Aftertreatment system having dynamic independent injector control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9624805-B2
Application number	US-201414468591-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2014
Priority date	Aug 26, 2014
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

An aftertreatment system is provided for an engine. The aftertreatment system may have at least one exhaust passage and a plurality of reductant injectors that are controllable to dose reductant into the at least one exhaust passage. The aftertreatment system may also have at least one sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of an exhaust parameter and a controller in communication with each of the plurality of reductant injectors and the sensor. The controller may be configured to dynamically adjust the dosing of the plurality of injectors, wherein adjusting the dosing includes adjusting at least one of an injector timing, an injector sequence, and a grouping of the plurality of injectors that are simultaneously injecting based on the signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aftertreatment system, comprising:
at least one exhaust passage;
a plurality of reductant injectors that are controllable to dose reductant into the at least one exhaust passage;
at least one sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of an exhaust parameter; and
a controller in communication with each of the plurality of reductant injectors and the sensor, the controller being configured to
determine a defined dosing period based on the signal, the dosing period including a duration for which the reductant injectors dose reductant;
divide the defined dosing period into a first number of sub-periods based on a second number of the reductant injectors;
assign at least one of the reductant injectors to at least one of the sub-periods, the at least one injector being configured to dose reductant only during the at least one of the sub-periods;
adjust an injector timing for at least one of the reductant injectors; and
start a newly defined dosing period following conclusion of a preceding defined dosing period.

2. The aftertreatment system of claim 1 , further including a plurality of valves, wherein one of the plurality of valves is in-line with each of the reductant injectors and the plurality of reductant injectors are independently controllable by opening and closing of the plurality of valves.

3. The aftertreatment system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust dosing of the plurality of reductant injectors to maintain an overall consistent discharge of exhaust emissions from the at least one exhaust passage.

4. The aftertreatment system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to select a subset of the reductant injectors configured to dose reductant simultaneously.

5. The aftertreatment system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust a sequence of dosing of the reductant injectors.

6. The aftertreatment system of claim 1 , wherein the duration of each sub-period is equal.

7. The aftertreatment system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the sequence by adjusting assignment of the reductant injectors to the sub-periods.

8. The aftertreatment system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust a grouping of the plurality of reductant injectors by adjusting assignment of the sub-periods.

9. The aftertreatment system of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust parameter can include at least one of NOx quantity, a reductant dosing rate, an exhaust mass flow rate, an exhaust temperature, a catalyst substrate temperature, and a catalyst substrate degradation.

10. A method of dosing reductant, comprising:
dosing reductant from one or more injectors into an exhaust flow at a plurality of different locations along an exhaust passage;
detecting an exhaust parameter of the exhaust flow;
determining a defined dosing period based on the exhaust parameter, the dosing period including a duration for which the injectors dose reductant;
dividing the defined dosing period into a first number of sub-periods based on a second number of the injectors;
assigning at least one of the injectors to at least one of the sub-periods, the at least one injector being configured to dose reductant only during the at least one of the sub-periods; and
starting a newly defined dosing period following conclusion of a preceding defined dosing period.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the exhaust parameter can include at least one of NOx quantity, a reductant dosing rate, an exhaust mass flow rate, an exhaust temperature, a catalyst substrate temperature, and a catalyst substrate degradation.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein dynamically adjusting the dosing based on the exhaust parameter maintains an overall consistent discharge of exhaust emissions.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first number is equal to the second number.

14. The method of claim 13 , further including adjusting a dosing sequence of a plurality of locations, or selecting a subset of the locations for simultaneously injecting reductant.

15. The method of claim 13 , further including adjusting an injector timing for at least one of the injectors.

16. The method of claim 14 , further including adjusting at least one of a sequence of dosing by the one or more injectors and a grouping of the one or more injectors by adjusting the one or more injectors sub-period assignments.

17. An engine, comprising:
an engine block at least partially defining a plurality of combustion chambers;
an exhaust manifold extending from the plurality of combustion chambers;
a turbocharger connected to the exhaust manifold;
at least one exhaust passage connected to an outlet of the turbocharger;
a plurality of reductant injectors that are controllable to release reductant into the at least one exhaust passage;
at least one sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of an exhaust parameter; and
a controller in communication with each of the plurality of reductant injectors and the sensor, the controller being configured to:
determine a defined dosing period based on the signal, the dosing period including a duration for which the reductant injectors dose reductant;
divide the defined dosing period into a first number of sub-periods based on a second number of the reductant injectors;
assign at least one of the reductant injectors to at least one of the sub-periods, the at least one reductant injector being configured to dose reductant only during the at least one of the sub-periods; and

start a newly defined dosing period following conclusion of a preceding defined dosing period.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Wentzel Daniel Robert
• Cole Brian Michael

Classifications

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F01N2560/07

  the means being an exhaust gas flow rate or velocity meter or sensor, intake flow meters only when exclusively used to determine exhaust gas parameters · CPC title

• F01N2900/1411

  Exhaust gas flow rate, e.g. mass flow rate or volumetric flow rate · CPC title

• F01N2560/14

  having more than one sensor of one kind · CPC title

• F01N2560/026

  for measuring or detecting NOx · CPC title