Method, system, and apparatus for diagnosing an exhaust aftertreatment component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9708961-B2
Application number	US-201514799763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2015
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus includes an engine output module that determines an engine output power parameter for an engine. The apparatus includes an output power threshold module that determines if the engine output power parameter is below an output power threshold. The apparatus includes a NOx module that determines a nitrogen oxide (“NOx”) efficiency of a selective catalytic reduction (“SCR”) system in response to the output power threshold module determining that the determined engine output power parameter is below the output power threshold. The SCR system is in exhaust receiving communication with the engine. The apparatus includes a NO x threshold module that determines if the NO x efficiency is below a NO x efficiency threshold, and a NO x warning module that sends a NO x alarm signal in response to the NO x threshold module determining that the NO x efficiency is below the NO x efficiency threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic controller comprising:
a NO x change circuit structured to determine an amount of change in a nitrogen oxide (“NO x ”) efficiency of a selective catalytic reduction (“SCR”) system within a sampling window;
a NO x change threshold circuit structured to determine the amount of change in the NO x efficiency exceeds a NO x efficiency change threshold; and
a NO x warning circuit structured to provide a NO x alarm in response to a NO x efficiency below a NO x efficiency threshold and the amount of change in the NO x efficiency exceeding the NO x efficiency change threshold, wherein the electronic controller is structured to limit operation of an engine to an engine output parameter in response to receiving the NO x alarm.

2. The electronic controller of claim 1 , wherein the engine output parameter is a determined engine output power parameter, and further comprising:
a NO x circuit structured to determine the NO x efficiency in response to the engine output power parameter being below an output power threshold.

3. The electronic controller of claim 2 , wherein the engine output power parameter includes a level of exhaust flow and the output power threshold includes an engine exhaust level threshold.

4. The electronic controller of claim 2 , wherein one or more of:
the engine output power parameter includes revolutions per minute (“RPM”) of an engine and the output power threshold includes an RPM threshold;
the engine output power parameter includes an engine power output level of the engine and the output power threshold includes a level of engine power output;
the engine output power parameter includes a temperature of the engine and the output power threshold includes a temperature threshold; and
the engine output power parameter includes torque of the engine and the output power threshold includes a torque threshold.

5. The electronic controller of claim 2 , wherein the NO x circuit determines the NO x efficiency while the determined engine output power parameter is within an engine output power range, the engine output power range including a range below the output power threshold, and the NO x change threshold circuit determines if the amount of change in the NO x efficiency exceeds the NO x efficiency change threshold using NO x efficiency determinations taken while the engine output power parameter is within the engine output power range.

6. The electronic controller of claim 2 , wherein the NO x circuit is structured to determine that diluted reductant is in the SCR system responsive to the engine output parameter below the output power threshold and the NO x efficiency below the NO x efficiency threshold.

7. The electronic controller of claim 1 , wherein the sampling window includes at least one of a predefined window of time and a predefined number of consecutive samples.

8. The electronic controller of claim 1 , wherein the NO x warning circuit is structured to provide the NO x alarm to at least one of an on-board detection (“OBD”) system communicably coupled to the electronic controller and an external computer.

9. The electronic controller of claim 1 , wherein the engine output parameter comprises a low output.

10. A system comprising:
an engine;
an exhaust aftertreatment system in exhaust receiving communication with the engine; and
a controller communicably coupled to the engine and the exhaust aftertreatment system, the controller structured to:
determine an amount of change in a nitrogen oxide (“NO x ”) efficiency of a component of the exhaust aftertreatment system within a sampling window;
determine the amount of change in the NO x efficiency exceeds a NO x efficiency change threshold; and
provide a NO x alarm in response to a NO x efficiency below a NO x efficiency threshold and the amount of change in the NO x efficiency exceeding the NO x efficiency change threshold, wherein the controller is structured to limit operation of the engine to an engine output parameter in response to receiving the NO x alarm.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the component includes a selective catalytic reduction (“SCR”) system.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further structured to determine that diluted reductant is in the SCR system responsive to the engine output parameter being below an output power threshold and the NO x efficiency below the NO x efficiency threshold.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein one or more of:
the engine output power parameter includes revolutions per minute (“RPM”) of an engine and the output power threshold includes an RPM threshold;
the engine output power parameter includes an engine power output level of the engine and the output power threshold includes a level of engine power output;
the engine output power parameter includes a temperature of the engine and the output power threshold includes a temperature threshold;
the engine output power parameter includes torque of the engine and the output power threshold includes a torque threshold; and
the engine output power parameter comprises a level of exhaust flow and the output power threshold comprises an engine exhaust level threshold.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is structured to determine the engine output power parameter at a sampling rate, wherein the sampling rate includes one of a constant rate or a rate triggered by at least one engine operating parameter, the at least one engine operating parameter including at least one of a predefined engine power output level and a predefined engine speed.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the sampling window includes at least one of a predefined window of time and a predefined number of consecutive samples.

16. A method comprising:
determining, via a NOx change circuit, an amount of change in a nitrogen oxide (“NOx”) efficiency of a component of an exhaust aftertreatment system within a sampling window;
determining, via a NOx change threshold circuit, the amount of change in the NOx efficiency exceeds a NOx efficiency change threshold; and
providing, via a NOx warning circuit, a NOx alarm in response to a NOx efficiency below a NOx efficiency threshold and the amount of change in the NOx efficiency exceeding the NOx efficiency change threshold, wherein a controller is structured to limit operation of an engine to an engine output parameter in response to receiving the NOx alarm.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the component includes a selective catalytic reduction (“SCR”) system, and the method further includes determining that diluted reductant is in the SCR system responsive to an engine output parameter below an output power threshold and the NO x efficiency below the NO x efficiency threshold.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the sampling window includes at least one of a predefined window of time and a predefined number of consecutive samples.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the engine output parameter comprises a low output.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein providing the NO x alarm includes at least one of providing the NO x alarm to an on-board detection (“OBD”) system and providing the NO x alarm to an external computer relative to an apparatus embodying the exhaust aftertreatment system.

Assignees

• Cummins Ip Inc

Inventors

• Hall Tony James

Classifications

• F02D35/0015

  using exhaust gas sensors (F02D41/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01N2900/1818

  Concentration of the reducing agent · CPC title

• F01N2550/02

  Catalytic activity of catalytic converters · CPC title

• F01N3/208

  Control of selective catalytic reduction [SCR], e.g. by adjusting the dosing of reducing agent · CPC title

• F01N2610/02

  the substance being ammonia or urea · CPC title