The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 10, 2006
Filed:
Oct. 10, 2003
Richard F. Nashburn, Honeoye Falls, NY (US);
John E. Kirwan, Troy, MI (US);
Michael R. Salemi, Rochester, NY (US);
Malcolm J. Grieves, Fairport, NY (US);
Richard F. Nashburn, Honeoye Falls, NY (US);
John E. Kirwan, Troy, MI (US);
Michael R. Salemi, Rochester, NY (US);
Malcolm J. Grieves, Fairport, NY (US);
Delphi Technologies, Inc, Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
An internal combustion engine is supplied with reformate from a hydrocarbon reformer at engine start-up and during engine warm-up. The reformate fuel mixture is fuel-lean at start-up to ensure that all the fuel is burned while the exhaust converter is thermally non-functional. Shortly after start-up, the mixture is changed to be fuel-rich, providing unburned reformate fuel in the exhaust stream. During start-up and warm-up, the output of an air pump is controllably divided between the reformer (primary air) and the engine exhaust system (secondary air). Unburned reformate from the engine and secondary air from the air pump ignite and thereby rapidly heat the converter. Gasoline or diesel fueling of the engine by fuel injection is preferably delayed until the engine and the converter both reach operating temperatures, whereupon the engine is fueled by fuel injection and further reforming is terminated.