Perkins Engines Company Limited

Caterpillar Inc.

Antony James Eager

Yanchai Zhang

Anthony C Rodman

Jason Kenneth Bloms

Tazio Stephan Grivetti

Kevin Dee Ehrenhardt

Matthew Edward Leustek

Mohamed I Daoud

David Kapparos

Alistair C Farman

Thomas E Lloyd

Daniel Fitch

Elif Ozmen Sungur

Anthony James Vaughan White

Jonathan Whittaker

Prashant Kumar Mishra

Craig Bradley

Richard Severns, Ii

Ben Darley

Peter Moorhouse

Nathan Godfrey

An engine assembly comprises an exhaust gas recirculation circuit, an aftertreatment apparatus and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a desired proportion of exhaust gas to be directed to the exhaust gas recirculation circuit. The controller is further configured to determine, based on the proportion of exhaust gas to be directed to the exhaust gas recirculation circuit, a baseline value for an extent to which to open the exhaust gas recirculation valve for a clean aftertreatment apparatus. The controller is further configured to determine a compensation function based on an inferred aftertreatment flow restriction value. The controller is further configured to control the extent to which the exhaust gas recirculation valve is open based on the baseline value modified by the compensation function in order to maintain the desired proportion of exhaust gas to be directed to the exhaust gas recirculation circuit.

Exhaust gas recirculation and aftertreatment control

The disclosed method involves using a radio frequency sensor to estimate soot load in a diesel particulate filter. An engine control module receives a first mean attenuation value derived from attenuation values for a set of radio frequencies within a specific band detected by the sensor. Additionally, first standard deviation data related to the mean attenuation value is received. The method determines whether this standard deviation data exceeds a predefined threshold. If not, the first mean attenuation value is used to infer the soot load. If the standard deviation data threshold is exceeded, a second mean attenuation value from a different set of radio frequencies within another band is obtained. Similarly, second standard deviation data is received. If the second standard deviation data does not exceed the threshold, the second mean attenuation value is used to infer the soot load.

Determining an estimate of soot load in a diesel particulate filter using a radio frequency sensor

An electric assist turbocharger unit for use in an internal combustion engine, comprising a shaft configured for torque-transmittingly connecting a compressor to a turbine of the turbocharger unit and an electric motor configured for rotatably actuating the shaft in a first rotational direction and in an opposed second rotational direction. The engine includes an aftertreatment system, and the rotation of the shaft is designed to retard the flow of intake air through an intake passage and of exhaust gases through the aftertreatment system, thereby controlling the temperature in the aftertreatment system.

Electric assist turbocharger

A method is disclosed for controlling an engine assembly comprising an internal combustion engine and an exhaust gas treatment apparatus. The aftertreatment assembly may require cleaning from time to time, and where this involves active thermal management of the aftertreatment assembly, the method involves performing the following steps: (a) imposing a first limit on engine speed; (b) awaiting an engine safe state; and (c) implementing a cleaning process comprising: (i) injecting fuel into the engine such that the fuel passes through the engine without combusting for the fuel to combust in the diesel oxidation catalyst so as to target an increase in exhaust gas temperature in the diesel oxidation catalyst; and (ii) removing the first limit on engine speed and targeting an engine speed set point, wherein the engine speed set point is at a higher speed than the first limit on engine speed.

Method of controlling operation of an exhaust gas treatment apparatus

A method of calibrating a soot load estimating function for a diesel particulate filter uses radio frequency attenuation measurement and temperature measurements. The method comprises identifying a minimum mean attenuation value associated with a standard deviation that exceeds a standard deviation threshold and using this minimum mean attenuation value as a reference value. The method further comprises using a data library that contains gradient values for each of a range of possible temperature values to obtain a first gradient value, the first gradient value corresponding to the first temperature value, wherein each gradient value relates to the gradient of a linear approximation between mean attenuation and soot load at the corresponding temperature. The method involves using the reference value and the first gradient value to determine an axis intercept value for use as an offset value and adopting the offset value as a temperature-independent calibration value for the diesel particulate filter.

Method of estimating soot using a radio frequency sensor

A method of controlling operation of an engine, the engine comprising: a combustion unit having an exhaust conduit and one or more combustion cylinders each having a piston, a fuel injector, an intake valve and an exhaust valve leading to the exhaust conduit; an exhaust gas treatment apparatus configured to receive fluid from the exhaust conduit and comprising a diesel oxidation catalyst module; and a controller configured to receive a temperature data value indicative of a temperature of gas within the diesel oxidation catalyst module. The method comprises: injecting fuel from the fuel injector into each of the one or more combustion cylinders in a main injection event to initiate via compression ignition a primary combustion event that drives the piston. The method further comprises using the controller to compare the temperature data value relative to a first temperature threshold value and a second temperature threshold value.

An exhaust fluid treatment apparatus used to treat exhaust fluid emitted by a combustion engine includes a check of its functionality. A method of monitoring operation of an exhaust fluid treatment apparatus includes comparing a calculated temperature difference with an expected temperature difference associated with combustion of fuel. If the calculated temperature difference is within an acceptable margin of the expected temperature difference, further fuel injection may be permitted. If the calculated temperature difference is outside the acceptable margin of the expected temperature difference, a temperature of the exhaust gas upstream of the exhaust fluid treatment apparatus may be increased.

Exhaust gas treatment apparatus functionality check

An exhaust flow treatment apparatus to treat exhaust flow emitted by a combustion engine is configured to receive unburnt fuel for combustion therein after confirming that conditions are such that the unburnt fuel is likely to combust in the apparatus. A method of controlling operation of an exhaust flow treatment apparatus includes confirming that the temperature of fluid in the apparatus exceeds a threshold temperature before allowing unburnt fuel into the apparatus. The method may confirm a particular mode of operation of the exhaust flow treatment apparatus to determine the appropriate quantity of fuel for burning in the apparatus.

Method of controlling operation of an exhaust fluid treatment apparatus

In an engine unit including a combustion unit and an exhaust fluid recirculation apparatus where unburnt fuel is provided to an exhaust flow treatment apparatus for combustion, it may be desirable to prevent unburnt fuel from entering the exhaust fluid recirculation apparatus. A method of controlling operation of an engine unit includes confirming that a valve of the exhaust flow recirculation apparatus is closed, and overriding a control signal for controlling the valve in order to ensure that the valve remains closed before injecting fuel upstream of the valve for combustion in the exhaust fluid treatment apparatus.

Method of controlling operation of an engine having both an exhaust fluid recirculation apparatus and an exhaust fluid treatment apparatus

A power system comprising an engine that produces exhaust, a particulate filter that traps soot from the engine, and a controller that switches the power system from a first operation mode into a second operation mode to regenerate the particulate filter in response to a load on the engine changing and a threshold amount of time greater than zero passing after the load on the engine changed.

Regeneration assist delay period

An exhaust component for use with a combustion engine is disclosed. The exhaust component may have a housing at least partially defining an inlet and an outlet, and a treatment device supported by the housing in communication with exhaust passing from the inlet to the outlet. The exhaust component may also have a life indicator permanently associated with at least one of the housing and the treatment device.

Growing community of inventors

Peterborough, United Kingdom

Antony James Eager