Joseph Carl Burba, 71Four Mile Lk, MI

6388451, May 14, 2002

Aug 16, 2000

09/640484

Joseph Carl Burba - Ramona CA
Robert W. Minck - Southfield MI

Ford Global Technologies, Inc. - Dearborn MI

G01R 3108

324522, 324509, 324720, 323315

A system ( ) and method for canceling a leakage current is provided that uses line voltages (L , L ) that are out of phase with each other to produce a counter leakage potential that cancels leakage current. In one embodiment of the invention, the actual potential of the phases is measured ( ) and used to determine the counter potential that is to be applied to the line voltage (L or L ) that is generating the leakage current. The counter potential is applied to the appropriate line voltage by way of a transistor circuit (Q , Q ). The transistor circuit (Q , Q ) is controlled through standard electronic circuitry ( ), or by way of a microprocessor device ( ).

6580977, Jun 17, 2003

Jan 16, 2001

09/761285

Yi Ding - Canton MI
Joseph Carl Burba - Ramona CA

Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Dearborn MI

B60K 900

701 22, 180 651, 180307, 477 5, 318139, 318382

This invention provides a new method and system to control strategies of a combined fuel cell and battery pack power system to produce an efficient and cost-effective powertrain with acceptable drivability and low emissions. The method and system provide strategies for vehicle start-up, power load changes, and steady state driving conditions. The strategies reduce vehicle maintenance cost by increasing the battery service life and fuel efficiency. Further, the strategies reduce vehicle cost by reducing fuel cell engine size required by a hybrid electric vehicle while responding rapidly to load changes. The strategies also provide increased fuel efficiency by recovery, storage, and re-use of the vehicle kinetic energy normally dissipated as heat during braking.

6733909, May 11, 2004

May 3, 2001

09/848397

Yi Ding - Canton MI
Joseph Carl Burba - Ramona CA

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

H01M 818

429 21, 429 12, 429 13, 429 19

The invention is an improved fuel cell system suited for application in a vehicle. Specifically, the invention provides an improved system to remove CO emissions that has a rapid dynamic response (about 1 second) and can operate over a wide range of temperatures (between 0 and 800 degrees Celsius). The fuel cell system comprises hydrogen fuel, a CO removal system based upon non-Faradaic electrochemical modification of catalyst activity (electrochemical promotion), and a fuel cell stack. The CO removal system comprises a catalyst/working electrode, an electrolyte, a counter electrode, and a power source. The CO removal systems intrinsic catalytic rate is greater than an intrinsic electrocatalytic rate. The catalyst can be Pt, Rh, Au, Cu/ZnO, Cu/CuO, ABO3(perovskite), zeolite, and Pd. The power source can be a battery, potentiostat, or galvanostat.

6959777, Nov 1, 2005

Oct 5, 2001

09/682692

Joel Beckerman - Canton MI, US
Joseph Carl Burba - Dexter MI, US
Matthew Roger DeDona - Northville MI, US
Raymond Spiteri - Sterling Heights MI, US

Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Dearborn MI

B60K001/00
H02G003/00
H02H007/06
H02P005/00

180 651, 180 652, 307 101, 322 28, 318139

A high-voltage energy regulated conversion circuit (HVERCC) () for electrically coupling to a vehicle bus () is provided. The HVERCC () includes a high-voltage energy converter (HVEC) module () coupled to the vehicle bus (), a battery-pack high-voltage bus battery bus (), and a WEG heater bus (). The battery bus () is coupled to a high-voltage battery pack () and a WEG heater circuit (). The HVEC module (), the high-voltage battery pack (), and the WEG heater circuit () are coupled to a logic controller () via a network (). The logic controller () regulates the power on the vehicle bus (), the battery bus (), and the WEG heater bus (). An operational method for the HVEC module () is also provided.

7014001, Mar 21, 2006

May 19, 2003

10/440717

Joel Beckerman - Canton MI, US
Joseph Carl Burba - Dexter MI, US
Matthew Roger DeDona - Northville MI, US
Raymond Spiteri - Sterling Heights MI, US

Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Dearborn MI

B60K 1/00
B60L 1/00
H02P 1/00
H02J 7/00

180 651, 180 652, 180 653, 307 101, 318139, 320114

A high-voltage energy regulated conversion circuit (HVERCC) () for coupling to a vehicle bus () includes a battery bus () and a heater bus (). A high-voltage battery pack () is electrically coupled to the battery bus and a resistive load element () is electrically coupled to the heater bus (). A high-voltage energy converter (HVEC) module () is electrically coupled to the vehicle bus (), the high-voltage battery pack (), and the resistive load element (). The HVEC module regulates power on the vehicle bus (), the battery bus (), and the heater bus () and operates in multiple functional modes including a constant voltage mode, a constant current mode, and a constant battery current mode.

5406091, Apr 11, 1995

May 27, 1993

8/067925

Joseph C. Burba - Dexter MI
David J. Bardsley - Ann Arbor MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

H04B 900

250551

An optical isolator for use in an electrically powered vehicle for interfacing between a signal processing system having a first ground and a power conversion system, which is operated responsive to control signals from the signal processing system, having a second ground that varies in potential from the first ground. A bi-directional digital communications network is provided having a first node coupled to the signal processing system for generating and receiving digital messages with respect to the first ground, and having a second node coupled to the power conversion system for receiving and generating digital messages with respect to the second ground. The bi-directional digital communications network has a unique start signal and a dominant hierarchy that allows bit-wise contention among messages for assuring communication of high priority messages between the first and second nodes within a predetermined minimum time period. The optical isolator is interposed in the communications network between the first and second nodes for transmitting the digital messages therebetween, while electrically isolating the first ground from the second ground, thereby enabling a reliable digital communications system between the first and second nodes without using a common ground system.

4795974, Jan 3, 1989

Jul 24, 1987

7/077579

Ronald G. Landman - Ypsilanti MI
Harold G. Spring - Garden City MI
Joseph C. Burba - Ypsilanti MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

G01R 2100
G01R 21133
G01R 2200

324142

A digital energy meter for providing energy measurements of nonsinusoidal waveforms. Voltage and related current components of a digitally sampled waveform are multiplied to form a product representative of instantaneous power. The products are summed or accumulated over a first time period, and the sums then accumulated over a second time period to form a second sum representative of total power over the second time period. An energy measurement is then obtained by an algorithm which requires only a simple division by a power of two.

4928227, May 22, 1990

Nov 2, 1987

7/115799

Joseph C. Burba - Ypsilanti MI
Ronald G. Landman - Ypsilanti MI
Prabhakar B. Patil - Detroit MI
Graydon A. Reitz - Farmington Hills MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

G05D 1702
B60K 4118
B60L 720

36442401

A multiple forward speed automatic transmission produces its lowest forward speed ratio when a hydraulic clutch and hydraulic brake are disengaged and a one-way clutch connects a ring gear to the transmission casing. Second forward speed ratio results when the hydraulic clutch is engaged to connect the ring gear to the planetary carrier of a second gear set. Reverse drive and regenerative operation result when an hydraulic brake fixes the planetary and the direction of power flow is reversed. Various sensors produce signals representing the position of the gear selector lever operated manually by the vehicle operator, the speed of the power source, the state of the ignition key, and the rate of release of an accelerator pedal. A control algorithm produces input data representing a commanded upshift, a commanded downshift and a torque command and various constant torque signals. A microprocessor processes the input and produces a response to them in accordance with the execution of a control algorithm.