Engine system properties controller

• US 8,505,278 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Farrell, Lisa A., Frazier, Timothy R., Mohammed, Hasan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bomberg, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Singh, Dapinder
• Application Number:
  US12/433,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20100275583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 602/85, 602/86, 602/95
• US Class Current: 60/285
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/009 having two or more separate purifying devices arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0205 using heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/035 with catalytic reactors , e.g. catalysed diesel particulate filters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/106 Auxiliary oxidation catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1433 using a model or simulation of the system
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0235 in relation with the state of the exhaust gas treating apparatus control of exhaust gas treating apparatus per se F01N
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/029 the exhaust gas treating apparatus being a particulate filter
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1406 with use of a optimisation method, e.g. iteration
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1444 characterised by the characteristics of the combustion gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

Various embodiments of an apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for manipulating the properties of engine exhaust at least partially through the engine'"'"'s control system to increase the efficiency and performance of the exhaust aftertreatment system. According to one representative embodiment, an engine system properties controller includes an exhaust aftertreatment system module, a powertrain module, and a combustion module. The exhaust aftertreatment system module is configured to generate an exhaust conditions vector request. The powertrain module is configured to receive the exhaust conditions vector request from the exhaust aftertreatment system module and generate at least one engine operating condition target based on the exhaust conditions vector request. The combustion module is configured to receive the at least one engine operating condition target and generate at least one engine controls command based on the at least one engine operating condition target.

Claims

1. An engine system properties controller for controlling an internal combustion engine system, comprising:

an exhaust aftertreatment system module configured to generate an exhaust conditions vector request representing a demand for the internal combustion engine system to produce exhaust gas having conditions that if produced by the internal combustion engine system are estimated to result in a desired efficiency of an exhaust aftertreatment system of the internal combustion engine system;

a powertrain module configured to receive the exhaust conditions vector request from the exhaust aftertreatment system module and generate at least one engine operating condition target based on the exhaust conditions vector request; and

a combustion module configured to receive the at least one engine operating condition target and generate at least one engine controls command based on the at least one engine operating condition target;

wherein the exhaust aftertreatment system module, powertrain module, and combustion module comprise one or more of logic hardware and non-transitory machine-readable storage media including an executable code.

2. The engine system properties controller of claim 1, wherein the exhaust conditions vector request represents exhaust conditions estimated to meet or exceed exhaust emissions standards.

3. The engine system properties controller of claim 1, wherein the exhaust aftertreatment system module comprises a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) module configured to generate an exhaust condition request representing exhaust conditions at an inlet of an SCR catalyst that would result in a desired NOx reduction efficiency of the SCR catalyst, and wherein the exhaust conditions vector request is generated based on the exhaust condition request generated by the SCR module.

4. The engine system properties controller of claim 1, wherein the exhaust aftertreatment system module comprises an oxidation catalyst module configured to generate an exhaust condition request representing exhaust conditions at an inlet of an oxidation catalyst that would result in a desired oxidation efficiency of the oxidation catalyst, and wherein the exhaust conditions vector request is generated based on the exhaust condition request generated by the oxidation catalyst module.

5. The engine system properties controller of claim 1, wherein the exhaust aftertreatment system module comprises a filter module configured to generate an exhaust condition request representing exhaust conditions at an inlet of a particulate matter filter that would result in a desired particulate matter filtration efficiency of the particulate matter filter, and wherein the exhaust conditions vector request is generated based on the exhaust condition request generated by the filter module.

6. The engine system properties controller of claim 1, wherein the exhaust conditions vector request is generated based on a plurality of exhaust condition requests each received from a respective one of a plurality of exhaust aftertreatment component modules each associated with a respective exhaust aftertreatment component, and wherein each exhaust condition request represents exhaust conditions resulting in an optimum performance of the exhaust aftertreatment component associated with the exhaust aftertreatment component module that generated the exhaust condition request.

7. The engine system properties controller of claim 6, wherein the exhaust aftertreatment system module generates the exhaust conditions vector request by weighing the plurality of exhaust condition requests.

8. The engine system properties controller of claim 1, wherein the powertrain module comprises an exhaust conditions optimization module configured to determine the at least one engine operating condition target based on current exhaust properties, a current performance capability of an exhaust aftertreatment system, and an objective factor.

9. The engine system properties controller of claim 8, wherein the objective factor comprises a weighted combination of an estimated cost of operating the exhaust aftertreatment system and an estimated performance of the exhaust aftertreatment system.

10. The engine system properties controller of claim 1, wherein the powertrain module comprises a performance-based system model module, a cost-based system model module, and an objective factor comparison module, the performance-based system model module being configured to estimate the engine system operating conditions necessary to achieve a maximum performance of the engine system, the cost-based system model module being configured to estimate the engine system operating conditions necessary to operate the engine system at a minimum cost, and the objective factor comparison module being configured to determine the at least one engine operating condition target based on a weighted combination of the estimated performance-based operating conditions and the estimated cost-based operating conditions, the weighted combination being a function of the relative importance of performance versus cost in the operation of the engine system.

11. The engine system properties controller of claim 10, wherein the relative importance of performance versus cost in the operation of the engine system is based on user input.

12. The engine system properties controller of claim 10, wherein the relative importance of performance versus cost in the operation of the engine system is determined automatically.

13. An engine system, comprising:

an internal combustion engine configured to generate exhaust gas;

an exhaust aftertreatment system communicable in exhaust gas receiving communication with the internal combustion engine, the exhaust aftertreatment system comprising a plurality of exhaust aftertreatment system components; and

a controller communicable in data receiving communication with the exhaust aftertreatment system and command transmitting communication with the internal combustion engine;

wherein the controller is configured to generate an exhaust conditions vector request based on data received from the exhaust aftertreatment system and configured to transmit commands to the internal combustion engine for achieving desired engine output exhaust properties corresponding with the exhaust conditions vector request; and

wherein the exhaust conditions vector request represents an average of a plurality of exhaust condition demands each associated with exhaust conditions that if generated by the internal combustion engine are estimated to result in an optimum performance of a respective one of the plurality of exhaust aftertreatment system components.

14. The engine system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to recalibrate the internal combustion engine in response to the exhaust conditions vector request.

15. The engine system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to modify the exhaust conditions vector request based on at least one of engine system operating cost considerations and engine system operating performance considerations.

16. The engine system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to determine a current exhaust properties vector at each of a plurality of stages along the exhaust aftertreatment system and a current aftertreatment system performance vector based on the current exhaust properties vectors, and wherein the exhaust conditions vector request is based at least partially on the current aftertreatment system performance vector.

17. A method for controlling engine system properties of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

determining an exhaust conditions vector request from an exhaust aftertreatment system, the exhaust conditions vector request representing a demand for the internal combustion engine system to produce exhaust gas having conditions that if produced by the internal combustion engine are estimated to result in a desired efficiency of an exhaust aftertreatment system of the internal combustion engine system;

determining engine operating conditions targets based at least partially on the exhaust conditions vector request and an objective factor; and

commanding at least one engine system component based on the engine operating conditions targets.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the objective factor is a weighted combination of an engine system operating cost factor and an engine system operating performance factor, the method further comprising:

determining performance-based engine operating conditions targets;

determining cost-based operating conditions targets; and

weighing the performance-based engine operating conditions targets and cost-based operating conditions targets based on the objective factor;

wherein the engine operating conditions targets are determined based at least partially on the weighted performance-based engine operating conditions targets and cost-based operating conditions targets.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

interpreting exhaust conditions generated by an internal combustion engine;

estimating a desired aftertreatment system performance based on the engine operating conditions targets and the interpreted exhaust conditions;

determining a current performance capability of the exhaust aftertreatment system; and

modifying the objective factor to reduce the desired aftertreatment system performance if the desired aftertreatment system performance is higher than the current performance capability of the exhaust aftertreatment system.