System, method, and apparatus for managing aftertreatment temperature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9670855-B2
Application number	US-201514826718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2015
Priority date	Feb 18, 2013
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for controlling the temperature of an aftertreatment system, the method including interpreting an aftertreatment indicating temperature, determining that an engine fueling requirement is zero, and disengaging the engine from a transmission in response to the aftertreatment indicating temperature falling below a first threshold value and in response to the engine fueling requirement being zero, where the engine and the transmission comprise a portion of a vehicle powertrain. Alternatively, the method may include interpreting an aftertreatment indicating temperature, determining that an engine fueling requirement is zero, and performing a reduced air flow operation through the engine in response to the aftertreatment indicating temperature falling below a first threshold value and in response to the engine fueling requirement being zero.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
interpreting an aftertreatment indicating temperature;
determining that an engine fueling requirement is zero; and
disengaging the engine from a transmission in response to the aftertreatment indicating temperature falling below a first threshold value and in response to the engine fueling requirement being zero during a disengagement period, wherein the engine and the transmission comprise a portion of a vehicle powertrain.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aftertreatment indicating temperature comprises at least one temperature taken at an inlet, a bed, or an outlet and selected from the temperatures consisting of: a diesel oxidation catalyst temperature, a selective catalytic reduction temperature, a diesel particulate filter temperature, an oil temperature of the engine, and a coolant temperature of the engine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interpreting the aftertreatment indicating temperature comprises determining whether the engine is in an aftertreatment thermal management mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reengaging the engine with the transmission in response to the aftertreatment indicating temperature rising above a second threshold value, wherein the second threshold value is greater than the first threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising interpreting an imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature drop, and performing one of raising the second threshold value and extending the disengagement, in response to the imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature drop.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising interpreting an imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature rise, and lowering the second threshold value in response to the imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature rise.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising interpreting an imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature drop, and disengaging the engine from the transmission in response to the imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature drop.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the interpreting the imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature drop comprises at least one operation selected from the operations consisting of: determining that the engine is entering a low load condition, determining that the vehicle is approaching a downhill terrain feature, determining that the vehicle is approaching a scheduled stop, determining that the vehicle is approaching a regulatory stop, and determining that the vehicle is approaching a traffic induced stop.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising performing one of: raising the first threshold value and extending the disengagement, in response to the imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature drop.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising interpreting an imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature rise, and performing one of: lowering the first threshold value and delaying the disengagement of the engine from the transmission, in response to the imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature drop.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising stopping the engine during the disengagement period, and powering accessories from a kinetic energy of the vehicle during the disengagement period.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the engine in an idle mode during the disengagement period, wherein a difference between the idle mode and a conventional idle mode comprises at least one of the differences consisting of: a distinct target engine speed, a distinct valve timing, a distinct fuel timing, a distinct fuel amount, a distinct turbocharger operating position, a distinct EGR flow condition, a distinct EGR cooler flow amount, a distinct charge air cooler amount, a distinct accessory loading (including at least a cooling fan load or an air compressor load), a distinct air intake position, a distinct intake throttle position, and a distinct exhaust throttle position.

13. A method, comprising:
interpreting an aftertreatment indicating temperature;
determining that an engine fueling requirement is zero; and
performing a reduced air flow operation through the engine in response to the aftertreatment indicating temperature falling below a first threshold value and in response to the engine fueling requirement being zero, wherein the engine comprises a portion of a vehicle powertrain.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising interpreting an imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature drop, and performing the reduced air flow operation in response to the imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature drop.

15. The method claim 14 , further comprising performing one of: raising the first threshold value and extending the reduced air flow operation, in response to the imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature drop.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising interpreting an imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature rise, and performing one of: lowering the first threshold value and delaying the reduced air flow operation, in response to the imminent aftertreatment indicating temperature drop.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising operating the engine at a reduced engine speed during the reduced air flow operation.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the reduced air flow operation further comprises commanding a transmission to a higher gear, wherein the higher gear is unavailable for motive powering operation of the engine.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reduced air flow operation comprises at least one operation selected from the operations consisting of: changing an engine valve timing, changing an intake throttle position, changing an exhaust throttle position, changing a variable geometry turbocharger position, engaging an overdosed variable geometry turbocharger mode, changing an exhaust gas regeneration flow rate, changing an exhaust gas regeneration cooler flow rate, changing a charge air cooler flow rate, changing an intake air inlet position, engaging an intake air heater, activating a cooling fan, adjusting a flow amount to an engine radiator, and activating an air compressor load.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the aftertreatment indicating temperature comprises at least one temperature taken at an inlet, a bed, or an outlet and selected from the temperatures consisting of: a diesel oxidation catalyst temperature, a selective catalytic reduction temperature, a diesel particulate filter temperature, an oil temperature of the engine, and a coolant temperature of the engine.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the interpreting the aftertreatment indicating temperature comprises determining whether the engine is in an aftertreatment thermal management mode.

22. A system comprising:
an engine fluidly coupled to an aftertreatment system, the engine further being engaged to a transmission, wherein the engine and the transmission comprise a portion of a vehicle powertrain;
a controller configured to interpret an aftertreatment indicating temperature of the aftertreatment system and determine that an engine fueling requirement is zero, wherein the controller is further configured to perform one or more of:
disengaging the engine from the transmission in response to the aftertreatment indicating temperature falling below a first threshold value and in response to the engine fueling requirement being zero; and
performing a reduced air flow operation through the engine in response to t

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Dickson Jonathan A
• Ruth Michael J

Classifications

• F02D41/022 Primary

  in relation with the clutch status · CPC title

• F02D2200/023

  Temperature of lubricating oil or working fluid · CPC title

• F01N3/206

  Adding periodically or continuously substances to exhaust gases for promoting purification, e.g. catalytic material in liquid form, NOx reducing agents · CPC title

• F02D41/024

  to increase temperature of the exhaust gas treating apparatus · CPC title

• F02M25/0706

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic