Robust control system and method for catalyst temperature stability with heater assistance

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system includes an exhaust aftertreatment system and a controller including processors coupled to a memory device storing instructions that when at least one processor executes the instructions cause the controller to perform operations. The operations include receiving sensor data including a diesel oxidation catalyst inlet temperature, a selective catalytic reduction system inlet temperature, and exhaust gas flow data; determining outer loop feedback data based on the target SCR temperature and the SCR inlet temperature; determining inner loop feedback data based on the outer loop feedback data and the SCR inlet temperature; determining inner loop feedforward data based on the outer loop feedback data, the DOC inlet temperature and the exhaust flow data; determining heater control data based on the inner loop feedback data and the inner loop feedforward data; and operating the heater in a stable manner while maintaining a stable desired temperature target.

Description

Cross-references to related patent applications

[0001] This PCT application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. application No. 63 / 329,301, filed on April 8, 2022, entitled “Robust Control System and Method for Catalyst Temperature Stability with Heater Assistance,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for managing an aftertreatment system or components thereof, such as a catalyst, using an onboard vehicle controller. Background Art

[0003] Many engines are connected to exhaust aftertreatment systems that reduce harmful exhaust emissions such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides, particulate matter, etc. A reductant may be injected into the exhaust stream to chemically combine with the particulates in the exhaust. The mixture interacts with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst which, at a certain temperature, causes a reaction in the mixture that converts the harmful NOx particulates into pure nitrogen and water. Changes in engine operating conditions, such as ambient temperature, operating load, and / or other factors, may cause the temperature within the exhaust aftertreatment system to change over time, thereby affecting the ability of the aftertreatment system to reduce harmful emissions. Summary of the invention

[0004] An embodiment relates to a system. The system includes an exhaust aftertreatment system coupled to an engine. The exhaust aftertreatment system includes a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), and a heater. The system also includes a controller, the controller including at least one processor coupled to at least one memory device storing instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the controller to perform the following operations, including: receiving sensor data including DOC inlet temperature, SCR inlet temperature, and exhaust flow data from one or more sensors; executing a first control process specific to a first set of components of the exhaust aftertreatment system, the first control process including determining a first control process output based on at least the sensor data; executing a second control process specific to a second set of components of the exhaust aftertreatment system, the second control process including determining a heater control output based on at least one of the first control process output or the sensor data; and operating the heater in a stable manner while maintaining a stable desired temperature target.

[0005] Another embodiment relates to a method. The method includes: receiving sensor data by a controller, the sensor data including at least one of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) inlet temperature, a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) inlet temperature, or exhaust flow data; executing by the controller a first control process specific to a first group of components of an exhaust aftertreatment system, the first control process including determining a first control process output based on at least the SCR inlet temperature; executing by the controller a second control process specific to a second group of components of the exhaust aftertreatment system, the second control process including determining a heater control output based on the first control process output or at least one of the sensor data; and operating by the controller a heater based on the heater control output relative to a target SCR temperature. In some embodiments, the controller is included in a vehicle.

[0006] Yet another embodiment relates to a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a controller, cause the controller to perform operations including: receiving sensor data, the sensor data including a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) inlet temperature, a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) inlet temperature, and exhaust flow data; executing a first control process with respect to a first group of components of an exhaust aftertreatment system, the first control process including determining a first control process output based on at least the SCR inlet temperature; executing a second control process with respect to a second group of components of the exhaust aftertreatment system, the second control process including determining a heater control output based on at least one of the first control process output or the sensor data; and causing a heater to operate based on the heater control output according to a target SCR temperature.

[0007] The present disclosure is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In conjunction with the accompanying drawings, other aspects, features and advantages of the equipment or process described herein will become apparent in the detailed description set forth herein, wherein similar reference numerals refer to similar elements. Many specific details are provided to impart a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. The described features of the disclosed subject matter may be combined in one or more embodiments and / or embodiments in any suitable manner. In this regard, one or more features of an aspect of the present invention may be combined with one or more features of different aspects of the present invention. In addition, additional features that may not be present in all embodiments or embodiments may be identified in certain embodiments and / or embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle system block diagram according to an example embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2According to an example embodiment Figure 1 Block diagram of the controller.

[0010] Figure 3 is a control according to an example embodiment Figure 1 Flow chart of a method for determining the temperature of a catalyst of a vehicle.

[0011] Figure 4 is a control according to an example embodiment Figure 1 Flow chart of a method for determining the temperature of a catalyst of a vehicle.

[0012] Figure 5A and 5B is a diagram showing control according to an example embodiment Figure 1 A diagram of various aspects of the vehicle's catalyst temperature. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The following is a more detailed description of various concepts and embodiments related to methods, devices, and systems for controlling the temperature of an exhaust aftertreatment system and / or its components (such as a catalyst). Before turning to the drawings showing certain example embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details or methods set forth in the specification or shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for descriptive purposes only and should not be considered limiting.

[0014] As described herein, an exhaust aftertreatment system may include a heater to actively increase the temperature of the exhaust aftertreatment system. Additionally, a control system or controller may provide a command to increase the exhaust temperature, thereby increasing the temperature of one or more components in the exhaust aftertreatment system by operating the heater. The controller may generate the command based on sensor data received from one or more sensors.

[0015] As further described herein, according to various embodiments, systems, methods, and devices for robustly controlling catalyst temperature stability with the assistance of a heater are disclosed. The control system described herein advantageously utilizes a specific control strategy to improve temperature stability within an exhaust aftertreatment system or a component thereof. The example control system utilizes multiple control processes to control the temperature of the exhaust aftertreatment system. In some embodiments, the multiple control processes include nested control processes, such as a dual-loop control process having a first control process (e.g., a combination of a feedback control process and a feedforward control process) and a second control process (e.g., a combination of a feedback control process and a feedforward control process), the first control process generating a control target for the second control process, the second control process being used to control the temperature of the exhaust aftertreatment system. The benefit of these two control processes (i.e., the "dual-loop" control process) is that the first control process (i.e., the "outer loop") can run slower and generate targets for the second control process (i.e., the "inner loop") that runs faster. Multiple control processes advantageously control the temperature to a predetermined target temperature so that the exhaust aftertreatment system does not operate at too low a temperature (thereby reducing the efficiency of the aftertreatment system) or too high a temperature (thereby consuming more energy or consuming more fuel, exceeding the amount required to control the temperature of the aftertreatment system). In some embodiments, the predetermined target temperature can be determined based on one or more factors, including ambient temperature, engine or powertrain load, target NOx conversion rate (e.g., based on emission targets and / or regulations), and / or other factors. In some embodiments, the predetermined target temperature can be determined based on signals from different control systems, such as an aftertreatment dosing controller, a heater controller, an engine control unit / module (ECU / ECM), etc. In other embodiments, the target temperature is based on at least one of a user input, a lookup table, a statistical model, and / or a machine learning model (e.g., artificial intelligence). The target temperature can be dynamically updated as needed and / or desired.

[0016] In an example operating scenario, a control system (e.g., a controller, an engine control module, a vehicle controller area network bus, etc.) utilizes multiple control processes, such as a dual-loop control process, to operate an exhaust aftertreatment system heater. The control system operates the exhaust aftertreatment heater (e.g., by heating the exhaust) to adjust the temperature of the aftertreatment system and / or its components to a target temperature. Over time, the temperature of the exhaust, the aftertreatment system, and / or its components reaches the target temperature. The control system advantageously maintains the desired exhaust aftertreatment system temperature to achieve the desired nitrogen oxide removal (i.e., DeNOx) efficiency while also taking into account the effects of fuel and driving performance. For example, the control system firmly and stably maintains the aftertreatment system at a target temperature to maintain the target temperature at a target temperature that is optimal for catalyst deNOx (nitrogen oxide removal) efficiency. In addition, the control system can adjust the heater power / operation to reduce external energy (fuel) or emissions (e.g., NOx).

[0017] Reference now Figure 1 , shows a system 100 according to an example embodiment. The system 100 includes an engine 101, an aftertreatment system 120 coupled to the engine 101, an operator I / O device 130, a controller 140, and a telematics unit 150, wherein the controller 140 is communicatively coupled to each of the above components. The telematics unit 150 facilitates the acquisition and transmission of acquired data about the operation of the system 100. According to one embodiment, the system 100 is installed in a vehicle. In various alternative embodiments, the system 100 can be implemented in a non-vehicle application (e.g., a generator or a generator set). In the example shown, the system 100 is installed in a vehicle. The vehicle can be a road or off-road vehicle, including but not limited to long-haul trucks, medium-duty trucks (such as pickup trucks), sedans, coupes, tanks, airplanes, ships, and any other type of vehicle that uses an exhaust aftertreatment system, particularly a diesel aftertreatment system having a DOC, a DPF, and an SCR with an electric heater (e.g., a pre-DOC or pre-DPF).

[0018] In the example shown, the engine 101 is configured as a compression ignition internal combustion engine utilizing diesel fuel. However, in various alternative embodiments, the engine 101 may be configured as another type of engine (e.g., a spark ignition engine) utilizing another type of fuel (e.g., gasoline, natural gas, biodiesel). In other example embodiments, the engine 101 may be or include an electric motor (e.g., a hybrid vehicle). With respect to hybrid vehicles, a hybrid system typically includes one or more electric motors and an internal combustion engine, the function of which is to provide power to the drivetrain to propel the vehicle. A hybrid vehicle may have various configurations. For example, in a parallel configuration, both the electric motor and the internal combustion engine are operably connected to the drivetrain / transmission to propel the vehicle. In a series configuration, the electric motor is operably connected to the drivetrain / transmission, and the internal combustion engine indirectly powers the drivetrain / transmission by powering the electric motor (e.g., an extended-range electric vehicle or an extended-range electric vehicle). In a series-parallel configuration, a hybrid vehicle has the characteristics of both a parallel configuration and a series configuration. For example, an internal combustion engine may be operably connected to a drivetrain / transmission to propel the vehicle and provide power to the electric motor. In other embodiments, the engine may include a fuel cell powered engine that uses hydrogen in conjunction with a diesel powered engine.

[0019] In some embodiments, the engine 101 includes one or more cylinders and associated pistons. Air from the atmosphere is combined with fuel and burned to provide power for the engine 101. The combustion of fuel and air in the compression chamber of the engine 101 produces exhaust gas, which is operatively discharged to the exhaust manifold and the aftertreatment system 120. The engine 101 can be connected to a turbocharger (not shown). A turbocharger (such as a variable geometry turbocharger or other turbocharger) includes a compressor connected to an exhaust turbine via a connecting shaft. Typically, the hot exhaust gas will rotate the turbine, which causes the shaft to rotate, which in turn drives the compressor, which inhales air. By compressing the air, more air can enter the cylinder or combustion chamber, thereby burning more fuel and improving power and efficiency. A heat exchanger, such as a charge air cooler, can be used to cool the compressed air before the air enters the cylinder. In some embodiments, the turbocharger is omitted.

[0020] An aftertreatment system 120 is shown according to an example embodiment. It should be understood that Figure 1 The schematic diagram described in is only one implementation of the exhaust aftertreatment system structure. Many different configurations can be implemented using the systems and methods described herein.

[0021] The aftertreatment system 120 is coupled to the engine 101 and is configured to treat the exhaust gas from the engine 101 entering the aftertreatment system 120 via the exhaust pipe to reduce the emission of harmful or potentially harmful elements (e.g., NOx emissions, particulate matter, SOx, greenhouse gases, CO, etc.). The aftertreatment system 120 may include various components and systems, such as a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) 121, a diesel particulate filter (DPF) 122, and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system 123. The SCR system 123 converts nitrogen oxides present in the exhaust gas produced by the engine 101 into diatomic nitrogen and water through an oxidation reaction within the catalyst. The DOC 121 is configured to oxidize hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust pipe system. The DPF 122 is configured to remove particulate matter such as soot from the exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust pipe system. In some embodiments, the DPF 122 may be omitted. In some embodiments, the spatial order of the catalyst elements may be different.

[0022] In the example shown, the SCR system 123 includes a first block 128(a), a second block 128(b), and an ammonia oxidation (AMOX) catalyst (shown as AMOX 128(c)). The first block 128(a) and / or the second block 128(b) are configured as a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst. The SCR system 123 is configured to convert nitrogen oxides present in the exhaust gas generated by the engine 101 into diatomic nitrogen and water through an oxidation reaction within the catalyst. First referring to the first block 128(a) and / or the second block 128(b), the first block 128(a) and / or the second block 128(b) can be any of a variety of catalysts known in the art. For example, in some embodiments, the first block 128(a) and / or the second block 128(b) can be a vanadium-based catalyst, while in other embodiments, the first block 128(a) and / or the second block 128(b) are zeolite-based catalysts, such as copper zeolite or iron zeolite catalysts. Although the SCR system 123 is shown as including a first block 128 ( a ) and a second block 128 ( b ), in some embodiments, the SCR system 123 includes more or fewer blocks (eg, at least one block).

[0023] AMOX 128(c) may be any of a variety of flow-through catalysts configured to react with ammonia to produce primarily nitrogen. AMOX 128(c) is configured to remove ammonia that has escaped or left the first block 128(a) and / or the second block 128(b) without reacting with NOx in the exhaust. In some cases, the exhaust aftertreatment system 120 may operate with or without AMOX 128(c). In addition, although Figure 1120. The AMOX 128(c) is shown as being located within the SCR, but in some embodiments, the AMOX 128(c) may be separate from the SCR 123, for example, the AMOX 128(c) and the first block 128(a) and / or the second block 128(b) may be located in different housings. In other embodiments, the AMOX 128(c) may be excluded from the exhaust aftertreatment system 120.

[0024] The operation of the SCR system 123 may be affected by several factors. For example, the effectiveness of the SCR catalyst in reducing NOx in the exhaust gas may be affected by the operating temperature. If the temperature of the SCR catalyst is below a threshold or range, the effectiveness of the SCR catalyst in reducing NOx may be reduced to below the desired threshold level, thereby increasing the risk of emitting a large amount of NOx to the environment. Under various conditions, such as during engine startup and just after starting the engine, in cold ambient conditions, etc., the temperature of the SCR catalyst may be below the threshold temperature. In operation, generally higher combustion temperatures promote the generation of engine-emitted nitrogen oxides (EONOx). Increasing exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) will lead to lower combustion temperatures, thereby reducing EONOx. However, due to incomplete combustion of particles, EGR promotes particulate matter emissions. In addition, higher loads and power requirements also tend to increase combustion temperatures, thereby increasing EONOx. Higher power output coincides with higher fuel (fuel) pressure and fuel (fuel) quantity (increase in fuel (fuel) rail pressure). In turn, increasing fuel pressure, quantity, etc. also helps to promote the generation of EONOx. The effectiveness of the SCR catalyst may also be affected by SCR system faults, which may manifest themselves, for example, as insufficient reductant, buildup on the SCR catalyst, sustained conversion efficiency below a predetermined value (eg, NOx conversion efficiency), and the like.

[0025] The aftertreatment system 120 may further include a reductant delivery system, which may include a decomposition chamber (e.g., a decomposition reactor, a reactor tube, a decomposition pipeline, a reactor pipeline, etc.) to deliver the reductant (e.g., urea, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), The reductant 124 is added to the exhaust gas flow to assist in catalytic reduction. The reductant may be injected by an injector upstream of the SCR catalyst component so that the SCR catalyst element receives a mixture of the reductant and the exhaust gas. The reductant droplets undergo evaporation, pyrolysis, and hydrolysis processes in the decomposition chamber, the SCR catalyst component (e.g., the first block 128 (a) and / or the second block 128 (b)) and / or the exhaust pipe system to form non-NOx emissions (e.g., gaseous ammonia, etc.), and leave the aftertreatment system 120.

[0026] The aftertreatment system 120 may also include an oxidation catalyst (e.g., DOC 121) in fluid connection with the exhaust conduit system to oxidize hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the exhaust gas. In order to properly assist in this reduction, it may be required that the DOC 121 is at a specific operating temperature. In some embodiments, the specific operating temperature is between 200 degrees Celsius and 500 degrees Celsius. In other embodiments, the specific operating temperature is a temperature at which the conversion efficiency of the DOC 121 exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0027] As shown, the aftertreatment system 120 includes a plurality of sensors 125. The number, location, and type of sensors included in the aftertreatment system 120 are for illustrative purposes only. That is, in other configurations, the number, location, and type of sensors may be different. The sensor 125 may be a NOx sensor, a temperature sensor, a particulate matter (PM) sensor, a flow sensor, other emission component sensors, a pressure sensor, and some combination thereof. The NOx sensor is configured to obtain data indicating the amount of NOx at each location where the NOx sensor is located. The temperature sensor is configured to obtain data indicating the temperature at its location. The PM sensor is configured to monitor particulate matter flowing through the aftertreatment system 120.

[0028] As shown, the sensor 125 can be located after the engine 101 and before the aftertreatment system 120, after the aftertreatment system 20, and in the aftertreatment system (e.g., connected to the DPF and / or DOC, connected to the SCR, etc.). It should be understood that the location of the sensor can vary. In one embodiment, the sensor 125 can be located before and after the aftertreatment system 120. In one embodiment, at least one sensor is configured as an exhaust component sensor (e.g., CO, NOx, PM, SOx sensor, etc.). In another embodiment, at least one of the sensors 125 is configured as a non-exhaust component sensor for estimating exhaust emissions (e.g., temperature, flow, etc.). The system 100 may also include additional sensors. The sensor may include an engine-related sensor (e.g., a torque sensor, a speed sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, a temperature sensor, etc.). The sensor may also be a sensor associated with other components of the vehicle (e.g., a speed sensor of a turbocharger, a fuel quantity and injection rate sensor, a fuel rail pressure sensor, etc.).

[0029] The sensors may be real or virtual (i.e., non-physical sensors configured as program logic in the controller 140 that make various estimates or determinations). For example, an engine speed sensor may be a real or virtual sensor that is arranged to measure or otherwise obtain data, values, or information indicative of the speed of the engine 101 (typically expressed in revolutions per minute). The sensor is coupled to the engine (when configured as a real sensor) and is configured to send a signal indicative of the speed of the engine 101 to the controller 140. When configured as a virtual sensor, the controller 140 may use at least one input in an algorithm, model, lookup table, etc. to determine or estimate a parameter of the engine (e.g., power output, etc.). Any of the sensors 125 described herein may be real or virtual.

[0030] The controller 140 is communicatively coupled to the sensors 125. Thus, the controller 140 is configured to receive data from one or more sensors 125. The controller 140 may use the received data to control one or more components in the system 100 and / or for monitoring and diagnostic purposes.

[0031] The heater 106 is a heating element or unit that is configured to output heat to increase the temperature of the exhaust gas and / or components of the exhaust aftertreatment system. The heater 106 can have any of a variety of designs (e.g., a resistive coil heater or other type of heater). The heater 106 can be a convection heater to directly heat the exhaust gas passing through it or directly heat the aftertreatment system (or its components). For example, the heater 106 can directly heat the substrate of the first block 128 (a) and / or the second block 128 (b). The heater 106 can be powered by a battery and / or an alternator (or other electronic source, such as a capacitor) of the system 100. Heating the exhaust gas improves the efficiency and success rate of the DOC 121 and / or SCR 123 in cold conditions (e.g., the ambient temperature is at or below the freezing point of water). The heater 106 is controlled by the controller 140 to adjust the operation of the heater 106 (e.g., turning the heater on, off, or operating the heater at a specific operating power, temperature, or duty cycle), as further described below. When the heater 106 is "on" or "activated", the heater 106 outputs heat, and when the heater 106 is "off" or "deactivated", the heater 106 stops outputting heat. When the heater 106 is on, the heater can operate within a temperature or power setting range based on a control signal, command, etc. from the controller 140 directly or indirectly (e.g., through a heater control unit).

[0032] like Figure 1In the embodiment shown, the heater 106 is located downstream of the engine 102 and upstream of the DOC 121 (i.e., between the engine 102 and the DOC 121) to heat the air leaving the engine 102 and entering the DOC 121. The heater 106 is coupled to an exhaust pipe leading from the engine 101 to the aftertreatment system 120. In other embodiments, the heater 106 may be located at other locations, such as between the DOC 121 and the DPF 122 and / or between the DPF 122 and the SCR 123. In some embodiments, the aftertreatment system 120 may include one or more additional heaters (e.g., in addition to the heater 106). The one or more additional heaters may be located downstream of the engine 102 and upstream of the DOC 121 or at other locations, such as between the DOC 121 and the DPF 122 and / or between the DPF 122 and the SCR 123.

[0033] In some embodiments, the heater 106 may include a heater control unit (not shown) for controlling the operation of the heater 106. The heater control unit may be contained within the heater 106 and / or at least partially geographically remote from the heater 106. In some embodiments, the heater control unit is provided at least in part as part of the controller 140. For example, Figure 2 As shown, the heater control unit can be part of the thermal management circuit 210. In other embodiments, the heater control unit is separate from the controller 140. In these embodiments, the controller 140 and / or the thermal management circuit 210 can communicate with the heater control unit (e.g., via the communication interface 216) to control the operation of the heater 106.

[0034] The components of the aftertreatment system 120 are grouped into a plurality of control groups or processes, shown as having two sections that define two control loops, shown as a first control loop (referred to herein as an inner loop 132) and a second control loop (referred to herein as an outer loop 134). Figure 1 As shown, the inner loop 132 includes the DOC 121 and at least one sensor 125. The controller 140 may receive information (e.g., temperature data) from the inner loop 132, or more specifically, from the sensor 125 in the inner loop 132. The temperature data received from the inner loop 132 includes the exhaust temperature at the inlet of the DOC 121 (referred to herein as "DOC Tin"). In other embodiments, the DOC Tin may refer to the temperature of the DOC 121 at the inlet of the DOC 121. As shown, the sensor 125 is located downstream of the heater 106. Therefore, the DOC Tin is related to the output temperature of the heater 106. Figure 1As shown, the outer loop 134 includes the DPF 122, the SCR 123, the DEF 124, and one or more sensors 125. The controller 140 may receive sensor data from the outer loop 134, or more specifically, from the sensor 125 in the outer loop 132. The sensor data received from the outer loop 134 includes the exhaust temperature at the outlet of the DOC 121 (referred to herein as "DOC Tout"). In other embodiments, the DOC Tout is the temperature of the DOC 121 at the outlet of the DOC 121. The DOC Tout is also the inlet temperature of the DPF 122. The temperature data received from the outer loop 134 also includes the exhaust temperature at the inlet of the SCR 123 (referred to herein as "SCR Tin"). In other embodiments, the SCR Tin is the temperature of the SCR 123 at the inlet of the SCR 123. The SCR Tin is also the outlet temperature of the DPF 122. In some embodiments (eg, when the aftertreatment system does not include DPF 122 ), DOC Tout is substantially similar to SCR Tin, such that DOC Tout may be used interchangeably with SCR Tin.

[0035] Still reference Figure 1 , an operator input / output (I / O) device 130 is also shown. The operator I / O device 130 may be communicatively coupled to the controller 140 so that information may be exchanged between the controller 140 and the I / O device 130, wherein the information may be communicated with Figure 1 The operator I / O devices 130 enable an operator (eg, a user) of the system 100 to communicate with the controller 140 and the Figure 1 The operator input / output device 130 may include, but is not limited to, an interactive display, a touch screen device, one or more buttons and switches, a voice command receiver, and the like. In the various alternative embodiments described above, the controller 140 and components described herein may be implemented with non-vehicle applications (e.g., a generator). Therefore, the I / O devices may be specific to those applications. For example, in those cases, the I / O devices may include laptop computers, tablet computers, desktop computers, phones, watches, personal digital assistants, and the like. Via the operator I / O devices, the controller 140 may provide diagnostic information, fault or service notifications based on one or more determinations. For example, in some embodiments, the controller 140 may display the temperature of the DOC 121, the temperature of the engine 101 and the exhaust, and various other information via the operator I / O devices.

[0036] The controller 140 is configured to at least partially control the operation of the system 100 and related subsystems, such as the aftertreatment system 120 (and various components of each system) and the operator input / output (I / O) devices 130. Communication between and among the components can be carried out through any number of wired or wireless connections. For example, a wired connection can include a serial cable, a fiber optic cable, a CAT5 cable, or any other form of wired connection. In contrast, a wireless connection can include the Internet, Wi-Fi, cellular, radio, etc. In one embodiment, a controller area network (CAN) bus provides for the exchange of signals, information, and / or data. The CAN bus includes any number of wired and wireless connections. Because the controller 140 is communicatively coupled to Figure 1 systems and components, so the controller 140 is configured to receive Figure 1 Data for one or more components shown. Figure 2 , further describing the structure and function of the controller 140.

[0037] The telematics unit 150 may include, but is not limited to, one or more memory devices for storing tracking data, one or more electronic processing units for processing tracking data, and a communication interface for facilitating data exchange between the telematics unit 150 and one or more remote devices (e.g., a provider / manufacturer of a telematics device, a remote computing system associated with one or more components (e.g., a remote server system associated with an engine manufacturer)). In this regard, the communication interface may be configured as any type of mobile communication interface or protocol, including but not limited to Wi-Fi, WiMax, Internet, radio, Bluetooth, Zigbee, satellite, radio, cellular, GSM, GPRS, LTE, etc. The telematics unit 150 may also include a communication interface for communicating with the controller 140 of the system 100. The communication interface for communicating with the controller 140 may include any type and number of wired and wireless protocols (e.g., any standard under IEEE 802, etc.). For example, a wired connection may include a serial cable, a fiber optic cable, a SAEJ1939 bus (which may be used by the controller to communicate with one or more system components), a CAT5 cable, or any other form of wired connection. In contrast, wireless connections may include the Internet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, cellular, radio, etc. In one embodiment, a controller area network (CAN) bus including any number of wired and wireless connections provides for the exchange of signals, information, and / or data between the controller 140 and the telematics unit 150. In other embodiments, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider) may provide, facilitate, and support communications between the telematics unit 150 and the controller 140 and / or a remote computing system. In yet another embodiment, communications between the telematics unit 150 and the controller 140 are conducted via the Unified Diagnostic Service (UDS) protocol. All of these variations are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0038] Reference now Figure 2 , showing an exemplary embodiment of the Figure 1Schematic diagram 200 of controller 140. Controller 140 can be configured as one or more electronic control units (ECUs). Controller 140 can be separated from or included in at least one of a transmission control unit, an exhaust aftertreatment control unit, a powertrain control module, an engine control module (ECM), etc. In one embodiment, the components of controller 140 are combined into one unit. In another embodiment, one or more components can be geographically dispersed throughout the system. All of these variations are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Controller 140 is shown as including a processing circuit 202 having a processor 204 and a memory device 206, a thermal management circuit 210, a sensor management circuit 212, and a communication interface 216.

[0039] In one configuration, the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 are implemented as a machine or computer readable medium storing instructions that can be executed by a processor (such as processor 204). As described herein and in other uses, the machine readable medium facilitates the execution of specific operations to achieve the reception and transmission of data. For example, the machine readable medium can provide instructions (e.g., commands, etc.) to, for example, obtain data. In this regard, the machine readable medium may include programmable logic that, among other functions, may define the frequency of data acquisition (or data transmission). The computer readable medium may include code written in any programming language, such as, but not limited to, Java, and any conventional process programming language (such as "C" programming language or similar programming language). The computer readable program code can be executed on one processor or multiple remote processors. In the latter case, the remote processors can be connected to each other via any type of network (e.g., CAN bus, etc.).

[0040] In another configuration, the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 are implemented as hardware units. As such, the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 may include one or more circuit components, including but not limited to processing circuits, network interfaces, peripherals, input devices, output devices, sensors, and the like. In some embodiments, the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 may take the form of one or more analog circuits, electronic circuits (e.g., integrated circuits (ICs), discrete circuits, system-on-chip (SOC) circuits, microcontrollers, and the like), telecommunications circuits, hybrid circuits, and any other type of "circuitry". In this regard, the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 may include any type of component for accomplishing or facilitating the operations described herein. For example, the circuits described herein may include one or more transistors, logic gates (e.g., NAND, AND, NOR, OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR, and the like), resistors, multiplexers, registers, capacitors, inductors, diodes, wiring, and the like). The thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 may also include programmable hardware devices, such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, and the like. The thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 may include one or more memory devices for storing instructions that can be executed by the (one or more) processors of the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212. The one or more memory devices and the processor may have the same definitions as provided herein with respect to the memory device 206 and the processor 204. In some hardware unit configurations and as described above, the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 may be geographically dispersed in various separate locations in the system. Alternatively, and as shown, the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 may be implemented in or within a single unit / housing, which is shown as the controller 140.

[0041] In the example shown, the controller 140 includes a processing circuit 202 having a processor 204 and a memory device 206. The processing circuit 202 may be constructed or configured to execute or implement the instructions, commands, and / or control processes described herein with respect to the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212. The depicted configuration represents the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 as instructions that may be stored by a memory device (e.g., a machine or computer readable medium). However, as described above, this illustration is not meant to be limiting, as the present disclosure contemplates other embodiments in which the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 or at least one of the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 is configured as a hardware unit. All such combinations and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0042] The processor 204 may be implemented as one or more processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), a group of processing components, or other suitable electronic processing components. In some embodiments, one or more processors may be shared by multiple circuits (for example, the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 may include or otherwise share the same processor, which in some example embodiments may execute instructions stored or otherwise accessed via different areas of memory). Alternatively or additionally, one or more processors may be configured to perform or otherwise perform certain operations independently of one or more co-processors. In other example embodiments, two or more processors may be connected via a bus to achieve independent, parallel, pipelined, or multi-threaded instruction execution. All of these changes are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0043] Memory device 206 (e.g., memory, memory unit, memory device) may include one or more devices or components (e.g., RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage) for storing data and / or computer code to complete or facilitate the various processes, layers and modules described in the present disclosure. Memory device 206 may be communicatively connected to processor 204 to provide computer code or instructions to processor 204 to perform at least some of the processes described herein. In addition, memory device 206 may be or include tangible, non-transient volatile memory or non-volatile memory. Therefore, memory device 206 may include a database component, an object code component, a script component, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities and information structures described herein.

[0044] The communication interface 216 may include any combination of wired and / or wireless interfaces (e.g., jacks, antennas, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, wired terminals) for communicating data with various systems, devices, or networks configured to enable on-board communications (e.g., between and among components of the vehicle) and, in some embodiments, off-board communications (e.g., (e.g., communications with a remote server via a telematics unit). For example and with respect to off-board / system communications, the communication interface 216 may include an Ethernet card and port for sending and receiving data via an Ethernet-based communications network, and / or a Wi-Fi transceiver for communicating via a wireless communications network. The communication interface 216 may be configured to communicate via a local area network or a wide area network (e.g., the Internet), and may use various communication protocols (e.g., IP, LON, Bluetooth, ZigBee, radio, cellular, near field communications). With respect to off-board communications, in these cases, the described telematics unit may be excluded from the system.

[0045] Communication interface 216 may facilitate communication between controller 140 and one or more components of system 100. For example, Figure 2 As shown, the communication interface 216 can facilitate communication between the controller 140 and the engine 101, the aftertreatment system 120, the sensor 125, and the telematics unit 150. The communication interface 216 can additionally and / or alternatively facilitate communication between and among the controller 140 and other components of the system 100. The communication between and among the components of the controller 140 and the system 100 can be through any number of wired or wireless connections (e.g., any standard under the IEEE). For example, the wired connection may include a serial cable, a fiber optic cable, a CAT5 cable, or any other form of wired connection. In some embodiments, the controller area network (CAN) bus provides for the exchange of signals, information, and / or data. The CAN bus may include any number of wired and wireless connections that provide for the exchange of signals, information, and / or data. The CAN bus may include a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or a connection may be established with an external computer (e.g., by using the Internet of an Internet service provider).

[0046] The thermal management circuit 210 is configured to control the operation of the heater 106 based on sensor data (e.g., temperature data, flow data, etc.) received from the sensor 125. For example, the thermal management circuit 210 may utilize commands to increase and / or decrease the thermal output of the heater 106 by changing the amount of power (e.g., electrical power) provided to the heater 106. More specifically, the thermal management circuit 210 is configured to activate, deactivate, and / or change the thermal output of the heater 106 based on the sensor data. For example, the thermal management circuit 210 may adjust the operation of the heater 106 based on sensor data, the sensor data including the flow rate of exhaust gas flowing through the aftertreatment system 120, the temperature of the aftertreatment system 120 (e.g., the temperature of one or more components thereof, the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing through the aftertreatment system 120 collected at different points along the aftertreatment system 120, and / or other temperatures associated with the aftertreatment system 120), and / or other sensor data. In particular, as described herein, the thermal management circuit 210 activates the heater 106 to increase the temperature of the aftertreatment system based on, for example, the temperature of the aftertreatment system 120 is below a target temperature, and / or deactivates the heater 106 to decrease the temperature of the aftertreatment system 120 based on, for example, the temperature of the aftertreatment system 120 is above a target temperature. The thermal management circuit 210 may activate, deactivate, and / or adjust the power (electricity) provided to the heater 106 to achieve the target temperature, for example, to reduce NOx emissions.

[0047] The temperature of the aftertreatment system 120 may change as the exhaust gas flows through the aftertreatment system 120. More specifically, when the heater 106 is in a particular position (e.g., Figure 1As shown, when the aftertreatment system 120 is heated by the controller 140 (upstream of the DOC 121), the temperature may change (e.g., increase and / or decrease) as the exhaust flows downstream from the heater 106. Advantageously, the controller 140 (including the thermal management circuit 210) utilizes multiple control processes, such as a dual-loop feedback / feedforward control process, to control the operation of the heater 106. The controller 140 can generate a control signal (e.g., a PWM signal) to adjust the operation of the heater 106 based on temperature data from one or more sensors 125. Therefore, even if the temperature of the aftertreatment system 120 changes, the controller 140 will actively help maintain the temperature of the aftertreatment system at a target temperature based on the sensor data from one or more sensors 125. It should be understood that the target temperature can be a dynamic temperature that changes based on one or more operating conditions (such as ambient temperature, engine load and / or other operating conditions), and when the target temperature changes, the controller 140 can maintain the temperature of the aftertreatment system 120 at the target temperature and change the SCR Tin to match the new target temperature. The logic for controlling the operation of the heater 106 will be described in detail in the following. Figure 3 Detailed description is given in .

[0048] The "temperature" of the aftertreatment system 120 may be exhaust gas temperature, component temperature (e.g., SCR temperature), and / or a combination thereof. The temperature may be determined based on data from one or more sensors 125, as described above (or directly sensed by one or more sensors). The temperature of the aftertreatment system 120 may be sensed and / or determined at various locations. The temperature of the aftertreatment system 120 may be based on temperature data acquired by the sensors 125, such that at or near the location of the sensors (e.g., at Figure 1 The temperature of the aftertreatment system 120 is sensed and / or determined at various locations within the engine 101 and / or aftertreatment system 102 as shown. In some embodiments, the temperature specifically refers to the exhaust gas temperature at a specific location in the aftertreatment system 120 (e.g., at the inlet of the SCR 123, etc.).

[0049] The sensor management circuit 212 is configured to control the operation of the sensors 125. For example, the sensor management circuit 212 can be configured to generate one or more control signals and transmit the control signals to one or more sensors 125 (e.g., to obtain data, etc.). The control signals can cause one or more sensors 125 to sense and / or detect sensor data and / or provide the sensor data to the sensor management circuit 212. In some embodiments, the sensor management circuit 212 can be configured to predict and / or estimate the sensor data (e.g., when the sensor 125 is a virtual sensor). In any of these embodiments, the sensor data may include temperature data, flow data, and / or other data related to the operation of the aftertreatment system 120. The sensor management circuit 212 is also configured to receive the sensor data and provide the sensor data to other components of the controller 140, such as the thermal management circuit 210.

[0050] See now Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 A method for controlling the Figure 1 Flow chart of a method for determining the temperature of a catalyst of a vehicle. In the embodiment shown, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The controller 140 is configured to execute Figure 3 The method 300 shown and / or Figure 4 The method 400 shown. It should be understood that Figure 3 Aspects of the method 300 shown in Figure 4 Aspects of the methods shown in are combined so that a controller can perform method 300 and method 400 simultaneously, partially simultaneously, and / or by alternating one or more processes of method 300 with one or more processes of method 400.

[0051] See now Figure 3 , Figure 3 A control according to an example embodiment is shown Figure 1Flowchart of a method for determining a temperature of a catalyst of a vehicle. Specifically, an example flow chart of a method 300 for determining a power command output to the heater 106 is depicted. In some embodiments, the controller 140 and / or one or more components thereof are configured to perform the method 400. For example, the controller 140 and / or one or more components thereof may be configured to perform the method 300 alone or in combination with other devices (such as the heater 106, the sensor 125, and / or other components of the system 100). The method 300 may include user input from a user (e.g., a provider employee, a customer, a vehicle operator, etc.), input from one or more devices (e.g., a user device, other control devices of the system 100, etc.), input from another computing device on the network 105, etc. For example, the controller 140 may receive sensor data from the sensor 125. The sensor data may include a heater temperature (e.g., a DOC inlet temperature), an SCR inlet temperature, and / or exhaust flow data.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown, the method is divided into a plurality of control processes, the plurality of control processes including a first control process (e.g., an outer loop 134) and a second control process (e.g., an inner loop 132). In some embodiments, the first control process is used to control the operation of a first group of components of the aftertreatment system 120 and / or receive sensor data about the first group of components of the aftertreatment system 120, and the second control process is used to control the operation of a second group of components of the aftertreatment system 120 and / or receive sensor data about the second group of components of the aftertreatment system 120. In an example embodiment, the first control process may be specific to the heater 106, the DOC 121, and / or one or more sensors 125. In this example embodiment, the second control process may be specific to the DPF 122, the SCR 123, the DEF 124, and / or one or more sensors 125. In other embodiments, the plurality of control processes may include additional control processes and / or control processes specific to different components of the exhaust aftertreatment system 120.

[0053] Referring now to the first control process (e.g., outer loop 134), the controller 140 may execute a first control process specific to a first group of components of the exhaust aftertreatment system 120. The first control process is executed (i.e., implements instructions, commands, logic, and / or control processes) by the controller 140, including determining a first control process output based on at least sensor data (e.g., SCR inlet temperature) received from the sensor 125. More specifically, at process 306, the controller 140 receives an SCR target temperature 302 and an actual SCR temperature 304. The controller 140 is configured to calculate or determine a feedback error at process 306. The feedback error is defined as the difference between the SCR target temperature 302 and the SCR temperature 304. According to various embodiments, the SCR target temperature 302 may include one or more of a user-specified temperature, a target temperature from a lookup table, and / or a temperature specified by a different control system of the system 100 (e.g., a reductant dosing controller). The SCR temperature 304 is a temperature of the aftertreatment system 120 at the inlet of the SCR system 123. The SCR temperature 304 may be sensed and / or determined by one or more sensors 125.

[0054] In process 308, the controller 140 determines or receives a minimum and / or maximum value for the heater control output. In some embodiments, the maximum and minimum values ​​for the heater control output are the maximum and / or minimum heat output (e.g., in BTU, kW, joules, etc.) that the heater 106 is operable to provide. For example, the heater 106 is operable to provide a range of output temperatures and / or a range of output power or energy, subject to the physical constraints of the heater 106 and / or the specifications of the heater manufacturer. In some embodiments, the maximum and minimum heater control outputs may include power commands based on the maximum and / or minimum power amounts that the heater 106 is operable to receive, such as a maximum or minimum power value, a maximum or minimum duty cycle (e.g., a PWM signal), etc. In some embodiments, the maximum and minimum heater outputs may include temperature commands for achieving the maximum or minimum temperature that the heater 106 is operable to output, such as a maximum or minimum temperature value, a maximum or minimum duty cycle (e.g., a PWM signal), etc.

[0055] In process 310, the controller 140 receives or determines the ramp rate of the heater output. The ramp rate is the rate at which the heater 106 increases or decreases the temperature. The ramp rate can be determined based on, for example, the formulation of the SCR 123. For example, increasing or decreasing the temperature of the exhaust gas too quickly, thereby increasing or decreasing the temperature of the SCR 123 too quickly, may cause damage to the SCR 123 and / or its components. That is, the SCR 123 may be sensitive to fast ramp rates. The controller 140 receives or determines the ramp rate by using a lookup table that associates the SCR formulation with the ramp rate. More specifically, the controller 140 can identify the ramp rate corresponding to the formulation of the SCR 123 in the lookup table. The ramp rate can define a threshold (e.g., a maximum value) for the temperature change of the heater 106. The temperature change of the heater 106 is defined as the difference between the current heater temperature and the target heater temperature.

[0056] In process 310, the controller 140 determines outer loop feedback data 312 (also referred to herein as the "first control process output"). The outer loop feedback data 312 may include a target temperature value for the heater 106, referred to herein as the "heater output temperature target". The heater output temperature target is at a temperature value at which the heater 106 needs or may need to operate so that the temperature of the downstream SCR 123 is maintained at the SCR target temperature 302. In some embodiments, the heater output temperature target is related to the target DOC outlet temperature (i.e., DOCTout target). More specifically, in some embodiments, the heater output temperature target is equal to the DOC Tout target. In some embodiments, the controller 140 may cause the heater 106 to operate according to the heater output temperature target.

[0057] In some embodiments, the controller 140 may determine the heater output temperature target by using a process (e.g., a lookup table), an algorithm, etc. that associates the feedback error with the target output temperature of the heater 106. In other embodiments, the controller 140 may determine the target output temperature of the heater 106 using a machine learning model that associates the feedback error with the temperature target. In some embodiments, the controller 140 may modify the heater output temperature target based on the maximum and / or minimum values ​​determined in process 308 and / or the ramp rate determined in process 310. For example, the controller 140 may increase the heater output temperature target to or above the minimum value, decrease the heater output temperature target to or below the maximum value, and / or decrease the heater output temperature target so that the difference between the heater output temperature target and the current heater temperature is less than the maximum temperature change of the heater 106.

[0058] In some embodiments, the outer loop feedback data 312 includes a modified heater output temperature target. In other embodiments, the outer loop feedback data 312 includes the heater output temperature target, the maximum and / or minimum values ​​determined by process 308, and / or the ramp rate determined by process 310. Figure 3 As shown, outer loop feedback data 312 may be used directly as an input to the inner loop 132 process, process 322 , and / or indirectly as an input to process 316 .

[0059] At process 316, the controller 140 receives the DOC outlet temperature 314 (also referred to herein as DOC Tout). The controller 140 may compare the outer loop feedback data 312 to the DOC Tout. At process 316, the controller 140 calculates a temperature error 317. The temperature error 317 is defined as the difference between the outer loop feedback data 312 and the DOC Tout 314. More specifically, the temperature error 317 is the difference between the DOC Tout and a heater output temperature target (e.g., DOC Tout target). In additional and / or alternative embodiments, the temperature error 317 may be determined for different components of the aftertreatment system 120. In these embodiments, at process 316, the controller 140 may compare the outer loop feedback data 312 to the aftertreatment system component outlet temperature.

[0060] Now referring to the second control process (e.g., inner loop 132), the controller 140 can execute a second control process specific to a second group of components of the exhaust aftertreatment system 120. The second control process is executed (i.e., implementing instructions, commands, logic and / or control processes) by the controller 140, including determining a heater control output based on at least one of the first control process output or sensor data. More specifically, in process 322, the controller 140 receives the outer loop feedback data 312, the exhaust flow value 318 from one or more sensors 125, and the heater inlet temperature 320 from one or more sensors 125. The heater inlet temperature 320 is the temperature of the exhaust gas at or near the heater 106. In other embodiments, the heater inlet temperature 320 can be a temperature set point for the heater 106. As described above, the heater inlet temperature 320 is related to the DOC Tin. More specifically, the heater inlet temperature 320 is equal to the DOC Tin. Therefore, as used herein, the heater inlet temperature 320 is interchangeable with the DOC Tin.

[0061] In process 322, the controller 140 calculates a feedforward prediction (referred to herein as a "feedforward prediction") of the temperature at which the heater 106 needs or may need to operate in order to maintain the temperature of the downstream SCR 123 at the SCR target temperature. The feedforward prediction can be based on a lookup table, or more specifically, the feedforward lookup table associates one or more input values ​​(e.g., heater output temperature target, target SCR temperature, SCR inlet temperature, exhaust flow data, heater inlet temperature, etc.) with a predicted temperature value. The feedforward lookup table includes an empirical model, a physical generation model, etc. Additionally and / or alternatively, the feedforward prediction is based on a machine learning or artificial intelligence model. In any of these embodiments, the feedforward prediction is calculated based on the outer loop feedback data 312, the heater inlet temperature 320, and the exhaust flow 318. The controller 140 is configured to output inner loop feedforward data 325 based on the feedforward prediction. The inner loop feedforward data 325 includes information about the predicted heater output temperature. Therefore, the inner loop feedforward data 325 may include a predicted temperature value for operating the heater 106. In some embodiments, the controller 140 may cause the heater 106 to operate based on a feed-forward prediction.

[0062] In process 323, the controller 140 calculates or determines a feedback temperature based on the temperature error 317. The "feedback temperature" (also referred to herein as "temperature feedback compensation") is a target temperature at which the heater 106 needs or may need to operate in order to maintain the temperature of the downstream SCR 123 at the SCR target temperature. The feedback temperature is calculated based on the temperature error 317. For example, the controller 140 may use a mathematical model, a physical model, or other model, such as a proportional integral derivative (PID) control loop, to determine the feedback temperature.

[0063] As used herein, a PID control loop refers to a control strategy that uses three terms or values ​​(e.g., proportional, integral, and differential) to automatically control an output. The PID control loop continuously calculates an error value, which is the difference between a desired set point or target value and a measured or determined output value. The PID control loop is corrected based on the proportional, integral, and differential terms.

[0064] Referring back to process 323, the controller 140 may continuously calculate the feedback temperature error 317 (e.g., in process 316) as the difference between the heater output temperature target and the DOC Tout. The feedback temperature may be based on a mathematical model, a physical model, or other model. For example, the controller 140 may determine the proportional term, the integral term, and the differential term of the PID control loop such that the PID mathematical model is a function of the temperature error 317. In some embodiments, in process 323, the controller 140 outputs the feedback temperature. In some embodiments, in process 323, the controller 140 outputs an inner loop feedback command 324 including the feedback temperature. In some embodiments, the inner loop feedback command 324, or more specifically, the feedback temperature, may be used in a subsequent process to adjust or tune the inner loop feedforward data 325 (e.g., the feedforward prediction determined in process 322). For example, the temperature value of the feed-forward prediction 325 may be compared to the feedback temperature to determine whether the feed-forward prediction is over-compensating (e.g., above the feedback temperature), under-compensating (e.g., below the feedback temperature), or compensating as needed (e.g., equal to the feedback temperature or within a predetermined range of the feedback temperature, such as within 10% or another value of the feedback temperature) for a temperature change of one or more components of the aftertreatment system 120 (e.g., the DOC 121).

[0065] At process 326, the controller 140 determines or receives a maximum and / or minimum value for the heater control output. The maximum and / or minimum value for the heater control output may include a maximum power value and / or a minimum power value based on the heater 106 (e.g., a minimum power required to turn on the heater, a maximum heater power, etc.), a maximum percentage temperature command value and / or a minimum percentage temperature command value (e.g., between 0% and 100%), and / or other parameters for the operation of the heater 106. The controller may output a modified version of at least one of the inner loop feedback data 324 (e.g., feedback temperature) and the inner loop feedforward data 325 (e.g., feedforward prediction). The modified version of the inner loop feedback data 324 and / or the inner loop feedforward data 325 may include the applied maximum and / or minimum value. In some embodiments, at process 236, the controller may output a single control signal combining the inner loop feedback data 324 and the inner loop feedforward data 325, shown as data signal 327. The modified version(s) of at least one of the inner loop feedback data 324 and the inner loop feedforward data 325 and / or the data signal 327 may be used as input to process 328. In some embodiments, process 326 is optional, and the inner loop feedback data 324 (e.g., feedback temperature) and the inner loop feedforward data 325 (e.g., feedforward prediction) are used as input to process 238.

[0066] At process 328, the controller 140 generates a heater control output 330 based on the inner loop feedforward data 325 (e.g., feedforward prediction) from process 322 and / or the data signal 327 (e.g., feedforward prediction and / or feedback temperature) from process 326. The heater control output 330 is at least one of a data signal, a PWM signal, or other control signal that causes the heater 106 to operate. The heater control output 330 is configured to cause the heater 106 to operate according to a target temperature of the heater 106. For example, the heater control output 330 causes the heater 106 to operate by turning the heater 106 on, turning the heater 106 off, and / or changing the output power of the heater 106 (e.g., by adjusting the duty cycle of the heater 106 or the PWM signal provided to the heater 106).

[0067] The inner loop feedforward data 325 includes and / or is associated with the feedforward prediction generated at process 322. The data signal 327 includes and / or is associated with the feedback temperature determined at process 323, the feedforward prediction generated at process 322, and the modification made at process 326. At process 328, the controller 140 uses the inner loop feedforward data 325 (e.g., the feedforward prediction) and the data signal 327 (e.g., the feedback temperature and / or the feedforward prediction) together to compensate and ultimately generate the heater control output 330. For example, the heater control output 330 can be the sum of the commands from the feedback logic (e.g., the data signal 327) and the feedforward logic (e.g., the feedforward data 235). In additional and / or alternative embodiments, modified versions (one or more) of at least one of the inner loop feedback data 324 and the inner loop feedforward data 325 and / or the data signal 327 may be used as inputs to the process 328. In any of the above embodiments, the heater control output may be determined to minimize the feedback error determined at the process 306. For example, the heater control output 330 may cause the heater 106 to heat more aggressively if the actual DOC Tout (e.g., the DOC outlet temperature 314) is less than the DOC Tout target (e.g., the outer loop feedback data 312), and / or cause the heater 106 to stop heating when the actual DOC Tout is greater than the target DOC Tout.

[0068] It should be understood that any data described herein (e.g., outer loop feedback data 312, inner loop feedback data 324, inner loop feedforward data 325, data signal 327, and / or heater control output 330) may include information used to determine other control signals. In some embodiments, the data may include information and / or control signals used to control the operation of one or more components of the aftertreatment system 120. For example, the heater control output 330 may include a control signal (e.g., a temperature command, a power command, a duty cycle signal, a PWM signal, and / or other commands for operating the heater 106) sent to a controller of the heater 106 for controlling the heater 106. In other embodiments, the controller 140 may directly control the heater 106.

[0069] Advantageously, the feedforward prediction generated at process 322 and the feedback error determined at process 323 are used to reduce the error in the SCR inlet temperature by adjusting the operation of the heater 106 to meet or substantially meet (e.g., within a predefined amount) the SCR target temperature. The method 300 may be iterative such that additional sensor data sensed and / or determined (e.g., SCR temperature 304, heater inlet temperature 320, exhaust flow 318, DOC Tout 314, etc.) may be used to generate an updated heater control output 330. The method 300 may be repeated in real time (e.g., every millisecond, every second, every minute) and / or periodically (e.g., every hour, etc.).

[0070] In some embodiments, the controller 140 can output any determined value to a display device (e.g., the operator I / O device 130 and / or another display device), wherein the determined value includes a feedback error, a maximum and / or minimum value of a heater control output, a ramp rate of a heater output, outer loop feedback data (such as a first control process output or a heater output temperature target), a temperature error, an inner loop feedback command (such as a feedback temperature), inner loop feedforward data (such as a feedforward prediction), a data signal 327 (such as a modified and / or unmodified version of a feedforward prediction and / or feedback temperature), or a heater output control 330.

[0071] See now Figure 4 , Figure 4 A control according to an example embodiment is shown Figure 1Flowchart of a method for determining a temperature of a catalyst of a vehicle. Specifically, an example flow chart of a method 400 for determining a command to be output to the heater 106 is depicted. In some embodiments, the controller 140 and / or one or more components thereof are configured to perform the method 400. For example, the controller 140 and / or one or more components thereof may be configured to perform the method 400 alone or in combination with other devices (such as the heater 106, the sensor 125, and / or other components of the system 100). The method 400 may include user input from a user (e.g., a provider employee, a customer, a user device integrated with the vehicle, etc.), another computing device on the network 105, and the like (e.g., a provider employee, a customer, a vehicle operator, etc.).

[0072] As an overview of the method 400, the controller 140 receives one or more inputs from the sensor 125, user inputs from a user (e.g., from the operator I / O device 130 and / or other input devices), and / or other inputs related to the aftertreatment system 120. The controller then determines and generates a control signal to send to the heater 106. In process 402, the controller 140 receives a temperature target input. In process 404, the controller 140 receives an SCR input temperature. In process 406, the controller 140 receives a heater temperature. In process 408, the controller 140 receives an exhaust flow input. In process 410, the controller 140 receives a DOC output temperature. The first control process (e.g., the outer loop 134) includes processes 412-418. In the outer loop 134, for example, at process 412, a temperature error is calculated. In process 414, a temperature feedback compensation is calculated. In process 415, a feedforward compensation is calculated. In process 416, a final temperature of the inner loop (e.g., the inner loop 132) is calculated. At process 417, the controller 140 determines integral wind-up protection. At process 418, the controller 140 determines a ramp rate. The second control process (e.g., inner loop 132) includes processes 420-432. At inner loop 132, for example, at process 420, a temperature error is calculated. At process 422, a temperature feedback compensation is calculated. At process 424, a feedforward compensation is calculated. At process 426, a heater duty cycle is calculated. At process 428, the controller 140 determines integral wind-up protection. At process 430, the controller 140 determines a ramp rate. At process 432, a heater control unit is activated. In some embodiments, the processes of method 400 may be performed in a manner similar to Figure 4 In some embodiments, method 400 may include: Figure 4The processes shown may be more or less than the processes shown. In some embodiments, as described above, any process in method 400 may be used to supplement and / or replace any process in method 300. In some embodiments, any process in method 300 may be used to supplement and / or replace any process in method 400.

[0073] Referring to method 400 in more detail, at process 402, controller 140 determines a target temperature. Figure 3 Briefly described, the target temperature may include one or more of a user-specified temperature, a target temperature from a lookup table, and / or a temperature specified by a different control system (e.g., DEF controller, heater controller, etc.) of the system 100. In additional and / or alternative embodiments, the target temperature may be determined based on one or more statistical and / or machine learning models. In any embodiment described herein, the target temperature may be based on one or more operating conditions that may define a desired operating temperature for achieving or possibly achieving a desired operating characteristic (e.g., a NOx conversion efficiency above a predefined threshold), such as ambient temperature, engine load, current SCR Tin temperature, and / or other operating conditions associated with the aftertreatment system 120.

[0074] At process 404, the controller 140 receives the SCR input temperature from the one or more sensors 125. The controller 140 may receive sensor data including the SCR input temperature from the one or more sensors 125 (e.g., via the sensor management circuit 212). The sensor data may be generated by the one or more sensors 125 by directly measuring the SCR input temperature (e.g., a physical sensor), and / or the controller 140 may determine / estimate the SCR input temperature (e.g., a virtual sensor).

[0075] At process 406, the controller 140 receives a heater temperature (e.g., a temperature of the exhaust gas at or near the heater 106) from one or more sensors 125. As described above, the heater temperature is equal to the DOC Tin. The controller 140 may receive sensor data including the heater temperature from one or more sensors 125 (e.g., via the sensor management circuit 212). The sensor data may be generated by the one or more sensors 125 by directly measuring the heater temperature (e.g., a physical sensor), and / or determined / estimated by the controller 140 using one or more pieces of information (e.g., a virtual sensor).

[0076] In process 408, the controller 140 receives exhaust flow data from one or more sensors 125. The controller 140 may receive sensor data including exhaust flow data from one or more sensors 125 (e.g., via the sensor management circuit 212). The sensor data may be generated by one or more sensors 125 by directly measuring exhaust flow data (e.g., physical sensors), and / or by estimating exhaust flow data (e.g., by virtual sensors and / or statistical models). The exhaust flow data is information about the exhaust flow within the aftertreatment system 120, or includes information about the exhaust flow within the aftertreatment system 120. For example, the exhaust flow data may include the exhaust flow (e.g., mass flow, volume flow, etc.) of the exhaust. In some embodiments, the exhaust flow data may additionally and / or alternatively include a mass flow leaving a standard engine.

[0077] Thus, at process 404 , process 406 , and process 410 , the controller 140 receives sensor data including heater temperature (eg, DOC inlet temperature), SCR inlet temperature, and exhaust flow data.

[0078] In process 410, the controller 140 receives a DOC output temperature. The controller 140 may receive sensor data including the DOC output temperature from one or more sensors 125 (e.g., via the sensor management circuit 212). The sensor data may be generated by one or more sensors 125 by directly measuring the DOC output temperature (e.g., a physical sensor), and / or by estimating the DOC output temperature by the controller 140 (e.g., a virtual sensor). Additionally and / or alternatively, in process 410, the controller 140 may receive an SCR input temperature. As described above, due to the spatial proximity of the components, the SCR input temperature is closely related to the DOC outlet temperature. Although the method 400 described herein uses the DOC output temperature, it should be understood that the DOC output temperature may be replaced and / or used in combination with the SCR input temperature and / or other related temperatures (e.g., the DPF inlet temperature or the DPF outlet temperature). All of these variations are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0079] At process 412, a temperature error is calculated. The controller may calculate a temperature error using the SCR target temperature and the SCR temperature (eg, inputs received at processes 402 and 404). The temperature error is defined as the difference between the SCR target temperature and the actual SCR temperature.

[0080] At process 414, a temperature feedback compensation is calculated. The feedback compensation is determined based on the temperature error calculated at process 412. The feedback compensation may include the temperature error calculated at process 412. Figure 3The outer loop feedback data. Therefore, the outer loop feedback data may include feedback compensation and / or any information related to the outer loop feedback compensation. In some embodiments, the controller 140 may determine the feedback compensation using a mathematical model, a physical model, or other model. For example, the controller 140 may determine the feedback compensation using a proportional integral derivative (PID) control loop. In these embodiments, the controller 140 may (e.g., at process 412) continuously calculate an error value as the difference between the SCR target temperature and the actual SCR temperature. The feedback compensation may be based on the proportional term, the integral term, and the differential term of the PID control loop.

[0081] In process 415, a feedforward compensation is calculated. The controller 140 calculates a feedforward prediction of the temperature at which the heater 106 needs or may need to operate so that the temperature of the downstream SCR 123 is maintained at or substantially maintained at the SCR target temperature. The feedforward prediction may be based on a feedforward lookup table that associates at least one of a heater output temperature target, a target SCR temperature, an SCR inlet temperature, exhaust flow data, or a heater inlet temperature with a predicted temperature value. In some embodiments, the feedforward lookup table includes an empirical model, a physical generation model, and the like. Additionally and / or alternatively, the feedforward prediction is based on a machine learning or artificial intelligence model. In any of these embodiments, the feedforward prediction determined at process 415 may be based on the target temperature received at process 402 and / or the exhaust flow data received at process 408. The feedforward compensation is determined based on the temperature target and the exhaust flow. The feedforward compensation may be output as outer loop feedforward data. The outer loop feedforward data may include a feedforward prediction of the temperature at which the heater 106 needs to operate so that the temperature of the downstream SCR 123 is maintained at the SCR target temperature. The feed-forward compensation may be an additive compensation that is added to the feedback compensation and / or a multiplicative compensation that is multiplied by the feedback compensation. In some embodiments, process 415 is optional and may be omitted from the process.

[0082] At process 416, a final temperature of the inner loop (e.g., inner loop 132) is calculated. In some embodiments, the final temperature may include outer loop feedback data and / or outer loop feedforward data. In these embodiments, the final temperature may include a target temperature for the heater 106 (e.g., a "heater output temperature target"). In some embodiments, the final temperature of the inner loop 132 is a "first control process output". The final temperature may additionally and / or alternatively include a power command for the heater 106 (60% of the maximum power output), a control signal for the heater 106 (e.g., a PWM signal), a combination thereof, and the like.

[0083] At process 417, the controller 140 determines an integral windup protection value. As described above, the controller 140 may determine the feedback compensation using a mathematical model, a physical model, or other model. For example, the controller 140 may determine the feedback compensation using a PID control loop. In some embodiments, integral windup protection refers to a situation where the PID control loop is correcting an error where the SCR target temperature is higher than the actual SCR temperature. Therefore, the controller 140 may determine an integral term or value of the PID control loop to prevent overcorrection of an error term (e.g., the error determined at process 412). Therefore, the controller 140 may determine integral windup protection applicable to the heater 106 and based on the error term.

[0084] At process 418, the ramp rate is received or determined by the controller 140. As described above with reference to Figure 3 As described above, the ramp rate is the rate at which the heater 106 increases or decreases in temperature. The ramp rate may be determined based on, for example, the type of SCR 123. For example, increasing or decreasing the temperature of the exhaust gas too quickly, and thereby increasing or decreasing the temperature of the SCR 123 too quickly, may cause damage to the SCR 123 and / or its components. That is, the SCR 123 may be sensitive to fast ramp rates. Therefore, the controller 140 may determine or receive a ramp rate suitable for the heater 106. This document will refer to Figure 3 Determining and / or receiving the ramp rate is described in more detail in process 310 of FIG. 1 . The first control process (outer loop) may output an outer loop output including a final temperature determined at process 416 and modified at processes 417 and 418 .

[0085] Referring now to the inner loop 132, a temperature error is calculated at process 420. The controller 140 may calculate the temperature error using the outer loop output (e.g., the inner loop final temperature determined at process 416 and modified at processes 417 and 418) and the DOC outlet temperature received at process 410. Here, the temperature error is defined as the difference between the final temperature determined at process 416 and DOCTout.

[0086] At process 422, a temperature feedback compensation is calculated. The temperature feedback compensation (also referred to herein as "feedback temperature") is a target output value (e.g., target output temperature, target output power, etc.) of the heater 106. The feedback compensation is determined based on the temperature error calculated at process 420. The feedback compensation may include the temperature error calculated herein. Figure 3The inner loop feedback data. Therefore, the inner loop feedback data may include feedback compensation and / or other data, such as a temperature value, a power value, a control signal (e.g., a PWM signal) for operating the heater. In some embodiments, the controller 140 may determine the feedback compensation using a mathematical model, a physical model, or other model. For example, the controller 140 may determine the feedback compensation using a proportional integral derivative (PID) control loop. In these embodiments, the controller 140 may (e.g., at process 420) continuously calculate an error value as the difference between the final temperature determined in process 416 and the DOC Tout. The feedback compensation of the inner loop feedback data may be based on a proportional term, an integral term, and a differential term.

[0087] At process 424, a feedforward compensation is calculated. The controller 140 calculates a feedforward prediction of the temperature at which the heater 106 needs or may need to operate in order to maintain the temperature of the downstream SCR 123 at the SCR target temperature. The feedforward prediction can be based on a feedforward construct (e.g., a table) that includes an empirical model, a physically generated model, or the like. Additionally and / or alternatively, the feedforward prediction is based on a machine learning or artificial intelligence model. In any of these embodiments, the feedforward prediction determined at process 424 can be based on one or more of the heater inlet temperature received at process 406, the exhaust flow data received at process 408, and other data available to the controller 140 (e.g., the final temperature of the inner loop 416 (and modified at processes 417 and 418)). Feedforward compensation may include the feedforward predictions described herein with reference to Figure 3 The inner loop feedforward data is described. Thus, the inner loop feedback data may include feedback compensation and / or other data, such as a temperature value, a power value, a control signal (e.g., a PWM signal) for operating the heater determined based on the predicted temperature of the SCR 123. The feedforward compensation may be an additive compensation added to the feedback compensation and / or a multiplicative compensation multiplied by the feedback compensation.

[0088] At process 426, the controller 140 determines a temperature command for the heater 106. The temperature command may be at least one of a control signal (e.g., a temperature command, a power command, etc.), a duty cycle signal, a PWM signal, and / or other commands for operating the heater 106, sent to a controller of the heater 106. In some embodiments, the temperature command is included in the heater control data, as described above with reference to FIG. Figure 3 Heater control data, including temperature commands, are determined based on the inner loop feedback data determined at process 422 and the inner loop feedforward data determined at process 424 .

[0089] At process 428, the controller 140 determines an integral windup protection value. As described above, feedback compensation can be based on a PID control loop. In some embodiments, integral windup protection refers to a situation where the PID control loop is correcting an error where the SCR target temperature is higher than the actual SCR temperature. Therefore, the controller 140 can determine an integral term or value of the PID control loop to prevent overcorrection of an error term (e.g., the error determined at process 420). Therefore, the controller 140 can determine an integral windup protection applicable to the heater 106 and based on the error term.

[0090] At process 430, a ramp rate is determined or received by controller 140. As described above with reference to Figure 3 As described above, the ramp rate is the rate at which the heater 106 increases or decreases in temperature. The ramp rate may be determined based on, for example, the type of SCR 123. For example, increasing or decreasing the temperature of the exhaust gas too quickly, and thereby increasing or decreasing the temperature of the SCR 123 too quickly, such as exceeding a threshold rate, may cause damage to the SCR 123 and / or its components. That is, the SCR 123 may be sensitive to fast ramp rates. Therefore, the controller 140 may determine or receive a ramp rate suitable for the heater 106. This document will refer to Figure 3 Process 310 of determining and / or receiving a ramp rate is described in greater detail.

[0091] At process 432, the controller 140 sends heater control data, including the temperature command (determined at process 426 and modified at processes 428 and 430), to the heater 106. As described above, in some embodiments, the heater control data may be a temperature value or a power value sent to a heater control unit of the heater 106. In other embodiments, the heater control data may be a direct control signal, such as a PWM signal, sent to the heater 106 so that the controller 140 directly controls the heater 106.

[0092] In some embodiments, the controller 140 may output any of the determined values ​​to a display device (e.g., the operator I / O device 130 and / or another display device), wherein the determined values ​​include one or more temperature errors, one or more temperature feedback compensations, one or more feedforward compensations, a final temperature of the inner loop, one or more integral saturation protection values, one or more ramp rates, and / or a heater temperature command.

[0093] Reference now Figure 5A and 5B , Figure 5A and Figure 5B A control according to an example embodiment is shown Figure 1 First refer to the graphs of various aspects of the vehicle. Figure 5A , Figure 5AA graph 510 of SCR inlet temperature versus time is shown according to an example embodiment. A target SCR temperature line 512, a single loop curve 514, and a dual loop curve 516 are shown. As described above, the target SCR temperature line 512 represents the target SCR temperature. The single loop curve 514 represents the SCR temperature when a single loop or conventional control system is used to control an aftertreatment heating system (e.g., heater 106). The dual loop curve 516 represents the SCR temperature when the dual loop control system described herein is used to control an aftertreatment heating system (e.g., heater 106). As shown, the single loop curve 514 causes the heater power to be repeatedly under-compensated and over-compensated, both above and below the target SCR temperature. In contrast, the dual loop control system described advantageously monotonically reaches the target SCR temperature and remains stable thereafter without exceeding or falling below the target temperature.

[0094] Reference now Figure 5B , a graph 520 of heater power versus time is shown according to an example embodiment. A single-loop curve 524 and a dual-loop curve 526 are shown. The single-loop curve 524 represents the power consumed by the aftertreatment heating system (e.g., heater 106) when a single-loop control system or a conventional control system is used to control the aftertreatment heating system (e.g., heater 106). The dual-loop curve 526 represents the power consumed by the aftertreatment heating system (e.g., heater 106) when the dual-loop control system described herein is used to control the aftertreatment heating system (e.g., heater 106). As shown, the single-loop curve 514 results in repeated maximum and minimum power consumption, which may result in heater instability and / or inefficient use of power / electrical resources on the vehicle 100. In contrast, the described dual-loop control system advantageously allows the heater 106 to operate at a more consistent power / electrical level without producing undesirable heater power fluctuations (thereby producing Figure 5A unstable temperature in the

[0095] Thus, by using multiple control processes, such as the dual-loop feedforward / feedback process described herein, the controller 140 is able to control the heater output power (e.g., Figure 5B As shown, the heater output power is more stable).

[0096] As used herein, the terms "approximately," "about," "substantially," and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning consistent with the ordinary and recognized usage of those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of the present disclosure belongs. Those skilled in the art reading this disclosure should understand that these terms are intended to allow certain features to be described and claimed without limiting the scope of those features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Therefore, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure as described in the appended claims.

[0097] It should be noted that the term "exemplary" and variations thereof as used herein to describe various embodiments are intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such terms are not intended to imply that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or optimal examples).

[0098] As used herein, the term "coupled" and its variations refer to two components being connected directly or indirectly to each other. Such a connection may be static (e.g., permanent or fixed) or movable (e.g., movable or releasable). Such a connection may be achieved by directly coupling the two components to each other, coupling the two components to each other using one or more separate intermediate components, or coupling the two components to each other using an intermediate component that is integrally formed as a single unit with one of the two components. If "coupled" or its variations are modified by additional terms (e.g., directly coupled), the general definition of "coupled" provided above will be modified by the plain language meaning of the additional terms (e.g., "directly coupled" refers to the connection of two components without any separate intermediate components), resulting in a narrower definition than the general definition of "coupled" provided above. Such a connection may be mechanical, electronic, or fluidic. For example, circuit A "coupled" to circuit B may mean that circuit A communicates directly with circuit B (i.e., without an intermediate medium) or communicates indirectly with circuit B (e.g., through one or more intermediate media).

[0099] Although in Figure 2 1 and 14. Various circuits with specific functions are shown in the figure, but it should be understood that the controller 140 can include any number of circuits for performing the functions described herein. For example, the activities and functions of the thermal management circuit 210 and the sensor management circuit 212 can be combined in multiple circuits or as a single circuit. Additional circuits with additional functions can also be included. In addition, the controller 140 can also control other activities that are beyond the scope of the present disclosure.

[0100] As described above, in one configuration, a "circuit" may be implemented in a machine-readable medium to be executed by various types of processors (e.g., Figure 2The processor 204 of the computer readable program code is executed. For example, the circuit of the identified executable code may include one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, such as being organized as objects, processes or functions. However, the executable files of the identified circuits do not need to be physically located together, but may include scattered instructions stored in different locations, which, when logically connected together, constitute the circuit and achieve the purpose of the circuit. In fact, the circuit of the computer readable program code can be a single instruction or many instructions, and can even be distributed on several different code segments, between different programs, and on several memory devices. Similarly, operating data can be identified and explained within the circuit, and operating data can be implemented in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operating data can be collected as a single data set, or can be distributed on different locations including different memory devices, and can exist at least partially only as electronic signals on a system or network.

[0101] Although the term "processor" is briefly defined above, the terms "processor" and "processing circuit" are intended to be interpreted broadly. In this regard and as described above, a "processor" may be implemented as one or more general-purpose processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or other suitable electronic data processing components configured to execute instructions provided by a memory. One or more processors may take the form of a single-core processor, a multi-core processor (e.g., a dual-core processor, a triple-core processor, a quad-core processor, etc.), a microprocessor, etc. In some embodiments, one or more processors may be external to the device, for example, one or more processors may be remote processors (e.g., cloud-based processors). Preferably or additionally, one or more processors may be internal and / or local to the device. In this regard, a given circuit or component thereof may be arranged locally (e.g., as part of a local server, a local computing system, etc.) or remotely (e.g., as part of a remote server, such as a cloud-based server). To this end, a "circuit" as described herein may include components distributed in one or more locations.

[0102] Although the drawings and description may show a specific order of method steps, unless otherwise specified above, the order of these steps may be different from the steps depicted and described. In addition, unless otherwise specified above, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously. Such variations may, for example, depend on the selected software and hardware systems and the designer's choice. All of these variations are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0103] The above description of the embodiments is presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations may be made in light of the above teachings or may be derived from the present disclosure. The embodiments are selected and described in order to explain the principles of the present disclosure and its practical application to enable those skilled in the art to utilize various implementations and various modifications suitable for the specific use contemplated. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as expressed in the appended claims.

[0104] Therefore, the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are considered in all respects to be illustrative only and not restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the preceding description. All changes within the meaning and scope of the equivalents of the claims will be included within their scope.

Claims

1. A system, characterized in that: include: An exhaust aftertreatment system coupled to an engine, the exhaust aftertreatment system comprising: Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC), and Heater; and A controller comprising at least one processor coupled to at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform operations including: receiving sensor data including DOC inlet temperature, SCR inlet temperature, and exhaust flow data from one or more sensors; executing a first control process specific to a first group of components of the exhaust aftertreatment system, the first control process comprising determining a first control process output based at least on the SCR inlet temperature; executing a second control process specific to a second group of components of the exhaust aftertreatment system, the second control process comprising determining a heater control output based on at least one of the first control process output or the sensor data; and The heater is operated based on the heater control output according to a target SCR temperature.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The heater is located upstream of the DOC.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that Executing the first control process also includes: determining a heater output temperature target based on at least one of the target SCR temperature or the SCR inlet temperature; and causing the heater to operate based on the heater output temperature target; Wherein, the first control process output includes the heater output temperature target.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that Executing the second control process also includes: receiving a DOC outlet temperature; and determining a feedback temperature based on at least one of the first control process output or the DOC outlet temperature; Wherein, the heater control output is also based on the feedback temperature.

5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that Executing the second control process also includes: receiving heater inlet temperature; determining a predicted heater output based on at least one of the first control process output, the target SCR temperature, the SCR inlet temperature, the exhaust flow data, or the heater inlet temperature; and The heater is caused to operate based on the predicted heater output.

6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that Executing the second control process also includes: receiving a DOC outlet target temperature and a DOC outlet temperature; determining a feedback temperature based on at least one of the DOC outlet target temperature or the DOC outlet temperature; Wherein, the heater control output is also based on the feedback temperature.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The first control process output includes a heater output temperature target, and wherein executing the first control process further includes: receiving a first value and a second value of the heater control output; modifying the heater output temperature target based on at least one of the first value or the second value; and The heater is caused to operate based on the modified heater output temperature target.

8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The first control process output includes a heater output temperature target, and wherein executing the first control process further includes: Receive DOC outlet temperature; modifying the heater output temperature target so that a difference between the heater output temperature target and the DOC outlet temperature is less than a threshold; and The heater is caused to operate based on the modified heater output temperature target.

9. A method, characterized in that include: receiving, by a controller, sensor data including at least one of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) inlet temperature, a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) inlet temperature, or exhaust flow data; executing, by the controller, a first control process specific to a first group of components of an exhaust aftertreatment system, the first control process comprising determining a first control process output based at least on the SCR inlet temperature; executing, by the controller, a second control process specific to a second group of components of the exhaust aftertreatment system, the second control process comprising determining a heater control output based on at least one of the first control process output or the sensor data; and A heater is operated by the controller based on the heater control output relative to a target SCR temperature.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that Executing the first control process also includes: determining, by the controller, a heater output temperature target based on at least one of the target SCR temperature or the SCR inlet temperature; and causing the heater to operate based on the heater output temperature target; Wherein, the first control process output includes the heater output temperature target.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that Executing the second control process also includes: receiving, by the controller, a DOC outlet temperature; determining, by the controller, a feedback temperature based on at least one of the first control process output or the DOC outlet temperature; and Wherein, the heater control output is also based on the feedback temperature.

12. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that Executing the second control process also includes: receiving, by the controller, a heater inlet temperature; determining, by the controller, a predicted heater output based on at least one of the first control process output, the target SCR temperature, the SCR inlet temperature, the exhaust flow data, or the heater inlet temperature; and The heater is caused to operate based on the predicted heater output.

13. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that Executing the second control process also includes: receiving, by the controller, a DOC outlet target temperature and a DOC outlet temperature; determining, by the controller, a feedback temperature based on at least one of the DOC outlet target temperature or the DOC outlet temperature; Wherein, the heater control output is also based on the feedback temperature.

14. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first control process output includes a heater output temperature target, and wherein executing the first control process further includes: receiving, by a controller, a first value and a second value of the heater control output; modifying, by the controller, the heater output temperature target based on at least one of the first value and the second value; and The heater is caused to operate based on the modified heater output temperature target.

15. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first control process output includes a heater output temperature target, and wherein executing the first control process further includes: receiving, by the controller, a DOC outlet temperature; modifying, by the controller, the heater output temperature target so that a difference between the heater output temperature target and the DOC outlet temperature is less than a threshold; and The heater is caused to operate based on the modified heater output temperature target.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, characterized in that: When the instruction is executed by at least one processor of the controller, the controller is caused to perform the following operations, including: receiving sensor data, the sensor data comprising diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) inlet temperature, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) inlet temperature, or exhaust flow data; executing a first control process with respect to a first set of components of an exhaust aftertreatment system, the first control process comprising determining a first control process output based at least on the SCR inlet temperature; executing a second control process with respect to a second set of components of the exhaust aftertreatment system, the second control process comprising determining a heater control output based on at least one of the first control process output or the sensor data; and The heater is operated based on the heater control output according to a target SCR temperature.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein: When the instruction is executed by the at least one processor of the controller, the controller is further caused to perform the following operations, including: determining a heater output temperature target based on at least one of the target SCR temperature or the SCR inlet temperature; and causing the heater to operate based on the heater output temperature target; Wherein, the first control process output includes the heater output temperature target.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein: When the instruction is executed by the at least one processor of the controller, the controller is further caused to perform the following operations, including: Receive DOC outlet temperature; determining a feedback temperature based on at least one of the first control process output and the DOC outlet temperature; Wherein, the heater control output is also based on the feedback temperature.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein: When the instruction is executed by the at least one processor of the controller, the controller is further caused to perform the following operations, including: receiving heater inlet temperature; determining a predicted heater output based on at least one of the first control process output, the target SCR temperature, the SCR inlet temperature, the exhaust flow data, or the heater inlet temperature; and The heater is caused to operate based on the predicted heater output.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein: When the instruction is executed by the at least one processor of the controller, the controller is further caused to perform the following operations, including: receiving a DOC outlet target temperature and a DOC outlet temperature; and determining a feedback temperature based on at least one of the DOC outlet target temperature and the DOC outlet temperature; Wherein, the heater control output is also based on the feedback temperature.

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