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:
Aug. 21, 2007
Filed:
Jun. 17, 2005
Donald James Lewis, Brighton, MI (US);
Kevin Ronald Carlstrom, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
Stanley Larue Bower, Jr., Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Stephen L. Hahn, Novi, MI (US);
Donald James Lewis, Brighton, MI (US);
Kevin Ronald Carlstrom, Fort Wayne, IN (US);
Stanley Larue Bower, Jr., Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Stephen L. Hahn, Novi, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
The invention relates to a new method and system for optimizing the efficiency of an automotive catalytic converter by adjusting the engine air/fuel ratio based on estimates of the actual amount of oxidants stored in the catalyst. The oxidant storage capacity of the catalyst is adjusted by controlling engine spark in response to an estimate of a current amount of oxidants stored in the catalyst and an estimate of the total available oxidant storage capacity of the catalyst. To maintain engine speed in spite of adjustments to the engine spark, the engine air mass is also adjusted.