Control of aftertreatment regeneration in a hybrid powered vehicle

• US 9,243,541 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Sujan, Vivek Anand, Wills, J. Stephen, Andreae, Morgan MacKenzie, Books, Martin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Binh Q
• Application Number:
  US13/972,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20130333353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 602/74, 602/80, 602/84, 602/86, 602/95, 602/97, 603/01, 180/65.1, 180/65.265, 180/65.275, 180/65.28, 180/65.285, 180/29, 180/309
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/16 for reducing engine exhaust emissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/085 Power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/12 Catalyst or filter state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/18 Distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0694 Engine exhaust temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/476 Regeneration of particle filters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/16 an electric heater, i.e. a resistance heater
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/0602 Electrical exhaust heater signals
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/104 Battery status
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/027 using electric or magnetic heating means
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/002 of filter regeneration, e.g. detection of clogging
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A method for controlling aftertreatment regeneration for a system having a hybrid powertrain is described. The method includes determining that an engine aftertreatment regeneration is indicated when a regeneration request index exceeds a first threshold. The method includes determining an acceptable battery usage amount based on a current battery state of charge (SOC) and a minimum battery SOC. The method further includes determining a battery usage amount for an engine aftertreatment regeneration operation. The method includes initiating an engine aftertreatment regeneration when the battery usage amount is less than or equal to the acceptable battery usage amount.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining that an engine aftertreatment regeneration is indicated in response to a regeneration request index exceeding a first threshold during operation of a powertrain that includes an internal combustion engine and a battery, the internal combustion engine producing an exhaust flow to an aftertreatment system;

calculating a battery usage amount of the battery for an engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the determining the engine aftertreatment regeneration is indicated for the aftertreatment system;

determining an acceptable battery usage amount for the battery in response to a current battery state of charge (current SOC) and a minimum battery state of charge (minimum SOC), wherein the acceptable battery usage amount is increased by lowering the minimum SOC as an urgency of the engine aftertreatment regeneration indicated by the regeneration request index increases; and

initiating the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation by increasing a temperature of the exhaust stream through the aftertreatment system in response to the battery usage amount being not greater than the acceptable battery usage amount.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the battery usage amount exceeding the acceptable battery usage amount.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of battery usage amounts, each corresponding to one of a plurality of engine aftertreatment regeneration operation modes;

selecting one of the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation modes having a corresponding battery usage amount that is not greater than the acceptable battery usage amount; and

wherein the initiating comprises initiating the selected engine aftertreatment regeneration operation mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the selecting comprises selecting the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation mode having a greatest difference between the corresponding battery usage amount and the acceptable battery usage amount.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the minimum SOC in response to a value of the regeneration request index.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising lowering the first threshold in response to the battery usage amount being below a second threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a battery regeneration margin comprising a difference between the acceptable battery usage amount and the battery usage amount, and lowering the first threshold in response to the battery regeneration margin being greater than a third threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating at least one of the acceptable battery usage amount and the battery usage amount during the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation, and stopping the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the battery usage amount going below the acceptable battery usage amount.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a controller comprising;

a regeneration request module structured to interpret a regeneration request index and to determine that an engine aftertreatment regeneration is indicated in response to the regeneration request index exceeding a first threshold;

a battery consumption module structured to calculate a battery usage amount for an engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the indicated engine aftertreatment regeneration;

a battery monitoring module structured to determine an acceptable battery usage amount in response to a current battery state of charge (current SOC) and a minimum battery state of charge (minimum SOC), wherein the acceptable battery usage amount is increased by lowering the minimum SOC as an urgency of the engine aftertreatment regeneration indicated by the regeneration request index increases; and

a regeneration control module structured to provide an engine aftertreatment regeneration command to initiate the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the battery usage amount and the acceptable battery usage amount.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the regeneration control module is further structured provide the engine aftertreatment regeneration command to initiate the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the battery usage amount being not greater than the acceptable battery usage amount.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the regeneration control module is further structured to provide the engine aftertreatment regeneration command to prevent the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the battery usage amount exceeding the acceptable battery usage amount.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a regeneration mode selection module structured to determining a plurality of battery usage amounts, each corresponding to one of a plurality of engine aftertreatment regeneration operation modes, and to select one of the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation modes having a corresponding battery usage amount that is not greater than the acceptable battery usage amount; and

wherein the regeneration control module is further structured to provide the engine aftertreatment regeneration command to initiate the selected engine aftertreatment regeneration operation mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the regeneration mode selection module is further structured to select the engine aftertreatment regeneration mode having a greatest difference between the corresponding battery usage amount and the acceptable battery usage amount.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a regeneration priority module structured to adjust the minimum SOC in response to a value of the regeneration request index.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a regeneration opportunity module structured to lower the first threshold in response to the battery usage amount being below a second threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a regeneration opportunity module structured to adjust the first threshold as a function of the battery usage amount.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a regeneration monitoring module structured to update at least one of the acceptable battery usage amount and the battery usage amount during the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation, and wherein the regeneration control module is further structured to stop the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the battery usage amount going below the acceptable battery usage amount.

18. A system, comprising:

a vehicle having a hybrid powertrain system including a first motive power contributor comprising an internal combustion engine and a second motive power contributor comprising a battery;

an engine aftertreatment system receiving an exhaust stream from the engine, the engine aftertreatment system requiring episodic regeneration events;

a controller, comprising;

a regeneration request module structured to interpret a regeneration request index and to determine that an engine aftertreatment regeneration operation is indicated in response to the regeneration request index exceeding a first threshold;

a battery consumption module structured to calculate a battery usage amount for an engine aftertreatment operation in response to the indicated engine aftertreatment regeneration operation;

a battery monitoring module structured to determine an acceptable battery usage amount in response to a current battery state of charge (current SOC) and a minimum battery state of charge (minimum SOC)), wherein the acceptable battery usage amount is increased by lowering the minimum SOC as an urgency of the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation indicated by the regeneration request index increases; and

a regeneration control module structured to provide an engine aftertreatment regeneration command to initiate the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the battery usage amount and the acceptable battery usage amount.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a regeneration opportunity module structured to determine a battery regeneration margin comprising a difference between the acceptable battery usage amount and the battery usage amount, and wherein the regeneration request module is further structured to lower the first threshold in response to the battery regeneration margin being greater than a third threshold.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising a regeneration monitoring module structured to update at least one of the acceptable battery usage amount and the battery usage amount during the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation, and wherein the regeneration control module is further structured to stop the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the battery usage amount going below the acceptable battery usage amount.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the regeneration control module is further structured to suspend the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the vehicle stopping.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a regeneration monitoring module structured to update the acceptable battery usage amount and the battery usage amount, and wherein the regeneration control module is further structured to resume the engine aftertreatment regeneration operation in response to the vehicle resuming movement and the updated battery usage amount being not greater than the updated acceptable battery usage amount.