69results about How to "Reduce fuel usage" patented technology

A method includes determining an operational parameter of a first vehicle traveling with a plurality of vehicles in a transportation network and / or a route in the transportation network, identifying a failure condition of the first vehicle and / or the route based on the operational parameter, obtaining plural different sets of remedial actions that dictate operations to be taken based on the operational parameter, simulating travel of the plurality of vehicles in the transportation network based on implementation of the different sets of remedial actions, determining potential consequences on travel of the plurality of vehicles in the transportation network when the different sets of remedial actions are implemented in the travel that is simulated, and based on the potential consequences, receiving a selection of at least one of the different sets of remedial actions to be implemented in actual travel of the plurality of vehicles in the transportation network.

A system includes a first controller, a data acquisition device, a friction modification unit, and a friction management controller. The first controller is configured to obtain an operational setting for a vehicle, and to output a first signal relating to the operational setting for controlling the vehicle. The data acquisition device is configured to obtain operational data of the vehicle as the vehicle travels, and to provide the operational data to the first controller. The first controller is configured to obtain a difference between the operational data and the operational setting, and to adjust the first signal based on the difference. The friction modification unit is configured to modify a friction characteristic of a surface of the route. The friction management controller is configured to direct the friction modification unit to modify the friction characteristic of the surface of the route based on the operational setting.

A system for harvesting, storing, and generating energy, that includes floating structure supporting machinery to extract energy from wind, waves, surface generators, or currents. At least one energy storage and power generating unit is anchored to the seafloor and adapted to tether the floating structure to the unit. The unit includes an internal chamber into which water flows through a hydroelectric turbine to generate electrical energy. A pump is provided, powered by energy from the floating structure machinery, to evacuate water from the unit and a control system directs power from the machinery to pump water out of the unit during periods of excess energy extraction by the machinery and to allow water to flow into the chamber through the hydroelectric turbine to generate electrical energy during periods of lower energy extraction by the machinery. The same internal chamber design can be utilized to store hydrocarbons in the vicinity of undersea wellheads during “shut-in” procedures when the wellhead would otherwise be secured.

A vehicle propulsion system and a method of its operation are described. As one example, the vehicle propulsion system includes a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The method may include: producing a motor output by selectively operating the motor to consume electrical energy stored on-board the vehicle; producing an engine output by selectively operating the engine to consume fuel stored on-board the vehicle; and increasing consumption of the fuel by the engine relative to consumption of the electrical energy by the motor as a residence time of the fuel stored on-board the vehicle increases. The residence time of the fuel stored on-board the vehicle can provide an indication of fuel degradation, enabling the duty cycle of the engine to be selectively increased to enforce fuel use conditions, particularly in the context of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle where fuel use may be less frequent.

A method for providing backup power for an electronic installation comprising a plurality of electronic units, all operating on standard commercial power, comprising a plurality of backup generators, that are scaleable, modular and redundant, adapted to power one or more of the electronic units in the event standard commercial power is interrupted.

A vehicle drive system comprising of a variable displacement engine including a plurality of cylinders, where at least one of the plurality of cylinders selectively deactivates to decrease engine displacement; a torque converter operatively coupled to the variable displacement engine configured to operate with variable slip; a driver interface for receiving a preference setting from a driver; a control system for receiving the driver preference setting, and adjusting torque converter slip based on the driver preference setting.

A fold-out trailer, including a trailer frame, the trailer frame having a tongue joined to a hitch, the tongue being joined to a stationary platform, and the stationary platform having a major surface defining a stationary plane, a plurality of side edges, a front edge and a back edge; at least one primary folding platform, the primary platform having a major surface defining a primary plane, an inside edge, an outside edge, a front edge, and a back edge, the inside edge of the primary platform being joined to one side edge of the stationary platform, the primary platform having a folded position; and a trunk, the trunk defined by the stationary platform, a front cover, and primary platforms when the primary platforms are in the folded position, the trunk having a generally triangular cross-section and being accessible via a back cover.

The present invention is directed to collapsible type pallets and related products embodiments of which include a construction wherein support beams can be integrally formed from the sheet material of the pallet itself. The beams can be supported internally by structural inserts. Additionally, the supporting inserts may include braces for added stability and strength. The beams, as well as the platform can be further braced and structurally supported by cross braces, which run generally at right angles to the beams and pass through apertures in the beams themselves and slots in the inserts. In certain embodiments, the cross braces pass underneath and support the underside of the platform to create significant structural advantages to the pallet. Embodiments of the pallet can be easily assembled from components that can be easily and economically stored and transported. Embodiments are light-weight thereby providing savings in assembly, transportation, and storage.

A system includes a first controller, a data acquisition device, a friction modification unit, and a friction management controller. The first controller is configured to obtain an operational setting for a vehicle, and to output a first signal relating to the operational setting for controlling the vehicle. The data acquisition device is configured to obtain operational data of the vehicle as the vehicle travels, and to provide the operational data to the first controller. The first controller is configured to obtain a difference between the operational data and the operational setting, and to adjust the first signal based on the difference. The friction modification unit is configured to modify a friction characteristic of a surface of the route. The friction management controller is configured to direct the friction modification unit to modify the friction characteristic of the surface of the route based on the operational setting.

A method for reducing engine fuel consumption of an electro-motive vehicle during braking, the method including steps for providing an engine for the vehicle, generating primary electric power at a primary electric power generator connected to the engine, generating primary electric power at a secondary electric power generator connected to the engine, operating a plurality of electric traction motors each coupled in driving relationship to a respective one of a plurality of driven wheels to propel the vehicle during motoring operations and to generate electricity upon braking operations of the vehicle, electrically connecting a braking switch between the traction motors and the primary electric power generator, applying braking, closing the braking switch, and transmitting power generated by the traction motors to the primary electric power generator to operate as a motor to rotate the engine and drive the secondary electric power generator to power the auxiliary equipment without fueling the engine.

An inflation and pressure regulation system for inflatable vessels, such as tires, has a main chamber containing a volume of compressible fluid, such as air, and a pump chamber which acts to maintain the fluid in the vessel at a desired pressure. The pump chamber has a rigid, fluid-tight wall facing the main chamber and a flexible wall which is part of, or adjacent to, the wall of the vessel that can be deformed under use. A fluid channel extending between the pump chamber and a source of ambient fluid admits fluid into the pump chamber. A first check valve positioned between the fluid channel and the pump chamber permits one-way flow of fluid from the exterior of the vessel into the pump chamber while it is uncompressed. A second check valve permits one-way passage of fluid from the pump chamber, when it is compressed, into the main chamber. One or more valves can be used to prevent over-inflation of the main chamber.

A method of operating a vehicle propulsion system including a motor and an engine, the method comprising of producing a motor output by selectively operating the motor to consume electrical energy stored on-board the vehicle, the motor driving the vehicle; producing an engine output by selectively operating the engine to consume fuel stored on-board the vehicle; and increasing consumption of the fuel by the engine by operating the engine based on a residence time of the fuel stored on-board the vehicle and further based on a profile of ambient conditions over the residence time.

The invention relates to a furnace for testing the limit of fire resistance of a tunnel fire-proof protective material, which is characterized in that when a sample is tested, the sample is covered at the top of a furnace body, and a burning device is placed at the bottom of the sample to be used for heating the sample. The furnace body comprises a furnace lining, short-flame burners, a sample clamping and turning device and a cellular heat absorbing board, wherein the furnace lining in a modular structure is arranged in a furnace shell; the cellular heat absorbing board is arranged at the opening part of the bottom of the furnace shell; the cellular heat absorbing board is connected with a water-cooled multi-tube cooler; the sample clamping and turning device is arranged at one side of the furnace shell; the internal dimension of the furnace lining is matched with the external boundary dimension of the sample; and a plurality of temperature thermocouples and the short-flame burners are sequentially arranged in the furnace lining from top to bottom. The invention has the advantages that (1) the sample is arranged at the top of a furnace chamber and is reasonably heated, thereby reducing the fuel consumption and enabling the transverse temperature of the furnace chamber to be more uniform and stable; (2) the corner-type electric sample clamping and turning device is adopted, thereby relieving the labor intensity of experimenters and ensuring that the experiment operating process is more simple, more convenient and more reliable; and (3) the flue gas emission temperature reaches the specified emission standard.

An ignition coil apparatus for high-frequency discharge includes: a primary coil that generates and accumulates a flux; a secondary coil that is magnetically coupled to the primary coil so as to generate a predetermined high voltage when energy of the accumulated flux is released and connected at one end to a high-voltage terminal used to supply energy to an external apparatus; a capacitor that is connected to the high-voltage terminal and prevents passing of the high voltage; and an inductor that, together with the capacitor, allows passing of a predetermined frequency component alone. The primary coil, the secondary coil, the capacitor, and the inductor are installed within a same package.

Formable pallets that are easy to construct into a generally stably product receiving state and easy to collapse into a storage / transport state. Embodiments of the pallet of which include a construction wherein one or more support beams can be further integrally formed from the sheet material of the pallet itself and function to support a product support surface on an uppermost surface of the pallet. The one or more support beams can be supported internally by structural inserts. Additionally, the supporting inserts may include braces for added stability and strength. The beams, as well as the platform can be further braced and structurally supported by cross braces, which run generally at right angles to the beams and pass through apertures in the beams themselves and slots in the inserts.

An apparatus for plasmatizing solid-fuel combustion additive and the method for using the same are provided. The apparatus is made from a reaction vessel, electrodes, a power supply, a carrier gas intake device, a feed device and an outlet of the plasmatization reaction vessel. The method to use this apparatus is as following: The additive is added into the reaction vessel through the feed device in which the carrier gas passes and carries the additive into the electrode region for evaporation and (partially) plasmatization; and the plasmatized gas from the outlet of the reactor is introduced into any combustion chamber. The additive is an organometallic compound or a mixture of the organometallic compounds, or their derivative, eutectic compound or coordination agent containing at least one organometallic compound. The present invention provides a method for plasmatizing combustion additive, then the plasmatized combustion additive is added into the combustion system to participate the combustion reaction between fuel and oxygen, in turn, to improve the utilization efficiency of the additive, reduce the amount of the additive used, improve the combustion efficiency and quality of the flue gas, then to save the fuel and reduce the emission of the gaseous contaminates.

The present invention relates to a method of producing an improved asphalt. The method involves providing an asphalt and providing a compound of formula (I), as described herein. The asphalt is mixed with the compound of formula (I) under conditions effective to produce an improved asphalt. Also disclosed are an asphalt product and a method of making asphalt material. The invention further discloses a method of producing an improved asphalt comprising providing a polymer modified asphalt and providing a compound of formula (IIa) or formula (II). The polymer modified asphalt is mixed with the compound of formula (IIa) or formula (IIb) under conditions effective to produce an improved asphalt, which is yet another aspect of the present invention.

A fuel cell (stack or a single cell) includes a cell module to which an aging process that progresses initial creep has been applied such that creep during use is reduced compared with a cell module to which the aging process has not been applied. A manufacturing method of a fuel cell (stack or a single cell) includes an aging step for progressing through initial creep by applying at least a compression load to a cell module.

The invention relates to the field of chemical engineering and discloses a steam cracking method. The method is implemented in a cracking furnace. The cracking furnace includes a convection section and a radiation section. A radiation furnace tube row consisting of multiple-pass radiation furnace tubes is vertically disposed in the radiation section. Bottom combustors are disposed at the bottom of the radiation section. The method includes cracking a cracking raw material in the radiation section after the cracking raw material is gasified and preheated in the convection section. The multiple-pass radiation furnace tubes are furnace tubes having 2-4 passes. Oxygen-rich gas is adopted as combustion-supporting gas by the bottom combustors. The heat supplying amount of the bottom combustors for materials in the radiation furnace tube row is at least 60% of the total heat supplying amount. The furnace wall of the cracking furnace is an irregular structured furnace wall. Accordingly, the novel cracking method having characteristics of a proper running period, high selectivity, a high thermal efficiency and low energy consumption is obtained.

A bearing block assembly in an engine is provided. The bearing block assembly includes at least one bearing block to rotatably support an oil lubricated shaft and fastening apparatus to attach the at least one bearing block to a flat mounting surface on a large engine component and a thermal barrier positioned between the shaft and the flat mounting surface configured to reduce the loss of heat to the large engine component from oil used to lubricate the shaft.

The present invention is directed to formable pallets that are easy to construct into a generally stably product receiving state and easy to collapse into a storage / transport state. Embodiments of the pallet of which include a construction wherein one or more support beams can be further integrally formed from the sheet material of the pallet itself and function to support a product support surface on an uppermost surface of the pallet. The beams can be supported internally by structural inserts. Additionally, the supporting inserts may include braces for added stability and strength. The beams, as well as the platform can be further braced and structurally supported by cross braces, which run generally at right angles to the beams and pass through apertures in the beams themselves and slots in the inserts.