Including Exhaust Gas Condition Responsive Means Patents (Class 123/672)
  • Patent number: 11965472
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, a sensor configured to generate a sensor signal correlated with an air-fuel ratio of first and second cylinders of the plurality of cylinders, and a controller in communication with the sensor and programmed to monitor the air-fuel ratio of the first cylinder in response to an indication that air-fuel ratio measurements of the first cylinder satisfy predetermined criteria for current engine operating conditions while air-fuel ratio measurements of the second cylinder do not satisfy the predetermined criteria for the current engine operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rani Kiwan, Sitaram Rejeti, Adam Joseph Krach, Andrew Bagnasco, Patrick Edward Smithberger
  • Patent number: 11946426
    Abstract: A method for controlling a variable valve timing system using minimum speed positions. The minimum speed positions allow the movement and the position of the various camshafts to be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Stéphane Eloy, Fabien Joseph
  • Patent number: 11885531
    Abstract: A fluid heating system including a burner unit is operated based on feedback control loops. The fluid heating system comprises a burner unit configured to heat a fluid, a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the appliance, and a controller coupled to the burner unit and the sensor. The controller includes an electronic processor and a memory. The controller is configured to receive a first signal corresponding to the characteristic from the sensor, determine, based on the first signal, a first feedback loop control, control combustion of the burner unit based on the first feedback loop control, determine, based on the first feedback loop control, a second feedback loop control, and control combustion of the burner unit based on the second feedback loop control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
    Inventors: Curtis George Gagne, Yonggon Lee, Brian Thomas Branecky, Barry Anthony Collins, Daniel Mitchell, Mohamed Mehdi Doura
  • Patent number: 11572818
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a self-adaptive oil spraying control system and method for a biodiesel engine. The control system includes an exhaust pipe, a gas sensor, a control module and an oil sprayer, wherein the exhaust pipe is connected to the oil sprayer, the gas sensor is mounted in the exhaust pipe, and the gas sensor and the oil sprayer are connected to the control module respectively. According to the control method, a main spray advance angle of the engine is subjected to closed-loop control directly through comparison between an idling steady state NOx emission signal and an idling steady state NOx emission value of pure diesel when the engine uses the biodiesel, so that emission of NOx in the exhaust is reduced. Compared with the prior art, the disclosure has the advantages of no need of detecting a biodiesel ratio, high efficiency, good effect and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: TONGJI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Diming Lou, Yinghua Zhao, Piqiang Tan, Yunhua Zhang, Liang Fang, Zhiyuan Hu
  • Patent number: 11555459
    Abstract: In a control device for an internal combustion engine in which internal EGR and external EGR are conducted, an ideal in-cylinder gas amount and an ideal in-cylinder gas temperature in an ideal state in which neither of EGR gas recirculates into a cylinder are calculated (steps 1 and 2). A mixed gas amount of intake air and the external EGR gas present on a downstream side of a throttle valve is calculated, based on a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine and intake air pressure (step 21) to detect a mixed gas temperature. An actual in-cylinder gas temperature and amount and an EGR ratio are calculated, based on the ideal in-cylinder gas amount, the ideal in-cylinder gas temperature, the mixed gas amount, and the mixed gas temperature (steps 24, 4, and 5), and an internal combustion engine is controlled based on the EGR ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Katsuura, Yuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 11459930
    Abstract: Operating a combustion engine with an exhaust gas aftertreatment system. In one example, a method includes determining a level of at least one exhaust gas component using a theoretical catalytic converter model in which at least one signal of a first exhaust gas sensor is input as a first signal, detecting a signal of a second exhaust gas sensor downstream of the exhaust gas catalytic converter as a second signal, determining a deviation of the second signal from a target signal, reinitializing the catalytic converter model if the deviation of the second signal from the target signal exceeds a predetermined threshold value, regulating the level by setting an air-fuel mixture supplied to the combustion engine according to a target level based on the determined level, determining a deviation between the first and the second signals, and correcting the first signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Fey
  • Patent number: 11339700
    Abstract: An operating material supply system for a motor vehicle includes: i) at least one operating material container for storing operating material at risk of freezing; ii) at least one conveying device, which is designed to convey the operating material stored in the operating material container upstream in the direction of at least one injector, or in the opposite direction downstream, iii) at least one air separator, which is connected to the operating material container via a feed line; iv) at least one first injector line, which connects the air separator to at least one first injector. When the air separator is installed in the motor vehicle, a connector for the first injector line is distanced further from the roadway surface than a connector for the feed line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Bruhn, Markus Wolf
  • Patent number: 11300065
    Abstract: A control unit (8) calculates a temperature difference (?Tg). The temperature difference (?Tg) is a value obtained by subtracting the temperature (Tg) of a GPF (22) from a target GPF temperature (Tgt). If the temperature difference (?Tg) is less than or equal to zero, the control unit (8) implements a fuel economy-oriented conventional control. If the temperature difference (?Tg) is greater than zero, the control unit (8) implements a filter temperature-increasing control. The filter temperature-increasing control causes the exhaust temperature to be increased so that the temperature (Tg) of the GPF (22) becomes greater than or equal to the target GPF temperature (Tgt).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Sakata, Futoshi Yoshimura, Yoshihiko Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 11187178
    Abstract: Methods and systems for operating an engine that includes an after treatment system are described. In one example, traffic data and navigation system data are a basis for deciding whether or not to increase heat output of an engine to ensure operation of the after treatment system. In particular, one or more actuators may be adjusted to minimize fuel consumption and/or reduce feedgas emissions while generating sufficient heat to maintain after treatment system operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mitchell Bieniek, Michael Hopka, Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt, Brien Lloyd Fulton
  • Patent number: 11067023
    Abstract: A prescribed air-fuel ratio feedback control region for performing feedback-control of air-fuel ratio has therein: a first region where fuel is injected, during one combustion cycle, only from a first fuel injection valve injecting fuel directly into a cylinder; and a second region where fuel is injected, during one combustion cycle, from both of the first fuel injection valve and a second fuel injection valve injecting fuel into an air-intake passage. A second region is configured such that an amount of fuel injected from the first fuel injection valve and an amount of fuel injected from the second fuel injection valve remain at a given constant ratio regardless of operating status. A diagnosis on the first and second fuel injection valves is performed by using a first air-fuel ratio learning value learned in the first region and a second air-fuel ratio learning value learned in the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takeshi Tsuyuki
  • Patent number: 10968855
    Abstract: A control support device for supporting control of a vehicle using a learned model obtained by machine learning, includes: a data acquisition unit acquiring sensor information, which is related to a state of an inside or an outside of a supplying vehicle that supplies parameters to be used for the machine learning; a learning unit generating a learned model by performing the machine learning using an input/output data set, which is the sensor information acquired by the data acquisition unit and is data including input parameters and an output parameter of the learned model; and a transmission unit Transmitting at least one of the generated learned model and an output parameter calculated by inputting sensor information of the vehicle, control of which is supported, to the generated learned model as an input parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Eiki Kitagawa, Daiki Yokoyama, Keisuke Nagasaka
  • Patent number: 10690077
    Abstract: A combustion control method during a rich spike engine operation includes the steps of: specifying an exhaust gas A/F based on a first output from a NOx sensor on an upstream side of a catalyst; specifying a NOx concentration in the exhaust gas on the upstream side of the catalyst based on a second output from the NOx sensor; and when the A/F is less than a reference range and the NOx concentration is not more than a reference value, calculating a value P1?P0 between a cylinder pressure P1 at EVO during the rich spike operation and that pressure P0 during a normal operation, when P1?P0 is larger than the reference range and P1>P0, a fuel injection timing at a post injection is retarded, when P1?P0 is smaller than the reference range and P1<P0, the timing is advanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Takafumi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10598111
    Abstract: A fuel injection controller updates an air-fuel ratio learning value such that the amount of correction of a fuel injection amount according to an air-fuel ratio feedback correction value approaches zero. Further, the fuel injection controller makes an update rate of the air-fuel ratio learning value lower when the variation among respective-cylinder correction values, which are set for the respective cylinders in order to differentiate air-fuel ratios of a plurality of cylinders, is great than when the variation among the respective-cylinder correction values of the cylinders is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sohichi Imai, Masanao Idogawa
  • Patent number: 10578036
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a single heat exchanger coupled to a main exhaust passage upstream of one or more exhaust catalysts or in between two exhaust catalysts for exhaust heat recovery and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooling. In one example, in the pre-catalyst configuration of the heat exchanger, during exhaust heat recovery, a portion of exhaust may be routed via the heat exchanger while the remaining portion of exhaust may be routed directly to the exhaust catalysts, and fueling may be adjusted on a per-cylinder basis to maintain a target exhaust air-fuel-ratio at the exhaust catalysts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James Uhrich, Daniel Joseph Styles, Karen Evelyn Bevan, William Samuel Schwartz, Chad Allan Baker
  • Patent number: 10544746
    Abstract: A system and method of utilizing a pre-turbine wide-range oxygen (WRO2) sensor during both individual cylinder fuel control (ICFC) and scavenging of a turbocharged engine involve receiving, by a controller and from the WRO2 sensor arranged in an exhaust system of the engine at a point upstream of a turbine of a turbocharger of the engine, an unfiltered WRO2 signal indicative of a fuel/air (FA) ratio of exhaust gas produced by the engine, performing, by the controller, ICFC by controlling the engine using the unfiltered WRO2 signal, performing, by the controller, engine cycle average filtering of the WRO2 signal to obtain a filtered WRO2 signal, and, while the engine is scavenging, performing, by the controller, engine FA ratio and emissions control using the filtered WRO2 signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Andrew P White, William P Attard, Tamer Badawy, Lurun Zhong
  • Patent number: 10527596
    Abstract: A calculation device includes: an acquisition unit that obtains a mass concentration of particles in a gas measured in a first measurement station, a number concentration of particles in the gas measured in a second measurement station, and a humidity of the gas measured in the second measurement station; and a calculation unit that calculates a function, which defines a relationship of a mass concentration and a number concentration to a humidity and is used to calculate a mass concentration of particles in the gas in a third measurement station from a number concentration of particles in the gas and a humidity of the gas measured in the third measurement station, based on the mass concentration in the first measurement station and the number concentration and the humidity in the second measurement station, the third measurement station being installed in a different location from the first and second measurement stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Ryozo Takasu
  • Patent number: 10465625
    Abstract: A method for monitoring an exhaust-gas sensor in which it is determined whether at least one monitored event has occurred by evaluating at least one heat quantity supplied to and/or withdrawn from the exhaust-gas sensor during a period of time, in particular under consideration of a change in the heat quantity stored by the exhaust-gas sensor that occurs during the period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ariel Di Miro, Dorde Stojicevic, Robert Seyfang, Bastian Roetzler
  • Patent number: 10408154
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing a degraded fuel injector delivering undesired additional fuel in a variable displacement engine. In one example, a method includes, responsive to an indication of a cylinder air-fuel imbalance, deactivating a subset of cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine, performing a power balance test to determine an output of each cylinder after a duration of deactivation, and indicating that a deactivated cylinder has a degraded fuel injector responsive to the output being lower than a threshold output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed M. Dudar
  • Patent number: 10408155
    Abstract: An onboard control device has a drive manipulated variable detection unit (101) for determining a drive manipulated variable manipulated by a driver to impart a propulsive force to a vehicle, a command value calculation unit (109) for calculating a command value for a drive source of the vehicle based on the drive manipulated variable, a propulsive force control unit (115) for controlling the propulsive force based on the command value, operating state detection units (102, 103) for determining the operating states of the drive source, a drive manipulation rate of change calculation unit (110) for calculating the rate of change in drive manipulation, an operating state rate of change calculation unit (111) for calculating the rate of change in the operating state, and an abnormality detection unit (112) for detecting abnormalities in the drive source based on the rates of change in drive manipulation and the operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigemi Oono, Shinsaku Tsukada, Yoshihiko Akagi, Sadato Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 10227944
    Abstract: A method for detecting defective injection nozzles that deliver fuel into the combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine includes determining the standard deviation values for the respective injection nozzles and of the total leakage flow via a computation. The computation involves solving an equation for a respective test step that describes the standard deviation values and the total leakage flow as a function of the mixture factors set in a respective test step, a lambda value that is valid for a respective test step and that is derived from the measurements of the lambda value, and an air mass flow that is valid for the respective test step and that is derived from the measurements of the air mass flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Sebastian Grasreiner
  • Patent number: 10190457
    Abstract: A lean control, in which a target air fuel ratio is made to vary to a lean air fuel ratio and a rich air fuel ratio across a lean air fuel ratio, and a rich control, in which the target air fuel ratio is made to vary to a lean air fuel ratio and a rich air fuel ratio across a rich air fuel ratio, are alternately carried out, wherein when carrying out the lean control, a period per one time in which the target air fuel ratio becomes the lean air fuel ratio is made longer than a period per one time in which the target air fuel ratio becomes the rich air fuel ratio, and a deviation of the lean air fuel ratio from the lean air fuel ratio is made smaller than a deviation of the rich air fuel ratio from the lean air fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuya Suzuki, Takashi Kawai, Yuji Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 10087805
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method of determining a correcting logic for a reacting model of an SCR catalyst, a method of correcting parameters of the reacting model of the SCR catalyst and an exhaust system to which the methods are applied. The reacting model of the SCR catalyst is defined by m parameters and has n input variables, where m and n are natural numbers with n smaller than m. The reacting model of the SCR catalyst may be adapted to predict nitrogen oxide (NOx) concentration at a downstream of the SCR catalyst at the least.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, FEV GMBH
    Inventors: Ji Ho Cho, Jin Ha Lee, Bastian Holderbaum, Bernhard Lüers, Alexander Vovk
  • Patent number: 10054072
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation system is provided for an internal combustion engine having reciprocating piston design with an exhaust gas turbocharger unit having an exhaust gas turbine and a supercharger. The internal combustion engine has a machine housing accommodating one or more cylinders having reciprocating pistons, which is provided with a suction unit and an exhaust gas outlet unit, which is connected to the exhaust gas turbine by way of an exhaust gas line. The exhaust gas line supplies at least a part of the exhaust gas stream to the suction unit via the exhaust gas recirculation system. To optimize the exhaust gas recirculation system, it has a pipe branch, which is connected to the exhaust gas line and is connected to an exhaust gas recirculation line with a control element interconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Neander Motors AG
    Inventor: Claus Bruestle
  • Patent number: 10041425
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio controller of an internal combustion engine includes an open-loop processor setting a base injection amount, a feedback processor calculating a feedback operation amount, an increase processor performing an increase correction on the base injection amount when a temperature of the internal combustion engine is a specified temperature or lower, an operation processor operating a fuel injection valve based on the corrected base injection amount and that is corrected using the feedback operation amount and a learning value, and an update processor updating the learning value. If the increase processor performs the increase correction, the update processor updates the learning value to increase an increase correction rate of the base injection amount when a temperature of the cylinder wall surface is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masanao Idogawa
  • Patent number: 9983157
    Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit assembly for operating a probe (10) for determining the oxygen concentration in a gas mixture, in particular a Lambda probe for determining the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas of internal combustion engines, comprising two electrodes (11, 15) which act as an outer and an inner pump electrode and form a pump cell, two electrodes which act as a Nernst electrode (15) and a reference electrode (19) and form a Nernst cell, and a pump current controller (210), which controls a pump current that is applied to the pump cell such that a predeterminable Nernst voltage (UN) that can be tapped at the Nernst cell is controlled to a predeterminable value, characterized in that the predeterminable value of the Nernst voltage can be varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Claudius Bevot, Helge Schichlein
  • Patent number: 9957911
    Abstract: An engine control system of a vehicle includes a fuel control module that controls fuel injection of a first cylinder of an engine based on a first target air/fuel ratio that is fuel lean relative to a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio and that controls fuel injection of a second cylinder of the engine based on a second target air/fuel ratio that is fuel rich relative to stoichiometry. The first cylinder outputs exhaust to a first three way catalyst (TWC), and the second cylinder outputs exhaust to an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve. An EGR control module controls opening of the EGR valve to: (i) a second TWC that reacts with nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust and outputs ammonia to a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst; and (ii) a conduit that recirculates exhaust back to an intake system of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignees: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: David P. Sczomak, Kushal Narayanaswamy, Edward J. Keating
  • Patent number: 9951707
    Abstract: The exhaust purification system comprises an exhaust purification catalyst, downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor, and control device. The control device performs average air-fuel ratio control which alternately sets a target average air-fuel ratio between a rich air-fuel ratio and a lean air-fuel ratio and inter-cylinder air-fuel ratio control which controls the target air-fuel ratios of the cylinders so that the target air-fuel ratio becomes the rich air-fuel ratio at least at one cylinder among the plurality of cylinders even if the target average air-fuel ratio is set to the lean air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Yamaguchi, Koichi Hoshi, Hiroyuki Hokuto, Kazuya Suzuki, Yuji Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 9816415
    Abstract: In a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine in which processing of regenerating the NOx storage capacity of an NSR catalyst is carried out in accompany with processing of diagnosing an abnormality in an exhaust gas purification device including the NSR catalyst, the present invention is intended to suppress the fluctuation of torque at the time of regenerating the NOx storage capacity of the NSR catalyst, and to terminate abnormality diagnostic processing quickly. According to the invention, by setting an engine air fuel ratio, which has been set to a lean air fuel ratio before the processing of regenerating the NOx storage capacity of the NSR catalyst is started, to a weak lean air fuel ratio which is lower than a basic lean air fuel ratio and higher than a stoichiometric air fuel ratio, it becomes possible to suppress the fluctuation of torque at the time of regeneration processing being started, and to terminate abnormality diagnostic processing at an early period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Hokuto
  • Patent number: 9784198
    Abstract: A requesting module generates a first torque request for an engine based on driver input. A conversion module converts the first torque request into a second torque request. A model predictive control (MPC) module determines a current set of target values based on the second torque request, a model of the engine, a tableau matrix, and a basic solution matrix. The MPC module: initializes the basic solution matrix to a predetermined matrix that is dual feasible; selectively iteratively updates the basic solution matrix and columns of the tableau matrix; determines changes for the target values, respectively, based on entries of the basic solution matrix resulting from the selective iterative updating; and determines the current set of target values by summing the changes with a last set of target values, respectively. An actuator module controls an engine actuator based on a first one of the current set of target values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ruixing Long, Ning Jin
  • Patent number: 9683502
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for identifying imbalanced cylinder and mitigating the imbalanced cylinder. In one example, a method may include identifying an imbalanced cylinder based on readings from two exhaust gas oxygen sensors positioned upstream and downstream of a catalyst in an exhaust passage, and mitigating the imbalance based on the magnitude of a fault determined from the readings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James Uhrich, Mario Anthony Santillo, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 9638116
    Abstract: A system for controlling operation of an internal combustion engine includes a controller configured to send signals for controlling at least one of air-fuel ratio, spark-ignition timing, and fuel injection timing to an internal combustion engine. The system further includes a sensor configured to send a signal indicative of exhaust gas temperature to the controller. The system is configured to control at least one of the air-fuel ratio, spark-ignition timing, and fuel injection timing based on a signal indicative of at least one of an operating condition of the internal combustion engine and load on the internal combustion engine, and a difference between a target exhaust gas temperature and the signal indicative of the exhaust gas temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins Control Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Vos, Michael D. Piedmonte, Gregory E. Mott, Christopher M. Boggs, Keith M. Allen
  • Patent number: 9519320
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a system may include a feedback controller and a comparator. The feedback controller may be configured to, based on a setpoint value and a measured process value calculate a first difference between the setpoint value and the measured process value and generate a controller driving signal based on the first difference. The comparator may be configured to compare a second difference between the setpoint value and a previous setpoint value to a predetermined threshold, determine if a magnitude of the second difference is greater than the predetermined threshold, output as an output driving signal the controller driving signal if the magnitude is not greater than the predetermined threshold, and output as the output driving signal a setpoint driving signal if the magnitude is greater than the predetermined threshold, the setpoint value based on the setpoint value independent of the measured process value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Adolfo Montero
  • Patent number: 9488121
    Abstract: A method for estimating the volumetric efficiency in an internal combustion engine in real time includes the following steps: (a) monitoring an oxygen percentage of gases in the intake manifold using an oxygen sensor coupled to an intake manifold; and (b) determining, via a control module, a volumetric efficiency of the internal combustion engine in real time based, at least in part, on the oxygen percentage of the gases in the intake manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Yongjie Zhu, Jun-Mo Kang, Chen-Fang Chang
  • Patent number: 9453465
    Abstract: An engine system, comprising a first gaseous fuel source with a first gaseous fuel located therein coupled to one or more engine cylinders and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system with a reform catalyst located therein, the reform catalyst reforming natural gas into a gas with a wider AFR operating range. The engine may thus operate at an AFR that may be outside of that available during natural gas combustion alone to allow for cooler engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Karl Bidner, Mark Allen Dearth
  • Patent number: 9422882
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a technique of improving exhaust emissions at the time of starting up of an internal combustion engine, without decreasing the performance of a catalyst at the time of the engine starting up. The present invention is provided with the catalyst that is arranged in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine in which a plurality of kinds of fuels are able to be used, and serves to adsorb and remove exhaust gas components discharged from the internal combustion engine, wherein in cases where among the plurality of kinds of fuels, a first fuel is used in which unburnt fuel components thereof are easily adsorbed to the catalyst, at the time when a request is made for stopping the internal combustion engine, said first fuel is changed to a second fuel thereby to operate said internal combustion engine until said internal combustion engine is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Nakayama, Toru Kidokoro, Hiroshi Sawada
  • Patent number: 9383290
    Abstract: A method of determining an air-fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine in real-time includes: calibrating sensitivity of a universal exhaust gas oxygen sensor to a plurality of gases; inputting to a universal exhaust gas oxygen sensor controller a molecular composition of Hydrogen, Carbon, Oxygen, and Nitrogen which comprise a combustion fuel in use in the internal combustion engine; calculating with the universal exhaust gas oxygen sensor controller an air-to-fuel ratio by performing a chemical balance equation calculation based on the universal exhaust gas oxygen sensor sensitivity calibration and the input combustion fuel molecular composition; and transmitting the calculated air-to-fuel ratio to an engine control unit inreal-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: BG SOFLEX LLC
    Inventors: Bruce A. Bowling, Albert C. Grippo
  • Patent number: 9360257
    Abstract: A transient heating burner including at least two burner elements each having a distribution nozzle configured to flow a fuel, and an annular nozzle surrounding the distribution nozzle and configured to flow an first oxidant, at least one staging nozzle configured to flow a second oxidant, and a controller programmed to independently control the fuel flow to each distribution nozzle such that at least one of the distribution nozzles is active and at least one of the distribution nozzles is passive, wherein an active distribution nozzle fuel flow is greater than an average fuel flow to the distribution nozzles and a passive nozzle fuel flow is less than the average fuel flow, and to control a staging ratio to be less than or equal to about 75%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Anup Vasant Sane, Shailesh Pradeep Gangoli, Aleksandar Georgi Slavejkov, Michael David Buzinski, Jeffrey D. Cole, Reed Jacob Hendershot, Xiaoyi He
  • Patent number: 9328644
    Abstract: A method of estimating soot loading in a diesel particulate filter (DPF) in a vehicle exhaust system includes estimating an engine-out soot rate using a first neural network that has a first set of vehicle operating conditions as inputs. The method further includes estimating DPF soot loading using a second neural network that has the estimated engine-out soot rate from the first neural network and a second set of vehicle operating conditions as inputs. Estimating the engine-out soot rate and estimating the DPF soot loading are performed by an electronic controller that executes the first and the second neural networks. The method also provides for training the first and second neural networks both offline (for initial settings of the neural networks in the vehicle), and online (when the vehicle is being used by a vehicle operator). An exhaust system has a controller that implements the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: John X. Cui, Min Sun, Anthony B. Will
  • Patent number: 9328681
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a multicylinder internal combustion engine includes: a detection portion that detects a parameter that represents degree of variation in air/fuel ratio among cylinders; a measurement portion that measures stored oxygen amount of a catalyst provided in an exhaust passageway of the internal combustion engine; and a rich-control portion that switches between execution and stop of a rich control for enriching the air/fuel ratio according to the stored oxygen amount measured by the measurement portion when the parameter detected by the detection portion is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norifumi Takada, Tomoaki Honda
  • Patent number: 9316626
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a sensor element for detecting at least one fraction of a gas component of a gas in a measuring gas chamber, in particular a sensor element for detecting oxygen in an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine. The sensor element includes at least one first electrode, to which the gas may be applied, and at least one second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode being connected via at least one solid electrolyte. A diagnostic signal is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, a response signal being detected between the first electrode and the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Goetz Reinhardt, Torsten Handler, Jens Wagner, Lothar Diehl, Bjoern Alexander Schuetz, Helge Schichlein, Thomas Seiler
  • Patent number: 9080528
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine, which determines a fuel injection quantity deviation state and/or an intake oxygen concentration-related parameter deviation state on the basis of the relationship between the target value (Qtgt) of the fuel injection quantity and an NOx concentration deviation (?NOx) indicating the difference of the measured value or the estimate value of the NOx concentration of exhaust gas with respect to a predetermined NOx reference concentration, the control device having a state determination means for, on the basis of a first determination index including the amount of change of the NOx concentration deviation (?NOx) when the target value (Qtgt) of the fuel injection quantity increases within a predetermined range and the NOx concentration deviation (?NOx) when the target value (Qtgt) of the fuel injection quantity is a predetermined first value (Qtgt2), determining whether the fuel injection quantity deviation is zero, positive, or negative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinsuke Aoyagi
  • Patent number: 9074552
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a voltage measuring module, a second derivative module, a closing period module, and an injector driver module. The voltage measuring module measures first and second voltages at first and second electrical connectors of a fuel injector that injects fuel directly into a cylinder of an engine. The second derivative module determines a second-order derivative of a difference between the first and second voltages. The closing period module determines a closing period of the fuel injector based on the second-order derivative of the difference. The injector driver module selectively adjusts closing of the fuel injector based on the closing period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan T. Shibata, Michael J. Lucido
  • Patent number: 9057338
    Abstract: A diagnostic system for a vehicle includes an error module, an equivalence ratio (EQR) module, a threshold determination module, and a fault indication module. The error module determines an error value based on a difference between an amount of oxygen in exhaust measured by an exhaust gas oxygen sensor (EGO) upstream of a catalyst and an expected value of the amount. The EQR module selectively controls fuel injection based on the error value. The threshold determination module determines an error threshold based on a flow rate of fuel vapor from a vapor canister to an intake manifold of an engine. The fault indication module selectively indicates that a fault is present in the EGO sensor based on the error value and the error threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Paul Levijoki, Paul William Rasmussen
  • Patent number: 9037387
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having a means for performing a model calculation to calculate, as an exhaust temperature calculation value, the temperature of exhaust gas in an exhaust branch tube at the time of starting an engine, using a model representing the temperature behavior of the exhaust gas in the exhaust branch tube during stop of an engine; and an exhaust temperature actual measurement value output means for detecting the temperature of exhaust gas in the exhaust branch tube, and outputting the detected temperature as an exhaust temperature actual measurement value, wherein the model includes at least one parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Teruhiko Miyake
  • Patent number: 9031764
    Abstract: Various methods are described for controlling engine operation for an engine having a turbocharger and direction injection. One example method includes performing at least a first and second injection during a cylinder cycle, the first injection generating a lean combustion and the second injection injected after combustion such that it exits the cylinder unburned into the exhaust upstream of a turbine of the turbocharger; and adjusting at least the first injection based on engine speed, where the at least first and second injection are performed responsive to turbocharger speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tobias John Pallett, Eric Matthew Storhok, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Publication number: 20150101582
    Abstract: A method for monitoring an exhaust gas sensor coupled in an engine exhaust is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises indicating exhaust gas sensor degradation based on a time delay and line length of each sample of a set of exhaust gas sensor responses collected during a commanded change in air-fuel ratio. In this way, the exhaust gas sensor may be monitored utilizing robust parameters in a non-intrusive manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Michael James Uhrich, Adam Nathan Banker, James Michael Kerns, Imad Hassan Makki
  • Publication number: 20150101583
    Abstract: A method of controlling an exhaust gas recirculation system of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The engine includes a compressor, an intake manifold, an after-treatment system, a low pressure EGR system and a high pressure EGR system. The method temporarily adjusts a low pressure EGR ratio, keeping constant a total EGR rate, after verifying at least one among compressor parameters, after-treatment system parameters or intake manifold parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Alberto VASSALLO, Stefano PELLEGRINO, Salvatore SANNINO
  • Patent number: 9008949
    Abstract: A soot discharge amount is calculated by multiplying a “steady discharge amount” by a “transient correction value.” The steady discharge amount is a Soot discharge amount in a steady operation state, and is acquired through table search. For each of a plurality of factors which affect the Soot discharge amount, a steady value (value obtained through table search) of the factor and a transient value (current value) of the factor are substituted for a characteristic equation which represents a change in the Soot discharge amount with the value of the factor, whereby a steady characteristic value and a transient characteristic value are acquired. The “ratio between the steady characteristic value and the transient characteristic value” is then calculated for each factor. The transient correction value is obtained by multiplying together all values of the “ratio between the steady characteristic value and the transient characteristic value” obtained for the factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomomi Onishi
  • Patent number: 9002625
    Abstract: Provided is a control device for an internal combustion engine equipped with a supercharger, including: operation state detection means for detecting an operation state of the internal combustion engine; overlap read means for reading a valve overlap period; collector pressure detection means for detecting a collector pressure; exhaust gas pressure estimation means for estimating an exhaust gas pressure on an upstream side of the supercharger; and scavenging amount estimation means for estimating a scavenging amount based on the operation state, the valve overlap period, the collector pressure, and the exhaust gas pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Tsuyuki, Naozumi Katou, Daisuke Takaki
  • Patent number: 8983754
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an air-fuel ratio of an internal-combustion engine includes an air-fuel ratio detector, a fluctuation signal generating device, an air-fuel ratio fluctuation device, a 0.5th-order frequency component strength calculator, a fluctuation frequency component strength calculator, a reference component strength calculator, and an imbalance fault determining device. The reference component strength calculator is configured to calculate strength of a reference component in accordance with strength of a first frequency component and strength of a second frequency component. The imbalance fault determining device is configured to make a determination of an imbalance fault in which air-fuel ratios of a plurality of cylinders vary beyond a tolerance limit on a basis of a relative relationship between strength of the 0.5th-order frequency component and the strength of the reference component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Watanabe, Tooru Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki Ando, Atsuhiro Miyauchi, Takeshi Aoki, Michinori Tani, Soichiro Goto