Caterpillar Inc.

Jay Venkataraghavan

Stephen Robert Lewis

Baoyong Liu

Urvish Joshi

Alan Ray Stockner

Daniel Reese Puckett

Yong Yi

Frank J Lombardi

Michael C Long

Kevin Lloyd Dea

Sudhindra Ayanji

Nadeem N Bunni

Zhenlong Xu

Arvind Jujare

Dustin Irvin Landwehr

Kent Anthony Schonert

Austin Bierle

Steven Ray Lewis

Muheng Zhang

Greg Weyeneth

Angela L Moore

A systems for detecting level sensor malfunction or tampering based on reductant consumption and determining when to initiate a quality check of reductant used in an aftertreatment system are disclosed. The system comprises a memory storing instructions and a processor executing the instructions to perform a process including: receiving dosing data associated with an amount of DEF supplied to the aftertreatment system; receiving tank level data from a level sensor in a DEF tank; comparing the dosing data with the tank level data; and based on the comparison: initiating, by the one or more processors, a quality check; and/or determining, by the one or more processors, a possible error requiring further diagnostics; and causing to present, by the one or more processors, an indication that the quality check is being initiated and/or that a possible error requires further diagnostics on a display.

Detecting sensor malfunction or tampering based on reductant consumption

A method for estimating a quality of reductant in an engine aftertreatment system for an engine using a virtual sensor, the method comprising: determining whether an enablement condition is met, wherein the enablement condition is one or more of: a reductant fill condition determined based on data received from one or more float sensors associated with the engine; a machine start condition determined based on machine speed data obtained from a speed sensor associated with the engine; and/or a rationality check condition determined based on data associated with a fault of one or more sensors associated with the engine; upon determining that the enablement condition is met, receiving NOx measurement data obtained from at least one NOx sensor; generating a reductant quality value based on the NOx measurement data; and outputting a reductant quality determination based on the reductant quality value.

Detecting reductant quality using a virtual sensor

A dosing control unit (DCU) may receive operational information associated with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) aftertreatment system. The DCU may generate a deposit prediction, associated with the SCR aftertreatment system, based on the operational information. The deposit prediction may include information that identifies a predicted size of a deposit in a dosing zone of a plurality of dosing zones associated with the SCR aftertreatment system. The deposit prediction may be generated using a deposit growth model associated with predicting sizes of deposits in the plurality of dosing zones. The DCU may select a dosing scheme, of a plurality of dosing schemes, based on the deposit prediction. The DCU may implement the selected dosing scheme in order to cause diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) to be dosed in the plurality of dosing zones in accordance with the selected dosing scheme.

Urea deposit growth thermal management via multi-zone alternating variable diesel exhaust fluid injection utilizing a physics-based deposit growth and decay model

A mixer is disclosed for use in a reductant dosing system. The mixer may have an impingement floor located within an intended fluid injection path and generally parallel with a flow direction through the mixer. The mixer may also have a first side wall connected along a lengthwise edge of the impingement floor, a second side wall connected along an opposing lengthwise edge of the impingement floor, and a plurality of shelves extending between the first and second side walls. The plurality of shelves each may include a plurality of vanes that promote mixing of an injected fluid. One or more of the plurality of shelves may extend different distances upstream opposite the flow direction.

Reductant dosing system having staggered injectors

A fluid delivery system includes a flow agitator connected to a gas conduit and disposed within an internal cavity of the conduit at an upstream location with respect to a fluid injector. The flow agitator operates to separate the gas flow passing through the conduit during operation into a bypass flow, a control flow, and a main flow, such that a recombination of the bypass flow, the control flow, and the main flow downstream of the flow agitator creates an oscillation in the gas flow that also encompasses the fluid delivered into the internal cavity by the injector.

Flow agitator

A solenoid force measurement system includes: a first plate having an opening for receiving a solenoid; a second plate separated from the first plate by an air-gap; a force detection unit located within the second plate for measuring a force exerted by the solenoid; a height control device coupled to the second plate the height control device configured to adjust the size of the air-gap.

Solenoid force measurement system and method

A component includes a transmission arrangement for transmitting a force between an actuator and a control valve. The transmission arrangement includes a post that is associated with the actuator. The control valve is displaceable to an open position from a closed position when an opening force is applied to the control valve that is greater than a closing force provided to the control valve. The transmission arrangement is disposed in the component between the post and the control valve actuator and arranged to mechanically transmit by physical contact an actuator force from the post to the control valve when the post begins to travel towards the extended stroke position, and hydraulically amplify the actuator stroke between the post and the control valve when the post travels from the retracted stroke position to the extended stroke position.

Hydraulically amplified mechanical coupling

A fuel injector including a nozzle portion, a solenoid operated valve assembly configured to control a flow of fuel to the nozzle portion, a housing, at least a portion of the solenoid operated valve assembly disposed in the housing, the housing formed of a first material having a first thermal conductivity value, and a heat transfer element associated with the solenoid operated valve assembly, the heat transfer element attached to the housing, the heat transfer element formed of a second material having a second thermal conductivity value, the second thermal conductivity value being greater than the first thermal conductivity value.

Apparatus for cooling a fuel injector

An efficient control wave form is utilized to actuate the solenoids of a fuel system to reduce boost power/energy consumption. The solenoid is initially energized by applying a boost voltage from an electronic controller across a solenoid coil circuit. The electronic controller monitors the current level in the solenoid coil circuit, and changes to a reduced battery voltage when the current level in the solenoid coil circuit reaches a predetermined trigger current. The controller then maintains a pull-in current based upon battery voltage for a pull-in duration that initiates movement of the solenoid armature from an initial air gap position toward a final air gap position. After the pull-in duration, the current level is dropped to a hold in level for the remaining duration of the actuation event. The solenoid may be used for fuel injector control and/or pump control, such as to control fuel injection and pumping events respectively.

Efficient wave form to control fuel system

A fuel injector includes a fuel injector body defining a fuel inlet and at least one fuel outlet, a valve having a first valve state and a second valve state and an actuator for the valve. The fuel injector includes a biasing spring including a cylindrical rolled sheet having a first spring end, a second spring end and defining a longitudinal center axis. The cylindrical rolled sheet is configured to change in length to bias the actuator toward the first actuator position and includes a helical seam located between the first spring end and a second spring end which has a shape adapted to reduce non-uniformity in a spring constant via distributing stiffness about the longitudinal center axis.

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Dunlap, IL, United States of America

Jay Venkataraghavan