METHOD FOR DIAGNOSING A FAULT OF AN SCR SYSTEM

• US 20120126989A1
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: DENTICI, Ignazio, VERNASSA, Roberto
• Application Number:
  US13/302,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20120126989A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/606
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 11/00 Monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus , e.g. for catalytic activity safety, indicating or supervising devices for internal combustion engines F02B77/08; testing of machines G01M13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2550/05 Systems for adding substances into exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2610/1486 Means to prevent the substance from freezing
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/0412 using pre-calibrated maps, tables or charts
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/0416 using the state of a sensor, e.g. of an exhaust gas sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/102 Travelling distance
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1808 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/208 Control of selective catalytic reduction [SCR], e.g. dosing of reducing agent
• 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 method is provided for diagnosing a fault in a selective catalytic reduction system having an electric driven transportation device that provide a mass flow of a Diesel Exhaust Fluid into the selective catalytic reduction system. The method includes, but is not limited to applying an electric signal to the transportation device for establishing the mass flow, monitoring a parameter value of the electric signal, monitoring the mass flow provided into the selective catalytic reduction system caused by the transportation device when it is driven with the signal, determining, for the monitored mass flow, the difference between the corresponding parameter value, and a corresponding parameter value stored in a data map.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing a fault in a selective catalytic reduction system connected to a diesel engine, the selective catalytic reduction system having an electric driven transportation device for providing a mass flow of a Diesel Exhaust Fluid into the selective catalytic reduction system, said method comprising:

applying an electric signal to the electric driven transportation device for establishing the mass flow;

monitoring a parameter value of the electric signal;

monitoring the mass flow provided into the selective catalytic reduction system caused by the electric driven transportation device when it is driven with said electric signal;

determining for the mass flow a difference between the parameter value of the electric signal a corresponding parameter value stored in a data map, said data map containing values of said corresponding parameter value that are correlated with the mass flow achieved by said electric driven transportation device when it is driven with the electric signal having the parameter value; and

diagnosing the fault in the selective catalytic reduction system if the difference exceeds a threshold.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising empirically determining the data map under a predetermined operating condition of the diesel engine.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

replacing the data map with a new map correlating a diesel exhaust fluid mass flow rate fed in the selective catalytic reduction system with the parameter value of the electric signal; and

creating the new map being with a determined frequency during normal engine operation.

4. The method as in claim 3, further comprising determining the determined frequency on a basis of hours of operation of the diesel engine.

5. The method as in claim 3, further comprising determining the determined frequency on a basis of a distance covered by a vehicle provided with the diesel engine.

6. The method as in claim 1, comprising activating a warning signal if diagnosing the fault.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the electric signal is a power width modulated signal.

8. A computer readable medium embodying a computer program product, said computer program product comprising:

a diagnostic program for diagnosing a fault in a selective catalytic reduction system connected to a diesel engine, the selective catalytic reduction system having an electric driven transportation device for providing a mass flow of a Diesel Exhaust Fluid into the selective catalytic reduction system, the diagnostic program configured to;

apply an electric signal to the electric driven transportation device for establishing the mass flow;

monitor a parameter value of the electric signal;

monitor the mass flow provided into the selective catalytic reduction system caused by the electric driven transportation device when it is driven with said electric signal;

determine for the mass flow a difference between the parameter value of the electric signal a corresponding parameter value stored in a data map, said data map containing values of said corresponding parameter value that are correlated with the mass flow achieved by said electric driven transportation device when it is driven with the electric signal having the parameter value; and

diagnose the fault in the selective catalytic reduction system if the difference exceeds a threshold.

9. The computer readable medium embodying the computer program product as in claim 8, wherein the diagnostic program is further configured to empirically determine the data map under a predetermined operating condition of the diesel engine.

10. The computer readable medium embodying the computer program product as in claim 8, wherein the diagnostic program is further configured to:

replace the data map with a new map correlating a diesel exhaust fluid mass flow rate fed in the selective catalytic reduction system with the parameter value of the electric signal; and

create the new map being with a determined frequency during normal engine operation.

11. The computer readable medium embodying the computer program product as in claim 10, wherein the diagnostic program is further configured to determine the determined frequency on a basis of hours of operation of the diesel engine.

12. The computer readable medium embodying the computer program product as in claim 11, wherein the diagnostic program is further configured to determine the determined frequency on a basis of a distance covered by a vehicle provided with the diesel engine.

13. The computer readable medium embodying the computer program product as in claim 8, wherein the diagnostic program is further configured to activate a warning signal if diagnosing the fault.

14. The computer readable medium embodying the computer program product as in claim 8, wherein the electric signal is a power width modulated signal.