Carl T Vuk

6604360, Aug 12, 2003

Apr 18, 2002

10/125127

Carl Thomas Vuk - Denver IA

Deere Company - Moline IL

F02B 3344

60597, 60608, 123 4111, 123 4112

An energy recovery system for an internal combustion engine includes a turbocharger unit having a turbocharger turbine receiving exhaust from the engine and a second turbine driven by the exhaust gasses. The second turbine drives an electrical generator. The generator supplies electrical power to an electrical control unit, which supplies power to an electric fan motor which drives an engine cooling fan driven by. The control unit also supplies electrical power to an electric coolant pump motor which drives an engine coolant pump. The second turbine is preferably a variable geometry turbine whose geometry is controlled so that its power absorption matches the electrical load of the generator.

6852435, Feb 8, 2005

Jul 23, 2002

10/201004

Carl Thomas Vuk - Denver IA, US
Peter Finamore - Charlotte NC, US

Deere & Company - Moline IL

H01M008/12
F24F007/00

429 26, 429 34, 165 59, 16510418

A cooling system is connected to a fuel cell stack which has a hydrogen inlet, an air inlet, a coolant inlet, a coolant outlet and an exhaust water outlet. The cooling system includes a heat exchange unit coupled to the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet, a coolant pump, and a blower for blowing air through the unit. An evaporator is exposed to the blown air, and a conduit communicates exhaust water from the exhaust water outlet to the evaporator. The exhaust water evaporates in and cools the blown air. The evaporator may be a wick mounted on an exterior surface of the heat exchange unit. The evaporator unit may include water injectors which spray exhaust water into the blown air. The injectors are mounted between a blower and a radiator. A removable porous evaporator element is mounted between the injectors and the radiator.

7047743, May 23, 2006

Mar 14, 2005

11/079804

Ronnie Dean Stahlhut - Bettendorf IA, US
Carl Thomas Vuk - Denver IA, US

Deere & Company - Moline IL

F02G 5/02

60608, 606052, 60612, 123562, 290 52, 310114

An engine/electric generator system includes an internal combustion engine, a primary electric generator driven by an output shaft of the engine and providing electrical power. A turbocharger has a first turbine driven by exhaust gasses from the engine and a compressor driven by the first turbine and provides inlet air to the engine. The system also includes a secondary turbine, and an exhaust line which communicates exhaust gas from the first turbine to an input of the secondary turbine. A secondary electric generator is driven by the secondary turbine. An electric power combining circuit combines electric power from the primary electric generator and the secondary electric generator, and delivers combined electric power to a transmission line.

7051786, May 30, 2006

Jul 11, 2003

10/617612

Carl Thomas Vuk - Denver IA, US

Deere & Company - Moline IL

B60K 11/00
B60H 1/00

165 41, 165 43, 165 51, 165122, 180 681, 180 686

A non-rail off-road vehicle, such as an agricultural tractor having an engine with a horizontally oriented rotation axis and a hood covering the engine, includes a cooling system. The cooling system includes an engine cooling radiator positioned above the engine and between the engine and the hood and a fan unit with electric motor-driven fans blowing air upwardly through the radiator. The fan unit is positioned above the engine and between the engine and the radiator. An engine charge air cooler is also positioned above the engine and between the engine and the hood, and a charge air cooler fan unit has electric motor-driven fans which blow air upwardly through the cooler. The hood has openings in its upper surface through which passes air blown by the radiator fan unit and the charge air cooler fan unit. This cooling system blows heated cooling air vertically upwardly, thus preventing the heated cooling air from being drawn back into the intakes of the cooling system and preventing heated air from being blown onto the exterior of the tractor cab.

7063912, Jun 20, 2006

Nov 1, 2002

10/287208

Carl Thomas Vuk - Denver IA, US
Richard Lee Forest - Colona IL, US

Deere & Company - Moline IL

H01M 8/02
H01M 8/24

429 38, 429 12, 429 26, 429 35

A fuel cell assembly includes a manifold having a plurality of fuel cell connecting zones. At least some of the zones have differing characteristics such as area and arrangement of electrical connections and inlet and outlet ports corresponding to differing electrical power capacities. The assembly also includes one or more fuel cell stacks. At least some of the stacks have differing electrical power capacities, differing characteristics corresponding to the differing characteristics of the manifold zone, and corresponding differing arrangements of electrical connections and inlet and outlet ports. These differing characteristics are designed so that a fuel cell stack of a particular capacity can be connected only to a manifold zone corresponding to such capacity.

7104240, Sep 12, 2006

Sep 8, 2005

11/222326

Carl Thomas Vuk - Denver IA, US
Todd Mathew Whiting - Waterloo IA, US

Deere & Company - Moline IL

F02F 1/20

1231932, 123196 M, 123668, 29888061, 92159

An internal combustion engine includes at least one cylinder block having at least one combustion cylinder. A number of cylinder liners are respectively associated with each combustion cylinder. Each cylinder liner defines a corresponding cylinder inside surface. Each cylinder liner includes a plurality of discrete oil retaining indentations in a predefined pattern on the cylinder inside surface. The plurality of oil retaining indentations are bounded in both peripheral and longitudinal directions of the corresponding cylinder liner.

7336000, Feb 26, 2008

Apr 20, 2006

11/409375

Ronnie Dean Stahlhut - Bettendorf IA, US
Carl Thomas Vuk - Denver IA, US

Deere & Company - Moline IL

F02C 9/30
F02D 29/06

290 52, 290 40 C, 322 29

A speed monitor for establishing a lower threshold and an upper threshold for a speed of a rotor or shaft of a turbogenerator. A speed detector detects speed data or a speed signal for a rotor or shaft associated with a turbogenerator. A turbogenerator controller controls an output current of the turbogenerator based on the detected speed data or speed signal to control a rotational speed of the rotor or the shaft. A voltage monitor establishes a lower voltage limit and an upper voltage limit for a generator. A voltage detector detects an output voltage level associated with the generator. A motor/generator controller controls the output voltage level of the generator electrical output by invoking at least one of a motor mode and a generator mode based on the detected output voltage level to maintain a desired operational voltage range.

7383684, Jun 10, 2008

Apr 10, 2006

11/401167

Carl Thomas Vuk - Denver IA, US

Deere & Company - Moline IL

F02B 33/44

60606, 60597

An internal combustion engine includes an exhaust manifold; an intake manifold; and a turbocharger including a turbine in communication with the exhaust manifold, and a compressor in communication with the intake manifold. An electrical generator is coupled with the turbine. A motor receives electrical input power from the generator and provides mechanical output power. A combustor selectively provides additional input power to the motor.