Emission control system with temperature measurement and methods for use therewith

• US 10,557,392 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Technology Emission Solutions Inc
• Original Assignee: Advanced Technology Emission Solutions Inc
• Inventors: Crawford, Robin, Douglas, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Maines, Patrick D
• Application Number:
  US15/906,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20180187585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/0408 using a feed-back loop
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1602 Temperature of exhaust gas apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1631 Heat amount provided to exhaust apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2013 using electric or magnetic heating means
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/00 Electrical control of exhaust gas treating apparatus monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00; conjoint electrical control of two or more combustion engine functions F02D43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/06 Control, e.g. of temperature, of power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, an emission control system that includes an emission control device having a plurality of passages to facilitate emission control of an exhaust gas from a vehicle engine. A controller determines a resonant frequency of a coil and generates a control signal to control induction heating of the emission control device based on the resonant frequency of the coil. An alternating current (AC) source responds to the control signal by selectively generating a power signal to the coil to facilitate the induction heating of the emission control device via the coil.

Claims

1. An emission control system comprising:

an emission control device having a plurality of passages to facilitate emission control of an exhaust gas from a vehicle engine;

a controller that operates by;

determining a resonant frequency of a coil; and

generating a control signal to control induction heating of the emission control device based on the resonant frequency of the coil, wherein generating the control signal includes determining a temperature of the emission control device based on a temperature hysteresis curve and the resonant frequency of the coil, and wherein the temperature hysteresis curve has a first temperature value and a second temperature value for a value of the resonant frequency of the coil; and

an alternating current (AC) source that responds to the control signal by selectively generating a power signal to the coil to facilitate the induction heating of the emission control device via the coil.

2. The emission control device of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the emission control device is determined to be the first temperature for the value of the resonant frequency of the coil when the induction heating of the coil is activated and the temperature of the emission control device is determined to be the second temperature for the value of the resonant frequency of the coil when the induction heating of the coil is deactivated, and wherein generating the control signal further includes:

generating the control signal to command the AC source to generate the control signal when the temperature of the emission control device is below a temperature threshold.

3. The emission control system of claim 2 wherein determining the temperature of the emission control device includes:

determining an inductance of the coil based on the resonant frequency of the coil; and

wherein the temperature hysteresis curve includes a first portion that correlates the inductance of the coil to the temperature of the emission control device when the induction heating of the coil is activated and a second portion that correlates the inductance of the coil to the temperature of the emission control device when the induction heating of the coil is deactivated.

4. The emission control device of claim 2 wherein the temperature hysteresis curve includes a first portion corresponding to when the induction heating of the emission control device is activated and a second portion corresponding to when the induction heating of the emission control device is deactivated.

5. The emission control device of claim 1 wherein the control signal indicates an on-state of the AC source or an off-state of the AC source.

6. The emission control device of claim 5 wherein the AC source responds to the on-state of the control signal by activating the induction heating of the emission control device via the coil.

7. The emission control device of claim 5 wherein the AC source responds to the off-state of the control signal deactivating the induction heating of the emission control device via the coil.

8. The emission control system of claim 1 wherein the controller determines the resonant frequency of the coil by iteratively adjusting a frequency of the power signal.

9. The emission control system of claim 8 wherein the controller iteratively adjusts the frequency of the power signal in discrete frequency steps between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency.

10. The emission control system of claim 8 wherein the controller iteratively adjusts the frequency of the power signal in discrete frequency steps to a plurality of candidate frequencies, measures an amount of power transferred to the coil at the plurality of candidate frequencies and determines the resonant frequency of the coil by selecting one of the candidate frequencies corresponding to a peak in the amount of power transferred to the coil.

11. A method comprising:

determining, via a controller, a resonant frequency of a coil;

generating, via the controller, a control signal to control induction heating of an emission control device based on the resonant frequency of the coil, wherein generating the control signal includes determining a temperature of the emission control device based on a temperature hysteresis curve and the resonant frequency of the coil, and wherein the temperature hysteresis curve has a first temperature value and a second temperature value for a value of the resonant frequency of the coil; and

selectively generating, via an alternating current (AC) source and responsive to the control signal, a power signal to the coil to facilitate the induction heating of the emission control device via the coil.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the temperature of the emission control device is determined to be the first temperature for the value of the resonant frequency of the coil when the induction heating of the coil is activated and the temperature of the emission control device is determined to be the second temperature for the value of the resonant frequency of the coil when the induction heating of the coil is deactivated, and wherein generating the control signal further includes:

generating the control signal to command the AC source to generate the control signal when the temperature of the emission control device is below a temperature threshold.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein determining the temperature of the emission control device includes:

determining an inductance of the coil based on the resonant frequency of the coil; and

wherein the temperature hysteresis curve includes a first portion that correlates the inductance of the coil to the temperature of the emission control device when the induction heating of the coil is activated and a second portion that correlates the inductance of the coil to the temperature of the emission control device when the induction heating of the coil is deactivated.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the temperature hysteresis curve includes a first portion corresponding to when the induction heating of the emission control device is activated and a second portion corresponding to when the induction heating of the emission control device is deactivated.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the control signal indicates an on-state of the AC source or an off-state of the AC source.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the AC source responds to the on-state of the control signal by activating the induction heating of the emission control device via the coil.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the AC source responds to the off-state of the control signal deactivating the induction heating of the emission control device via the coil.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the controller determines the resonant frequency of the coil by iteratively adjusting a frequency of the power signal.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the controller iteratively adjusts the frequency of the power signal in discrete frequency steps between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the controller iteratively adjusts the frequency of the power signal in discrete frequency steps to a plurality of candidate frequencies, measures an amount of power transferred to the coil at the plurality of candidate frequencies and determines the resonant frequency of the coil by selecting one of the candidate frequencies corresponding to a peak in the amount of power transferred to the coil.