Idle speed gpf regeneration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201532-A1
Application number	US-201514592617-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 8, 2015
Priority date	Jan 8, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for coordinating the regeneration of a gasoline particulate filter to a time duration when engine output falls below a predetermined load threshold selected to indicate a low power state of the engine. In one particular example, the engine is configured to adjust engine operations to regenerate the particulate filter responsive to engine output falling below a predetermined low power threshold, the regeneration further based on an estimated duration that the output falls continuously below the low power threshold. The system and methods described advantageously allow for either full or partial regeneration events to be performed based on the estimated duration of the engine output below the low power threshold.

First claim

1 . A method for regenerating a particulate filter, comprising:
adjusting engine operations to regenerate the particulate filter responsive to engine output falling below a predetermined low power threshold, the regeneration further based on an estimated duration that the output is continuously below the low power threshold.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing information from a cloud navigation system and estimating an uninterrupted duration that the engine output falls below the low power threshold based on information from the cloud navigation system.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising identifying periods of operation that the engine output falls continuously below the low power threshold for the estimated uninterrupted duration responsive to a soot load exceeding a threshold.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further including performing a full regeneration responsive to the estimated uninterrupted duration exceeding a predetermined time threshold.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further including performing only a partial regeneration responsive to the estimated duration falling continuously below the predetermined time threshold.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein adjusting engine operations to regenerate the particulate filter responsive to engine output falling below the predetermined low power threshold includes preventing fuel injection to a cylinder of the engine, the amount of fuel injected to the cylinder based on the estimated uninterrupted duration of the engine output below the low power threshold.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein an amount of fuel injected to one or more remaining cylinders is increased responsive to the fuel injection prevented to the cylinder, the engine output being maintained during the particulate filter regeneration.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising controlling a level of fuel injected to the cylinder of the engine to adjust a flow of oxygen to the particulate filter, the flow of oxygen to the particulate filter providing for adjusting the rate of regeneration.

9 . The method of claim 2 , further including estimating the uninterrupted duration that the engine falls below the power threshold based on an output trend of the engine.

10 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising suspending the particulate filter regeneration responsive to the engine output rising above the low power threshold during the regeneration, wherein suspending the regeneration includes readjusting engine operations to provide engine power based on a power demand.

11 . An engine system, comprising:
at least two cylinders configured with a fuel injector communicatively attached to each cylinder, a gasoline particulate filter, and a controller configured to process one or more of cloud data and an engine output trend to estimate a time duration that the engine power falls below a low power threshold, the controller being configured to adjust engine operations for regenerating the particulate filter responsive to the estimated time duration based on the engine power falling continuously below the low power threshold.

12 . The engine system of claim 11 , further including a predetermined time threshold for indicating an extent of regeneration based on the estimated time duration, the system being configured to perform a full GPF regeneration responsive to the estimated time duration exceeding the time threshold, and configured to perform only a partial GPF regeneration when the estimated time duration falls below the predetermined time threshold.

13 . The engine system of claim 12 , wherein the full GPF regeneration is based on a continuously uninterrupted estimated time duration that the engine power falls below the low power threshold.

14 . The engine system of claim 12 , wherein the extent of partial GPF regeneration is based on the estimated time duration that the engine falls continuously below the low power threshold.

15 . The engine system of claim 14 , further configured to perform a series of partial GPF regenerations based on a plurality of estimated time durations, the plurality of estimated time durations indicating a period of time the engine output falls below the low power threshold, each of the plurality of estimated time duration being separated by intervening periods of engine output exceeding the low power threshold.

16 . The engine system of claim 15 , wherein the extent of each partial GPF regeneration is further based on each time duration estimated, the series of partial GPF regenerations coordinately performing the full GPF regeneration.

17 . The engine system of claim 12 , further including decreasing an amount of fuel injected to a cylinder to regenerate the particulate filter while increasing the amount of fuel injected to one or more remaining cylinders to maintain the engine output during the regeneration.

18 . The engine system of claim 17 , further comprising controlling the amount of fuel injected to the cylinder to adjust a rate of GPF regeneration, the extent of fuel injection allowing for adjusting the rate of GPF regeneration by adjusting a flow of oxygen to the exhaust based on the estimated time duration.

19 . The engine system of claim 18 , further comprising controlling the amount of fuel injected to the one or more remaining cylinders to maintain engine output based on the estimated time duration.

20 . A method for regenerating a particulate filter based on an estimated duration of time that an engine output falls below a low power threshold, comprising:
processing cloud data to estimate the duration of time the engine output falls below the low power threshold, comparing the estimated duration of time to a predetermined time threshold, and adjusting engine operations responsive to the estimation to regenerate the particulate filter based on the engine output falling below the low power threshold, wherein the method includes performing a full GPF regeneration responsive to the estimated duration exceeding the predetermined time threshold, and performing a partial GPF regeneration responsive to the estimated duration of time falling below the predetermined time threshold.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Chanko Timothy Brian
• Warner James Robert
• Dobson Douglas Allen
• Upadhyay Devesh

Classifications

• F01N3/0232 Primary

  removing incombustible material from a particle filter, e.g. ash · CPC title

• F01N2900/10

  said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components · CPC title

• F01N9/002 Primary

  of filter regeneration · CPC title

• F02D41/029

  the exhaust gas treating apparatus being a particulate filter · CPC title

• F01N2430/00

  Influencing exhaust purification, e.g. starting of catalytic reaction, filter regeneration, or the like, by controlling engine operating characteristics · CPC title