System and method for operating a diesel engine

• US 9,308,910 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Doosan Bobcat North America Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Clark Equipment Company (Doosan Enerbility Company Limited)
• Inventors: Gunn, John Thomas, Edwards, Robert Porter, Reavis, Barry Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Julio Gonzalez
• Application Number:
  US14/267,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20140327248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 290/40.R, 290/40.C, 290/52
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/12 of exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/16 for reducing engine exhaust emissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/476 Regeneration of particle filters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2590/06 for hand-held tools or portables devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2590/10 for stationary applications
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/08 said parameters being related to the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1404 Exhaust gas temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/021 by means of filters
• 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 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: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/026 : using an external load, e.g. by increasing generator load or by changing the gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2075 : Type of transistors or particular use thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 : peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/0007 : using electrical feedback F02D35/0015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 : Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/029 : the exhaust gas treating apparatus being a particulate filter
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/20 : Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1815 : structurally associated with reciprocating piston engines general aspects of generating sets, e.g. housing, F02B63/04
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/04 : Control effected upon non-electric prime mover and dependent upon electric output value of the generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems

Abstract

A power generating set includes an engine operable in response to a flow of fuel to produce a flow of exhaust gas. A generator is coupled to the engine and is operable in response to operation of the engine to produce a total electrical power, a primary load is electrically connected to the generator to receive a portion of the total electrical power, and a secondary load is selectively connected to the generator to receive a portion of the total electrical power. An insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is positioned to selectively transition between a connected state and a disconnected state. The secondary load is connected to the generator when the IGBT is in the connected state and is disconnected from the generator when the IGBT is in the disconnected state.

Claims

1. A power generating set comprising:

an engine operable in response to a flow of fuel to produce a flow of exhaust gas;

a generator coupled to the engine and operable in response to operation of the engine to produce a total electrical power;

a primary load electrically connected to the generator to receive a portion of the total electrical power;

a secondary load selectively connected to the generator to receive a portion of the total electrical power;

an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) positioned to selectively transition between a connected state and a disconnected state, wherein the secondary load is connected to the generator when the IGBT is in the connected state and is disconnected from the generator when the IGBT is in the disconnected state; and

a particulate filter positioned to receive the flow of exhaust gas from the engine and to filter particulate matter from the exhaust gas,

wherein the primary load follows a cyclical pattern, and wherein the IGBT switches between states to selectively connect and disconnect the entire secondary load to maintain an engine parameter above a predetermined value for a predetermined portion of each cycle of the primary load, and

wherein the secondary load is positioned within the flow of exhaust gas to heat the flow of exhaust gas before the exhaust gas enters the particulate filter.

2. The power generating set of claim 1, wherein the engine is a diesel engine and the total electrical power includes a three phase alternating current.

3. The power generating set of claim 1, wherein the engine parameter is an exhaust gas temperature, the predetermined value is a temperature threshold suitable for passive filter regeneration, and the predetermined portion of each cycle is between 10 percent and 30 percent.

4. The power generating set of claim 1, wherein the engine parameter is an exhaust gas temperature, the predetermined value is a temperature level suitable for active filter regeneration, and the predetermined portion of each cycle is at least 90 percent.

5. The power generating set of claim 4, further comprising a controller operable to vary operation of the engine to allow a portion of the flow of fuel to pass to the particulate filter for active filter regeneration and to control the state of the IGBT.

6. The power generating set of claim 1, further comprising a controller operable to apply a pulse width modulation signal to the IGBT to control the state of the IGBT.

7. The power generating set of claim 1, wherein the predetermined portion is a high-load portion, wherein the cyclical pattern further has a low-load portion, wherein the heat from the flow of exhaust is sufficient for passive filter regeneration during the high-load portion, and wherein the heat from the flow of exhaust is sufficient for active filter regeneration during the low-load portion.

8. A power generating set comprising:

a generator operable to produce a total electrical power;

a diesel engine operable in response to a flow of fuel to drive the generator and to produce a flow of exhaust gas having an exhaust gas temperature;

a particulate filter positioned to receive the flow of exhaust gas from the diesel engine and to filter particulate matter from the exhaust gas;

a primary load electrically connected to the generator to receive a portion of the total electrical power, the primary load having a cyclical pattern;

a secondary load selectively connected to the generator to selectively receive a portion of the total electrical power;

a switching element operable to selectively transition between a connected state and a disconnected state, wherein the secondary load is connected to the generator when the switching element is in the connected state and is disconnected from the generator when the switching element is in the disconnected state; and

a controller operable to vary the state of the switching element to maintain an engine at a total load above a predetermined value for a predetermined portion of each cycle of the primary load such that the heat from the flow of exhaust is sufficient to one of passively regenerate or actively regenerate the particulate filter.

9. The power generating set of claim 8, wherein the switching element includes an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

10. The power generating set of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to apply a pulse width modulation signal to the IGBT to control the state of the IGBT.

11. The power generating set of claim 8, wherein the engine parameter is an exhaust gas temperature, the predetermined value is a temperature threshold suitable for passive filter regeneration, and the predetermined portion of each cycle is between 10 percent and 30 percent.

12. The power generating set of claim 8, wherein the engine parameter is an exhaust gas temperature, the predetermined value is a temperature level suitable for active filter regeneration, and the predetermined portion of each cycle is at least 90 percent.

13. The power generating set of claim 12, wherein the controller is operable to vary operation of the diesel engine to allow a portion of the flow of fuel to pass to the particulate filter for active filter regeneration.

14. The power generating set of claim 8, wherein the secondary load is positioned within the flow of exhaust gas to heat the flow of exhaust gas before the exhaust gas enters the particulate filter.

15. The power generating set of claim 8, wherein the predetermined portion is a high-load portion, wherein the cyclical pattern further has a low-load portion, wherein the heat from the flow of exhaust is sufficient for passive filter regeneration during the high-load portion, and wherein the heat from the flow of exhaust is sufficient for active filter regeneration during the low-load portion.

16. A method of operating a power generating set, the method comprising:

operating a diesel engine to drive a generator;

generating a total electrical power during generator operation;

switching a switching element between a connected state and a disconnected state to selectively direct a portion of the total electrical power to a secondary load when the switching element is in the connected state;

directing the remaining total electrical power to a primary load, the primary load having a cyclical pattern; and

regenerating a particulate filter by moving the switching element between the connected state and the disconnected state to maintain an engine at a total load above a predetermined value for a predetermined portion of each cycle of the primary load such that the heat from a flow of exhaust from the diesel engine is sufficient to one of passively regenerate or actively regenerate the particulate filter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the switching step includes applying a pulse width modulation signal to an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) to control the state of the switching element.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the engine parameter is an exhaust gas temperature, the predetermined value is a temperature threshold suitable for passive filter regeneration, and the predetermined portion of each cycle is between 10 percent and 30 percent.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the engine parameter is an exhaust gas temperature, the predetermined value is a temperature level suitable for active filter regeneration, and the predetermined portion of each cycle is at least 90 percent.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined portion is a high-load portion, wherein the cyclical pattern further has a low-load portion, wherein the heat from the flow of exhaust is sufficient for passive filter regeneration during the high-load portion, and wherein the heat from the flow of exhaust is sufficient for active filter regeneration during the low-load portion.