Ford Motor Company Limited

Edward T King

Larry R Brandenburg

Granger K Chui

John H Vanderslice

Yitshak Isaac Henig

Loi-Lou Ting

An exhaust gas purification system for an engine equipped with a turbocharger and an exhaust pipe having a NO,conversion catalyst therein. The system comprises a reservoir for storing pressurized air received from the turbocharger, a reductant injector in fluid communication with a reductant supply, and a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the reservoir and connected to the reductant injector. The reductant injector is responsive to an injection signal for atomizing and injecting a quantity of reductant into the mixing chamber. The mixing chamber is in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe for introducing a quantity of air and reductant mixture into the exhaust gas flow upstream of the NO,conversion catalyst. In one aspect of the invention, the system includes an engine control unit, a valve connected between the reservoir and the mixing chamber, and a differential pressure transducer positioned between the mixing chamber and the exhaust pipe for measuring the pressure differential across the mixing chamber and exhaust pipe upstream of the NO,conversion catalyst. The engine control unit controls the valve to introduce a quantity of pressurized air from the reservoir into the mixing chamber to maintain the pressure differential between the mixing chamber and exhaust pipe substantially constant.

Exhaust gas purification system for a lean burn engine

An apparatus is disclosed for heating the interior of a motor vehicle capable of being powered by electricity or a liquid fuel. A canister stores vapors released from a vehicle fuel tank, and a heater in communication with the canister burns the vapors stored therein to generate heated exhaust gases. Coolant is circulated between a heating coil where the coolant absorbs heat from the heated exhaust gases and a heater core where at least a portion of the heat absorbed by the coolant is transmitted to the interior of the vehicle. A system controller receives a first input indicating a demand for heat in the interior of the vehicle, a second input indicating the state of charge of an electrical storage battery, and a third input indicating a time interval since the canister was previously purged. The system controller signals an ignitor to begin combustion in the heater if the first input indicates a demand for heat, the second input indicates the state of charge of the battery is high, and the third input indicates a time interval greater than a predetermined amount.

Hybrid vehicle fuel vapor management apparatus

An energy management system for a hybrid vehicle having wheels drivingly connected to traction motors, which motors are alternatively energized by an internal combustion engine generator or an electrical storage battery. The system comprises an electrical storage battery, a high voltage electrically heated catalyst (300-400 volts) for treating the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, a generator driven by the selective operation of the internal combustion engine to energize the traction motors and to sometimes produce electrical energy in excess of that consumed by the traction motors, and a high voltage controller for selectively transferring electrical energy generated by the internal combustion engine generator and the electrical energy produced by the traction motors when driven by the wheels to preferentially the electrically heated catalyst and secondarily to the storage battery. Selection is carried out by an on-board microprocessor as a means for controlling the selection of energy transfer paths to provide transfer in accordance with: (i) the temperature of the electrically heated catalyst, (ii) the temperature of the engine coolant; (iii) the speed of the vehicle; and (iv) the state of charge of the storage battery.

Energy management system for hybrid vehicle

A series hybrid engine has an electric traction motor drive of the vehicle wheels and a regenerative braking system that converts the motor to a generator for the output of useful electrical energy, the latter being used either to charge the storage battery for a power source for the traction motor, or if the battery is charged, diverting the regenerative energy to a resistive heater located in the cooling circuit of an independently operated accessory driving ICE; the resistive heater providing heat to the coolant to preheat the ICE prior to engine start-up; or, alternatively, or concurrently to supply heat to the core of a heater for the passenger compartment of the vehicle, or, to store the heat in a heat battery type reservoir for future use.

Hybrid electric vehicle regenerative braking energy recovery system

A cooling system for a hybrid vehicle consisting of an electrical traction motor for driving the vehicle wheels, electrical energy storage and supply means such as a battery or batteries, alternator/generator, or a combination of the two, for supplying the electrical energy to the motor, and an independently operable ICE auxiliary power unit for driving the alternator/generator and charging the battery or batteries; the cooling system not only cooling the motor, but having flow circuits selectively operable to prewarm the ICE prior to engine start-up, to reduce the output of emissions.

Hybird vehicle cooling system

An engine oil condition sensor which measures oil temperature and the time the engine has been in operation since the last oil change. The sensor determines when the amount of 'cold' engine operation exceeds a predetermined portion of the total engine operation in order to warn the operator to change engine operation patterns by providing more operation time at warmer temperatures. The sensor also accumulates the actual time the oil has been in the engine and the time the engine has been operated at elevated 'hot' temperatures. Whenever any accumulation exceeds predetermined threshold levels, appropriate warnings are given to the operator.

Method and apparatus for determining excessive engine oil usage

A finger-follower rocker arm type valve train has a finger-follower rocker arm with an upper surface that extends essentially unbroken from end to end with a central area surface for contact with an overhead cam, the central area surface being concave for lubricant retention purposes and having additional lubricant retaining pockets in the surface as reservoirs to maintain lubricant at the surface at all times regardless of the operability of inoperability of the engine camshaft.

Lubricant retaining finger-follower rocker arm

Apparatus is disclosed for lubrication of the operating components of an internal combustion engine with accelerated heating of the lubricant during engine warmup, comprising (i) a primary circuit for lubricant recirculation including a primary reservoir adapted to receive lubricant drainage from the engine and a primary conduit adapted to return lubricant to the engine, (ii) means for pumping lubricant through the primary conduit to the engine, (iii) means for preheating the lubricant with heat produced by the engine employing a heat exchanger along the primary conduit, and (iv) an auxiliary lubricant reservoir and a return conduit providing fluid communication for the flow of lubricant from the auxiliary reservoir to the primary reservoir. A valve in the return line is controlled to permit flow of lubricant to the primary reservoir in response to a drop in the primary reservoir lubricant level. Means are provided for selectively diverting lubricant from the primary circuit to the auxiliary reservoir following engine warmup when the temperature of the lubricant in the primary circuit reaches a preselected operating temperature.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Edward T King