METHOD FOR REGENERATING A PARTICULATE FILTER FOR A BOOSTED DIRECT INJECTION ENGINE

• US 20110072795A1
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Cunningham, Ralph Wayne, Lorenz, Thomas, Louven, Georg, Springer, Moritz Klaus, Harmsen, Jan, Kerns, James Michael, Ruhland, Helmut Hans
• Granted Patent: US 8,464,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/285
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0233 periodically cleaning filter by blowing a gas through the filter in a direction opposite to exhaust flow, e.g. exposing filter to engine air intake
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0236 using turbine waste gate valve
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/002 of filter regeneration, e.g. detection of clogging
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/001 for engines with variable valve actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0007 for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines control of the pumps per se F02B37/12
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/029 the exhaust gas treating apparatus being a particulate filter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A method for regenerating a particulate filter is disclosed. In one example, oxygen is pumped from the intake system of a direct injection turobocharged gasoline engine through a cylinder and into the exhaust system by a compressor. In this way, regeneration of a particulate filter may be accomplished without an auxiliary air supply.

Claims

1. A method for regenerating a particulate filter of a direct injection gasoline engine, comprising:

increasing an overlap between an intake valve and an exhaust valve of a cylinder in response to an operating condition of a particulate filter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said operating condition is a pressure drop across said particulate filter.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing a boost pressure of said direct injection gasoline engine in response to an operating condition of said particulate filter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said boost pressure in increased by adjusting a position of a waste gate or a vane.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said overlap is increased by adjusting a camshaft relative to a crankshaft.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising subtracting from an amount of air that enters a cylinder during a cylinder cycle, an amount of air that flows from an intake system to an exhaust system during said cylinder cycle, said amount of air that flows from said intake system to said exhaust system not participating in combustion of fuel in a cylinder of said direct injection gasoline engine.

7. A method for regenerating a particulate filter of a direct injection gasoline engine, comprising:

increasing intake valve and exhaust valve overlap of a cylinder in response to an oxygen concentration in an exhaust system, said oxygen concentration downstream of a particulate filter; and

enriching a cylinder air-fuel mixture in response to said operating condition of said particulate filter.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising increasing boost pressure of said direct injection gasoline engine in response to an oxygen concentration in an exhaust system.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising adjusting cam timing of said direct injection gasoline engine in response to an oxygen concentration in said exhaust system.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising adjusting fueling of a cylinder in response to an oxygen concentration in an exhaust system downstream of said particulate filter.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising adjusting spark timing in response to said operating condition of said particulate filter.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said adjusting cam timing includes adjusting a timing of an intake camshaft.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said adjusting cam timing includes adjusting a timing of an exhaust camshaft.

14. A method for regeneration a particulate filter of a direct injection gasoline engine, comprising:

increasing intake valve and exhaust valve overlap of a cylinder in response to an operating condition of a particulate filter;

enriching a cylinder air-fuel mixture in response to said operating condition of said particulate filter; and

adjusting at least one actuator in response to an oxygen concentration in an exhaust system.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising increasing boost pressure of said direct injection gasoline engine in response to said operating condition of a particulate filter.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting cam timing of said direct injection gasoline engine.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting fuel to a cylinder in response to said operating condition of said particulate filter.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting spark timing in response to said operating condition of said particulate filter.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said adjusting cam timing includes adjusting timing of an intake camshaft.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said adjusting cam timing includes adjusting timing of an exhaust camshaft.