Virtual sensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10544722-B2
Application number	US-201715447942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2017
Priority date	Mar 2, 2016
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A control system for a heating system of an exhaust system is provided. The control system includes at least one electric heater disposed within an exhaust fluid flow pathway, and a control device adapted to receive at least one input selected from the group consisting of mass flow rate of an exhaust fluid flow, mass velocity of an exhaust fluid flow, flow temperature upstream of the at least one electric heater, flow temperature downstream of the at least one electric heater, power input to the at least one electric heater, parameters derived from physical characteristics of the heating system, and combinations thereof. The control device is operable to modulate power to the at least one electric heater based on at least one input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating system for an exhaust system, the heating system comprising:
at least one electric heater disposed within an exhaust fluid flow pathway, wherein the at least one electric heater comprises a sheath; and
a control device including a microprocessor and connected to the at least one electric heater, the control device being configured to determine a sheath temperature based on a predefined model and at least one input, wherein the control device is configured to provide power to the at least one electric heater based on the determined sheath temperature.

2. The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electric heater is selected from the group consisting of a band heater, a bare wire resistive heating element, a cable heater, a cartridge heater, a layered heater, a strip heater, and a tubular heater.

3. The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to determine the sheath temperature using inputs that include a set point, a mass flow rate, an inlet temperature, or a combination thereof.

4. The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is operable to receive input associated with radiation effects.

5. The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to determine the sheath temperature using inputs that include a set point, a mass flow rate, an inlet temperature, or a combination thereof, and further wherein the mass flow rate is determined by a parameter that includes measured manifold absolute pressure (MAP), the combination of an inlet air mass flow rate and fuel consumption, or a combination thereof.

6. An engine system comprising the heating system according to claim 1 .

7. The engine system according to claim 6 , wherein the control device is adapted to receive engine inputs that include engine parameters, exhaust parameters, electrical power output, heater parameters, or a combination thereof, and the control device is operable to generate an output that includes a power consumption, an exhaust temperature, a heater temperature, a diagnostics, an exhaust mass flow rate, or combination thereof.

8. The engine system according to claim 6 , wherein the heating system is operable to diagnose degrading engine system components.

9. The engine system according to claim 8 , wherein the heating system is in communication with an engine control unit and adapted to trigger a diagnostic trouble code when a determined parameter is mismatched with a preset parameter.

10. The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electric heater includes a resistive heating element.

11. The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one input includes a mass flow rate of an exhaust fluid flow, a mass velocity of the exhaust fluid flow, a flow temperature upstream of the at least one electric heater, a flow temperature downstream of the at least one electric heater, a power input to the at least one electric heater, parameters derived from physical characteristics of the heating system, or a combination thereof.

12. The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to determine the sheath temperature based on the following equation

T
s

=

T
out

+

(

kW

A
s

)

K
D

⁢

{

C
2

·
C
·

Pr
0.36

⁡

(

Pr

Pr
s

)

0.25

⁡

[

D
μ

⁢

(

S
T

S
T

-
D

)

⁢

(

M
in

+

M
fuel

A
c

)

]

m

}

where:
Ac is a heater cross-sectional area,
As is sheath area,
C is a first constant based on Reynolds number,
C 2 is an offset based on number of heater elements,
D is a heater element diameter,
K is a thermal conductivity of air,
kW is a total heater power,
M fuel is a mass flow rate of fuel,
M in is inlet mass air flow rate,
m is a second constant based on Reynolds number

Assignees

• Watlow Electric Mfg

Inventors

• Pradun James N
• Zhang Sanhong
• Quandt Jeremy J
• Culbertson David P
• Khair Magdi

Classifications

• F02D41/1447

  with determination means using an estimation · CPC title

• F01N11/002

  the diagnostic devices measuring or estimating temperature or pressure in, or downstream of the exhaust apparatus · CPC title

• F01N2240/36

  an exhaust flap · CPC title

• H05B3/20

  Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional [2D] plane, e.g. plate-heater (H05B3/62, H05B3/68, H05B3/78, H05B3/84 take precedence) · CPC title

• F01N2560/06

  the means being a temperature sensor · CPC title