Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc.

Hitachi Astemo Americas, Inc.

Frank Warren Hunt

Shigeru Oho

Ayumu Miyajima

Harsha Badarinarayan

Kazutaka Okamoto

Jonathan Borg

Prashanth Avireddi

Anthony P Boone

Zachariah Rabatah

George Saikalis

Kaname Sasaki

Atsushi Watanabe

Takashi Yoshizawa

Naoki Oka

Nicholas Ryan Dal Pra

Qi Yang

In some examples, a system includes an airflow sensor disposed at least partially within an air intake system for an engine. The airflow sensor may be configured to measure a flow rate of air flowing past the airflow sensor in the air intake system, and includes a sensor element and a heater associated with the sensor element. A heater control circuit may control the heater to control a temperature of the sensor element. Further, a processor may be configured by executable instructions to cause the heater control circuit to, in a first operation mode, maintain the sensor element at a higher temperature range, and, in a second operation mode, maintain the sensor element at a lower temperature range that is above an ambient temperature and that is lower than the higher temperature range.

Reducing mass airflow sensor contamination

In some examples, a mass airflow sensor apparatus includes a housing having a tubular bore for passage of air, with an airflow sensor disposed at least partially within the tubular bore. The airflow sensor may be configured to measure a flow rate of air flowing past the airflow sensor. A focus component may be disposed upstream of the mass airflow sensor, the focus component including a cylindrical tubular focus member suspended within the bore. Further, a nozzle may be disposed upstream of the focus component. The nozzle may include a conical inner surface angled toward a center of the bore. In addition, a grid component may be disposed upstream of the focus component. The grid component may include a mesh grid including a plurality of openings for smoothing a flow of air flowing toward the airflow sensor.

Calibration-free mass airflow sensor

A fuel delivery system for a direct injection internal combustion engine which reduces mechanical stress on the fuel system components. The system includes a first and a second fuel rail mounted to the engine block for the internal combustion engine. A device is attached to the fuel rails which reduces movement of the fuel rails relative to the engine block and mechanical stress that would otherwise result from such movement.

Fuel system for a direct injection engine

A method for fabricating multi-sheet structures in which a first sheet is arranged on a planar support and a blowing agent is placed on at least one selected portion of the first sheet. A second sheet is positioned over the first sheet so that the second sheet overlies the selected portion of the first sheet and the first and second sheets are then secured together by friction stir welding in a pattern which encloses the selected portion of the first sheet. Additional sheets may be secured together in a like fashion. Thereafter, the sheets are heated to a temperature sufficient to decompose the blowing agent.

Multi-sheet structures and method for manufacturing same

A method for monitoring the quality of a machining operation, such as a friction stir welding operation, in which a tool is rotatably driven by a motor during the machining operation. The energy consumption of the motor is determined from the initiation and to the completion of the machining operation. That energy consumption is then compared against a predetermined energy threshold. In the event that the energy consumed during the machining operation is less than the predetermined threshold, an error signal is generated.

Method and apparatus for monitoring the quality of a machining operation

An apparatus which reduces engine noise caused by vibration of the fuel rail in a direct injection internal combustion engine. The apparatus includes a holder which supports a fuel inlet end of the fuel injector in the fuel cup on the fuel rail so that the fuel injector is in alignment with the direct injection fuel port in the engine head. A vibration isolator is sandwiched in between the holder and either the engine head or the fuel cup to reduce the transmission of vibration from the fuel rail to the engine head.

Apparatus for reducing the transmission for noise from the fuel rail in a direct injection engine

A method for correcting surface and near surface defects in metal components in which the component is first inspected to identify both the site and size of a component defect. Thereafter, it is determined if the defect is correctable by friction stir processing and, if so, the defect is corrected by performing friction stir processing on the component at the site of the defect. Optionally, one of several different sized friction stir processing tools is selected as a function of the size of the defect.

Apparatus and method for correcting defects by friction stir processing

A housing for an electrical circuit having a metal base with an open top and a metal lid which overlies the open top of the base and forms an interior chamber adapted to contain an electronic circuit. The outer periphery of the lid is attached to the base by friction stir welding to thereby form a hermetically sealed chamber dimensioned to contain an electronic circuit. An electronic port is electrically connected to the electronic circuit and accessible exteriorly of the housing.

Housing for an electronic circuit

An apparatus for performing computed tomography having a radiation source and at least one radiation detector spaced from the radiation source and which generates an output signal representative of the strength of the received radiation from the radiation source. A part support for holding a plurality of parts is positioned in between the radiation source and the detectors. The part support is rotatably mounted about an axis generally perpendicular to a vector between the radiation source and the detectors so that, upon rotation of the part support, the radiation detectors generate an output signal corresponding to the internal structure of parts supported on the part support. A computer system receives the output signals from the detectors and, under program control, generates a report of the internal structure of the parts on the part support.

Method and apparatus for performing computed tomography

An engine startup fuel control system for use with a four-cycle internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality of combustion chambers, an air intake passageway, a source of fuel, a crankshaft and a camshaft which operates the engine cylinder valves. A multipoint fuel injector is associated with each combustion chamber and each multipoint fuel injector has an inlet connected to the fuel source and an outlet connected to the air intake passageway adjacent its associated combustion chamber. A crankshaft position sensor generates an output signal representative of the angular position of the crankshaft while, similarly, a camshaft position sensor generates an output signal representative of the angular position of the camshaft. An engine control unit is programmed to determine the synchronization of the engine in response to the output signals from the crankshaft position sensor and camshaft position sensor. The engine control unit has outputs which control the activation of each multipoint fuel injector and is programmed to vary the activation of the multipoint fuel injector after determination of the engine synchronization in order to achieve a predetermined air/fuel mixture in each combustion chamber during engine startup.

Engine start fuel control system

An engine startup fuel control system for use with an internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality of combustion chambers, an air intake passage fluidly connected to each combustion chamber and a source of fuel. The system includes a multipoint fuel injector associated with each combustion chamber in which the multipoint fuel injector has an inlet connected to the fuel source and an outlet fluidly connected to the intake air passageway adjacent its associated combustion chamber. A cold start fuel injector also has an inlet connected to the fuel source and an outlet connected through a cold start passageway with each combustion chamber. A processing circuit selectively activates the multipoint fuel injectors as well as the cold start fuel injector. The processing circuit determines the air/fuel mixture introduced by the cold start fuel injector into each combustion chamber during engine startup and then selectively activates the multipoint fuel injectors to achieve a predetermined air/fuel mixture in each combustion chamber during engine startup. The processing circuit also variably retards the ignition of the combustion charge within at least one of the combustion chambers to achieve faster heating of a catalytic converter. Furthermore, the cold start fuel injector is optionally activated in a plurality of spaced subpulses for each combustion charge provided to each combustion chamber.

Cold start fuel control system

A cold start fuel control system is disclosed for use with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of combustion chambers, a source of fuel and an intake manifold having an inlet and an outlet port connected to each combustion chamber. The system includes a cold start fuel injector assembly having an inlet and an outlet to provide a vapor fuel charge during a cold start engine condition. The cold start fuel injector assembly inlet is fluidly connected to the source of fuel. An auxiliary intake manifold has an internal chamber and the cold start fuel injector assembly outlet is fluidly connected to the auxiliary intake manifold chamber. The auxiliary intake manifold chamber is then fluidly connected through a control orifice to each of the combustion chambers at a position downstream from the inlet of the primary intake manifold. A control circuit optionally controls the area of the control orifice to minimize noxious emissions from the engine and a shroud is optionally associated with each control orifice to enhance mixing of the vapor fuel with the inducted airflow to also minimize noxious emissions from the engine.

Fuel control system

A fuel delivery system having an electronically controlled throttle valve operatively disposed in an intake manifold. An idle speed control valve is operatively disposed within a bypass gas flow passageway. A control system controls the actuation of both the throttle valve and idle speed control valve to control the delivery of a combustible charge to the internal combustion engine to maximize engine efficiency and minimize noxious emissions.

Fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine

A cold start fuel control system is disclosed for use with an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, a source of fuel and a primary intake manifold having an inlet and an outlet and fluidly connected between the fuel source and the combustion chamber. The system includes a cold start fuel injector assembly having an inlet and an outlet with the inlet being fluidly connected to the fuel source. An auxiliary intake manifold has an interior chamber which is fluidly connected with each combustion chamber. The outlet from the cold start fuel injector is then fluidly connected to the auxiliary intake manifold so that, upon activation of the cold start fuel injector assembly, a fuel/air is inducted from the cold start fuel injector, through the auxiliary intake manifold and into the engine combustion chambers. Optionally, the cold start fuel injector assembly as well as the auxiliary intake manifold is heated to enhance the vaporization of the fuel prior to induction into the combustion chambers.

A system for the management of fuel and fuel vapors in the cold start fuel passageway of an internal combustion engine which has a cold start fuel injector which, when activated, introduces fuel into the cold start fuel passageway. The system includes an engine control unit (ECU) which determines the probability of fuel within the cold start passageway. Different procedures programmed in the ECU are then utilized to dissipate the fuel from the cold start passageway. These procedures include delaying the initiation of the spark ignition for the engine, maintaining the heater associated with the cold start fuel injector activated for a period of time following deactivation of the cold start fuel injector, maintaining revolution of the internal combustion engine for a predetermined time period, as well as other strategies.

Growing community of inventors

West Bloomfield, MI, United States of America

Frank Warren Hunt