PARTICLE SENSOR, EXHAUST SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING PARTICLES IN THE EXHAUST GAS

• US 20120186227A1
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yacoub, Yasser Mohamed Sayed, Schneider, Matthew Allen
• Granted Patent: US 9,052,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/274
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0272 with screening; with classification by filtering B01D takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0656 using electric, e.g. electrostatic methods or magnetic methods by investigating individual particles G01N15/1031, G01N15/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/08 Investigating permeability, pore-volume, or surface area of porous materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/084 Testing filters

Abstract

Embodiments of a particle sensor are provided. In one example, a particle sensor for an exhaust system comprises at least two inlet openings for an exhaust-gas flow of the exhaust system, wherein the inlet openings are of different sizes, and at least two sensor elements, wherein in each case one sensor element is arranged downstream of one inlet opening. In this way, the relative proportion of different-sized particles within the exhaust-gas flow may be determined.

Claims

1. A particle sensor for an exhaust system, comprising:

at least two inlet openings for an exhaust-gas flow of the exhaust system, wherein the at least two inlet openings are of different sizes; and

at least two sensor elements, wherein in each case one sensor element is arranged downstream of one inlet opening.

2. The particle sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein each sensor element has a resistance element.

3. The particle sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein each sensor element is arranged in a duct which adjoins a respective inlet opening.

4. The particle sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a size of at least one inlet opening is variable.

5. The particle sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the inlet openings is a smallest inlet opening, and wherein an integral mass of particles of a size smaller than or the same as the smallest inlet opening is a function of the sensor element arranged downstream of the smallest inlet opening.

6. The particle sensor as claimed in claim 5, wherein one of the inlet openings is a next-larger inlet opening than the smallest inlet opening, and wherein the integral mass of particles of a size smaller than or the same as the next-larger inlet opening is a function of the sensor element arranged downstream of the next-larger inlet opening minus the function of the sensor element arranged downstream of the smallest inlet opening.

7. An exhaust system of an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle, having a particle sensor as claimed in claim 1.

8. A method for determining particles in the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

measuring particles of a first size downstream of a first opening of a first size;

measuring particles of a second size downstream of a second opening of a second size.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein particles of further sizes are measured.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the particles are measured by a resistance element of a sensor element.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising additional openings, and wherein a number of openings and the first size of the first opening, second size of the second opening, and a size of the additional openings are determined by a soot distribution in the exhaust gas.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least the first size or the second size can be varied.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the size of an opening is varied in order to examine a certain particle size.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the size of an opening is varied in conjunction with a cleaning of a sensor element arranged downstream of the opening.

15. A method for maintaining combustion stability in an engine, comprising:

monitoring a proportion of each of first, second, and third-sized particulate matter within an exhaust stream via a particle sensor; and

during select conditions, adjusting fuel injection and/or an exhaust gas recirculation rate in response to a change in a distribution of the first, second, and third-sized particles exceeding a threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein monitoring the proportion of each of first, second and third-sized particulate matter within the exhaust stream via the particle sensor further comprises routing the exhaust stream through a small-sized inlet opening, a medium-sized inlet opening, and a large-sized inlet opening of the particle sensor, wherein each inlet opening is an inlet opening for a duct housing a sensing element.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the select conditions comprise a particulate filter upstream of the particle sensor being in a non-regeneration state.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the select conditions comprise engine temperature being above a threshold.

19. An engine method, comprising:

adjusting engine operation in response to sizes of exhaust particulates.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the adjusting includes adjusting fuel injection and exhaust gas recirculation in response to a change in a relative proportion of different sized exhaust particulates.