Method and system for reducing emissions from an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018171853-A1
Application number	US-201615735461-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Jun 12, 2015
Publication date	Jun 21, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, devices, methods and programs for reducing emissions from engines are provided. For example, one system for reducing emissions from engines comprises a heating controller coupled to an energy storage device (ESD). The heating controller is configured to control a heating element to heat one or more components of an after-treatment system using energy from the ESD under a first condition and to control the heating element to stop heating the one or more components of the after-treatment system when a second condition is satisfied. Additionally, another system for reducing emissions from engines comprises a controller detecting a decrease in a demanded torque from an engine and an ISG. The controller is then configured to operate a clutch to disengage the engine from the ISG, if after removing fuel from the engine, the sensed speed of the engine is above a threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heating system comprising:
an energy storage device; and a heating controller coupled to the energy storage device, the heating controller configured to control a heating element to heat one or more components of an after-treatment system using energy from the energy storage device under a first condition and to control the heating element to stop heating the one or more components of the after-treatment system when a second condition is satisfied.

2 . The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the first condition is selected from a group consisting of a receipt of an engine start signal, an engine wait to start signal and a request to start signal.

3 . The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating controller receives a sensed temperature from a temperature sensor coupled to the after-treatment system.

4 . The heating system according to claim 3 , wherein the first condition is a sensed temperature of the after-treatment system less than or equal to a first predetermined threshold after receiving an engine start signal.

5 . The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the after-treatment system comprising a plurality of components and wherein the heating controller receives a sensed temperature from a temperature sensor coupled to each component of the plurality of components, and wherein the heating element comprises a plurality of heating elements, where one heating element is provided for each of the plurality of components.

6 . The heating system according to claim 5 , wherein when the heating controller receive a sensed temperature from one of the temperature sensors less than or equal to a first predetermined threshold, the heating controller controls the heating element associated with the component of the plurality of component that corresponds to the temperature sensor less than or equal to the first predetermined threshold to heat the component.

7 . The heating system according to claim 5 , wherein when the heating controller receive a sensed temperature from one of the temperature sensors less than or equal to a first predetermined threshold, the heating controller controls the plurality of heating elements to heat the respective component of the plurality of components.

8 . The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a relay, and wherein the heating controller closes the relay to supply power to the heating element.

9 . The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the second condition is a predetermined period of time after controlling the heating element to start heating the one or more components of the after-treatment system.

10 . The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the second condition is based on a temperature of the after-treatment system.

11 . The heating system according to claim 4 , wherein the heating controller is configured to control a level of heat based on the sensed temperature received from the temperature sensor, wherein the heating controller supplies a first power level to the heating element when the sensed temperature is between the first predetermined threshold and a second predetermined threshold and supplies a second power level to the heating element when the sensed temperature is below the second predetermined threshold, the second power level is greater than the first power level, the second predetermined threshold is lower than the first predetermined threshold.

12 . The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating controller is a thermal switch having a temperature threshold, the thermal switch being configured to close when the temperature is at or below the temperature threshold to electrically connect the energy storage device with the heating element.

13 . The heating system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating controller is configured to monitor a master event and when the master event occurs, control the heating element to heat the one or more components of the after-treatment system.

14 . A system for hybrid vehicle, the system comprising:
an compressed natural gas engine; a clutch; an integrated starter/generator (ISG) coupled to said compressed natural gas engine by way of said clutch; and a controller configured to control a clutch control assembly, the clutch, and the ISG, where the clutch control assembly is coupled to the clutch to engage and disengage the clutch; wherein when said controller detects a torque of the compressed natural gas engine below or equal to a predetermined threshold, the controller is configured to operate the clutch to disengage said compressed natural gas engine from said ISG using the clutch control assembly when a temperature of an after treatment system is less than or equal to a first predetermined threshold and, wherein the clutch is maintained in a disengaged state until a torque demand exceeds a torque threshold.

15 . The system for hybrid vehicle according to claim 14 , further comprising a heating element positioned proximate to one or more components of the after treatment system, wherein the controller is further configured to activate the heating element after said compressed natural gas engine is disengaged from said ISG when the temperature of the after treatment system is less than or equal to a second predetermined threshold.

16 . The system for hybrid vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate the clutch to reengage the compressed natural gas engine to said ISG using the clutch control assembly when the torque demand exceeds the torque threshold and deactivate the heating element when the temperature of the after treatment system is greater than a third predetermined threshold.

17 . An engine after-treatment heating system comprising:
a normally open thermal switch having a first terminal electrically coupled to a power supply, the normally open thermal switch has a preset temperature trigger at or below which the thermal switch closes; and a resistive heating element, the resistive heating element is coupled to a second terminal of the normally open thermal switch, wherein when the thermal switch closes, power is supplied from the power supply to the resistive heating element causing the resistive heating element to heat one or more components of an after-treatment system.

18 . The engine after-treatment heating system of claim 17 , wherein the normally open thermal switch is resettable and wherein when a temperature increases to above the preset temperature due to the resistive heating element heating one or more components of the after-treatment system, the normally open thermal switch opens, electrical isolating the power supply from the resistive heating element.

19 . The engine after-treatment heating system of claim 17 , further comprising a switch coupled to an ignition switch, a first terminal of the switch is coupled to the power supply and a second terminal of the switch is coupled to the normally open thermal switch, the switch is configured to be normally open, wherein when the switch receives a signal from the ignition switch, the switch closes, electrical coupling the power supply to the normally open thermal switch.

Assignees

• Bae Sys Controls Inc

Inventors

• Matthews Derek Mt
• Wells Timothy L

Classifications

• F02B2043/103

  Natural gas, e.g. methane or LNG used as a fuel · CPC title

• F01N9/00 Primary

  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

• F02N15/022

  the starter comprising an intermediate clutch · CPC title

• Y10S903/902

  Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors · CPC title

• F01N2900/08

  said parameters being related to the engine · CPC title