Methods relating to exhaust after-treatment devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016251012-A1
Application number	US-201615045489-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 18, 2015
Publication date	Sep 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an operating method for a motor vehicle having a hybrid drivetrain where in a demand check, at least one exhaust-gas after-treatment actual value, which characterizes a current exhaust-gas after-treatment actual state, is compared with an exhaust-gas after-treatment setpoint value, and if, in the event of a deviation of the exhaust-gas after-treatment actual value from the exhaust-gas after-treatment setpoint value, a demand for a measure is detected. The measure comprises supplying charge gas, which has recirculated exhaust gas, to the internal combustion engine during overrun operation. Also a capability check is carried out to detect conditions suitable for implementing the operating method.

First claim

1 . A method for a vehicle having an engine, comprising:
during an overrun condition, comparing an actual value of an exhaust after-treatment device to a setpoint value, the exhaust after-treatment device coupled in an exhaust tract of the engine; and in the event of a deviation of the actual value from the setpoint value, selectively implementing a measure including feeding charge gas having recirculated exhaust gas to the engine via a loop.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the measure further comprises introducing fuel into the loop to enrich the recirculated exhaust gas.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle has a hybrid drivetrain including an electric machine, and wherein the measure further comprises operating the electric machine.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein operating the electric machine includes operating the electric machine to drive the vehicle, and wherein during the overrun condition, the vehicle is not driven via the engine.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein operating the electric machine includes operating the electric machine to spin the engine at a specific rotational speed, and wherein during the overrun condition, the vehicle is not driven via the engine.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the actual value of the exhaust after-treatment device includes one or more of an ammonia loading, a nitrogen oxide load, a sulfur oxide content, a nitrogen oxide content and soot loading of the exhaust after-treatment device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an extent of the measure that is implemented based on the deviation.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing a motor vehicle value representative of an actual state of the motor vehicle to a motor vehicle setpoint value, and wherein selectively implementing the measure includes implementing the measure if the actual state of the motor vehicle corresponds to the setpoint value.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the motor vehicle value includes one or more of a motor vehicle speed, engine speed, motor vehicle load, fuel injection quantity, brake pedal position, accelerator pedal position, clutch pedal position.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the motor vehicle value is inferred from one or more of navigation information and traffic information received from a navigation system of the vehicle, and vehicle information received from a cruise control system of the vehicle.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein feeding charge gas having recirculated exhaust gas to the engine via the loop includes feeding charge gas having one or more of low pressure and high pressure recirculated gas, the low pressure recirculated gas including exhaust gas recirculated from downstream of an exhaust turbine to upstream of an intake compressor, the high pressure recirculated gas including exhaust gas recirculated from upstream of the exhaust turbine to downstream of the intake compressor.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selectively implementing the measure includes implementing the measure during the overrun condition and wherein the overrun condition includes the engine spinning unfueled, an intake throttle coupled in an intake tract of the engine being closed, and the vehicle being propelled using motor torque from the electric machine.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising implementing the measure until the actual value is at the setpoint value.

14 . A vehicle system, comprising:
an electric machine; an internal combustion engine having an intake-air tract, an exhaust tract, an exhaust-gas after-treatment device arranged in the exhaust tract, an exhaust-gas recirculation tract for conducting exhaust gas from the exhaust tract, downstream of the exhaust-gas after-treatment device, to the intake-air tract via a loop, and a valve coupled to each of the intake-air tract and the exhaust-gas recirculation tract; a hybrid drivetrain comprising the electric machine and the internal combustion engine; and a controller with computer readable instructions stored on non-transitory memory for:
in response to an actual value of the exhaust-gas after-treatment device deviating from a setpoint value, adjusting the valve to recirculate exhaust gas to the engine while controlling the electric machine during an overrun operation of the engine.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the engine further includes each of a fuel injector for introducing fuel into the loop and a urea injector for introducing urea into the loop, and wherein the controller includes further instructions for introducing one or more of fuel and urea into the loop via the injector to enrich the recirculated exhaust gas.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the exhaust-gas after-treatment device is a first exhaust-gas after-treatment device, the engine further comprising a second exhaust-gas after-treatment device arranged downstream of the first exhaust-gas after-treatment device.

17 . A method for a vehicle having an engine, comprising:
in response to deviation of an actual parameter of an exhaust after-treatment device coupled to an exhaust passage of the engine from a setpoint, recirculating exhaust gas to an intake passage of the engine during an engine overrun condition with an intake throttle closed.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle further comprising an electric machine, and wherein during the overrun condition, the vehicle is propelled via the machine and not propelled via the engine.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising, during the overrun condition, while propelling the vehicle via the electric machine, spinning the engine, unfueled, via the electric machine at a speed based on the deviation.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein recirculating exhaust gas includes recirculating from the exhaust passage to the intake passage via a loop, an amount of exhaust gas recirculated is based on the deviation and wherein the intake throttle is coupled at a junction between the intake passage and the loop.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Schneider Matthew Allen
• Linzen Frank
• Roemer Dirk
• De Smet Frederik
• Harmsen Jan
• Ford Kim
• Castellano Javier
• Arevalo Andres
• Angst Monika
• Balenovic Mario
• Smirnov Evgeny
• Ukropec Robert
• Vigild Christian Winge
• Goebel Felix

Classifications

• B60W2554/00

  Input parameters relating to objects · CPC title

• B60W2556/50

  of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data · CPC title

• F01N9/00

  Electrical control of exhaust gas treating apparatus (monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00; conjoint electrical control of two or more combustion engine functions F02D43/00) · CPC title

• F01N3/28

  Construction of catalytic reactors · CPC title

• F01N3/36

  Arrangements for supply of additional fuel · CPC title