Caterpillar Inc.

Perkins Engines Company Limited

Gavin Peter Williams

Sylvain Joseph Charbonnel

Peter Ladlow

Anand Krishnamurthygopalan

Anthony James Grichnik

Timothy Joe Felty

James Mason

Derek A Tanis

Baoyang Deng

Stuart P Smith

Fang Guo

Mark Scaife

Ridwan Kureemun

Max Best

The present invention relates to a universal powertrain for controlling an effort request and/or a flow request to a powertrain based on a demanded effort or demanded flow for the powertrain. The universal controller includes a configurable powertrain model and a configurable optimiser module. The universal controller is configurable to control a class of generic powertrains comprising J generic power sources, K generic power sinks, and L generic couplings. The universal controller is arranged to receive an input file of a plurality of input parameters to configure the universal controller to control a specific powertrain having a powertrain architecture with N power sources, M power sinks, and X couplings, the configurable powertrain model comprising: (a) a generic powertrain component library configured to provide a model of each of the N power sources, M power sinks and X couplings of the specific powertrain, and (b) a connection parameter module configured to define a model architecture of the N power source models, M power sink models and X coupling models which is representative of the powertrain architecture based on flow weight parameters and effort weight parameters of the input file, the configurable optimiser module comprising: a generic performance objective function library comprising a plurality of configurable performance objective functions from which a cost function is configurable based on input parameters of the input file, wherein the configurable optimiser module is configurable to calculate at least one of an optimised effort request or an optimised flow request for each of the N power sources of the specific powertrain based on: the cost function, the powertrain model of the specific powertrain, the demanded effort request of demanded flow request.

Powertrain controller

An internal combustion engine controller comprising a memory and a processor is provided. The memory is configured to store a plurality of control maps, each control map defining a hypersurface of actuator setpoints for controlling an actuator of the internal combustion engine based on a plurality of input variables to the internal combustion engine controller. The processor comprises an engine setpoint module and a map updating module. The engine setpoint module is configured to output a control signal to each actuator based on a location on the hypersurface of the respective control map defined by the plurality of input variables. The map updating module is configured to calculate an optimised hypersurface for at least one of the control maps. The optimised hypersurface is calculated based on a real-time performance model of the internal combustion engine comprising sensor data from the internal combustion engine and the plurality of input variables. The map updating module further is configured to update the hypersurface of the control map based on the optimised hypersurface. A method of controlling an internal combustion engine is also provided.

Engine control system

An internal combustion engine controller for an internal combustion engine comprising a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store a plurality of control maps, each control map defining a hypersurface of actuator setpoints for controlling an actuator of the internal combustion engine based on a plurality of input variables to the internal combustion engine controller. The processor comprises a map updating module, a parameter updating module and an engine setpoint module. The map updating module is configured to calculate an optimised hypersurface for at least one of the control maps based on a performance objective function of the internal combustion engine, sensor data from the internal combustion engine, and the plurality of input variables, wherein the performance objective function includes parameters. The parameter updating module is configured to update a parameter of the performance objective function upon determining a change in an operating condition of the internal combustion engine. The parameters comprise one or both of: engine parameters associated with an engine model; and cost parameters associated with a cost function. The map updating module is further configured to update the hypersurface of the control map based on the optimised hypersurface. The engine setpoint module is configured to output a control signal to each actuator based on a location on the hypersurface of the respective control map defined by the plurality of input variables.

Internal combustion engine controller

A machine includes an engine, a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) element fixedly connected to an output of the engine, and a controller. The controller is communicatively coupled to the engine and a sensor at an output of the SCR element. The controller is configured to calculate an estimated amount of emissions at a location of the SCR element, calculate an estimated amount of emissions from an output of the SCR element, measure, using the sensor, an actual amount of emissions from the output of the SCR element, and perform a comparison of the estimated amount of emissions and the actual amount of emissions. The controller is further configured to adjust, based on the comparison, the estimated amount of emissions at the location of the SCR element, and control operation of the engine based on the adjusted amount of emissions.

Controlling operation of an engine based on emissions monitoring

An internal combustion engine controller for controlling an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine controller comprises a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store a plurality of control maps, each control map defining a hypersurface of actuator setpoints for controlling an actuator of the internal combustion engine based on a plurality of input variables to the internal combustion engine controller. The processor comprises an engine setpoint module and a map updating module. The map updating module is configured to optimise one or more of the hypersurfaces of the control maps at the location defined by the plurality of input variables. The map updating module comprises an optimiser module configured to search for an optimised group of actuator setpoints wherein the map updating module updates the one or more hypersurfaces at the location defined by the plurality of input variables based on the optimised group of actuator setpoints. A method of controlling an internal combustion engine is also provided.

Power system optimization is disclosed. An example power system described herein may include an engine control module that receives measurements associated with sensors, identifies settings associated with control devices, determines that a first set of parameters associated with the one or more control devices is to be optimized according to a first optimization process, iteratively performs the first optimization process until the first set of parameters are optimized, determines that a second set of parameters associated with the one or more control devices are to be optimized according to a second optimization process, iteratively performs the second optimization process until the second set of parameters are optimized, and, after the second set of parameters are optimized according to the second optimization process, configures one of the control devices to operate using an optimized value for the control device determined using the second optimization process.

Power system optimization

Power system optimization calibration is disclosed. An example implementation includes receiving, by an engine control module, calibration information associated with optimizing an operating characteristic of a power system; determining, by the engine control module and using an optimization model, an optimization profile to optimize the operating characteristic, wherein the optimization model is configured to perform one or more optimization processes to determine, according to the calibration information, optimized values associated with adjustable parameters of the power system, wherein the optimization profile is configured to include the optimized values; and configuring, by the engine control module, a first control device, associated with a first adjustable parameter of the adjustable parameters, according to the optimization profile, wherein the first control device is configured to control a first component of an engine of the power system to be set according to an optimized value for the first adjustable parameter.

Power system optimization calibration

A control system is disclosed. The control system may have a physical sensor that may output a physical output value, and a virtual sensor network that may output a virtual output value. The control system may also have an electronic control module that may be configured to receive the physical output value from the physical sensor and receive the virtual output value from the virtual sensor. The electronic control module may be further configured to determine a trust level of the physical sensor based on the physical output value, and determine that the trust level of the physical sensor is below a first threshold trust value. The electronic control module may control a machine based on the virtual output value responsive to determining that the trust level of the physical sensor is below the first threshold trust value.

Growing community of inventors

Ryhall, United Kingdom

Gavin Peter Williams