Systems and methods for migitating emissions generated by hybrid vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026091771-A1
Application number	US-202418904937-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 2, 2024
Priority date	Oct 2, 2024
Publication date	Apr 2, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

An ICE emission mitigation signal is received prior to normal operation of an ICE of a hybrid vehicle. A command is issued to at least partially open a throttle to enable air flow into an intake manifold. A command is issued to an electric motor system to rotate a crankshaft coupled to each of the cylinders. The reciprocating motion of a piston in each cylinder compresses air in a combustion chamber of the cylinder causing compressed air to flow out of the combustion chamber. The air flowing into the combustion chamber has a first temperature and the compressed air flowing out of the combustion chamber has a second temperature. The second temperature is higher than the first temperature. The compressed air flows from the combustion chamber of the cylinder to an exhaust manifold via an exhaust valve of the cylinder and from the exhaust manifold through a catalyst brick.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of mitigating emissions generated by a hybrid vehicle comprising:
receiving at a controller, an internal combustion engine (ICE) emission mitigation signal prior to initiating normal operation of an ICE of the hybrid vehicle, the ICE comprising a plurality of cylinders, wherein each of the plurality of cylinders comprises:
a combustion chamber;
an intake valve configured to be opened to enable a first air flow from an intake manifold to the combustion chamber and closed to restrict the first air flow from the intake manifold to the combustion chamber;
an exhaust valve configured to be opened to enable a second air flow from the combustion chamber to an exhaust manifold and a closed to restrict the second air flow from the combustion chamber to the exhaust manifold;
a piston; and
a crankshaft coupled to the piston, wherein rotation of the crankshaft causes a reciprocating motion of the piston within the cylinder;
issuing, by the controller, a first command to a throttle system of the hybrid vehicle to at least partially open a throttle to enable air flow into the intake manifold; issuing, by the controller, a second command to an electric motor system of the hybrid vehicle to rotate the crankshaft coupled to each of the plurality of cylinders, wherein:
the reciprocating motion of the piston in each cylinder compresses air in the combustion chamber of the cylinder causing the second air flow to be a compressed version of the first air flow;
the first air flow has a first temperature, and the second flow air flow has a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature; and
the second air flow flows from the combustion chamber of the cylinder to the exhaust manifold via the exhaust valve of the cylinder and from the exhaust manifold through a catalyst brick.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an exhaust back pressure valve is disposed one of between the exhaust manifold and the catalyst brick and after the catalyst brick, and the method further comprises issuing by the controller, a third command to an exhaust back pressure valve system to at least partially close the exhaust back pressure valve.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the electric motor system comprises at least one of an P0 electric motor, a P1 electric motor, a P2 electric motor, a P3 electric motor, and a P4 electric motor; and issuing, by the controller, the second command to the electric motor system to rotate the crankshaft coupled to each of the plurality of cylinders causes one of the at least one of the P0 electric motor, the P1 electric motor, the P2 electric motor, the P3 electric motor, and the P4 electric motor to generate electrical power to implement the rotation of the crankshaft.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising issuing by the controller, a fourth command to an oil pump system to increase lubricant oil flow into the ICE.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising issuing by the controller, a fifth command a thermal coolant system to one of turn off coolant flow to the ICE and turn off coolant flow to an oil-to-water heat exchanger.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising issuing by the controller a sixth command to a piston squirter system to squirt oil into the plurality of cylinders.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising issuing by the controller a seventh command to a variable valve timing (VVT) system to coordinate opening and closing timing of the intake valves and the exhaust valves of the plurality of cylinders to maximize temperature of air leaving the exhaust manifold.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine (ICE) emission mitigation signal is a hybrid vehicle turn-on signal.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine (ICE) emission mitigation signa is a low battery state of charge signal.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising issuing by the controller an eighth command to a catalyst heater system to turn on a catalyst heater, wherein the catalyst heater is disposed between the exhaust manifold and the catalyst brick.

11 . An emission mitigation system for a hybrid vehicle, comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory comprising instructions that upon execution by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to: receive an internal combustion engine (ICE) emission mitigation signal prior to initiating normal operation of an ICE of the hybrid vehicle, the ICE comprising a plurality of cylinders, wherein each of the plurality of cylinders comprises:
a combustion chamber;
an intake valve configured to be opened to enable a first air flow from an intake manifold to the combustion chamber and closed to restrict the first air flow from the intake manifold to the combustion chamber;
an exhaust valve configured to be opened to enable a second air flow from the combustion chamber to an exhaust manifold and a closed to restrict the second air flow from the combustion chamber to the exhaust manifold;
a piston; and
a crankshaft coupled to the piston, wherein rotation of the crankshaft causes a reciprocating motion of the piston within the cylinder;
issue a first command to a throttle system of the hybrid vehicle to at least partially open a throttle to enable air flow into the intake manifold; issue a second command to an electric motor system of the hybrid vehicle to rotate the crankshaft coupled to each of the plurality of cylinders, wherein:
the reciprocating motion of the piston in each cylinder compresses air in the combustion chamber of the cylinder causing the second air flow to be a compressed version of the first air flow;
the first air flow has a first temperature, and the second flow air flow has a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature; and
the second air flow flows from the combustion chamber of the cylinder to the exhaust manifold via the exhaust valve of the cylinder and from the exhaust manifold through a catalyst brick.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein:
an exhaust back pressure valve is disposed one of between the exhaust manifold and the catalyst brick and after the catalyst brick; and the at least one memory further comprises instructions that upon execution by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to issue a third command to an exhaust back pressure valve system to at least partially close the exhaust back pressure valve.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein:
the electric motor system comprises at least one of an P0 electric motor, a P1 electric motor, a P2 electric motor, a P3 electric motor, and a P4 electric motor; and the at least one memory further comprises instructions that upon execution by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to issue the second command to the electric motor system to rotate the crankshaft using at least one of the P0 electric motor, the P1 electric motor, the P2 electric motor, the P3 electric motor, and the P4 electric motor to generate electrical power to implement the rotation of the crankshaft.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory further comprises instructions that upon execution by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to issue a fourth command to an oil pump system to an oil pump system to increase lubricant oil flow into the ICE.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory furthe

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Sarwar Azeem
• Claywell Mark
• Ali Khan Maqsood Rizwan

Classifications

• B60W10/08

  including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators · CPC title

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• B60W10/30

  including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps · CPC title

• B60W20/16 Primary

  for reducing engine exhaust emissions · CPC title