Caterpillar Inc.

Scott Richard Schuricht

Rammohan Sankar

Manas R Satapathy

Travis E Barnes

Michael S Lukich

Thomas G Ausman

Allen Yao Chen

Jason Lee Van Farowe

Salim A Jaliwala

Shah S Kareemullah

Daniel Reese Puckett

David Andrew Pierpont

Richard A Crandell

Joseph Lee Kennedy

Thomas Randall McClure

Thomas L Atwell

Matthew Fahrenkrug

Arvil Duane Wilson

Aaron Gary Heintz

Anthony L Deluca

Phani Chandar Reddy Konatham

Glenn C Wells

Eric M Bram

Jason L Van Farowe

Anthony L De Luca

Senthil Rajagopalan

Christiana G Aguirre

Jeff Depayva

Vijaya Krishna Dara

Lance Clay Barke

Kyle V Zeitler

Wang Yongxin

Tan Dongming

Christopher M Elliot

Paul W Peresta

Douglas I Norman

Kyle Zeitler

Aaron Heintz

Phani Konatham

Lance Barke

Vijaya Dara

A method for controlling an internal combustion engine cooling system includes pumping coolant in an engine cooling loop with a coolant pump, pumping the coolant in an air cooler loop that includes a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger with the coolant pump, and receiving a condition signal indicative of at least one condition associated with the internal combustion engine. The method also includes, based on the condition signal, adjusting a position of a flow control valve to modify a flow of coolant to the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger.

Systems and methods for control of engine cooling

A cooling system includes an internal combustion engine, a coolant pump in fluid communication with the internal combustion engine, and a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger configured to receive coolant from the internal combustion engine via the coolant pump. The cooling system also includes a bypass valve connected downstream of the coolant pump, the bypass valve configured to close a fluid path that connects the coolant pump and the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger.

Systems and methods for preventing engine overcooling

A passive diverter fitting for a cooling system of an engine includes a base defining an interior cavity, an inlet opening extending through the base that is in fluid communication with the interior cavity, an outlet opening that is in fluid communication with the interior cavity, and a bypass opening that is in fluid communication with the interior cavity. The base is configured to be removably disposed in a cavity of an engine block. The inlet opening is positioned to receive coolant when the passive diverter fitting is disposed in the cavity of the engine block. The outlet opening is in fluid communication with the area exterior to the engine block when the passive diverter fitting is disposed in the cavity of the engine block. The bypass opening is in fluid communication with an interior coolant passage of the engine block when the passive diverter fitting is disposed in the cavity of the engine block.

Diverter fittings for cooling systems of an engine

Apparatuses and methods are disclosed including heat exchanger for an internal combustion engine. The heat exchanger can include a main body, a manifold and one or more outlet ports. The main body can have an inlet and an outlet to receive/pass a coolant on a first side thereof. The main body can have a fluid inlet and fluid outlet configured to receive a fluid. The main body can pass the fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the coolant. The manifold can be coupled to the main body on a second side. The manifold can be in fluid communication with a main coolant outlet passage to receive a portion of the coolant from the main body. The one or more outlet ports can be fluidly connected to the manifold and passing the portion of the coolant to one or more engine auxiliary systems.

Heat exchanger with coolant manifold

A heat exchanger associated with an exhaust gas recirculation system cools the exhaust gasses before directing them to an internal combustion engine. The heat exchanger can include a tube core having a plurality of exhaust gas tubes that can extend along a longitudinal axis. The tube core can also include a plurality of coolant channels disposed between and spacing apart the plurality of exhaust gas tubes. A coolant inlet line is disposed about at least a portion of the tube core to direct coolant inwardly toward the coolant channels. At least a portion of the coolant can converge approximately at the longitudinal axis line.

Heat exchanger for exhaust gas recirculation

A system for cooling a reductant injector in an emissions module is provided. The system includes an emissions module, coupled to an engine exhaust duct, and a cooling system fluidly coupled to the emissions module. The emissions module includes a reductant system and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) module. The reductant system includes a reductant injector having a cooling passage. The cooling system includes a reservoir tank, a supply pump fluidly coupled to the reservoir tank, and a siphon tank fluidly coupled to the supply pump and the reductant injector cooling passage. The siphon tank is disposed proximate to the reductant injector, and a gravitational elevation of a base of the siphon tank is greater than a gravitational elevation of the reductant injector.

Injector cooling apparatus and method

A fan speed control system for a machine is disclosed. The control system may include a fan to provide a flow of coolant to the machine. The system may further include a first sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of an operational parameter of the machine, a second sensor associated with the fan to generate a second signal indicative of an actual speed of the fan, and a controller communicatively coupled to the fan, the first sensor, and the second sensor. The controller may be configured to generate a third signal indicative of a desired fan speed based on the first signal, and a fourth signal indicative of a difference between the desired fan speed and the actual fan speed. The controller may drive the fan based on the third signal and the fourth signal.

Fan speed control system

A pump for a fuel system is disclosed. The pump has a housing defining at least one pumping chamber, and a plunger. The plunger is movable to draw a fluid into and displace the fluid from the at least one pumping chamber. The pump also has a metering valve and a controller. The metering valve has a valve element movable to selectively meter fluid drawn into the at least one pumping chamber. The controller is configured to receive an indication of a desired discharge characteristic and reference a first map to determine an inlet opening area corresponding to the desired discharge characteristic. The controller is also configured to reference a second map to determine a position of the metering valve corresponding to the determined inlet opening area, and to send a control signal to the metering valve indicative of the determined position.

Pump control system

A fuel system for an engine has a source of pressurized fuel, a rail, and a plurality of fuel injectors. The fuel system also has a sensor to sense a parameter of the pressurized fuel, and a controller. The controller is configured to generate a flow control offset value indicative of a difference between the value of the parameter and a desired value for the parameter, and to control operation of the source in response to the flow control offset value when the sensor is determined to be functioning properly. The controller is also configured to store the flow control offset value in a memory of the controller when the sensor is determined to be functioning properly and to associate the flow control offset value with at least one operating condition of the engine. The controller is further configured to control operation of the source in response to previously stored flow control offset value when the sensor is determined to be malfunctioning.

Fuel system

A fuel injector in an engine includes a spring cavity, a piston, a plunger, a spring, a fuel cavity, and a stop plate. The piston is hydraulically controlled to force the plunger down to compress fuel in the fuel cavity. However, under certain conditions, the plunger can contact the stop plate and/or the spring can become overcompressed. Both of these conditions can cause damage to the fuel injector. The present invention locates a pressure equalization channel in such a way as to dampen the motion of the piston to prevent this damage to the fuel injector.

Plunger cavity pressure control for a hydraulically-actuated fuel injector

A method and apparatus for determining a parameter associated with a delivery of fuel in an engine. The method and apparatus includes determining an initial parameter value associated with the delivery of fuel, determining at least one compensation factor based on a heating effect of a fuel and a fuel system, and applying the at least one compensation factor to the initial parameter value to derive a compensated parameter value.

Engine power loss compensation

A method of estimating an injection delay of a fuel injector. A baseline injection delay curve representing an injection delay for a predetermined type of fuel injector is established for a range of rail pressures. At least one test rail pressure for the predetermined type of fuel injector is identified based on the baseline injection delay curve. An injection delay of a selected fuel injector of the predetermined type is measured at the at least one test rail pressure. The injection delay of the selected fuel injector is estimated based on the baseline injection delay curve and the measured injection delay of the selected fuel injector at the identified test rail pressure.

Method for estimating fuel injector performance

The present invention relates to engines having multiple hydraulic devices. For instance, in a typical multi-cylinder diesel engine, each cylinder includes an intake valve, an exhaust valve, a fuel injector and an engine brake. It is common for each of these devices to be controlled by an individual actuator. However, engineers have learned that decreasing the number of engine components can increase engine robustness. Therefore, the present invention utilizes a single rotary actuator to control multiple hydraulic devices for an engine cylinder.

Rotary valve for controlling a fuel injector and engine compression release brake actuator and engine using same

A method of estimating a performance characteristic of a fuel injector is provided. A baseline performance curve for a predetermined type of fuel injector is established. At least one test point for the predetermined type of fuel injector is identified based on the baseline performance curve. A performance characteristic of a selected fuel injector of the predetermined type is measured at the at least one identified test point. A performance characteristic of the selected fuel injector is estimated based on the baseline performance curve and the measured performance characteristics of the selected fuel injector at the identified test point.

The movement of the intensifier piston in a fuel injector, to control the pressurization of fuel, can be controlled with a flow control valve. The flow control valve provides different flow rates depending upon the direction of flow. In a first direction, flow control valve has a first rate of flow and in the second direction flow control valve allows a second different rate of flow. Typically, this can be applied to a intensifier piston as follows: flow traveling to the intensifier piston, in the first direction, has a first flow rate, allowing the intensifier to move downward and pressurize fuel. When injection is over, and the intensifier piston is vented, the flow control valve allows a second flow rate which is greater than the first flow rate, allowing the intensifier piston to vent quickly and reset for another injection.

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Edwards, IL, United States of America

Scott Richard Schuricht