron Toth, Andreas Flohr, Alexander Bernhard, Florian Bach, Erika Schaefer, Ulrich Spicher, Christoph Teetz
  • Publication number: 20150101566
    Abstract: A method for an engine, comprising: responsive to a pressure in a fuel tank being below a pressure threshold, injecting only a liquid fuel into an engine cylinder, the fuel tank storing the liquid fuel and a pressurized gaseous fuel partially dissolved in the liquid fuel. In this way, the pressurized gaseous fuel may be conserved, thus maintaining a pressure gradient within the fuel system and allowing for judicious use of the pressurized gaseous fuel, for example during cold start conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Mark Allen Dearth, Joseph Norman Ulrey, David Karl Bidner, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 8983755
    Abstract: A control system for controlling a power output of a gas engine of the present invention includes a target value setting section for setting as a target value a restricted power output which is less than a predetermined power output when a source gas pressure of a gas fuel is less than a predetermined value required to inject the gas fuel against an intake-air pressure according to the predetermined power output, a power output setting section for setting a set value of a power output based on the target value set by the target value setting section, and a power output control section for controlling the power output so that the power output reaches the set value set by the power output setting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsukasa Imamura, Tomohiko Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 8973560
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a dual fuel supply system for supplying fuel to a direct-injection system of a diesel engine. The dual fuel supply system includes a diesel supply system to supply diesel to the direct-injection system; and a mixed fuel supply system that is operatively able to supply a liquid fuel premixture of diesel and liquefied gaseous fuel to the direct-injection system at a supply pressure within a fuel demand pressure range of the direct-injection system and at a corresponding temperature range that retains the fuel premixture below its vapor temperature as it flows through the fuel path of the direct-injection system and the diesel engine. The dual fuel supply system is configured to permit selective change over between the diesel supply system and the mixed fuel system to supply the direct-injection system selectively with either diesel or liquid fuel premixture respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: DGC Industries Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Uwe Alexander Krug