EMISSIONS SENSORS FOR FUEL CONTROL IN ENGINES

• US 20080249697A1
• Filed: 06/23/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garrett Transportation I Inc. (Garrett Motion, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Rhodes, Michael L., Stewart, Gregory E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,878,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/106
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1412 using a predictive controller
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1415 using a state feedback or a state space representation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1416 Observer
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1433 using a model or simulation of the system
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 31/007 controlling fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1401 characterised by the control or regulation method F02D41/1473, F02D41/1477 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1406 with use of a optimisation method, e.g. iteration
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/146 the characteristics being an NOx content or concentration
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1467 with determination means using an estimation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/402 Multiple injections

Abstract

A system for controlling fuel to an engine to minimize emissions in an exhaust of the engine. There may be a controller connected to an actuator, for example a fuel control actuator, of the engine and to emissions sensors, such as an NOx and/or PM sensor, proximate to an exhaust output of the engine. The controller, for example a speed controller, may have an input connected to an output of a pedal or desired speed setting mechanism. A speed sensor at a power output of the engine may be connected to an input of the controller.

Claims

1. A control system for an engine, comprising:

one or more actuators for controlling one or more inputs to an engine;

a controller coupled to the one or more actuators, the controller including a multi-parameter model that models the effects of changes in the one or more actuators on each of two or more engine operating parameters; and

wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one actuator of the engine and make a change to one or more inputs to the engine in order to produce a controlled change in each of the two or more engine operating parameters as modeled by the multi-parameter model.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein the multi-parameter model models the effects of changes in the one or more actuators on each of two or more engine operating parameters including at least one emission parameter.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a fuel controller.

4. The control system of claim 3, further comprising:

at least one engine emission sensor connected to the fuel controller, each of the at least engine emission sensors for sensing an emission parameter; and

the fuel controller configured to adjust at least one actuator of the engine and make a change to one or more inputs to the engine in order to produce a controlled change in each of the two or more engine operating parameters as modeled by the multi-parameter model including the at least one emission parameter.

5. The control system of claim 4, further comprising:

a speed sensor connected to the controller for sensing the speed of the engine; and

at least one of the actuators for controlling the speed of the engine.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the at least one emissions sensors detect NOx and PM.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the controller adjust at least one actuator of the engine to produce a controlled change in each of the amounts of NOx and PM emissions for a sensed engine speed.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises one or more dynamic matrix control loops.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises one or more statistical processes control loops.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a knowledge-based expert system.

11. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a neural network.

12. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises fuzzy logic.

13. An engine control system comprising:

one or more actuators for controlling one or more inputs to an engine;

a controller coupled to one or more of the actuators, the controller controlling the fuel profile that is delivered to the engine;

an emissions sensor connected to the controller, the emission sensor for sensing an emission parameter of the engine;

wherein the controller includes a multi-parameter model that models the effects of changes in the one or more actuators on each of two or more engine operating parameters including the emission parameter; and

wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one actuator of the engine, including a fuel actuator, in order to produce a controlled change in each of the two or more engine operating parameters including the emission parameter, as modeled by the multi-parameter model.

14. The engine control system of claim 13 wherein the multi-parameter model includes one or more predictive control loops.

15. The engine control system of claim 14, wherein the one or more predictive control loops are constrained.

16. The engine control system of claim 13, wherein the multi-parameter model comprises a look-up table.

17. The engine control system of claim 16, wherein the look-up table is computed using a multi-parametric hybrid algorithm.

18. The engine control system of claim 13, wherein the multi-parameter model comprises one or more emission control constraints which are time-varying.

19. The engine control system of claim 13, wherein the multi-parameter model comprises one or more proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control loops.

20. An emissions control system comprising:

a fuel controller; and

two or more emissions sensors connected to the fuel controller; and

wherein the fuel controller is configured to at least partially adjust at least one parameter of an engine in accordance with signals from the two or more emissions sensors, wherein the fuel controller comprises one or more predictive control loops.

21. The emissions control system of claim 20 wherein a first emission sensor is a PM sensor situated in an exhaust system of the engine.

22. The emissions control system of claim 21 wherein a second emission sensor is a NOx sensor.