Preventing soot underestimation in diesel particulate filters by determining the restriction sensitivity of soot

• US 8,266,890 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2009
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Singh, Nishant
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROY, PUNAM P
• Application Number:
  US12/481,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20100313629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 73/233.1, 73/233.3, 602/74, 602/95, 602/97
• US Class Current: 60/274
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 11/002 the diagnostic devices measuring or estimating temperature or pressure in, or downstream of the exhaust apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1606 Particle filter loading or soot amount
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/023 using means for regenerating the filters, e.g. by burning trapped particles by electrically controlling the supply of combustible mixture or its constituents only F02D41/0235
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0812 Particle filter loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method of determining a need to perform regeneration of a diesel particulate filter in a diesel engine exhaust predicts a soot load of a diesel particulate filter with a pressure change based soot load estimate based upon a pressure change across the diesel particulate filter at a first time and a second time. A restriction sensitivity for the diesel particulate filter is calculated based upon the pressure change across the diesel particulate filter at the first time and the second time. The method transitions from the pressure change based soot load estimate to a model based soot accumulation estimate of the soot load of the diesel particulate filter upon the restriction sensitivity falling below a predetermined threshold. Regeneration of the diesel particulate filter is requested after the estimated soot level reaches a preset level based upon the soot accumulation model.

Claims

1. A method of using an Electronic Control Module (ECM) in an Internal Combustion Engine for estimating a soot level within an exhaust gas particulate filter having an input and an output comprising:

generating within the ECM a first soot load estimate within the exhaust gas particulate filter at a first time based upon a first pressure change from the input to the output of the exhaust gas particulate filter;

generating a second soot load estimate within the exhaust gas particulate filter at a second time based upon a second pressure change from the input to the output of the exhaust gas particulate filter;

calculating within the ECM a restriction sensitivity of the exhaust gas particulate filter utilizing a first restriction amount within the exhaust gas particulate filter at the first time, a second restriction amount at the second time, and the first and second soot load estimates within the exhaust gas particulate filter at the first and second times; and

selecting within the ECM a model based soot load estimate for the exhaust gas particulate filter when the restriction sensitivity falls below a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a first temperature of the exhaust gas particulate filter before determining the first restriction amount within the exhaust gas particulate filter at the first time; and

resetting with the ECM the first soot load estimate within the exhaust gas particulate filter if the first temperature is outside of a predetermined range of temperatures.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a second temperature of the exhaust gas particulate filter before determining the second restriction amount within the exhaust gas particulate filter at the second time; and

allowing within the ECM a time T₂+T_n to pass if the second temperature at the second time is outside of a predetermined range of temperatures,

wherein T₂ is the second time and T_n is another time.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

continuing use within the ECM of either the first soot load estimate or the second soot load estimate based on pressure change when the restriction sensitivity remains above the predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing within the ECM the first volumetric flow rate of exhaust gas at the first time to a lower threshold value and an upper threshold value; and

resetting within the ECM the first soot load estimate within the exhaust gas particulate filter if the first volumetric flow rate value is not between the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the restriction sensitivity is determined within the ECM using:

7. The method of claim 1, wherein restriction within the exhaust gas particulate filter is determined within the ECM using:

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the restriction sensitivity is determined by a ratio of the difference between the restriction at the first time and the restriction at the second time, and the difference between the soot load estimate based on pressure at the first time and the soot load estimate based on pressure at the second time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein restriction within the exhaust gas particulate filter is determined by a ratio of pressure change from the input to the output of the exhaust gas particulate filter and volumetric flow rate of engine exhaust.

10. A method of using an Electronic Control Module (ECM) in an Internal Combustion Engine for estimating a soot level within an exhaust gas particulate filter having an input and an output, the method comprising:

measuring a first pressure change from the input to the output of the exhaust gas particulate filter at a first time;

identifying a first volumetric flow rate of exhaust gas at the first time;

generating within the ECM a first soot load estimate within the exhaust gas particulate filter at the first time based upon the measured first pressure change;

determining within the ECM a first restriction amount within the exhaust gas particulate filter at the first time utilizing the measured first pressure change and the identified first volumetric flow rate of the exhaust gas;

measuring a second pressure change from the input to the output of the exhaust gas particulate filter at a second time;

identifying a second volumetric flow rate of exhaust gas at the second time;

generating a second soot load estimate within the exhaust gas particulate filter at a second time based upon the measured second pressure change;

determining within the ECM a second restriction amount within the exhaust gas particulate filter at the second time utilizing the measured second pressure change and the identified second volumetric flow rate of the exhaust gas;

calculating within the ECM a restriction sensitivity of the exhaust gas particulate filter utilizing the first and second restriction amounts and the first and second soot load estimates; and

selecting within the ECM a model based soot load estimate for the exhaust gas particulate filter when the restriction sensitivity falls below a predetermined threshold.

11. A method of using an Electronic Control Module (ECM) attached to an Internal Combustion Engine for determining a need to perform regeneration of a diesel particulate filter in a diesel engine exhaust comprising:

predicting within the ECM a soot load of a diesel particulate filter with a soot load estimate based upon the pressure change across the diesel particulate filter at the first time and at the second time;

calculating within the ECM a restriction sensitivity for the diesel particulate filter based upon pressure change across the diesel particulate filter at the first time and at the second time; and

transitioning within the ECM from the soot load estimate based on pressure to a model based soot accumulation estimate upon the restriction sensitivity falling below a predetermined threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

requesting within the ECM regeneration of the diesel particulate filter after estimated soot level reaches a preset level based upon the model based soot accumulation estimate.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the restriction sensitivity is determined within the ECM using:

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the restriction within the diesel particulate filter is determined within the ECM using:

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the restriction sensitivity is determined by a ratio of difference between restriction at the first time and restriction at the second time, and difference between the first soot load estimate and the second soot load estimate based on pressure at the second time.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein restriction within the diesel particulate filter is determined by a ratio of pressure change from the input to the output of the diesel particulate filter and volumetric flow rate of engine exhaust.

17. A method of using an Electronic Control Module (ECM) in an Internal Combustion Engine for selecting a soot estimation model for a diesel particulate filter comprising:

monitoring a volumetric flow rate of engine exhaust;

obtaining temperature of the diesel particulate filter;

measuring a first pressure change from an input to an output of the diesel particulate filter at a first time;

generating within the ECM a first soot load estimate within the diesel particulate filter at the first time based upon pressure change from the input to the output of the exhaust gas particulate filter;

comparing within the ECM the first soot load estimate at the first time to a predetermined threshold;

selecting within the ECM a first model based soot load estimate for the diesel particulate filter when the first soot load estimate is above the predetermined threshold;

measuring a second pressure change from an input to an output of the diesel particulate filter at a second time;

generating within the ECM a second soot load estimate within the diesel particulate filter at the second time based upon the second pressure change from the input to the output of the diesel particulate filter;

calculating within the ECM a restriction sensitivity for the diesel particulate filter utilizing the first soot load estimate and the second soot load estimate;

selecting within the ECM a model based soot load estimate for the diesel particulate filter when the restriction sensitivity is below a preset threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the restriction sensitivity is determined within the ECM using:

19. The method of claim 17, wherein restriction within the diesel particulate filter is determined using:

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

continuing within the ECM the use of the first soot load estimate and the second soot load estimate when the restriction sensitivity remains above a preset threshold.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

selecting within the ECM the first soot load estimate for the diesel particulate filter when temperature of the diesel particulate filter is not within a predetermined temperature range.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

selecting within the ECM the first soot load estimate for the diesel particulate filter when the volumetric flow rate of the exhaust gas is not within a predetermined threshold range.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the restriction sensitivity is determined by a ratio of difference between restriction at the first time and restriction at the second time, and difference between the first soot load estimate and the second soot load estimate.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein restriction within the diesel particulate filter is determined by a ratio of pressure change from the input to the output of the diesel particulate filter and the volumetric flow rate of engine exhaust.