STATE OF CHARGE CATALYST HEATING STRATEGY

• US 20110078999A1
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Roos, Bryan Nathaniel, Gonze, Eugene V., Santoso, Halim G., Spohn, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,410,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/286
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/08 said parameters being related to the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/104 Battery status
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1602 Temperature of exhaust gas apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2026 directly electrifying the catalyst substrate, i.e. heating the electrically conductive catalyst substrate by joule effect
• 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: 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

A control system includes a state of charge module and a control module. The state of charge module receives a parameter associated with a battery in a vehicle and determines a state of charge of the battery based on the parameter. The control module activates a heater in a catalytic converter in an exhaust system of the vehicle based on the state of charge.

Claims

1. A control system, comprising:

a state of charge module that receives a parameter associated with a battery in a vehicle and determines a state of charge of said battery based on said parameter; and

a control module that activates a heater in a catalytic converter in an exhaust system of said vehicle based on said state of charge.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein said parameter includes at least one of a current supplied by said battery, a voltage supplied by said battery, a temperature of said battery, a capacity of said battery, a pressure in said battery, a specific gravity of an electrolyte in said battery, and a pH of said electrolyte.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein said control module activates said heater when said state of charge is less than a first state of charge threshold.

4. The control system of claim 3 wherein said first state of charge threshold is determined based on at least one of a volume of said catalytic converter and a temperature of said catalytic converter.

5. The control system of claim 4 wherein said first state of charge threshold is determined such that said temperature of said catalytic converter is greater than or equal to an activation temperature when an engine in said vehicle is started.

6. The control system of claim 5 wherein said first state of charge threshold is determined based on at least one of a temperature of said engine and a warm-up rate of said engine.

7. The control system of claim 6 wherein said control module continues to activate said heater when said temperature of said engine is less than an operating temperature.

8. The control system of claim 7 wherein said control module varies a power supplied to said heater based on said temperature of said catalytic converter.

9. The control system of claim 4 wherein said engine is started when said state of charge is less than a second state of charge threshold.

10. The control system of claim 9 wherein said second state of charge threshold is determined such that said state of charge does not decrease to zero.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving a parameter associated with a battery in a vehicle and determining a state of charge of said battery based on said parameter; and

activating a heater in a catalytic converter in an exhaust system of said vehicle based on said state of charge.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said parameter includes at least one of a current supplied by said battery, a voltage supplied by said battery, a temperature of said battery, a capacity of said battery, a pressure in said battery, a specific gravity of an electrolyte in said battery, and a pH of said electrolyte.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising activating said heater when said state of charge is less than a first state of charge threshold.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining said first state of charge threshold based on at least one of a volume of said catalytic converter and a temperature of said catalytic converter.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining said first state of charge threshold such that said temperature of said catalytic converter is greater than or equal to an activation temperature when an engine in said vehicle is started.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising determining said first state of charge threshold based on at least one of a temperature of said engine and a warm-up rate of said engine.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising continuing to activate said heater when said temperature of said engine is less than an operating temperature.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising varying a power supplied to said heater based on said temperature of said catalytic converter.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising starting said engine when said state of charge is less than a second state of charge threshold.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising determining said second state of charge threshold such that said state of charge does not decrease to zero.