Having Sensor Or Indicator Of Malfunction, Unsafeness, Or Disarray Of Treater (e.g., Fusible Link, Etc.) Patents (Class 60/277)
  • Patent number: 10927770
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a branched exhaust assembly in a vehicle engine in order to increase catalyst efficiency and reduce engine emissions. In one example, a method may include, during a cold-start condition, flowing exhaust first through a three-way catalyst then through an underbody converter, then through a heat exchanger and then through a turbine, each exhaust component housed on different branches on the branched exhaust assembly. After catalyst activation, exhaust may flow first through the turbine, then through the underbody converter and then through the three-way catalyst, and during high engine load, exhaust entering the turbine may be cooled in order to reduce thermal load on the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10920638
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for controlling an SCR catalytic converter. A first modelled level of ammonia (NH3_mod1) and a second modelled level of ammonia (NH3_mod2) of the SCR catalytic converter are determined from two different models. The second modelled level of ammonia (NH3_mod2) is assessed by comparing it with the first modelled level of ammonia (NH3_mod1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Frank Schweizer
  • Patent number: 10914223
    Abstract: A method for mitigating against failure of a particulate matter sensor of an automobile vehicle includes: determining if a key-off event is present, identifying an engine is off in a vehicle after-run mode; defining when local environmental conditions are outside of mechanical limits of a particulate matter (PM) sensor; identifying input values to reverse the local environmental conditions of the PM sensor; and controlling operation of a heating element of the PM sensor to achieve the input values to reverse the local environmental conditions during the vehicle after-run mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Bryan D. Axe, Gaetano Di Venti, Francesco Cannarile
  • Patent number: 10907519
    Abstract: The invention relates to an exhaust gas aftertreatment system for an internal combustion engine, in particular for a gasoline engine that is spark-ignited by means of spark plugs. A first three-way catalytic converter is situated in an exhaust gas system that is connected to an outlet of the internal combustion engine in a position close to the engine. Downstream from the first three-way catalytic converter, a four-way catalytic converter or a combination of a particle filter and a second three-way catalytic converter downstream from the particle filter is situated in the underbody position of the motor vehicle. An exhaust gas burner with which hot exhaust gas is introducible into the exhaust gas system downstream from the first three-way catalytic converter and upstream from the four-way catalytic converter or the particle filter is provided at an exhaust duct of the exhaust gas system. The exhaust gas burner is supplied with fresh air by a secondary air pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Stefan Paukner, Falk-Christian Baron Von Ceumern-Lindenstjerna
  • Patent number: 10900429
    Abstract: A controller is configured to control an internal combustion engine. The controller is configured to execute a catalyst temperature-increasing control of increasing a temperature of the three-way catalyst device by introducing air-fuel mixture, which contains the fuel injected by a fuel injection valve, into an exhaust passage without burning the air-fuel mixture in a cylinder. The controller includes an air-fuel ratio control unit configured to control an air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture during the execution of the catalyst temperature-increasing control such that the air-fuel ratio becomes a richer air-fuel ratio during a first period from a beginning of the catalyst temperature-increasing control to a specified air-fuel ratio switching timing than during a second period from the air-fuel ratio switching timing to a completion of the catalyst temperature-increasing control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Nose, Yuto Ikeda, Keiichi Myojo, Hirokazu Ando
  • Patent number: 10865680
    Abstract: A reduction in measurement accuracy of a concentration sensor is minimized. An exhaust gas purifying device of a work machine includes a reduction catalyst that is placed in an exhaust flow passage of an exhaust gas of an engine and uses a reducing agent to reduce and purify nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas, and a reducing agent injector to inject the reducing agent into the exhaust flow passage. The exhaust gas purifying device of a work machine includes: a storage unit that stores the reducing agent; a concentration sensor that has a sensing part placed within the storage unit to detect a concentration of the reducing agent; an air-bubble removal device that injects the reducing agent toward the sensing part; and a reducing agent pump that supplies the reducing agent in the storage unit to the air-bubble removal device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gen Yasuda, Takenori Hiroki, Ryou Takaichi, Hisashi Tago, Hironori Itou
  • Patent number: 10859017
    Abstract: A method for controlling a filling level of an exhaust gas component accumulator of a catalytic converter in the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine where an actual filling level of the accumulator is determined with a first catalytic converter model. The method includes forming a lambda setpoint is formed, wherein a predetermined target fill level is converted into a base lambda setpoint via a second system model reverse of the first catalytic converter model, a deviation of the actual fill level from the predetermined target fill level is determined and processed to a lambda setpoint correction value via a fill level control unit, a sum of the base lambda setpoint value and the lambda setpoint value correction value is formed, and said sum is used to form a correction value, with which fuel metering to at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine is influenced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Eckart, Alexandre Wagner, Jens Oehlerking, Joerg Frauhammer, Martin Knopp, Michael Fey
  • Patent number: 10844768
    Abstract: An abnormality determination device is used in an exhaust gas purification system. The exhaust gas purification system is disposed in an exhaust gas passage of an internal-combustion engine and includes an injection valve for injecting a liquid reducing agent to a NOx purification catalyst for purifying NOx in an exhaust gas, and a pump for pressurizing and supplying the reducing agent to the injection valve via a reducing agent passage. The abnormality determination device includes an acquisition section acquiring a rotation speed of the pump when the injection valve is injecting the reducing agent as an injection time rotation speed; and a determiner determining whether the injection valve has an abnormality based on the injection time rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji Takemoto, Tomomi Oshima
  • Patent number: 10845290
    Abstract: A failure detection device has a PM filter, a PM detection sensor having a sensor element arranged at a downstream of the PM filter, an ECU and a PM detection sensor control part. The sensor element detects an amount of PM in exhaust gas, and generates a sensor signal corresponding to the detected PM amount. A load detection part in the ECU detects an engine load. A judgment execution determination part in the control part compares the detected engine load with a threshold value, and determines whether a PM filter failure detection should be performed based on the comparison result. A failure judgment part compares the sensor signal with a failure judgment threshold value when the determination part decides that it is necessary to perform the failure detection of the PM filter, and determines that the PM filter failure has occurred based on the latter comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kensuke Takizawa, Kazuhiko Koike, Go Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 10837376
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are provided for identifying cylinder knock. In one example, cylinder knock may be identified based on a knock monitor that identifies knock based on output from a crankshaft speed sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Habeeb Khan Pathan, James Robert Schreiner, Milan Palinda Karunaratne, Bhanuprakash Haranahalli Panchakshari
  • Patent number: 10823035
    Abstract: An exhaust purification device includes a PM filter and a differential pressure sensor for the PM filter, and calculates a first estimated amount PMf based on the operating state of the internal combustion engine and a second estimated amount PMc based on the differential pressure. The exhaust purification device performs an anomaly determination of the differential pressure sensor based on the state of the differential pressure sensor from stopping of the internal combustion engine to a startup thereof, and corrects the first estimated amount PMf based on the second estimated amount PMc when starting the internal combustion engine. The exhaust purification device calculates, as the PM deposition amount Pr, the larger value of the first and second estimated amounts, and starts a filter regeneration control of the PM filter when the PM deposition amount Pr is equal to or more than a first predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Maeda, Masanao Idogawa, Noriyasu Kobashi
  • Patent number: 10808589
    Abstract: A system and method for treating an engine exhaust is provided. In particular, waste heat from an engine exhaust is stored in a latent heat storage structure through a controllable heat exchanger and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalytic converter is heated by the stored thermal energy in the latent heat storage structure using the controllable heat exchanger. The exhaust treatment system includes a selective catalytic reduction catalytic converter that has an inlet for connecting to an internal combustion engine to intake an engine exhaust and an outlet to output a catalytically treated engine exhaust. The system further includes a latent heat storage structure and a controllable heat exchanger for selectively exchanging heat to and from the catalytic converter and the latent heat storage structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas Kapp, Stefan Lang, Peter Gozner, Ulrich Karrer, Roman Pelzetter
  • Patent number: 10794256
    Abstract: Apparatus (100) for controlling an aftertreatment system of an internal combustion engine (101), a system comprising an apparatus, a vehicle comprising a system and a method (1000) of controlling injection in an internal combustion engine (101) are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a processing means (102) configured to receive a first signal from a first temperature sensing means (103) indicative of a first temperature of exhaust gases outputted from an internal combustion engine (101) at a first location upstream of a first exhaust system component (104) configured to provide a passage for exhaust gases. The processing means is also configured to receive a second signal from a flow rate sensing means (105) indicative of a flow rate of the exhaust gases outputted from the engine (101) and calculate an approximated value at least from the first signal and the second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventors: Neil Bevan, Alex Romocea
  • Patent number: 10746079
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an exhaust gas sensor arrangement structure comprising: an exhaust pipe 6 extending from an engine 3 to form a part of an exhaust flow path; an exhaust valve 7 that adjusts an aperture of the exhaust flow path; and a first exhaust gas sensor 8a that detects a predetermined component in an exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust flow path. The first exhaust gas sensor has a detector 80 arranged to protrude into the exhaust flow path. The exhaust valve includes a plate-like valve body 70 that expands and reduces a flow path cross section of the exhaust flow path, and a rotating shaft 71 extending in a direction intersecting with an axial direction of the exhaust flow path and serving as a rotation center of the valve body. A downstream end of the valve body approaches the detector as the valve body is rotated in a direction of reducing the flow path cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masato Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10731583
    Abstract: A method of controlling oxygen purge of a three-way catalyst may include: performing a fuel cut-off; determining whether a fuel cut-in condition is satisfied after the fuel cut-off; calculating an optimum valve overlap according to an intake amount, an engine rotation speed, and an ignition timing if the fuel cut-in condition is satisfied after the fuel cut-off; controlling a CVVD apparatus to be at the optimum valve overlap; and performing the oxygen purge at the optimum valve overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jin Woo Choung, Kiyoung Kwon
  • Patent number: 10724463
    Abstract: A process of causing an engine (10) to perform high-temperature exhaust driving (D1) after urea water from an urea water injection valve (33) is not supplied to an SCR catalyst (34), and a process of causing the engine (10) to perform high-flow-rate exhaust driving (D2) after a flow rate of exhaust gas from a cylinder interior (13) is not reduced are performed on an ECU (40). A process of determining deterioration or malfunction of upstream and downstream NOx sensors (47 and 48) based on detected values (Ca and Cb) acquired when the engine speed (Na) reaches a determination speed (Nx) is performed on a vehicle external computer (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventor: Kouji Sakumoto
  • Patent number: 10648391
    Abstract: A controller estimates a first estimated adsorption amount which is an amount of adsorption of ammonia in the SCR catalyst at the time when the SCR catalyst is assumed to be in a predetermined abnormal state, estimates a second estimated adsorption amount at the time when the SCR catalyst is assumed to be in a predetermined normal state, calculates a first slip development temperature based on the first estimated adsorption amount, and calculates a second slip development temperature based on the second estimated adsorption amount. The controller, when carrying out an abnormality diagnosis based on a concentration of ammonia in an exhaust gas at the downstream side of the SCR catalyst, carries out diagnostic temperature control so as to control the temperature of the SCR catalyst to a temperature which is equal to or more than the first slip development temperature and is less than the second slip development temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryohei Ono, Masaaki Sato, Katsuhiro Ito, Akira Mikami, Kazuhiro Umemoto, Daichi Imai
  • Patent number: 10641146
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system comprises a catalyst 20, an upstream side air-fuel ratio sensor 40, a downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor 41, and an air-fuel ratio control device. The air-fuel ratio control device alternately switches a target air-fuel ratio between a rich set air-fuel ratio and a lean set air-fuel ratio, calculates an oxygen storage amount and an oxygen discharge amount, updates a learning value, and corrects an air-fuel ratio-related parameter based on the learning value. The air-fuel ratio control device changes a condition for switching the target air-fuel, stores the learning value at the time when the operating state of the internal combustion engine changes from the first state to the second state as a first state value, and updates the learning value to the first state value when the operating state of the internal combustion engine returns from the second state to the first state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Inoshita, Shogo Tanaka, Norihisa Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 10641155
    Abstract: A regeneration control device for an exhaust gas treatment device includes: a DOC blockage risk state determination part configured to determine whether the DOC is in a blockage risk state which is a state where blockage of the DOC is likely to occur, on the basis of comparison between a counter value and a threshold related to an operation time of the diesel engine; a DOC temperature increase execution part configured to execute a blockage recovery process for increasing a temperature of the DOC to a first temperature, if it is determined that the DOC is in the blockage risk state; a DPF forced regeneration condition determination part configured to determine whether a forced regeneration execution condition for the DPF is satisfied; a DPF forced regeneration execution part configured to execute a forced regeneration process for increasing a temperature of the DPF to a second temperature and increasing the temperature of the DOC to the first temperature, if the forced regeneration execution condition is sati
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Nishizawa, Tomohide Yamada, Daisuke Sato, Hiroyuki Ito
  • Patent number: 10634027
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system comprises an air-fuel ratio control device. If the air-fuel ratio detected by the downstream side air-fuel ratio sensor 41 reaches a second judged air-fuel ratio, the air-fuel ratio control device sets the target air-fuel ratio to a third set air-fuel ratio when the air-fuel ratio reaches the second judged air-fuel ratio, and switch the target air-fuel ratio from the third set air-fuel ratio to the second set air-fuel ratio when the air-fuel ratio becomes a value at the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio side from the second judged air-fuel ratio. The first set air-fuel ratio, the first judged air-fuel ratio and the second judged air-fuel ratio are an air-fuel ratio in the first region. The second set air-fuel ratio and the third set air-fuel ratio are an air-fuel ratio in a second region at an opposite side from the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shogo Tanaka, Kenji Inoshita, Norihisa Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 10619547
    Abstract: An object is to prevent a wrong diagnosis from being made in diagnosis of an NOx sensor provided downstream of an SCR catalyst. A diagnosis apparatus is applied to an NOx sensor provided in an exhaust system including an SCR catalyst, a reducing agent supply device, an NOx sensor, an exhaust gas purification device provided upstream of the SCR catalyst, and a controller configured to raise the temperature of the exhaust gas purification device and control supply of reducing agent so as to adjust the ammonia adsorption amount to a specific amount. The controller is further configured to perform diagnosis of the NOx sensor on the basis of the concentration of ammonia slipping out of the SCR catalyst and disallow diagnosis of the NOx sensor since the ammonia adsorption amount is adjusted to the specific amount until a specific time elapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Masubuchi, Toru Kidokoro, Yasushi Iwazaki, Koji Hagiwara, Hiroshi Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 10605137
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for detecting a missing exhaust catalyst based on water adsorption and related exothermic temperature rise by the catalyst. In one example, a method may include indicating an exhaust catalyst missing in response to an estimated exhaust temperature profile being different from an expected exhaust temperature profile. The estimated exhaust temperature profile may be based on exhaust temperature upstream and downstream of the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Devesh Upadhyay, Michael Brendan Hopka, In Kwang Yoo, David John Kubinski
  • Patent number: 10589222
    Abstract: A urea water agitation control device has an agitation control portion and a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of a urea water. The agitation control portion operates an agitation portion in a specified period which includes a part of a period in which the urea water temperature detected by the temperature sensor is kept at a eutectic point and the urea water radiates a latent heat of solidification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Honda, Taiyo Hiroi, Jun Suzuki, Shunsuke Murakami, Saki Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10584623
    Abstract: A vehicle exhaust system includes an exhaust pipe defining an exhaust gas flow path, a heat recovery device connected to the exhaust pipe, and a diverter valve that controls exhaust gas flow between the exhaust pipe and heat recovery device. The diverter valve is moveable between at least a heat recovery mode where the diverter valve blocks flow through the exhaust pipe and directs flow into the heat recovery device, a full bypass acoustic mode where the diverter valve blocks flow through the heat recovery device and directs flow through the exhaust pipe, a transition mode where the diverter valve partially blocks flow through the heat recovery device and partially blocks flow through the exhaust pipe, and a partial bypass acoustic mode where the diverter valve blocks flow through the heat recovery device and partially blocks flow through the exhaust pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies, USA, LLC
    Inventor: Joseph E. Callahan
  • Patent number: 10539060
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a catalyst measuring system for on-board diagnostics and for determining the aging of an SCR catalytic converter for a vehicle comprising: a processor; an SCR catalytic converter for purifying exhaust gas of the vehicle; a high-frequency sensor for determining the ammonia loading of the SCR catalytic converter; a NOx sensor for sensing the NOx concentration downstream of the SCR catalytic converter; and an ammonia dosing system for injecting ammonia into an exhaust system of the vehicle. The control device instructs the ammonia dosing system to inject ammonia selectively into the exhaust system at a plurality of different dosing rates. The control device evaluates data received from the NOx sensor and of the high-frequency sensor to calculate the ammonia dosing rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: CPT GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Ralf Moos, Willibald Reitmeier, Markus Dietrich, Denny Schädlich, Markus Hien, Katharina Burger
  • Patent number: 10519839
    Abstract: An exhaust purification system of an internal combustion engine comprises a catalyst 20, an air-fuel ratio sensor 41, a current detection device 61, a voltage application device 60, a voltage control part 71 and an air-fuel ratio control part 72. The air-fuel ratio control part controls the air-fuel ratio so that the output current of the air-fuel ratio sensor becomes a predetermined target value. The voltage control part performs at least one of voltage lowering control setting the applied voltage to a first voltage lower when the air-fuel ratio becomes higher than a lean judged air-fuel ratio, and a voltage raising control setting the applied voltage to a second voltage when the air-fuel ratio becomes lower than a rich judged air-fuel ratio. The reference voltage is a voltage at which the output current of the air-fuel ratio sensor becomes zero when the air-fuel ratio is the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 10502114
    Abstract: A concentration calculation apparatus, system and method which can compute a correction value for correcting an ammonia sensor output at a timing other than the time of fuel cut. A multi-gas sensor control apparatus (9) of a urea SCR system (1) begins recording (storing) a downstream NOx output value Sn and downstream ammonia output value Sa detected by a multi-gas sensor (8) (S120) when the control apparatus determines that a DPF regeneration process is currently being performed (an affirmative determination in S110). The apparatus (9) computes a downstream ammonia converted value Ca using a peak value of the downstream NOx output value Sn (S170), and calculates a Gain correction coefficient based on a comparison of the downstream converted value Ca and the output value Sa (S180). As a result, the Gain correction coefficient can be computed in accordance with the state of the ammonia detection section (202).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nakano, Yoshinori Hibino
  • Patent number: 10480474
    Abstract: A method and system for determining remaining useful life of an in-use injector of a reciprocating engine is disclosed. The method includes determining nozzle wear relationship data for different duty cycles of the in-use injector, and using the nozzle wear relationship data together with operating parameters for the reciprocating engine, and emission relationship data to determine actual emission levels for the in-use injector based on the wear relationship data and the emission relationship data. The method and system further include determining remaining useful life of the in-use injector based on actual emission levels and the nozzle wear relationship data; and controlling an operation of the reciprocating engine based on the actual emission levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC
    Inventors: Amit Chandrakar, Rahul Srinivas Prabhu, Mandyam Rangayan Sridhar, Manoj Prakash Gokhale
  • Patent number: 10473011
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for regenerating a particulate filter of a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, during a non-engine operating condition, regenerating a particulate filter coupled in an exhaust system downstream of an engine by activating an electric heater of the particulate filter and directing intake air through the particulate filter, the intake air bypassing the engine, and adjusting an electrical load of the electric heater responsive to one or more of exhaust temperature and intake airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Matthew Kurtz, Paul Joseph Tennison
  • Patent number: 10443519
    Abstract: A catalyst deterioration determination system effectively prevents erroneous determination caused by increase of the H2 component in exhaust gas and improves accuracy of determination. A LAF sensor and an O2 sensor are provided on the upstream side and downstream side of a three-way catalyst. Deterioration of the three-way catalyst is determined on the basis of an output of the O2 sensor, which is detected during air-fuel ratio switching control in which an air-fuel ratio is alternately switched to the rich side and lean side of the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio according to a detected equivalent ratio detected by the LAF sensor, on the basis of a result of comparison between an oxygen inflow into the three-way catalyst and a lean side-limiting value and a rich side-limiting value which are target values of the oxygen inflow. Fuel injection timing retardation control and/or divided fuel injection control are prohibited during the deterioration determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Hashizume, Tomohiro Nishi, Toru Kasai, Hideyuki Yasuda
  • Patent number: 10443520
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an ECU configured to: determine whether a temperature-increasing process is being executed; calculate a target value of a parameter correlated with a difference between a rich air-fuel ratio and a lean air-fuel ratio achieved in the temperature-increasing process, based on an operating state of the internal combustion engine; calculate, as an upper limit, a value of the parameter required to increase the temperature of the catalyst to a predetermined upper limit temperature; determine whether the target value is equal to or lower than the upper limit; adjust the parameter used in the temperature-increasing process to the target value when the target value is determined to be equal to or lower than the upper limit; and adjust the parameter used in the temperature-increasing process to the upper limit when the target value is determined to be higher than the upper limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Nose, Keiichi Myojo, Yoshiyuki Shogenji, Eiji Ikuta
  • Patent number: 10436158
    Abstract: An abnormality detection device for a humidity sensor has a humidity sensor disposed in an intake passage, a temperature sensor to detect an intake air temperature, and a controller. The controller is configured to detect a first sensor signal at a time of the intake air temperature being a first intake air temperature, and a second sensor signal at a time of the intake air temperature changing from the first intake air temperature and reaching a second intake air temperature, calculate values from which an influence of a temperature difference between the first and second intake air temperatures is excluded, from the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal, as respective humidity index values, and detect presence or absence of abnormality of the humidity sensor according to whether or not a deviation degree of these humidity index values is larger than a predetermined degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hironori Ito
  • Patent number: 10422295
    Abstract: A filter malfunction determination apparatus includes a calculator that calculates, upon determination that a rapid output increase has occurred, an amount of change of a parameter value output from a sensor before and after the rapid output increase. The calculator calculates, based on the calculated amount of change, a correction value for correcting at least one of the parameter value output from the sensor and a malfunction determination threshold. The filter malfunction determination apparatus includes an offset corrector configured to perform, based on the correction value, offset correction of at least one of the parameter value output from the sensor and the malfunction determination threshold after determination that the rapid output increase has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Yamamoto, Manabu Yoshidome, Masayuki Tamura, Go Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 10424132
    Abstract: In some examples, a system may receive, over a network from a vehicle computing device onboard a vehicle, sensor data for at least one sensed parameter of a vehicle component. The system may determine, based on the sensor data, a damage result indicative of fatigue damage to the vehicle component. Based at least partially on the damage result, the system may send a communication to at least one of the vehicle computing device onboard the vehicle, or a computing device associated with an account associated with the vehicle. In some cases, the damage result may be determined from at least one of accessing a lookup table using the sensor data, or executing a fatigue simulation using sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Heming Chen, Nikhil Seera, Yuan Xiao, Sujit S. Phatak
  • Patent number: 10401314
    Abstract: The present invention obtains a humidity measuring device capable of performing self-diagnosis with high reliability. This humidity measuring device 20 has a diagnosis processing unit 25 for performing self-diagnosis by using gas temperatures and gas humidities before and after a gas in an ambient atmosphere to be measured is heat-controlled. The diagnosis processing unit has a diagnosis start determining unit 26 for determining whether the self-diagnosis can be started on the basis of an exchange state in the ambient atmosphere to be measured and the gas temperature and the gas humidity before the gas in the ambient atmosphere to be measured is heat-controlled, and a diagnosis continuation determining unit 28 for determining whether the self-diagnosis can be continued on the basis of the gas temperature and the gas humidity that are heat-controlled during the self-diagnosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuki Isoya, Hiroaki Hoshika, Takayuki Yogo, Takahiro Miki, Takahiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10400653
    Abstract: A method of controlling a particulate filter of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. A regeneration cycle of the particulate filter is initiated. During the regeneration, a value of an exhaust gas temperature at an outlet of the particulate filter is determined and a value of a residual soot quantity stored into the particulate filter is estimated on the basis of the measured value of the exhaust gas temperature at the outlet of the particulate filter. The regeneration cycle may be started and stopped based on the estimated residual soot quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Giuseppe Mazzara Bologna, Isadora Ricci, Stefano Pellegrino
  • Patent number: 10378415
    Abstract: A reductant delivery system includes an electronic control unit coupled with each of an electronically controlled reductant injector and an electronically controlled pump, and structured to mitigate obstruction of a reductant injector in an exhaust system of an engine. The electronic control unit is further structured to receive data indicative of a pump duty cycle, and calculate a diagnostic value based on pump duty cycle associated with injection of different amounts of reductant, compare the diagnostic value with a threshold value, and output an error signal to trigger an obstructed-injector mitigation action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Cole, Sanket Yeole, Darin McCoy, Johnathan Trundt, Wayne Davey
  • Patent number: 10363926
    Abstract: A controller for a vehicle includes failure diagnosis circuitry and drive control circuitry. The failure diagnosis circuitry is configured to perform a failure diagnosis of an internal combustion engine system while an internal combustion engine is in operation. The drive control circuitry is configured to operate the internal combustion engine in a charge depleting mode operation in which an electric motor mainly moves the vehicle while the internal combustion engine is not run only for charging a battery. The drive control circuitry is configured to run the internal combustion engine if a predetermined condition is satisfied in the charge depleting mode operation. The drive control circuitry is configured to continue running the internal combustion engine in order to perform the failure diagnosis even if the predetermined condition is unsatisfied while the internal combustion engine is run in the charge depleting mode operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ikue Habu
  • Patent number: 10337372
    Abstract: An object of the present disclosure is to provide an exhaust gas purification catalyst device; an exhaust gas purification system; and a method for detecting deterioration of the above device. The exhaust gas purification catalyst device includes a substrate, a first catalyst layer containing Pd and formed on the substrate, and a second catalyst layer formed on the first layer. Regarding the above device, ceria, Pd, and Rh are contained in a mixed state in the second layer; in the first and second layers, the total mass of ceria having a fluorite-type structure per 1 L volume of the substrate is 16.0 g or less; and in the second layer, the mass of Pd per 1 L volume of the substrate is 0.32 g or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Nobukawa, Kazunari Sawada, Hirotaka Ori
  • Patent number: 10280857
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for regenerating a lean NOx trap. In one example, a method may include, responsive to an indication to regenerate a lean NOx trap (LNT), operating an engine with an overall rich air-fuel ratio to regenerate the LNT while minimizing fuel oil dilution by operating each cylinder of the engine with an alternating rich to lean air-fuel ratio pattern of two rich combustion events for every one lean combustion event across a plurality of engine cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kim Ford, James Bromham, Matthew Allen Schneider
  • Patent number: 10273857
    Abstract: A method for monitoring particulate filter disposed in an exhaust aftertreatment system of an internal combustion engine includes determining, via a differential pressure sensor, a pressure differential across the particulate filter, and determining an initial parameter associated with soot loading on the particulate filter based upon the pressure differential. A first adjustment to the soot loading is determined based upon a passive regeneration effect, a second adjustment to the soot loading is determined based upon an off-engine temperature effect, and a third adjustment to the soot loading is determined based upon occurrence of an interrupted regeneration event. A final parameter associated with soot loading on the particulate filter is determined based upon the initial parameter and the first, second and third adjustments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Andrea Pannuzzo, Andrea Dutto, Adele De Domenico
  • Patent number: 10260476
    Abstract: A method for preventing back fire of an engine by a device for preventing back fire of an engine, may include monitoring operating information of the engine; determining whether the back fire occurs by using the operating information of the engine; and controlling an ignition timing to be retarded when the back fire occurs as the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jonghyuck Kim, Kyeong Il Choi, Sung Ha Lee
  • Patent number: 10260442
    Abstract: A plant control device includes a feedback controller that determines a control input of a plant, and a reference governor that corrects an initial target value and outputs the corrected initial target value to the feedback controller. The reference governor determines a target value satisfying an upper limit constraint to be a target value candidate that minimizes a value of an evaluation function. The reference governor determines the target value satisfying the upper limit constraint to be a value of the upper limit constraint when a value acquired by substituting, with the value of the upper limit constraint, a variable of a differential function acquired by differentiating the evaluation function with respect to the target value candidate is greater than or equal to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hayato Nakada
  • Patent number: 10215077
    Abstract: Provided is an engine control apparatus capable of detecting degradation in particulate filter performance. An input unit receives a first signal indicating an exhaust gas state (Tpf_2) inside or downstream of a particulate filter that traps particulate substance contained in engine exhaust gas. A determination unit 16a determines whether the particulate filter is degraded on the basis of the exhaust gas state (Tpf_2) indicated by the first signal in a period (fFC=1) in which fuel supply to the engine is blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD
    Inventors: Shinji Nakagawa, Toshio Hori
  • Patent number: 10202915
    Abstract: A method and a computer program for recognizing and differentiating a flow rate error and a dynamic error of an exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR) of an internal combustion engine. Measured and modeled EGR mass flow signals are each subjected to bandpass filtering using time constants optimized for determining flow rate errors and bandpass filtering using time constants optimized for determining dynamic errors. The energy is determined for each of the filtered signals and an energy quotient is computed between the energies of the signals filtered for dynamic errors and the signals filtered for flow rate errors. A dynamic error and a flow rate error of the exhaust gas recirculation may be recognized and differentiated from one another on the basis of the energy quotients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Mueller, Marcel Schaefer, Richard Holberg, Shuwen Ling, Stefan Michael
  • Patent number: 10184376
    Abstract: A method of managing a selective catalytic reduction system of a motor vehicle. During a first predetermined time period, a plurality of functionality checks of the sensor are performed for identifying if the sensor is able to provide a reliable measurement of the ammonia concentration. During the same first predetermined time period, a plurality of values of the ammonia concentration in the diesel exhaust fluid is measured by the sensor. A maintenance inducement strategy of the selective catalytic reduction system is activated if each of the values of the ammonia concentration measured during the first predetermined time period is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and if each of the functionality checks of the sensor performed during the same first predetermined time period identifies that the sensor is able to provide a reliable measurement of the ammonia concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Mariano Nocereto, Raffaello Ardanese, Giovanni David
  • Patent number: 10161277
    Abstract: An after-treatment (AT) system used to treat an exhaust gas flow emitted by an internal combustion engine includes a catalyst monolith configured to actively remove a pollutant from the exhaust gas flow. The AT system also includes a heating element configured to heat the catalyst monolith. The AT system additionally includes an energy-discharge unit configured to power the heating element. The energy-discharge unit includes an energy-storage device configured to supply electrical energy. The energy-discharge unit also includes a capacitor configured to receive the electrical energy from the energy-storage device and discharge the received electrical energy to power the heating element and thereby heat the catalyst monolith. A vehicle having an internal combustion engine operatively connected to such an AT system is also contemplated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Scott W. Jorgensen, Shouxian Ren
  • Patent number: 10161343
    Abstract: A correction device for an air/fuel ratio sensor in the present invention, the sensor issuing an output according to an air/fuel ratio and installed on the downstream from catalyst of the exhaust passage, has air/fuel ratio control means for controlling an air/fuel ratio of an exhaust gas on the upstream side from a catalyst to switch between a rich air/fuel ratio which is richer and a lean air/fuel ratio which is leaner than a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio. Moreover, correction means for correcting an output of the sensor in accordance with a difference between the output of the sensor during a predetermined period during air/fuel ratio control by the air/fuel ratio control means, and a reference output corresponding to a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keiichiro Aoki, Takanori Sasaki, Go Hayashita
  • Patent number: 10138780
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating an automotive system having an internal combustion engine equipped with an exhaust gas aftertreatment system including a Lean NOx Trap (LNT) upstream of a Selective Catalytic Reduction washcoated particulate filter (SCRF). A LNT inlet temperature is monitored. A parameter representative of a quantity of NOX stored in the LNT is also monitored. A map correlating the LNT inlet temperature and the quantity of NOX stored in the LNT is used to estimate an ammonia quantity produced during a LNT regeneration. A LNT regeneration is performed, if the estimated ammonia quantity is greater than a threshold value thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Gennaro Merlino, Jaime Andres Cespedes Garcia
  • Patent number: 10125652
    Abstract: A control system includes an ECU that controls supply of fuel from an addition valve and supply of fuel from an injection valve, estimates or detects a degree of end-face clogging on an exhaust-gas inflow side of a NOx catalyst, and sets an inlet temperature of the NOx catalyst by use of the fuel supplied from the injection valve to a higher level and sets an amount of the fuel supplied from the addition valve to a smaller value in a case where the degree of end-face clogging is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, compared to the case where the degree of end-face clogging is smaller than the predetermined value, when there also is a request for regeneration of an exhaust purification filter and/or a request for regeneration of the NOx catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Itsuya Kurisaka