Mark A Wilcutts

US Patent:

20110030657, Feb 10, 2011

Filed:

Jul 9, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/833916

Inventors:

Adya S. TRIPATHI - San Jose CA, US
Chester J. SILVESTRI - Los Gatos CA, US
Christopher W. Chandler - Campbell CA, US
Chris Hand - San Jose CA, US
Joshua P. Switkes - Menlo Park CA, US
Mark Wilcutts - Berkeley CA, US

Assignee:

TULA TECHNOLOGY, INC. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

F02D 17/02

US Classification:

123481

Abstract:

A variety of methods and arrangements for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine in a skip fire variable displacement mode are described. Generally, an engine is controlled to operate in a skip fire variable displacement mode. In the variable displacement mode, selected combustion events are skipped so that other working cycles can operate at better thermodynamic efficiency. More specifically, selected “skipped” working cycles are not fired while other “active” working cycles are fired. Typically, fuel is not delivered to the working chambers during skipped working cycles. In one aspect of the invention, a firing pattern is determined that is not fixed but the active working cycles are selected to favor the firing of working chambers that have recently been fired at least in part to reduce wall wetting losses. In another aspect of the invention, when an active working cycle follows a skipped working cycle in the same working chamber, the quanta of fuel injected for delivery to the working chamber is increased relative to the quanta of fuel that would be delivered to the working chamber when the active working cycle follows another active working cycle in the same working chamber in order to compensate for wall wetting losses that occur during skipped working cycles.

US Patent:

20130298870, Nov 14, 2013

Filed:

Jul 18, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/945289

Inventors:

Chester J. SILVESTRI - Los Gatos CA, US
Christopher W. CHANDLER - Campbell CA, US
Christopher C. HAND - San Jose CA, US
Joshua P. SWITKES - Menlo Park CA, US
Mark A. WILCUTTS - Berkeley CA, US

International Classification:

F02D 17/02

US Classification:

12340612

Abstract:

A variety of methods and arrangements for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine in a skip fire variable displacement mode are described. Generally, an engine is controlled to operate in a skip fire variable displacement mode. In one aspect, the spark timing associated with each fired working cycle is based at least in part on the firing history of the fired working chamber.

US Patent:

20230071610, Mar 9, 2023

Filed:

Aug 12, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/886640

Inventors:

- San Jose CA, US
Mark Wilcutts - Berkeley CA, US

International Classification:

H02P 23/14

Abstract:

Methods, systems, and devices for electric machine torque adjustment based on waveform integer multiples are disclosed herein. One electric machine controller arranged to direct pulsed operation of an electric machine includes utilizing a pulse controller that calculates an average torque based upon a time period that corresponds with an integer multiple of a waveform cycle of a pulse waveform.

US Patent:

20210396189, Dec 23, 2021

Filed:

Sep 1, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/463814

Inventors:

- San Jose CA, US
Xin YUAN - Palo Alto CA, US
John W. PARSELS - San Jose CA, US
Mohammad R. PIRJABERI - San Jose CA, US
Mark A. WILCUTTS - Berkeley CA, US
Masaki NAGASHIMA - Pacific Grove CA, US

International Classification:

F02D 41/00
F02D 41/14
F02D 41/30
B60W 30/20

Abstract:

A variety of methods and arrangements for reducing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) in a skip fire engine control system are described. In one aspect, a firing sequence is used to operate the engine in a skip fire manner. A smoothing torque is determined that is applied to a powertrain by an energy storage/release device. The smoothing torque is arranged to at least partially cancel out variation in torque generated by the skip fire firing sequence. Various methods, powertrain controllers, arrangements and computer software related to the above operations are also described.

US Patent:

20210301703, Sep 30, 2021

Filed:

Jun 14, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/347083

Inventors:

- San Jose CA, US
Shikui Kevin Chen - San Jose CA, US
Mark A. Wilcutts - Berkeley CA, US

International Classification:

F01N 3/20
F01N 3/08
F02D 41/00
F01N 11/00
F01N 3/021
F02D 41/40
F01N 13/00

Abstract:

A variety of methods and arrangements for controlling the exhaust gas temperature of a lean burn, skip fire controlled internal combustion engine are described. In one aspect, an engine controller includes an aftertreatment system monitor and a firing timing determination unit. The aftertreatment monitor obtains data relating to a temperature of one or more aftertreatment elements, such as a catalytic converter. Based at least partly on this data, the firing timing determination unit generates a firing sequence for operating the engine in a skip fire manner such that the temperature of the aftertreatment element is controlled within its effective operating range.

US Patent:

20210071605, Mar 11, 2021

Filed:

Oct 6, 2020

Appl. No.:

17/064354

Inventors:

- San Jose CA, US
Xin YUAN - Palo Alto CA, US
John W. PARSELS - San Jose CA, US
Mohammad R. PIRJABERI - San Jose CA, US
Mark A. WILCUTTS - Berkeley CA, US
Masaki NAGASHIMA - Pacific Grove CA, US

International Classification:

F02D 41/00
F02D 41/14
F02D 41/30
B60W 30/20

Abstract:

A variety of methods and arrangements for reducing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) in a skip fire engine control system are described. In one aspect, a firing sequence is used to operate the engine in a skip fire manner. A smoothing torque is determined that is applied to a powertrain by an energy storage/release device. The smoothing torque is arranged to at least partially cancel out variation in torque generated by the skip fire firing sequence. Various methods, powertrain controllers, arrangements and computer software related to the above operations are also described.

US Patent:

20210040904, Feb 11, 2021

Filed:

Oct 28, 2020

Appl. No.:

17/082981

Inventors:

- San Jose CA, US
Xin Yuan - Palo Alto CA, US
Siamak Hashemi - Farmington Hills MI, US
Vijay Srinivasan - Farmington Hills MI, US
Srihari Kalluri - Ann Arbor MI, US
Andrew W. Phillips - Rochester MI, US
Mark A. Wilcutts - Berkeley CA, US
Louis J. Serrano - Los Gatos CA, US
Shikui Kevin Chen - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

F02D 41/00
F01N 11/00
F01N 9/00
F02D 41/12
F02D 13/06

Abstract:

Controllers and methods for managing transitions into and/or out of a cylinder cut off mode are described. In some embodiments, a skip fire based transition into a cylinder cut off mode is used in which the fraction of working cycles that are fired is gradually reduced to a threshold firing fraction. Once the threshold firing fraction has been reached, all of the working chambers are deactivated.

US Patent:

20200318566, Oct 8, 2020

Filed:

Apr 3, 2020

Appl. No.:

16/839651

Inventors:

- San Jose CA, US
- Columbus IN, US
Mark A. WILCUTTS - Berkeley CA, US
Vijay SRINIVASAN - Farmington Hills MI, US

International Classification:

F02D 41/00
F02D 17/02
F02D 41/24

Abstract:

An internal combustion engine operates so that it delivers zero or negative torque. The engine operates in either a deceleration cylinder cut off (DCCO) mode or skip cylinder compression braking mode. In the skip cylinder compression braking mode, selected working cycles of selected working chambers are operated in a compression release braking mode. Accordingly, individual working chambers are sometimes not fired and sometimes operated in the compression release braking mode while the engine is operating in the skip cylinder compression braking mode.