Having Means Analyzing Composition Of Exhaust Gas Patents (Class 60/276)
  • Patent number: 9441566
    Abstract: An exhaust emission purification control device for an engine that accurately estimates an accumulated oxygen amount of a catalyst at a terminating time of a reduction treatment which includes a secondary air injector that injects secondary air within an exhaust path, a sensor which detects an air-fuel ratio in a downstream side of a catylyst, a count-value accumulator which estimates an accumulated oxygen amount (a count value) in the catalyst during the secondary air injection, and a rich spike controller which performs rich injection after the secondary air injection. The device includes a count-value corrector that multiplies the count value after the secondary air injection by a correction coefficient derived from an output value SVO2 of the O2 sensor during termination of reduction treatment, so as to estimate the accumulated oxygen amount during the termination of the reduction treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Takano, Shinji Fujita, Shinya Nakano, Satoko Sakiyama
  • Patent number: 9429079
    Abstract: In a method for operating a gas turbine (10), a CO2-containing gas is compressed in a compressor (13), the compressed gas is used to burn a fuel in at least one subsequent combustion chamber (14, 18), and the hot combustion gases are used to drive at least one turbine (17, 21). Improved control and performance can be achieved by measuring the species concentration of the gas mixture flowing through the gas turbine (10) at several points within the gas turbine (10) by a distributed plurality of species concentration sensors (22; 22a-1; 23), and utilizing the measured concentration values to control the gas turbine (10) and/or optimize the combustion performance of the gas turbine (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Felix Guethe, Dragan Stankovic, Meike Gumprecht-Liebau
  • Patent number: 9429057
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine which is provided with a fuel injector which injects fuel into a cylinder, an exhaust purification catalyst, and a secondary air feed device which feeds air to an engine exhaust passage. First catalyst warm-up control performs stratified combustion to retard an ignition timing, while second catalyst warm-up control feeds air to the engine exhaust passage. A first temperature range of engine cooling water at which the first catalyst warm-up control is performed and a second temperature range of engine cooling water at which the second catalyst warm-up control is performed are set. The second temperature range is set to be included inside the first temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoya Kaneko, Daisuke Uchida
  • Patent number: 9429062
    Abstract: An example method includes interpreting an NH3 composition value at a position upstream of a selective reduction catalyst (SCR) element fluidly disposed in the exhaust conduit of an engine, interpreting a NOx composition value at a position downstream of the SCR element, and determining an NH3 sensor rationality threshold in response to the upstream NH3 composition value. The method further includes determining an NH3 sensor health value as indicating a sensor failure in response to the downstream NOx composition value exceeding the NH3 sensor rationality threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew W. Osburn, Feng Liu, Mert Geveci
  • Patent number: 9431757
    Abstract: A connection socket for oven temperature sensor, comprising: a shell with one end being sleeved and fixed on a plug guide hole seat, and the other end of the shell being internally disposed and fixedly provided with an inner ceramic plate and an outer ceramic plate; and a long elastic contact clip and a short elastic contact clip being respectively connected with the long lead and the short lead, both the long elastic contact clip and the short elastic contact clip being provided with a lug boss, wherein the lug bosses are clamped by the inner ceramic plate and the outer ceramic plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Inventor: Shutie Liu
  • Patent number: 9415383
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification catalyst includes a catalytic layer on a carrier, in which a particle component A and a particle component B are mixed. The particle component A is composed of catalytic-metal-doped CeZr-based mixed oxide powder, and has a particle size distribution with a peak in a particle size range of equal to or greater than 100 nm and equal to or less than 300 nm. A CeO2/(CeO2+ZrO2) mass ratio of CeZr-based mixed oxide is equal to or greater than 30% and equal to or less than 75%. The particle component B is composed of at least one selected from a group consisting of activated alumina powder, Zr-based-oxide-supported alumina powder, and catalytic-metal-undoped CeZr-based mixed oxide powder. At least a part of particles of the particle component B has a particle size larger than that of the particle component A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki Akamine, Masahiko Shigetsu
  • Patent number: 9416714
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring an exhaust gas sensor coupled in an engine exhaust are provided. In one example approach, a method comprises indicating exhaust gas sensor degradation based on a downstream exhaust gas sensor responding before the upstream exhaust gas sensor during a commanded change in air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James Uhrich, Adam Nathan Banker, James Michael Kerns, Imad Hassan Makki, Hassene Jammoussi
  • Patent number: 9399943
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for determining degradation of a particulate filter in an exhaust conduit. In one example, a method may include diverting exhaust gas to a secondary flow assembly comprising a filter and determining degradation based on time intervals between subsequent filter regenerations of the filter in the secondary flow assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 9382827
    Abstract: Methods for regenerating a nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter which is monitored to ensure that it exhibits a sufficient operating temperature for its regeneration, and a regeneration occurs at a point in time in which a flow rate (v) of an exhaust flow through the nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter (6) has at least decreased in comparison to an immediately preceding time period. A vehicle for the operation in different operating ranges, having an exhaust post-treatment, exhibiting at least one nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter and a reformer that provides for a reformate injection in an exhaust system prior to the nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter, and having a stored regeneration program for the nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter, which provides for a triggering of the regeneration when an operational state is detected in which no load is demanded of the internal combustion engine, preferably when the motor is at rest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: FEV GmbH
    Inventors: Christopher Severin, Thomas Wittka
  • Patent number: 9360448
    Abstract: A gas sensor (1) includes at least a sensor element (12) which measures the concentration of a specific gas component, a housing (13) which accommodates the sensor element (12), and a base portion (21) which is attached to the housing and is formed of resin. The base portion includes a first base portion (22) which is a portion of the base portion located on the side toward the housing and which is molded integrally with the housing, and a second base portion (23) which is molded separately from the first base portion, which is a portion of the base portion located opposite the housing, and which has a connector portion (23c) in which a plurality of terminals (26) electrically connected to the sensor element are disposed such that they extend in a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunihiko Yonezu, Hisaharu Nishio, Norimasa Osawa, Tomohiro Tajima
  • Patent number: 9334821
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus for an engine, which makes an appropriate increasing correction to a fuel amount at the time of restart after the stop period of the engine, thereby making it possible to cut down on the amounts of NOx emissions, is provided. The fuel injection control apparatus comprises an injection volume control unit for controlling a fuel injection volume, a supplied oxygen amount detection unit for detecting a supplied oxygen amount, an activity determination unit for determining whether or not an exhaust purification catalyst is in an active state, and an amount increasing correction unit for making an increasing correction to the fuel injection volume in accordance with the detection results of the supplied oxygen amount detection unit and the determination results of the activity determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Wataru Matsumura, Toshiyuki Miyata, Katsunori Ueda
  • Patent number: 9296390
    Abstract: Methods are provided for performing diagnostic routines in a hybrid vehicle. In one example approach, a method for operating a hybrid vehicle comprises inhibiting engine shutdown and enabling deceleration fuel shut off to perform a monitoring test while a vehicle speed is above a threshold speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Raymond Martin, Richard Paul Taylor, Matthew D. Smith
  • Patent number: 9261001
    Abstract: In a failure determination system that performs failure determination of an exhaust gas purification apparatus having a NOx selective catalytic reduction catalyst (NOx catalyst) that is disposed in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine and uses ammonia as a reducing agent, the failure determination of the exhaust gas purification apparatus is performed by a failure determination unit, based on a detected value of a NOx sensor that detects NOx in exhaust gas. Then, based on an adsorption amount difference at assumed failure that is the difference between an ammonia equilibrium adsorption amount in the NOx catalyst in an equilibrium state of ammonia adsorption, assuming that the exhaust gas purification apparatus is in a predefined failure state, and an actual ammonia adsorption amount in the NOx catalyst, the failure determination itself by the failure determination unit is inhibited or the use of the NOx sensor in the failure determination is restricted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Arifumi Matsumoto, Toru Kidokoro, Taiga Hagimoto, Kazuya Takaoka, Hirokazu Nishijima, Yuki Terui, Akifumi Uozumi
  • Patent number: 9258495
    Abstract: The multi-spectral imaging system for real-time measurement of combustion efficiency of an industrial flare is provided. The system includes four spectral bands, one for a hydrocarbon group (fuel), one for carbon dioxide (CO2), product of complete combustion), one for carbon monoxide (CO, product of partially completed combustion), and one for background reference. More spectral bands can be added to measure combustion efficiency of specific compounds or enhance the background reference adjustment. The analysis apparatus includes a machine readable storage medium, which provides instructions that cause the analysis apparatus to perform operations to obtain the combustion efficiency of the flare. The operations includes acquiring at least three spatially and temporally synchronized intensities from an imaging unit capturing images of the flare, and producing the combustion efficiency of the flare from said at least three intensities, and absorption coefficients of materials contained in the flare.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: PROVIDENCE PHOTONICS, LLC
    Inventors: Yousheng Zeng, Jon Morris, Mark Dombrowski
  • Patent number: 9249712
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine, which, at the resumption of air-fuel ratio feedback control, is capable of setting the initial value of an integral term of the feedback control to a value properly learned in preceding feedback control, thereby enabling improvement of control accuracy. To feedback-control the output value of an O2 sensor to a target value, a target air-fuel ratio is calculated. During the feedback control, when it is determined that a predetermined condition in which it is estimated that exhaust gas air-fuel ratio upstream of the catalyst is excellently reflected on an exhaust gas air-fuel ratio at a location midway or downstream of the catalyst is satisfied, an adaptive law input calculated immediately before interruption of the feedback control is updated and stored as the initial value of an integral term for the following execution of the feedback control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Michinori Tani, Kenichi Maeda, Atsuhiro Miyauchi, Seiji Watanabe, Soichiro Goto
  • Patent number: 9244053
    Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring aeration in a fluid of a hydraulic circuit is provided. The apparatus includes at least two measuring units configured to connect at a first location, and a second location of the hydraulic circuit. The measuring units are configured to measure pressure, temperature, and density of the fluid at the respective locations. The apparatus further includes a computing unit configured to output aeration values of the fluid at the first and the second location based on the measured pressure, temperature, and density by the two measuring units. The apparatus further includes a correlation unit configured to correlate aeration levels at the first and second locations based on the measured aeration values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Hatuey D. Campbell, Shevon A. Vannitamby
  • Patent number: 9239018
    Abstract: A fuel control apparatus (100) for an internal combustion engine in a vehicle, the vehicle provided with: the internal combustion engine (200) provided with a fuel supply apparatus (208, 209) capable of supplying, as fuel, first fuel (liquid fuel) and second fuel (CNG) in which amount of a reducing agent in an exhaust air under an rich air-fuel ratio is greater than that in the first fuel; and an exhaust purification apparatus (300, 400) disposed in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine, the fuel control apparatus provided with: a first controlling device for controlling the fuel supply apparatus such that the supply of the fuel is temporarily stopped under a predetermined condition; and a second controlling device for controlling the fuel supply apparatus such that the second fuel is supplied as the fuel and such that an exhaust air-fuel ratio is the rich air-fuel ratio, if the supply of the fuel is restarted from a state in which the supply of the fuel is temporarily stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Hoshi, Takashi Watanabe, Yusuke Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9228473
    Abstract: A method of providing hydrocarbons to an engine exhaust for regenerating a diesel particulate filter within an exhaust system of a diesel engine. A mass flow rate of exhaust gas within an exhaust system is determined. A mass flow rate of oxygen within the exhaust gas entering the diesel oxidation catalyst is determined. A set point indicative of an allowable mass flow rate of oxygen within the exhaust gas exiting the diesel oxidation catalyst is received. A hydrocarbon threshold that may be injected into the exhaust system is calculated. Hydrocarbons are injected into the exhaust system upstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst, wherein the injected hydrocarbons do not exceed the calculated threshold amount of hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC.
    Inventors: Navtej Singh, Adam C. Lack
  • Patent number: 9212583
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to an embodiment of the invention (the present control apparatus) sets a target air-fuel ratio to a target rich air-fuel ratio when it is determined on the basis of the output value Voxs of a downstream air-fuel ratio sensor 67 that the oxygen adsorption amount of a catalyst 43 tends to be excessive, and sets the target air-fuel ratio to a target lean air-fuel ratio when it is determined on the basis of the output value Voxs that the oxygen adsorption amount of the catalyst 43 tends to be insufficient. Further, the present control apparatus determines whether or not an operation state in which a large amount of nitrogen oxide flows into the catalyst 43 is reached on the basis of “whether a predetermined condition is fulfilled”, and makes the target rich air-fuel ratio obtained when the predetermined condition is fulfilled less than the target rich air-fuel ratio obtained when the predetermined condition is not fulfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiko Fujiwara, Koichi Kimura, Makoto Tomimatsu, Junichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9212585
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided with: a first catalyst (234) which is disposed in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine (200); a second catalyst (235) which is disposed in the exhaust passage on a downstream side of the first catalyst; a reducing agent supplying device (233) which is disposed on an upstream side of the first catalyst and which is configured to supply a reducing agent into the exhaust passage; and a reducing agent supply controlling device (100) which is configured to control the reducing agent supplying device such that an air-fuel ratio on the upstream side of the first catalyst becomes momentarily rich.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiro Mori, Yuki Bisaiji
  • Patent number: 9206728
    Abstract: A control system includes an electrical heating catalyzer, a measuring device and an electronic control unit. The measuring device measures an insulation resistance between a catalyst carrier and case of the electrical heating catalyzer. The electronic control unit determines that the electrical heating catalyzer has a failure when a variation width of the insulation resistance is smaller than or equal to a set value in a historical variation in the insulation resistance measured by the measuring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tanaka, Keisuke Nagasaka, Kazuki Tsurumi
  • Patent number: 9181844
    Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a diagnostic execution module and a diagnostic disabling module. The diagnostic execution module diagnoses a fault in at least one of an oxygen sensor and a catalytic converter based on input received from the oxygen sensor. The diagnostic disabling module disables the diagnosing based on at least one of a temperature of the catalytic converter and a mass flow rate of air flowing through the catalytic converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Paul Levijoki, Michael John Dokter, John W. Siekkinen, Jeffry A. Helmick
  • Patent number: 9181830
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine operates on a six-stroke combustion cycle including a first compression stroke, a first power stroke, a second compression stroke, and a second power stroke. A first fuel charge is introduced to a combustion chamber of the engine at a first fuel rate during the first compression and/or first power stroke to produce lean exhaust gasses. A second fuel charge is also introduced to the combustion chamber during the second compression and/or second power stroke to normally produce lean exhaust gasses. Periodically, the second fuel charge can be increased to a second fuel rate to produce stoichiometric rich exhaust gasses. A lean nitrogen oxide trap can be disposed in an exhaust system associated with the engine to temporarily trap nitrogen oxides. Once saturated, the LNT can be periodically regenerated by production of the rich exhaust gasses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Silver, Scott B. Fiveland, D. Ryan Williams
  • Patent number: 9157391
    Abstract: Some implementations of a system for controlling an internal combustion engine (e.g., a natural gas fired internal combustion engine or another type of engine) can include an air-fuel ratio controller that is configured to monitor sensor feedback from an exhaust path and to thereafter automatically adjust the air-fuel mixture. The system can be employed in particular methods to control emissions from the engine, for example, by reducing pollutants emitted as components of the exhaust from the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: EMIT Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Brent Waggener, David Wayne Haile
  • Patent number: 9151216
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for selecting a group of cylinders for selective deactivation, in a variable displacement engine system, based at least on a regeneration state of an exhaust catalyst. The position of one or more valves and throttles may be adjusted based on the selective deactivation to reduce back-flow through the disabled cylinders while also maintaining conditions of a downstream exhaust catalyst. Pre-ignition and knock detection windows and thresholds may also be adjusted based on the deactivation to improve the efficiency of knock and pre-ignition detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Nathan Banker, James Michael Kerns, Michael James Uhrich, Stephen B. Smith
  • Patent number: 9145818
    Abstract: An exhaust gas sampling device coupled to an aftertreatment system for treating exhaust gas flowing therethrough. The exhaust gas sampling device comprises an inlet passage, an outlet passage, a sensor passage, and a sensor. The inlet passage extracts a portion of the exhaust gas from the aftertreatment system, and the portion of the exhaust gas has a physical property that that is substantially similar to an equivalent physical property of a cross section of the exhaust gas flowing through the aftertreatment system. The sensor passage is positioned fluidly between the inlet passage and the outlet passage, and the sensor is in fluid communication with the sensor passage for providing a signal indicative of a property of the portion of the exhaust gas. The outlet passage reintroduces the portion of the exhaust gas back into the aftertreatment system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: William F. Gavin, Danan Dou, Colton J. Salyards
  • Patent number: 9133748
    Abstract: An SCR system (8) is arranged in an exhaust path (4) of an internal combustion engine (2) to which the invention is applied, and a particulate filter (14) is arranged downstream thereof. A control apparatus (16) includes temperature controlling means for controlling a temperature of an element portion of the particulate sensor. The temperature controlling means performs control to increase the temperature of the element portion of the particulate sensor to a first temperature range (T1), when a cumulative value (t) of a time for which the particulate sensor is used in a specific operating state reaches a reference time (t1), after detection of a particulate amount by the particulate sensor has started this time. Here, the specific operating state is an operating state set taking into account an operating state in which urea related substances tend to be discharged to a downstream side of the SCR system (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Hashida, Hiroki Nishijima
  • Patent number: 9080489
    Abstract: A Selective Catalytic Reduction (“SCR”) system that can detect a NOx concentration accurately irrespective of an operation state of an engine is provided. The SCR system including: an SCR device; a dosing valve; a NOx sensor; and an urea solution injection control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Takao Onodera, Shinji Hara, Tomoyuki Kamijyou
  • Patent number: 9068495
    Abstract: An oxidation catalyst (OC)/hydrocarbon injector (HCI) testing system includes a controller having a first oxygen sensor input configured and disposed to receive a first oxygen sensor value upstream of an oxidation catalyst (OC) device and a second oxygen sensor input configured to receive a second oxygen sensor value downstream of the OC device. The controller is configured and disposed to perform a first test to detect one of a faulty OC device and a faulty HCI based on a difference between the first and second oxygen sensor values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Janean E. Kowalkowski, Chad E. Marlett, Vincent J. Tylutki, Yun Xiao, Umar Z. Khan
  • Patent number: 9068491
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for an engine comprises operating the engine with an upstream exhaust sensor, intermediate exhaust sensor, and downstream exhaust sensor each indicating rich, adjusting engine operation to operate the engine with an upstream exhaust sensor, intermediate exhaust sensor, and downstream exhaust sensor each indicating lean, adjusting engine operation to operate the engine with the upstream exhaust sensor indicating rich and the intermediate and downstream exhaust sensors each indicating lean, and indicating degradation of an SCR catalyst based on when the intermediate and downstream exhaust sensors switch from lean to rich.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Giovanni Cavataio, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Thomas G. Leone, Joseph Robert Theis, Michael James Uhrich
  • Patent number: 9038611
    Abstract: A method for controlling combustion in an engine is provided. The method comprises under a first condition, adjusting an EGR amount of a total cylinder charge in response to engine out NOx levels being below a first threshold. In this way, NOx levels may be used as feedback to control combustion stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Peter Mitchell Lyon, Chris Riffle, Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt, Frank M. Korpics, Jeff Reich, Dean Pennala
  • Patent number: 9032714
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system is provided that can decrease the load acting on a device treating PM, even when switched to stoich operation. The exhaust purification system includes: a PM treatment device, a three-way purification catalyst, an LAF sensor, and an ECU (3) that performs feedback control so that an LAF sensor output (Vex) becomes a target value (Vop) determined so that the three-way purification reaction is optimized during stoich operation. The ECU (3) includes a fuel controller (32) that determines a fuel injection amount (Gfuel) so that a state in which an air/fuel ratio of the air/fuel mixture is leaner than stoich and a state richer than stoich are alternately realized by modulating a fuel correction amount (dGfuel) determined so as to cause the LAF sensor output (Vex) to converge to the target value (Vop) by employing a predetermined modulation algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Yasui, Hideki Matsunaga, Naohiro Sato, Masafumi Sakota
  • Patent number: 9021787
    Abstract: A fluid delivery apparatus with a flow sensing means for delivering a first fluid into a second fluid. In a fluid delivery apparatus using a common rail method, which produces a pulsated flow, the flow sensing means generates sensing signals indicative of the flow rate and the temperature of the second fluid, the delivery rate of the first fluid, and the evaporating rate of the first fluid, while in a fluid delivery apparatus using a pump metering method, the flow sensing means is able to provide a sensing signal indicative of the delivery rate of the first fluid. The sensing signals can be used in a feedback control for controlling delivery rate, in limiting delivery rate according to the evaporation capability of the first fluid, and in a diagnostic system detecting failures and abnormalities in the fluid delivery apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Inventors: Mi Yan, Baohua Qi
  • Publication number: 20150113953
    Abstract: A self-diagnosing method for diagnosing a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system of a vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine. An SCR system is arranged downstream of the engine, and the SCR system includes at least one exhaust gas sensor that is sensitive to nitrogen oxides (NOx) gas. The method includes a first diagnosing sequence (S1) of ensuring that the vehicle is in a stationary state, controlling the engine to operate in a high NOx output engine operating state and in a low NOx output engine operating state, registering an output signal of the at least one exhaust gas sensor when the engine operates in each of the high NOx output engine operating state and low NOx output engine operating state, and diagnosing NOx measurement performance of the at least one exhaust gas sensor on the basis of the registered sensor output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: VOLVO LASTVAGNAR AB
    Inventor: Henrik Nilsson
  • Patent number: 9010087
    Abstract: Various systems and method for detecting exhaust NOx sensor degradation are disclosed. In one example, degradation of the NOx sensor is indicated responsive to reductant injection in an exhaust passage under engine off conditions. For example, degradation of the NOx sensor is indicated when an actual NOx sensor output differs from an expected NOx sensor output by more than a threshold amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Devesh Upadhyay, In Kwang Yoo, Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt, David John Kubinski
  • Patent number: 8999276
    Abstract: A mixing element positioned at an exhaust outlet of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) module is provided. The mixing element includes a base plate having an upper surface and a lower surface. The base plate is configured to deflect a portion of a flow of a fluid around the upper surface thereof. The mixing element also includes a plurality of vanes attached to the lower surface of the base plate in a spaced apart arrangement. The plurality of vanes is configured to induce a swirling effect in a flow of the fluid received therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Yung T. Bui
  • Publication number: 20150089924
    Abstract: An exhaust gas processing system includes a cylindrical tube through which an exhaust gas of an engine passes, a sensor configured to detect information regarding the exhaust gas discharged from the engine, a coil antenna provided on an outer periphery of the cylindrical tube and connected to a high-frequency power supply, and a control unit configured to control output power of the high-frequency power supply. The control unit controls output power of the high-frequency power supply based on the information detected by the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Unryu Ogawa, Kotaro Takenaga, Katsumi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8992842
    Abstract: A system for producing ammonia includes sources of hydrogen and nitrogen gas, a hydrogen gas booster for producing produce pressurized hydrogen gas, a nitrogen gas booster for producing pressurized nitrogen gas, and a synthesis reactor that receives a mixture of the pressurized hydrogen and nitrogen gases. The synthesis reactor includes an inlet for receiving the pressurized gas mixture, a heating zone adjacent the inlet for heating the gas mixture, a catalyst zone downstream from the heating zone for catalyzing a reaction of the mixture to form ammonia and a by-product, and a cooling zone downstream from the catalyst zone for cooling the ammonia and the by-product. The system has a separator for separating the ammonia from the by-product, an ammonia storage tank for collecting the ammonia, and a recycle loop for re-circulating the by-product back to the synthesis reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Inventor: Roger Gordon
  • Patent number: 8991161
    Abstract: A process which solves the problem of supplying NO2 in accordance with requirements by means of temperature control of the precatalyst which is decoupled from the operating state of the engine. In an associated apparatus, a precatalyst which contains at least one oxidation component and whose temperature can be controlled independently of the operating state of the engine and an active SCR stage comprising an SCR catalyst with upstream metering facility for a reducing agent from an external source are arranged in series. A particle filter can be arranged between precatalyst and metering facility. The precatalyst preferably additionally contains a nitrogen oxide storage material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Umicore AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Lothar Mussmann, Ingo Lappas, Andreas Geisselmann, Wilfried Mueller
  • Patent number: 8991163
    Abstract: A burner for an exhaust aftertreatment system is provided that includes a nozzle assembly having a body and a heating element. The body may include first and second cavities, a fuel inlet passage and an air inlet passage. The first cavity may receive portion of the heating element and may be in fluid communication with the fuel inlet passage and a fuel discharge passage such that fuel from the fuel inlet passage is heated in the first cavity by the heating element and discharged from the first cavity through the fuel discharge passage. The second cavity may be in fluid communication with the air inlet passage and an air discharge passage. The first and second cavities may be fluidly isolated from each other and may supply fuel and air, respectively, to an exit aperture disposed downstream of the fuel discharge aperture and the air discharge aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Keith G. Olivier
  • Publication number: 20150082771
    Abstract: A system for detecting a leakage/failure in in an intake line of an internal combustion engine comprising an intake line (IL) and an exhaust line (EL), means (HFM) for measuring or for estimating a quantity of fresh air ({dot over (m)}HFM) entering said intake line (IL), means for measuring or for estimating a quantity of fuel ({dot over (m)}FUEL) injected in the engine (E), measurement or estimation means (? and/or NOx), on the exhaust line, adapted to provide a first value (?measured) of an air/fuel ratio introduced in the internal combustion engine (E), the system comprising processing means (ECU) adapted to calculate a second value (?exp) of said air/fuel ratio, calculated on the basis of the measured and estimated quantities of fresh air ({dot over (m)}HFM) and fuel ({dot over (m)}FUEL) to calculate an error (?err) between the first and the second value (?measured??exp) and to detect a condition of leakage/failure if said error is outside a predefined interval [?err?, ?err+] containing the value zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Fabio Odello, Salvatore Musumeci, Francesco Dell'Unto
  • Patent number: 8984864
    Abstract: An exhaust system for treating exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The system comprises a three-way catalyst (TWC), a fuel reformer catalyst located downstream of the TWC, and a fuel supply means located upstream of the fuel reformer catalyst. The exhaust gas is split into two portions. The first portion of the exhaust gas bypasses the TWC and contacts the fuel reformer catalyst in the presence of fuel added from the fuel supply means, and is then recycled back to the engine intake. The second portion of the exhaust gas is contacted with the TWC and is then utilized to heat the fuel reformer catalyst before being expelled to atmosphere. The exhaust system allows for maximum heat exchange from the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Kirsty Ellen Cockle, Paul James Millington, Edward James Richard Moss, John Frederick Pignon
  • Publication number: 20150075135
    Abstract: For a method for determining the concentration of aerosols in hot gases, particularly in exhaust gases of internal combustion engines, the removal of volatile and semi-volatile particles by heating the exhaust gas is provided, as well as the measurement of the concentration of the aerosols, optionally in a partial flow of an optionally diluted exhaust gas flow. In order to enable precise measurements of the aerosol concentration in the exhaust gas with lower energy consumption, the exhaust gas is divided in a first stage into two partial flows, both of which are heated, with one of the partial flows being filtered at least once, preferably before heating, and the two partial flows are subsequently recombined. In a second stage, the exhaust gas is again divided into two partial flows, with one of the partial flows being heated even further than in the first stage, and with the other partial flow being filtered at least once.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: AVL LIST GMBH
    Inventors: Barouch Giechaskiel, Alexander Bergmann
  • Patent number: 8978357
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, a method for determining an exhaust system condition includes determining if a reaction in an oxidation catalyst is performing acceptably based on a determined temperature of the exhaust gas flowing from the oxidation catalyst and determining a temperature of the exhaust gas flowing from a particulate filter. The method further includes determining a temperature of the exhaust gas flowing into the oxidation catalyst, determining an exhaust system condition based on a first difference between the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing from the particulate filter and the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing from the oxidation catalyst and a second absolute difference between the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing from the oxidation catalyst and the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing into the oxidation catalyst and communicating a signal to identify the determined exhaust system condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Vincent J. Tylutki, Janean E. Kowalkowski, Benjamin Radke
  • Patent number: 8966880
    Abstract: Exhaust after treatment systems for internal combustion engine powered vehicles are provided. One system includes logic in the form of one or more routines implemented by one or more of the system's components for determining the quantity of NO2 present in the exhaust that exits an oxidation catalyst, such as a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), without the use of an NO2 sensor. Results from such a determination may then be used to estimate the amount of soot present in the particulate filter. This estimated value of soot present in the particulate filter can then be subsequently used to determine when the particulate filter should be actively regenerated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: PACCAR Inc
    Inventor: Michael Gerty
  • Publication number: 20150047323
    Abstract: An exhaust system is described including an exhaust manifold having different length runners, with an emission control device housing a plurality of catalyst bricks, at least one of which having a multi-cell density. In this way, uneven exhaust mixing may be addressed without modifying packaging of the exhaust system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Steven Michael Beaver, Christopher Oberski, David Walter Kunitz
  • Patent number: 8955307
    Abstract: In an ordinary mode, when an abnormality diagnosis of a PM sensor attached to a downstream opening downstream of a filter is performed, the PM sensor is moved to a first upstream opening upstream of the filter, and an exhaust gas is discharged from an engine. An ECU stores a program for the abnormality diagnosis. In an abnormality diagnosis mode, the ECU diagnoses the PM sensor by comparing an output value of the PM sensor to a standard output after performing the program. The first upstream opening may be closed by a cover in the ordinary mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeto Yahata, Tomohiro Ueno
  • Publication number: 20150033707
    Abstract: A system for determining a regeneration phase of an exhaust gas particulate filter for an internal combustion engine may include a temperature sensor for detecting an elevated exhaust gas temperature, a sensor for detecting the particulate content in the exhaust gas stream exiting from the exhaust gas particulate filter, and a processing device for determining the regeneration phase on the basis of the detected values. A method for determining a regeneration phase of an exhaust gas particulate filter for an internal combustion engine may include detecting an elevated exhaust gas temperature, sampling a signal from a sensor for detecting the particulate content in the exhaust gas stream exiting from the exhaust gas particulate filter, detecting that the particulate content is elevated, and determining the regeneration phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Johannes Ante, Markus Herrmann, Willibald Reitmeier, Denny Schaedlich
  • Publication number: 20150033706
    Abstract: A method for determining the efficiency of an exhaust gas purification device of a diesel internal combustion engine for motor vehicles, having a first NOx sensor, arranged ahead of an oxidation catalyst and/or a particulate filter, and a second NOx sensor, arranged downstream of a reduction catalyst, and having a device for the metered supply of a reducing agent, wherein the method includes feeding the signals from the two NOx sensors are fed to a control unit, by means of which at least one feed quantity of the reducing agent is specified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventor: Andreas PFAFFINGER
  • Publication number: 20150033709
    Abstract: A system and a method of operating the system are presented. The system includes a first sensor, a second sensor and a catalyst. The catalyst is located between the first sensor and the second sensor in the path of an exhaust stream from an engine. The first sensor and the second sensors include noble metal electrodes, and are configured to measure concentration of a gaseous species and produce first and second sensor signals respectively. The system further includes a sulfur detector that is configured to receive the first and second signals, and configured to determine a sulfur concentration in the exhaust stream with a lambda value less than 1. The sulfur detector is configured to detect the concentration of sulfur by performing a calculation involving the first and second sensor signals; and by producing an output signal based on the determined sulfur concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel George Norton, William Collins Vining, Dennis John Spaulding