Telemetry-based regeneration strategy for an engine exhaust after-treatment device

• US 8,412,451 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Johnson, Randall L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US12/579,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20110088374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/100, 701/108, 60272-274, 602/95, 602/85, 60287-293, 603/03, 603/11, 123321-322
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2430/06 by varying fuel-air ratio, e.g. by enriching fuel-air mixture
• 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: F01N 9/002 of filter regeneration, e.g. detection of clogging
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/701 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation system or GPS signal
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0245 by increasing temperature of the exhaust gas leaving the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/029 the exhaust gas treating apparatus being a particulate filter
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/405 with post injections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method for timing performance of a maintenance function, in particular the timing of regeneration of a diesel particulate filter (22) to conserve fuel as a motor vehicle (10) travels along a projected travel route. Certain road data about roads in a roadway system is processed to develop data for anticipating certain modes of vehicle operation during travel of the vehicle along the projected travel route. The data for anticipating certain modes of vehicle operation along the anticipated route of travel and data geographically tracking vehicle travel along the projected route are interactively used to control timing of performance of the maintenance function as the vehicle travels along the projected route.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine for propelling the vehicle comprising an exhaust system through which exhaust gases created by combustion in engine cylinders pass to atmosphere and which comprises a particulate filter that traps soot in the exhaust gases before leaving the exhaust system but that at times is regenerated by elevation of temperature of the exhaust gases to a regeneration temperature range;

a telematic system providing geographical data tracking travel of the vehicle along roads in a roadway system;

a database containing an electronic map of the roadway system that includes road data about roads in the roadway system useful in anticipating certain modes of engine operation during travel of the vehicle along roads in the roadway system;

an engine controller for initiating, controlling, and terminating regeneration of the particulate filter and comprising an operating strategy that interactively uses both road data from the database to anticipate modes of engine operation along an anticipated route of travel of the vehicle over roads in the roadway system and geographical tracking data from the telematic system to time initiation of regeneration of the particulate filter, and that comprises an algorithm which, a) when soot accumulated in the particulate filter becomes greater than a first threshold, evaluates engine speed data and engine load data to ascertain if active regeneration should be initiated, b) when evaluation of engine speed data and engine load data discloses that active regeneration should not be initiated and soot accumulated in the particulate filter remains less than a second threshold which is greater than the first threshold, analyzes road data from the database and geographical tracking data from the telematic system to determine if future travel along a more distant segment of the anticipated route of travel of the vehicle would use more extra fuel for active regeneration than would be used during future travel along a less distant segment of the anticipated route of travel, c) when analysis of road data from the database and geographical tracking data from the telematic system discloses that less extra fuel would be used along the more distant segment of the anticipated route of travel, postpones initiation of active regeneration, d) when analysis of road data from the database and geographical tracking data from the telematic system discloses that more extra fuel would be used along the more distant segment of the anticipated route of travel, determines if the vehicle is expected to stop before reaching the more distant segment of the anticipated route of travel, and e) when it is determined that the vehicle is expected to stop before reaching the more distant segment of the anticipated route of travel, initiates regeneration of the particulate filter.

2. A strategy for timing initiation of regeneration of a particulate filter in an exhaust system of an engine in a motor vehicle for propelling the vehicle along an anticipated route of travel over roads in a roadway system, the strategy comprising:

geographically tracking the location of the vehicle as the vehicle travels along roads in the roadway system;

processing certain road data about roads along an anticipated route of travel of the vehicle useful in anticipating certain engine operating data along the anticipated route to develop certain anticipated engine operating data along the anticipated route; and

using the certain anticipated engine operating data to time initiation of regeneration of the particulate filter as the vehicle travels along the anticipated route; and

interactively using both the road data to anticipate modes of engine operation along the anticipated route and the geographical tracking of the vehicle to time initiation of regeneration of the particulate filter, by executing an algorithm which, a) when soot accumulated in the particulate filter becomes greater than a first threshold, evaluates engine speed data and engine load data to ascertain if active regeneration should be initiated, b) when evaluation of engine speed data and engine load data discloses that active regeneration should not be initiated and soot accumulated in the particulate filter remains less than a second threshold which is greater than the first threshold, analyzes certain road data and geographical tracking of the vehicle to determine if future travel along a more distant segment of the anticipated route would use more extra fuel for active regeneration than would be used during future travel along a less distant segment of the anticipated route, c) when analysis of certain road data and geographical tracking of the vehicle discloses that less extra fuel would be used along a more distant segment of the anticipated route, postpones initiation of active regeneration, d) when analysis of certain data and geographical tracking of the vehicle discloses that more extra fuel would be used along the more distant segment of the anticipated route, determines if the vehicle is expected to stop before reaching the more distant segment of the anticipated route, and e) when it is determined that the vehicle is expected to stop before reaching the more distant segment of the anticipated route, initiates regeneration of the particulate filter.