Caterpillar engineers Jim Weber and Scott Leman accepted the National Inventor of the Year award for their development of the Advanced Combustion Emission Reduction Technology (ACERT) engine system. The award was presented by the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) in Washington D.C. this week.
Weber and Leman invented an air management system that couples precise valve control and series turbochargers to provide optimal quantities of cool, clean air to the combustion chamber, enabling airflow tailored to yield improved emissions and fuel economy.
This invention, combined with advanced fuel systems, engine electronics and effective after-treatment make up ACERT technology, which Caterpillar said reduces emissions in a cost-effective manner. The company added that it plans to provide ACERT engines that can meet the 2007 emission performance standards by mid-2005.
“Jim Weber and Scott Leman’s efforts to produce more environmentally-friendly diesel engines highlight the value of creativity and the importance of patents,” said Herbert Wamsley, the IPO’s executive director.
