Having Means Analyzing Composition Of Exhaust Gas Patents (Class 60/276)
  • Patent number: 10280823
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an engine control device including: an adjustment section that adjusts a flow amount per unit time of exhaust gas from an engine; and a control section that, in a case in which a temperature below freezing point is detected by a temperature detection section that detects an external air temperature or an intake air temperature, a preceding engine operation duration is shorter than a first duration, and a value in a predetermined range in which water in an exhaust pipe can be drained by the flow amount being raised by a certain amount is detected by a value detection section that detects a value representing an acceleration, an accelerator opening or an engine rotation speed, controls the adjustment section so as to raise the flow amount by the certain amount until a second duration has passed from starting of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio Murata, Tadashi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 10273909
    Abstract: Provided is a catalytic converter to be disposed in a branch portion between an exhaust gas passage that guides exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine to outside and an exhaust gas recirculation passage that recirculates a portion of the exhaust gas from the exhaust gas passage to an intake system of the internal combustion engine. The catalytic converter comprises a catalyst storage case that stores a catalyst, a recirculation pipe that forms the exhaust gas recirculation passage, an abutment portion that makes the catalyst storage case and the recirculation pipe be in surface contact with each other and be arranged in parallel to each other, and a downstream cone that makes the exhaust gas passage and the exhaust gas recirculation passage merge with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Futaba Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuhisa Takagi
  • Patent number: 10267202
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for catalyst control. In one example, a method may include controlling an air-fuel ratio downstream of a catalyst by adjusting fuel injection. The fuel injection is adjusted based on control parameters updated online through system identification at a point of feedback control instability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen William Magner, Mrdjan J. Jankovic, Mario Anthony Santillo
  • Patent number: 10260441
    Abstract: An engine controller is configured to perform fuel cut-off, which temporarily stops fuel injection, calculate an in-cylinder air amount, which is an amount of air used for combustion in a cylinder, and control an engine based on the in-cylinder air amount. The engine controller includes a residual air amount calculation unit configured to calculate a residual air amount that is an amount of air in the cylinder remaining from a previous cycle during the fuel cut-off so that the residual air amount increases as the number of cycles of intake-exhaust actions in the cylinder increases during the fuel cut-off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryusuke Kuroda, Masanao Idogawa
  • Patent number: 10233811
    Abstract: An engine control system includes a selective catalyst reduction (SCR) device that reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) in exhaust gas in the presence of the reductant. A particulate filter (PF) is disposed downstream from the SCR device to collect particulate matter from the exhaust gas stream. The engine control system further includes an electronic hardware that calculates a particulate matter load value indicating an amount of particulate matter collected in the PF, and calculate a CCB value that compensates for pressure differential variations across the PF. The controller further calculates a CCB correction value that modifies the CCB value and compensates for an amount of reductant that slips from the SCR device and induces the pressure differential variations. In this manner, the electronic hardware controller can control a regeneration system to increase the temperature of the PF to burn off particulate matter from the PF based on the modified CCB value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Michael A. Smith, Pu Sun, Harish Kohli
  • Patent number: 10221792
    Abstract: A system and method are described for reducing NOx emissions following deceleration fuel shut off (DFSO). The method comprises: cutting off fuel to the engine during a deceleration event; open loop operating the engine air/fuel ratio rich of stoichiometry for a predetermined time after the deceleration event; feedback controlling the air/fuel ratio on average near a value rich of stoichiometry for a preselected time after said predetermined time; and feedback controlling the air/fuel ratio returning to stoichiometry after the preselected time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mario Santillo, Mrdjan J. Jankovic, Steve William Magner, Michael James Uhrich
  • Patent number: 10221789
    Abstract: A control system of an internal combustion engine which can suppress a drop in the purification performance of an exhaust purification catalyst is provided. The control system of an internal combustion engine is provided with an exhaust purification catalyst and downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor, performs feedback control so that an air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas which flows into the exhaust purification catalyst becomes a target air-fuel ratio, and performs target air-fuel ratio setting control which alternately switches the target air-fuel ratio to a lean set air-fuel ratio which is leaner than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and a rich set air-fuel ratio which is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. In the control system, when an engine operating state is a steady operating state, compared with when it is not a steady operating state, at least one of a rich degree of the rich set air-fuel ratio or a lean degree of the lean set air-fuel ratio is made to increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norihisa Nakagawa, Shuntaro Okazaki, Yuji Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10209173
    Abstract: A particulate sensor includes: an inner metallic member which is maintained at a first potential and which has a gas introduction pipe into which a target gas is introduced; a tubular outer metallic member which surrounds the radially outer circumference of the inner metallic member and which is attached to a gas flow pipe to thereby be maintained at a ground potential; and an insulating spacer which is interposed between the inner metallic member and the outer metallic member so as to electrically insulate them from each other and which has a tubular gas contact portion which is exposed to the interior of the gas flow pipe and comes into contact with the gas under measurement. The insulating spacer has a heater for heating the gas contact portion. The heater includes a heat generation resistor embedded in the insulating spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Sugiyama, Masayuki Motomura, Norimasa Osawa, Keisuke Tashima, Toshiya Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 10202879
    Abstract: Technical features are described for an emissions control system for a motor vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine are described. The emissions control system includes a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) device fluidically including an SCR inlet and an SCR outlet. The emissions control system further includes a controller that computes a correction factor for a kinetics model of the SCR device based on an amount of NO and an amount of NOx in the emissions control system. The controller further predicts an amount of NOx output by the SCR device using the kinetics model and the correction factor. The controller further inputs an amount of catalyst into the SCR device based on the predicted amount of NOx. The correction factor is a ratio of the amount of NO and the amount of NOx at the SCR inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Fuhe Mao, Yue-Yun Wang
  • Patent number: 10191848
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for caching time series data. A computer system for caching time series data is disclosed. The computer system comprises one or more processors, at least one cache, and a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable storage medium contains instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a set of steps comprising fetching the time series data from a time series data source, calculating one or more expiry timestamps, grouping the plurality of time series datum in to one or more time data chunks based on the one or more expiry timestamps, and storing a copy of the time series data and the one or more expiry timestamps in the at least one cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: InMobi PTE Ltd.
    Inventor: Arvind Jayaprakash
  • Patent number: 10180109
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine 100 comprises an air-fuel ratio control device. The air-fuel ratio control device controls the amount of fuel fed to the combustion chamber by feedback control so that the air-fuel ratio detected by the upstream side air-fuel ratio sensor matches the target air-fuel ratio when a blow-through amount of air blown from the intake passage through a cylinder to the exhaust passage due to an occurrence of valve overlap is a reference blow-through amount or less. The air-fuel ratio control device sets the target air-fuel ratio of the inflowing exhaust gas based on the air-fuel ratio detected by the downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor and, without performing the feedback control, feeds the amount of fuel calculated from the target air-fuel ratio to the combustion chamber when the blow-through amount is greater than the reference blow-through amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Okubo, Norihisa Nakagawa, Koichi Kimura
  • Patent number: 10174389
    Abstract: A method for treating desulfurization slag involves conveying desulfurization slag from pig iron desulfurization to a unit where the desulfurization slag is melted at a temperature of at least 1,400° C. In the unit, a thorough mixing is achieved. The treatment takes place in the unit under oxidizing conditions. Sulfur dioxide is generated and collected from the roasting gas and supplied for further utilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: voestalpine Stahl GmbH
    Inventors: Karl Pilz, Bertram Fritz, Jürgen Antrekowitsch, Gerald Schneeberger
  • Patent number: 10167796
    Abstract: The method determines whether soot loading of a gas particulate filter (GPF) requires regeneration. If it does, the temperature of the GPF is read to determine whether it is sufficiently high to achieve particulate (soot) burning. If it is not, an engine control module is commanded to adjust variables such as spark timing, fuel injection timing and valve timing. If the temperature of the particulate filter is sufficiently high that regeneration can occur, other variables may be adjusted such as leaning the air/fuel mixture, retarding the spark timing, the fuel injection and valve timing. Because the latter adjustments may limit or reduce either engine speed or power, messages in a message center are provided indicating, first, that the driver should continue driving for GPF regeneration and, subsequently, under certain conditions, that the engine power has been reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Rafat F. Hattar, Alexander Michel, Simon Schiesser, Nils Oth, Markus Kraft
  • Patent number: 10167785
    Abstract: An exhaust line element comprises a valve body, a shutter, a pivot link connecting the shutter to the valve body, an upstream tube, and a downstream tube. At least one first stopper is attached on an inner surface of the valve body. The shutter abuts against the first stopper in the closing off position. The first stopper defines a longitudinal position of at least one of the upstream tube and the downstream tube relative to the valve body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Faurecia Systemes D'Echappement
    Inventors: Benjamin Oblinger, Laurent Viardot, Sebastien Royer, Gilbert Delplanque
  • Patent number: 10139842
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method of correcting a control logic of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst and an exhaust system. The control logic may be adapted to calculate an injection amount of a reducing agent for the SCR catalyst at the least. The method may include detecting input variables including temperature of the SCR catalyst and exhaust flow rate, discretizing the input variables, standardizing the discretized input variables, determining whether the discretized input variables are within a correction range, and correcting the control logic of the SCR catalyst if the discretized input variables are within the correction range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, FEV Europe GmbH, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ji Ho Cho, Jin Ha Lee, Holderbaum Bastian, Bernhard Luers, Alexander Vovk
  • Patent number: 10138778
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system including a particulate filter, a selective reduction catalyst provided at a downstream side from the filter, an ammonia ingredient feed device which feeds an ammonia ingredient to the selective reduction catalyst, a control device which controls the amount of the ammonia ingredient which is adsorbed at the selective reduction catalyst to become a target adsorption amount, and a filter regeneration system which performs filter regeneration processing to remove PM which has built up on the particulate filter when an execution start condition stands. When removal of PM is demanded, so long as the execution start condition of the filter regeneration processing by the filter regeneration system does not stand, the target adsorption amount is decreased a plurality of times in stages, and the execution start condition of the filter regeneration processing is changed to a different condition at each stage of the target adsorption amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromasa Nishioka, Kazuhiro Ito, Daichi Imai, Yoshihisa Tsukamoto, Hiroshi Otsuki, Yasumasa Notake
  • Patent number: 10132218
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to engines for a motor vehicle and some embodiments include a method for operating an exhaust train of a motor vehicle engine including: measuring a particle concentration downstream of a particle filter at a first operating point; determining the filter efficiency at the first operating point; changing operation of the engine to a second operating point to increase the particle emissions; measuring the particle concentration downstream of the filter at the second operating point; determining the filter efficiency at the second operating point; determining a difference between the efficiency levels; detecting an offset error, if the difference exceeds a defined threshold; and identifying a particle sensor as defective if an offset error is detected, rather than identifying the particle filter as defective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Paul Rodatz, Michael Nienhoff, Tino Arlt, Thomas Schoen
  • Patent number: 10125708
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control device switches a target air-fuel ratio from a lean set air-fuel ratio to a rich set air-fuel ratio after judging that an air-fuel ratio of an outflowing exhaust gas has become a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and an oxygen storage amount of an exhaust purification catalyst has become a switching reference storage amount, and makes an average value of the target air-fuel ratio the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio to less than the lean set air-fuel ratio, from after the estimated value of the oxygen storage amount has become the switching reference storage amount or more until judging that the air-fuel ratio of the outflowing exhaust gas has become the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio if the estimated value of the oxygen storage amount becomes the switching reference storage amount or more before judging that the air-fuel ratio of the outflowing exhaust gas has become the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukihiro Okabe, Tatsuya Tahara
  • Patent number: 10113497
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive device with an internal combustion engine and an exhaust gas tract having a storage catalytic converter for purifying exhaust gas, a first lambda probe disposed upstream of the storage catalytic converter and a second lambda probe disposed downstream of the storage catalytic converter, includes determining a lambda value for controlling a mixture composition for the internal combustion engine based on a measurement signal from the first lambda probe and an offset value. The offset value is determined with a trim control when a measurement signal of the second lambda probe is in a normal operating range of values, and is adjusted in a regeneration period, during which the storage catalytic converter regenerated, with a predetermined correction value when the measurement signal of the second lambda probe is outside the normal operating range of values. A corresponding drive device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventor: Bodo Odendall
  • Patent number: 10107733
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system, apparatus, and method for reconditioning a particulate matter sensor in an exhaust aftertreatment system that will resist poisoning. The system and method includes receiving particulate matter data indicating a state of the particulate matter sensor; determining that the particulate matter sensor is in a full state based on the particulate matter data; activating a heating element of the particulate matter sensor to a multiple of intermittent temperatures that clean the sensor pre-patory to the next measurement. By this manner, many reactive chemicals are removed before they can react with and poison the sensor materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Cummins Emission Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew W. Hormann, Nathan Charles Schattke
  • Patent number: 10107235
    Abstract: In an engine, an intake duct is provided with an intercooler disposed downstream of an intake air compressor. An EGR pipe is provided with an EGR valve and an EGR cooler. An ECU determines a generation of a condensed water in the EGR cooler, the generation of the condensed water in a merging portion where a fresh air and an EGR gas merge with each other, and the generation of the condensed water in the intercooler. When it is determined that the condensed water is generated in any of these portions, the ECU performs a corresponding countermeasure for restricting the generation of the condensed water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keitarou Minami, Hideaki Ichihara
  • Patent number: 10100698
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system that includes a selective catalytic reduction to purify NOx contained in an exhaust gas by using ammonia produced from urea water and an NOx sensor to acquire a value of the NOx contained in the exhaust gas, and the exhaust purification system includes: a reach time measurement unit that measures a reach time of the NOx value acquired by the NOx sensor, the reach time being a required time for the NOx value to reach, from a first predetermined determinative NOx value, a second predetermined determinative NOx value, which is higher than the first determinative NOx value; and a determination unit that determines that malfunction occurs in the NOx sensor when the reach time measured by the reach time measurement unit is equal to or shorter than a first predetermined determinative time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Masanobu Minezawa, Shin Amagasaki, Yasuhisa Oomura
  • Patent number: 10100768
    Abstract: Unique apparatuses, methods, and systems including engine-out emissions controls are disclosed. One embodiment is a system including an internal combustion engine system including at least one fueling actuator and at least one air handling actuator and an electronic controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Phanindra V. Garimella, Andrew W. Osburn, Ming-Feng Hsieh
  • Patent number: 10100696
    Abstract: A method for operating an exhaust gas purification system connected to an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The purification system includes an SCR catalyst for catalyzed reaction of nitrogen oxides contained in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine with ammonia. The method includes adding a reducing agent containing ammonia to the exhaust gas upstream of the SCR catalyst at a predeterminable dosage rate and determining a pressure value correlating with an absolute pressure in the exhaust gas purification system on the input side of the SCR catalyst. The dosage rate is specified at least as a function of the pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Uwe Gaertner, Alexander Massner, Erik Rechtlich, Frank Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 10094275
    Abstract: A system includes a hybrid power plant controller programmed to receive a plurality of signals representative of one or more operating parameters of a hybrid power plant. The hybrid power plant includes at least one gas turbine engine, at least one gas engine, and at least one catalyst system. The hybrid power plant controller is programmed to utilize closed-loop optimal control to generate one or more operational setpoints based on the one or more operating parameters for the hybrid power plant to optimize performance of the hybrid power plant. The hybrid power plant controller uses closed-loop optimal control to provide the one or more operational setpoints to respective controllers of the at least one gas turbine engine, the at least one gas engine, and the at least one catalyst system to control operation of the gas turbine engine, the gas engine, and the catalyst system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Maruthi Narasinga Rao Devarakonda, Rachel Tarvin Farr
  • Patent number: 10094262
    Abstract: A multi-gas sensor controller 9 is provided in an urea SCR system 1 with an SCR catalyst 4, an aqueous urea injector 5 and a multi-gas sensor 8 (ammonia sensor unit and NOx sensor unit). The multi-gas sensor controller 9 determines the concentration of ammonia in exhaust gas flowing out of the SCR catalyst 4, as a downstream ammonia concentration value, based on a detection result of the ammonia detection unit. The multi-gas sensor controller 9 controls the aqueous urea injector 5 to supply urea to the SCR catalyst 4 in a fuel-cut state. Further, the multi-gas sensor controller 9 correct the determined downstream ammonia concentration value based on a detection result of the NOx detection unit and an oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas after the supply of urea to the SCR catalyst with the control of the aqueous urea injector 5 by the controller 9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nakano, Shiro Kakimoto
  • Patent number: 10066530
    Abstract: Systems are provided for a mixer. In one example, the mixer may include tubes and an outer pipe configured to receive exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10060318
    Abstract: A method for operating a driving system having an internal combustion engine and an exhaust gas purifying device through which exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine flows in order to be purified. The exhaust gas purifying device has at least one catalyst element for catalytic conversion of nitrogen monoxide into nitrogen dioxide at a determined conversion rate. In order to compensate for an age related decrease in the conversion rate of the catalyst element the nitrogen monoxide emission from the internal combustion engine and/or the exhaust gas temperature before the catalyst element are adjusted as a function of the current conversion rate and/or the age of the catalyst element so that the nitrogen dioxide concentration after the catalyst element is greater than or equal to a minimum concentration and/or that the molar ratio between nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide after the catalyst element corresponds to a predetermined ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: MTU FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH
    Inventors: Guido Schäffner, Andrea Prospero, Günter Zitzler, Tim Späder
  • Patent number: 10052588
    Abstract: A control apparatus that includes a measured NOx purification ratio calculation unit calculating a measured NOx purification ratio of a reduction catalyst based on outputs of NOx sensors and provided upstream and downstream of the reduction catalyst reducing nitrogen oxide in an exhaust gas, an estimated NOx purification ratio calculation unit calculating an estimated NOx purification ratio of the reduction catalyst based on a temperature of the reduction catalyst, a flow rate of the exhaust gas, and an absorption amount of the reducing agent by the reduction catalyst, and a reducing agent concentration estimation unit estimating a concentration of the reducing agent injected from a reducing agent injection valve based on the measured NOx purification ratio and the estimated NOx purification ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Bosch Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Tanioka
  • Patent number: 10036297
    Abstract: Implementations described herein relate to utilizing discrete transient local state space models to modify an output from a steady state NOx estimation model to provide a final estimated NOx value. An engine operating space, defined by a speed and injection quantity map, is subdivided into several discrete local state spaces and a transient model is developed for each discrete state space to output a NOx estimation correction value. The transient models may be a regression model or the transient model may be an empirical map of data values. The NOx estimation correction value modifies a steady state NOx value to calculate the final NOx estimated value. The final NOx estimated value is then output to another component, such as a controller as an input for controlling one or more components of an engine, an aftertreatment system, and/or a diagnostic system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: CUMMINS EMISSION SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Nassim Khaled, Priya Naik
  • Patent number: 9995720
    Abstract: A snorkel assembly for reading optimization of a sensor, wherein the snorkel assembly may be configured to be positioned around and spaced apart from the sensor. The snorkel assembly may include an upstream side and a downstream side. The snorkel assembly may include a cup section and a tube section extending from the cup section. The tube section may include an inlet opening on the upstream side of the snorkel assembly. The cup section may include an exhaust opening on the downstream side of the snorkel assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Luciano Nunziato Di Perna, Chijou Wang, Rahul Mital, Jianwen Li, James B. Rodgers
  • Patent number: 9983600
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method of correcting a control logic of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst and an exhaust system. The control logic may be adapted to calculate an injection amount of a reducing agent for the SCR catalyst at the least. The method may include detecting input variables including temperature of the SCR catalyst and exhaust flow rate, discretizing the input variables, standardizing the discretized input variables, determining whether the discretized input variables are within a correction range, and correcting the control logic of the SCR catalyst if the discretized input variables are within the correction range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, FEV GMBH
    Inventors: Ji Ho Cho, Jin Ha Lee, Bastian Holderbaum, Bernhard Lüers, Alexander Vovk
  • Patent number: 9945801
    Abstract: A method and system for determining changes in the catalytic activity of reforming catalyst where an outlet temperature of the catalytic reactor is measured and a temperature approach to equilibrium calculated based on the measured outlet temperature. The temperature approach to equilibrium is compared to an empirical model-based temperature approach to equilibrium calculated for the same operating conditions, the comparison showing changes in the catalytic activity of the reforming catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Esmaili, Joshua David Isom, Suyash Singh
  • Patent number: 9845716
    Abstract: A selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst is disposed in an exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine. A reductant injector is coupled to the exhaust gas stream at a position upstream of the SCR catalyst, and first and second NOx sensors provide NOx measurements upstream of and downstream of the SCR catalyst, respectively. A system and method is disclosed for operating the system to determine a NOx amount and/or a NH3 slip amount downstream of the SCR catalyst by decoupling NOx-NH3 measurements from the output of the second NOx sensor to provide control of the reductant injection amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Ming-Feng Hsieh, Michael Haas, Phanindra V. Garimella
  • Patent number: 9828899
    Abstract: When a catalyst temperature of a catalyst device is at or below a lower limit air-fuel ratio richness control is prohibited. When a first timing, where an estimated value of a NOx storage amount has reached an enrichment start threshold value, and a second timing, based on a set interval time in an enrichment interval time map, are both satisfied, the control is started. The second timing is corrected by multiplying the set interval time by an enrichment interval correction coefficient preset based on the catalyst temperature and a storage ratio of the estimated value of the NOx storage amount to an enrichment start threshold value of the NOx storage amount. The frequency of the air-fuel ratio richness control of a catalyst device configured to recover a purification capacity of a catalyst is reduced, and the catalyst temperature is raised while preventing white smoke development and hydrocarbon slip, to thereby achieve improvement in exhaust gas composition and improvement in fuel efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Daiji Nagaoka, Hiroyuki Yuza, Teruo Nakada
  • Patent number: 9784170
    Abstract: A thermal management system for an aftertreatment system includes an air pump and a compressed air rail. The compressed air rail is fluidly connected with the air pump. The thermal management system further includes a first valve located between the compressed air rail and an exhaust outlet pathway. The first valve is configured to selective supply air to the aftertreatment system of the engine. The thermal management system further includes a heater located between the compressed air rail and the first valve. The heater is configured to heat the air before supplying air to the aftertreatment system of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Xinyu Ge, Yongli Qi
  • Patent number: 9777613
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for regulating an exhaust after-treatment (AT) system for a diesel engine. The method includes detecting the engine's cold start when the engine's exhaust gas flow directed into the AT system is at a temperature below a threshold value. The method also includes determining flow-rates of the engine's exhaust gas and its fuel supply. The method additionally includes determining a magnitude of exhaust gas energy using the determined exhaust gas flow-rates and the fuel supply over an elapsed time following the cold start. The method also includes integrating a detected temperature of the exhaust gas over the elapsed time and comparing the determined magnitude of exhaust gas energy with the integrated temperature. Furthermore, the method includes regulating operation of the AT system using the determined exhaust gas temperature when the determined magnitude of exhaust gas energy is within a predetermined value of the integrated exhaust gas temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Kevin J McKay, Igor Anilovich
  • Patent number: 9771846
    Abstract: A method of calculating an ammonia (NH3) mass generated in a lean NOx trap (LNT) of an exhaust purification device includes sequentially calculating a NH3 mass flow at a downstream of each slice from a first slice to an n-th slice, and integrating the NH3 mass flow at the downstream of the n-th slice over a predetermined time, wherein the calculation of the NH3 mass flow at the downstream of the i-th slice comprises calculating a NH3 mass flow flowing into the i-th slice, calculating a NH3 mass flow generated at the i-th slice, and adding the NH3 mass flow generated at the i-th slice to a value obtained by subtracting the NH3 mass flow used to reduce the NOx and the O2 at the i-th slice from the NH3 mass flow flowing into the i-th slice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, FEV GMBH
    Inventors: Jin Ha Lee, Jin Woo Park, Joschka Schaub, Alexander Vovk, Thomas Wittka
  • Patent number: 9769877
    Abstract: In a heather control apparatus for a gas sensor, a CPU obtains upper and lower limit values by adding a predetermined value to and subtracting the predetermined value from an Rpvs average obtained in a last heater energization period (or to an Rpvs value obtained for the first time), and sets a window W1. The CPU obtains a plurality of Rpvs values [P2] to [P11], and obtains an Rpvs average A1 while excluding Rpvs values [P5], [P6], and [P9] which do not fall within the window W1 (not less than the lower limit value and not greater than the upper limit value). The CPU obtains the upper and lower limit values by adding the predetermined value to and subtracting the predetermined value from the Rpvs average A1, and sets a window W2 for the next heater energization period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsunori Yazawa, Tomonori Uemura
  • Patent number: 9745911
    Abstract: This control device for an internal combustion engine is equipped with: an air/fuel ratio sensor provided to the exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine; and an engine control device that controls the internal combustion engine according to the output of the air/fuel ratio sensor. The air/fuel ratio sensor is equipped with: a gas chamber to be measured, into which exhaust gas flows; a pump cell that pumps oxygen into or out of the gas chamber to be measured according to the pump current; and a reference cell of which the reference cell output current detected varies according to the air/fuel ratio inside the gas chamber to be measured. The reference cell is equipped with: a first electrode that is exposed to the exhaust gas in the gas chamber to be measured; a second electrode exposed to a reference atmosphere; and a solid electrolyte layer arranged between the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Go Hayashita, Keiichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 9745909
    Abstract: Methods are disclosed for determining an oxidation state of a catalyst using RF signals. The method may include introducing radio-frequency signals into a resonant chamber including a catalyst, modulating an air-fuel ratio of an engine upstream of the catalyst to generate a sequence of uniform pulses and at least one altered pulse that differs from the uniform pulses, and comparing a frequency response of two or more resonant modes of the radio-frequency signals during the sequence to determine an oxidation state of the catalyst. The method may further include adjusting the air-fuel ratio based on the comparing step. Two or more altered pulses may be inserted into the air-fuel ratio sequence. The altered pulse may have a pulse width and/or amplitude that differs from the uniform pulses. The methods may be used to adjust an air-fuel ratio to correct or impart a bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: David John Kubinski
  • Patent number: 9732667
    Abstract: The invention has an object to control an EGR amount accurately in transient time. An ECU switches EGR control to the one-valve EGR control and the both-valve EGR control based on a request EGR amount. When the EGR control is switched to the one-valve EGR control from the both-valve EGR control, an EGR valve of one bank is closed first. Next, during a time period until an opening degree restriction time period elapses after the EGR valve is closed, an opening degree of an EGR valve of the other bank is restricted to be smaller than a one-valve target opening degree. Subsequently, when the opening degree restriction time period elapses, restriction of the opening degree of the EGR valve is cancelled, and the opening degree of the EGR valve is changes to the one-valve target opening degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Kuze
  • Patent number: 9719449
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust purification catalyst arranged in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine and being able to store oxygen in inflowing exhaust gas and an air-fuel ratio sensor arranged at a downstream side of the exhaust purification catalyst in a direction of exhaust flow and detecting an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing out from the exhaust purification catalyst and stops or decreases a feed of fuel to a combustion chamber as fuel cut control. The abnormality diagnosis system calculates a characteristic of change of an air-fuel ratio based on an output air-fuel ratio output from the air-fuel ratio sensor at the time when the output air-fuel ratio first passes a part of an air-fuel ratio region of a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or more after an end of the fuel cut control, and diagnoses abnormality of the air-fuel ratio sensor based on the characteristic of change of the air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyamoto, Keiichiro Aoki, Yasushi Iwazaki
  • Patent number: 9708962
    Abstract: A secondary-air supply structure for a saddle-ride type vehicle includes a cylinder block and a cylinder head which extend upward from a crankcase, and right and left secondary-air supply pipes which are connected to the right and left of an exhaust outlet portion of the cylinder head and through which secondary air is supplied to an exhaust port. The right and left secondary-air supply pipes extend from the front surface of the cylinder head to the right and left of the cylinder head, respectively, and include bent-back pipe sections extending along the right and left surfaces of the cylinder head and bent back toward the front side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Kawakubo, Jun Nakano
  • Patent number: 9702293
    Abstract: A diagnostic device includes: a DOC for oxidizing hydrocarbon (HC) contained in an exhaust gas; a first sensor for detecting an exhaust gas temperature at a DOC inlet; a second sensor for detecting an exhaust gas temperature at a DOC outlet; a third sensor for detecting ambient temperature; an HC heat generation rate calculation unit which calculates, based on detection values of the first and second sensors, a difference in an exhaust gas heat quantity between upstream and downstream sides of the DOC, calculates, based on the detection values of the three sensors, a heat loss quantity released to outside air from the DOC, and adds the heat loss quantity and the exhaust gas heat quantity difference to calculate a heat generation quantity of HC in the DOC; and a DOC deterioration determination unit which determines, based on the calculated HC heat generation quantity, deterioration of the DOC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Hidekazu Fujie, Tadashi Uchiyama, Satoshi Hanawa, Naoto Murasawa
  • Patent number: 9670858
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a system and method for identifying whether a difference between measured lambda and computed lambda, based on mass air flow and mass fuel flow, is due to a drift in fuel metering or a drift in air metering. The determination is based on also measuring exhaust gas NOx using a NOx sensor. By comparing the measured NOx to modeled NOx, drift can be attributed appropriately to the air flow measurement and/or the fuel flow measurement. Appropriate correction in the calibration can be undertaken to overcome sensor drift and/or drift in the fuel injector/fuel system flow characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Yasser Mohamed sayed Yacoub
  • Patent number: 9657627
    Abstract: An abnormality diagnosis apparatus includes an exhaust gas purification apparatus arranged in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine and including a SCR catalyst; a supply apparatus supplying an additive such as ammonia to the exhaust gas purification apparatus; an EGR apparatus recirculating a part of exhaust gas from the exhaust passage at a downstream side of a position of supplying the additive to an intake passage; obtaining means for obtaining a NOx inflow amount into the exhaust gas purification apparatus; diagnosing means for calculating a physical quantity correlated to a NOx purification performance of the exhaust gas purification apparatus using the obtained NOx inflow amount, and diagnosing that an abnormality has occurred in the exhaust gas purification apparatus when the physical quantity is smaller than a threshold; and correcting means for, when the additive is recirculated together with a part of the exhaust gas, correcting the threshold to a smaller value than when otherwise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kogo, Makoto Ogiso, Taiga Hagimoto, Arifumi Matsumoto, Kazuya Takaoka, Hirokazu Nishijima, Kenji Furui
  • Patent number: 9630698
    Abstract: A water jet propulsion watercraft includes an exhaust passage, a catalyst member, a water lock, a first oxygen sensor, and a second oxygen sensor. The exhaust passage guides exhaust gas from an engine to an exterior of a hull of the watercraft. The catalyst member is arranged inside the exhaust passage. The water lock is arranged in the exhaust passage downstream of the catalyst member. The first oxygen sensor is arranged in the exhaust passage upstream of the catalyst member. The second oxygen sensor is arranged in the exhaust passage at a position downstream of the catalyst member and upstream of the water lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichiro Morota, Yoshimasa Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9631776
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for controlling a selective catalyst reduction (SCR) system having a SCR reactor. A reductant slip set point indicative of a target slip is received as a control variable is to be utilized for maintaining an amount of a NOx composition included in a combustion gas below a selected limit. A signal transmitted by a sensor is received, and is indicative of the reductant slip downstream of the SCR reactor. An amount of a NOx reductant to be introduced to the SCR reactor is determined based, at least in part, on a relationship between the target reductant slip and the reductant slip downstream of the SCR reactor indicated by the signal. A control signal is transmitted to cause introduction of the amount of the NOx reductant to the SCR reactor to maintain the amount of the NOx composition in the combustion gas below the selected limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Robert Frank Hoskin
  • Patent number: RE46512
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas purification system and method are provided for an internal combustion engine having an NOx storage catalytic converter and a downstream SCR catalytic converter. The NOx storage catalytic converter can be supplied in a first operating mode with an oxidizing exhaust gas and in a second operating mode with a reducing exhaust gas. A third operating mode is provided between the first operating mode and the second operating mode, in which an exhaust gas which has a lower content of oxidizing constituents than the first operating mode and a lower content of reducing constituents than the second operating mode can be supplied to the NOx storage catalytic converter to improve NH3 production at the start of converter regeneration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Thomas Beckmann, Alexander Massner