Radiant heating systems and methods for catalysts of exhaust treatment systems

• US 8,359,844 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Gonze, Eugene V., Santoso, Halim G., Spohn, Brian, Roos, Bryan Nathaniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Bomberg, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elnoubi, Abdul
• Application Number:
  US12/537,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20110030344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 602/86, 602/84, 603/00, 603/03, 422/174
• US Class Current: 60/300
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/068 Engine exhaust temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/009 having two or more separate purifying devices arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/10 by thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust by using other chemical processes, chemical aspects of catalytic conversion, e.g. using specified catalysts, B01D53/34
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2013 using electric or magnetic heating means
• 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: F02N 11/0814 comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

An exhaust treatment system comprises M three-way catalysts and N electrically heated catalysts (EHCs). The M three-way catalysts are arranged to receive exhaust gas output by an engine of a hybrid vehicle. M is an integer greater than one. The N EHCs are arranged to receive the exhaust gas and provide radiant heat to the M three-way catalysts when the N EHCs are powered. N is an integer greater than one.

Claims

1. An exhaust treatment system comprising:

a catalyst housing that is coupled to an exhaust system and that receives exhaust gas output by an engine of a hybrid vehicle;

M three-way catalysts that are arranged inside said catalyst housing and that receive said exhaust gas, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to four;

N electrically heated catalysts (EHCs) that are arranged inside said catalyst housing, that receive said exhaust gas, that include a substrate, that include a catalyst that is applied to said substrate, and that provide radiant heat to said M three-way catalysts when said N EHCs are powered,

wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to three,

wherein one of said M three-way catalysts is positioned upstream of all of said N EHCs; and

P buffer zones inside said catalyst housing,

wherein P is an integer greater than or equal to six.

2. A hybrid vehicle system comprising:

the exhaust treatment system of claim 1; and

an engine control module (ECM) that begins applying power to said N EHCs simultaneously when combustion within said engine is disabled.

3. The hybrid vehicle system of claim 2 wherein said ECM begins applying power to said N EHCs when combustion within said engine is disabled and torque transfer to one or more wheels of a hybrid vehicle is controlled by one or more electric motors.

4. The hybrid vehicle system of claim 2 wherein said ECM begins applying power to said N EHCs when an exhaust flowrate in an exhaust system is zero.

5. The hybrid vehicle system of claim 2 wherein said ECM regulates temperature of said M three-way catalysts based on a predetermined catalyst temperature while combustion within said engine is disabled.

6. The hybrid vehicle system of claim 5 wherein said ECM warms said M three-way catalysts to said predetermined catalyst temperature before combustion within said engine is enabled.

7. The hybrid vehicle system of claim 5 wherein said ECM controls said power to regulate said temperatures of said M three-way catalysts based on said predetermined catalyst temperature.

8. A hybrid vehicle system comprising:

the exhaust treatment system of claim 1; and

at least one processor and memory including computer readable instructions for performing at least one function, said at least one function comprising beginning to apply power to said N EHCs when combustion within said engine is disabled.

9. A hybrid vehicle system comprising:

the exhaust treatment system of claim 1; and

at least one processor and memory including computer readable instructions for performing at least one function, said at least one function comprising beginning to apply power to said N EHCs when an exhaust flowrate in an exhaust system is zero.

10. A hybrid vehicle system comprising:

the exhaust treatment system of claim 1; and

at least one processor and memory including computer readable instructions for performing at least one function, said at least one function comprising;

beginning to apply power to said N EHCs when combustion within said engine is disabled; and

regulating temperature of said M three-way catalysts based on a predetermined catalyst temperature while combustion within said engine is disabled.

11. The hybrid vehicle system of claim 10 wherein said at least one function further comprises warming said M three-way catalysts to said predetermined catalyst temperature before combustion within said engine is enabled.

12. The hybrid vehicle system of claim 10 wherein said at least one function further comprises controlling power to regulate said temperatures of said M three-way catalysts based on said predetermined catalyst temperature.

13. An exhaust treatment method comprising:

providing a catalyst housing in an exhaust system to receive exhaust gas output by an engine of a hybrid vehicle;

implementing M three-way catalysts inside said catalyst housing to receive said exhaust gas,

wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to four;

implementing N electrically heated catalysts (EHCs) inside said catalyst housing to receive said exhaust gas, each of said N EHCs including a substrate and a catalyst that is applied to said substrate, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to three;

arranging one of said M three-way catalysts is upstream of all of said N EHCs;

providing P buffer zones in said catalyst housing,

wherein P is an integer greater than or equal to six; and

providing radiant heat to said M three-way catalysts using said N EHCs.

14. The exhaust treatment method of claim 13 further comprising providing said radiant heat by beginning to apply power to said N EHCs simultaneously when combustion within said engine is disabled.

15. The exhaust treatment method of claim 14 further comprising beginning to apply power to said N EHCs when combustion within said engine is disabled and torque transfer to one or more wheels of a hybrid vehicle is controlled by one or more electric motors.

16. The exhaust treatment method of claim 14 further comprising beginning to apply power to said N EHCs when an exhaust flowrate in an exhaust system is zero.

17. The exhaust treatment method of claim 14 further comprising regulating temperature of said M three-way catalysts based on a predetermined catalyst temperature.

18. The exhaust treatment method of claim 17 further comprising warming said M three-way catalysts to said predetermined catalyst temperature before combustion within said engine is enabled.

19. The exhaust treatment method of claim 17 further comprising regulating said temperature of said M three-way catalysts based on said predetermined catalyst temperature by controlling said application of power.