Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Craig Alan Smith

Joseph Patrick Whitehead

Chris Paul Glugla

Robert Baskins

Timothy Robert Gernant

Scott Richard Hughes

Gopichandra Surnilla

Daniel Joseph Styles

Charles Allen Cockerill

Kristofor Robert Norman

Charles C Poon

David Michael Pariseau

Matthew A Vance

Thomas Cusumano

Gregory Joseph Pawlak

Francisco Alvarez

Methods and systems are provided for reducing corrosion of a charge air cooler and preventing engine misfire due to condensate formation. In response to an engine controller determining a condensate forming location within a charge air cooler, a grille shutter system is adjusted, moving the condensate region to a different location in the charge air cooler. Grille shutter orientation may also be controlled in response to vehicle operating conditions and condensate-forming weather conditions.

Engine control coordination with grille shutter adjustment and ambient conditions

Various systems and methods are described for deactivation and reactivation of a cylinder bank in a V-engine. In one example, the cylinder bank is deactivated responsive to an indication of misfire based on crankshaft acceleration and exhaust air fuel ratio. The cylinder bank is reactivated sequentially based on exhaust catalyst temperature.

Methods and systems for cylinder bank misfire detection and reactivation

Embodiments for a charge air cooler are provided. In one example, a method comprises adjusting an operating parameter in response to a degraded grille shutter, the degraded grille shutter determined based on a temperature difference across a charge air cooler. In this way, degradation of the charge air cooler or engine may be reduced.

Charge air cooler component diagnostics

Methods are provided for determining ice formation during cruising under cold weather conditions at the intake manifold or throttle body of an engine system and for enabling engine misfire diagnostics upon detection of dissipation of the formed ice.

Method of inferring start-up misfires due to the build-up of ice and melt water in the intake system of a vehicle engine

A torsionally tuned damper assembly for a geared power transmission is disclosed. The damper assembly, at a power output end of a transmission power output shaft, has an inertia ring with a calibrated natural torsional frequency that reduces the resonance energy developed by gear rattle forces at a transmission gear mesh.

Torsional damper for a transmission output shaft

A novel air intake system which is suitable for at least substantially reducing the inadvertent intake of water with ambient air into an air compressor or other operational component of a fuel cell or internal combustion engine is disclosed. The air intake system typically includes an elongated air flow conduit having a downwardly-angled air inlet arm that is typically fitted with multiple louver elements and a splash shield to deflect entering water downwardly into a drain or gullet chamber. The air intake system typically further includes a mechanism for gravity-mediated draining of water from the air flow conduit to prevent entering water from being drawn into the air compressor or other component.

Air intake system

Occupant sensing system ( ) for detecting the presence of an occupant within an automotive vehicle ( ) includes a seat belt sensor ( ) for detecting a buckled condition of the seat belt. An ignition sensor ( ) generates an ignition-off signal. An indicator ( ) is coupled to a controller ( ), the seat belt sensor ( ), and the ignition sensor ( ). The controller controls the indicator in response to the seat belt buckled signal and ignition-off signal.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Orion, MI, United States of America

Craig Alan Smith