Systems and methods for coordinated control of exhaust gas temperature with electric heating and motor

Abstract

System (100), comprising: a post-treatment system (104) coupled to a motor (102); a stoker (106); at least one sensor (110) configured to determine an exhaust gas temperature; and at least one processing circuit (202) that is structured to: Determine whether the exhaust gas temperature is at or below a predefined threshold temperature; Providing an initial command to control the heater in response to the exhaust gas temperature being at or below the predefined threshold temperature; selective provision of a second command to increase the exhaust gas temperature; Coordinating the first and second commands, whereby the first command, followed by the second command, is only issued if the predefined threshold temperature is not reached by the first command; and Changing the first and second commands depending on the fuel level.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the coordination of an electric heater and a motor using a temperature control lever. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Many engines are equipped with an exhaust aftertreatment system that reduces harmful exhaust emissions (e.g., nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides, particulate matter, etc.). For example, a reducing agent can be injected into the exhaust stream to chemically bind particles in the exhaust gas. This mixture interacts with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst, which, at a specific temperature, triggers a reaction in the mixture that converts the harmful NOx particles into pure nitrogen and water. However, if the catalyst is not at the correct temperature, this conversion will not occur or will occur with reduced efficiency. Therefore, temperature control of the catalyst is crucial for exhaust gas treatment.

[0003] DE 10 2018 207 627 A1 describes a method and an arrangement for heating exhaust aftertreatment devices and a vehicle equipped with such a method and arrangement.

[0004] JP 2014 - 118 874 A describes an exhaust gas purification control unit for an internal combustion engine, wherein the exhaust gas purification control unit includes an electric heater for heating the exhaust gas purification unit.

[0005] DE 10 2010 025 643 A1 describes a system for selective catalytic reduction with an electrically heated catalyst.

[0006] WO 2020 / 159 991 A1 describes a control system comprising an electric heater arranged in an exhaust fluid stream of an internal combustion engine.

[0007] US patent 2018 / 0 142 599 A1 describes a method for mitigating overheating during the regeneration of an exhaust system with a particulate filter. German patent DE 10 2019 126 537 A1 describes a method and a system for controlling the catalyst temperature, including a method and a system for improving catalyst function during a cold engine start. SUMMARY

[0008] One embodiment relates to a system comprising an aftertreatment system coupled to an engine, a heater located between the engine and the aftertreatment system, and at least one sensor configured to determine an exhaust gas temperature. The aftertreatment system includes a catalyst. The system includes a controller. The controller is configured to: determine whether the exhaust gas temperature is at or below a predefined threshold temperature; provide a first command to start and control the heater in response to the exhaust gas temperature being at or below the predefined threshold temperature; modulate the control of the heater as a function of the predefined threshold temperature and an actual temperature; and selectively provide a second command for near post-injection based on the exhaust gas temperature.The control system is further designed to coordinate the first and second commands using a chaining sequence, whereby the first command is only followed by the second control unit if the predefined threshold temperature is not reached by the first command.

[0009] Another embodiment relates to a system that includes a controller configured as follows: determining whether the exhaust gas temperature is at or below a predefined threshold temperature; issuing a first command to start and control a heater in response to the exhaust gas temperature being at or below the predefined threshold temperature; modulating the heater control as a function of the predefined threshold temperature and the actual temperature; and issuing a second command for remote post-injection based on the exhaust gas temperature. The controller is configured to coordinate the first and second commands using a chaining sequence, whereby the first command is issued only if the predefined threshold temperature is not reached by the first command.

[0010] Another embodiment relates to a method that includes: receiving information indicating an exhaust gas temperature, determining that the exhaust gas temperature is at or below a predefined threshold temperature, activating a heater based on the determination, modulating the control of the heater depending on the predefined threshold temperature and an actual temperature, and selectively and subsequently instructing a post-injection for an engine based on the determination.

[0011] This summary serves only for illustration and is in no way intended to be limiting. Further aspects, features, and advantages of the devices or processes described herein will become clear in the detailed description presented here in conjunction with the accompanying figures, where identical reference numbers refer to identical elements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Fig. Figure 1 is a schematic view of a block diagram of a system, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. Figure 2 is a schematic view of a block diagram of the control logic for controlling Fig. 1, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the control of Fig. 1-2, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. Figure 4 is a flowchart for a method for controlling the catalyst temperature of the system of Fig. 1, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. Figure 5 is a schematic view of a block diagram of a system, according to one embodiment. Fig. Figure 6 is a schematic view of a block diagram of the control logic of the control of Fig. 5, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 7 is a block diagram of the control of Fig. 5-6, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. Figure 8 is a flowchart of another method for controlling the catalyst temperature of the system of Fig. 5, according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The following are more detailed descriptions of various concepts relating to and implementations of methods, devices, and systems for combining and coordinating exhaust gas temperature control with electric heating of engines, particularly diesel or compression-ignition engines. Before turning to the figures, which illustrate certain exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the details or methods set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It is also understood that the terminology used here serves only for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting.

[0013] A key component in extremely low-NOx engines is an SCR system, which significantly reduces harmful NOx emissions in the exhaust gas through a two-stage process. First, a dosing unit injects a reducing agent into the exhaust stream. This reducing agent can be urea, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), AdBlue®, an aqueous urea solution (UWS), an aqueous urea solution (e.g., AUS32, etc.), or another similar liquid that chemically binds to particles in the exhaust gas. This mixture then interacts with an SCR catalyst, which, at a specific temperature, triggers a reaction in the mixture that converts the harmful NOx particles into less harmful components (e.g., pure nitrogen and water). However, if the catalyst is not at the correct temperature, this conversion will not occur or will be less efficient.However, heating and controlling the temperature of the catalyst is difficult.

[0014] With general reference to the figures, systems and methods for controlling the temperature of the catalyst inlet and outlet of an exhaust aftertreatment system by coordinating an electric heater with the fuel system control are shown and described herein according to various embodiments. The combination of an electric heater and engine-based temperature control levers (e.g., fuel system control elements) is advantageous for controlling the catalyst temperature. This combination is particularly beneficial in cold-start applications. "Cold start" refers to a prolonged period of engine standstill during which the engine temperature is essentially equal to the outside or ambient temperature. In very cold situations (e.g.,Below the freezing point of water, the air flowing through the system is also very cold, meaning that increasing the temperature to promote catalyst efficiency is important for the system's catalyst to function properly. Accordingly, the present disclosure is useful in cold and extreme cold-start situations. The present disclosure is also applicable in "keep-warm" situations (e.g., at engine idle). For example, a driver may leave their truck idling to reduce engine load while maintaining some electrical power in the cab. If the engine is not very hot (e.g., below a threshold temperature level for, say, the desired NOx conversion), the temperature of the exhaust gas is low, so the catalyst adjusts to the temperature of the exhaust gas exiting the engine (e.g., 150 degrees Celsius).Such a low temperature hinders the catalyst's ability to function adequately (e.g., for efficient conversion of NOx).

[0015] According to the present disclosure, a system, a method, and a device for increasing and supplementing the heating of the catalyst of an SCR are disclosed in order to promote the desired catalytic activity of the catalyst (e.g., converting NOx into less harmful elements at the desired rate, known as the NOx conversion rate). A control system is provided that is coupled to a heater, the engine, and a variety of other components. The control system uses engine-side levers to increase the exhaust gas temperature under certain circumstances (e.g., cold start situations). For example, the control system can use near post-injection based on a temperature setpoint to increase the temperature of the exhaust gases entering the catalyst. In certain fuel systems, multiple injections (i.e., pulses) may occur.For example, a small pre-injection can be instructed, followed by a large main injection for combustion. These injections can occur during the power stroke or sometimes even the exhaust stroke. Any injection that occurs after the main injection is a "post-injection." Post-injections are not used to generate power but to generate exhaust energy. Post-injections include near post-injection and far post-injection. Near post-injections occur very close in time to the main injection (i.e., closer to combustion and the power stroke, when the exhaust valve is not open), and this additional fuel injection burns in the cylinder to heat the exhaust gas leaving the engine. Near post-injection is a temperature control lever of the exhaust gas as described in this disclosure.

[0016] Additionally, there is another lever known as "remote post-injection," which occurs much later in the combustion cycle (i.e., closer to the exhaust stroke). In remote post-injection, the fuel does not burn within the cylinder but is expelled along with its own gases and combusted externally at another catalyst (e.g., a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC)). Remote post-injection occurs downstream and is therefore used to raise the temperature of downstream devices, such as the diesel particulate filter (DPF), for regeneration purposes.

[0017] As such, a system and method that combines the operation of the electric heater and the engine-based temperature control levers is advantageous. A first embodiment involves coordinated control of the DOC inlet temperature using exhaust gas heating and near post-injection within the cylinder. The DOC inlet temperature is, or can be, representative of an engine outlet temperature. A second embodiment involves coordinated control of the DOC outlet temperature using exhaust gas heating, near post-injection within the cylinder, and far post-injection within the cylinder.

[0018] In Fig. Figure 1 illustrates a system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. The system 100 includes an engine 102, an aftertreatment system 104, a heater 106, and a control unit 108. In this exemplary embodiment, the system 100 is implemented with a road or off-road vehicle, including but not limited to trucks, medium-sized trucks (e.g., pickup trucks, etc.), sedans, coupes, tanks, aircraft, boats, and any other type of vehicle. The system can also be implemented with stationary equipment such as power generators or generator sets.

[0019] In the example shown, the engine 102 is designed as a compression-ignition internal combustion engine that runs on diesel fuel. However, in various alternative embodiments, the engine 102 can also be designed as any other type of engine (e.g., spark-ignition) that runs on any fuel (e.g., gasoline, natural gas). In still other embodiments, the engine 102 can be an electric motor or incorporate an electric motor (e.g., a hybrid powertrain). The engine 102 includes one or more cylinders and associated pistons. Air from the atmosphere is combined with fuel and combusted to drive the engine 102. During the combustion of the fuel and air in the compression chambers of the engine 102, exhaust gas is produced, which is normally discharged into an exhaust pipe and into the aftertreatment system 104.

[0020] In the example shown, system 100 includes aftertreatment system 104. Aftertreatment system 104 is designed to treat the exhaust gases from engine 102, which enter aftertreatment system 104 via an exhaust pipe, in order to reduce emissions of harmful or potentially harmful elements (e.g., NOx emissions, particulate matter, etc.). Aftertreatment system 104 can include various components and systems, such as a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) 105, a diesel particulate filter (DPF) 107, and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system 109. The SCR 109 converts the nitrogen oxides present in the exhaust gases from engine 102 into diatomic nitrogen and water through oxidation in a catalyst. The DPF 107 is configured to remove particulate matter, such as soot, from the exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust pipe system. In some implementations, DPF 107 can be omitted.Similarly, the spatial arrangement of the catalyst elements can vary.

[0021] The aftertreatment system 104 may further include a reducing agent supply system that includes a decomposition chamber (e.g. decomposition reactor, reactor tube, decomposition hose, reactor tube, etc.) for converting the reducing agent (e.g. urea, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), AdBlue). ® The SCR catalyst may contain a urea-water solution (UWS), an aqueous urea solution, etc.) in ammonia. To assist the catalytic reduction, a DEF is added to the exhaust gas stream. The reducing agent can be injected upstream of the SCR catalyst element via an injector, so that the SCR catalyst element receives a mixture of the reducing agent and exhaust gas. The reducing agent droplets undergo the processes of evaporation, thermolysis, and hydrolysis to convert non-NOx into NOx. x-Emissions (e.g., gaseous ammonia, etc.) within the decomposition chamber, the SCR catalyst element, and / or the exhaust system are formed before exiting the aftertreatment system 104. The aftertreatment system 104 may further include an oxidation catalyst (e.g., the DOC 105) that is in fluid communication with the exhaust system to oxidize hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the exhaust gas. To properly support this reduction, a specific operating temperature of the DOC 105 may be required. In some embodiments, this specific operating temperature is between 200°C and 500°C. In other embodiments, the specific operating temperature is the temperature at which the conversion efficiency of the DOC 105 exceeds a predefined threshold (e.g., the conversion of NOx to less harmful compounds, known as NOx conversion efficiency).

[0022] The heater 106 is a heating element designed to deliver heat and increase the temperature of the exhaust gas. The heater 106 can have various designs (e.g., a resistance coil heater as shown, or another type of heater). For example, the heater 106 can be a convection heater to heat the exhaust gas flowing through it or to directly heat the catalyst substrate. Accordingly, the heater 106 can be powered by a battery or alternator (or another electronic source, such as a capacitor) of the system 100. Heating the exhaust gas increases the efficiency and success of the DOC 105 in cold conditions (e.g., at ambient temperatures at or below the freezing point of water). The heater 106 is controlled by the controller 108 to switch the heater 106 on or off, as described below.When the heater 106 is "switched on" or "activated", the heater 106 emits heat, and when the heater 106 is "switched off" or "deactivated", the heater 106 stops emitting heat.

[0023] As in the embodiment Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the heater 106 is positioned downstream of the motor 102 and upstream of the DOC 105 (i.e., between the motor 102 and the DOC 105) to heat the air leaving the motor 102 and entering the DOC 105. The heater 106 is connected to the exhaust pipe leading from the motor 102 to the aftertreatment system 104.

[0024] As shown, System 100 includes a multitude of sensors at a multitude of positions. It should be understood that this sensor arrangement is only an example; other systems may contain more or fewer sensors, their relative positioning may vary, and the sensor type (real or virtual) may also change. Multiple sensors with different functions can be coupled to System 100. In the example of Fig. The system 100 includes an inlet heater temperature sensor 110, an outlet heater temperature sensor 112, and an SCR outlet temperature sensor 114. The inlet heater temperature sensor 110 is designed to acquire data or information about the exhaust gas temperature as it leaves the engine 102 and enters the heater 106. The outlet heater temperature sensor 112 is designed to acquire data or information about the exhaust gas temperature as it leaves the heater 106 and enters the DOC 105. These sensors can be integrated into the DOC 105 or be separate components connected to the piping in and out of the DOC. The SCR outlet temperature sensor 114 is designed to acquire data or information about the exhaust gas temperature as it leaves the SCR 109 and the aftertreatment system 104.

[0025] In operation, the sensors are coupled to the controller 108 and provide data / information for monitoring the operation of certain components and for controlling certain components (e.g., switching on the heater 106). In other embodiments, one or more of the sensor(s) can be virtual, so that the controller 108 performs one or more operations to estimate the corresponding temperatures at the desired locations.

[0026] The controller 108 is coupled to the components of the system 100 and the sensors to receive signals indicating the operation of the system 100 components and to issue commands to at least partially control various components of the system 100 based on an analysis of these signals. In particular, the controller 108 is structured to control the system 100 to reach and maintain a target temperature (i.e., the predefined threshold temperature) of the exhaust gas in the heater.

[0027] With reference to Fig. Section 2 shows that the block diagram logic for the controller 108 operates using a multivariable model. The multivariable model incorporates several variables to determine and output various commands. As explained herein, the multivariable model can be based on, for example, multiple temperatures, quality and quantity parameters, power consumption, and the commands themselves. Additionally, the multivariable model includes the predefined threshold temperature (T_Ref) and a predicted temperature output. The predicted temperature output is an estimated temperature or forecast of the exhaust gas temperature. For example, based on the heating power and the temperature of the exhaust gas entering the heater 106, the controller 108 can predict the output temperature of the exhaust gas leaving the heater 106.The controller 108 determines and issues a command based on specific inputs from the sensors and their comparison with the temperature reference (T_Ref, also referred to as the predefined threshold temperature or desired exhaust gas temperature). For example, the controller 108 can receive a measurement of the exhaust gas inlet temperature entering the heater 106 (T_Htr_In), the exhaust gas outlet temperature leaving the heater 106 (T_Htr_Out), and / or the exhaust gas temperature leaving the SCR 109 (T_SCR_Out). The controller 108 analyzes whether these temperatures are at or below a predefined threshold temperature and then initiates various actions depending on this determination, such as the command for near post-injection (Post2_cmd) or the command for heating power (P_eh_cmd).The inlet temperature of heater 106 (T_Htr_In) is a function of the command for the near post-run quantity (Post2_cmd) and additional parameters for post-run time, quality, etc. The temperature of the gas exiting heater 106 (T_Htr_Out) is a function of the heater's inlet temperature (T_Htr_In) plus a function of the heating power supplied to heater 106 (P_eh / (m_exh*Cp)). In this embodiment, the most heavily weighted output is the exhaust gas temperature leaving heater 106 (T_Htr_Out), as this is likely the temperature entering the catalyst (e.g., the DOC 105) (T_DOC_In).

[0028] The system is thus able to specify a certain level of quality, quantity, and timing with respect to near post-injection and heating power. One way to achieve coordination between the commands is to set the temperature reference (i.e., T_Ref, the predefined threshold temperature) for both commands to the same threshold / value. The predefined threshold can be between 200°C and 500°C. Additionally, the controller 108 can be programmed using a chaining sequence, as described herein. For example, the controller 108 can attempt to reach the desired temperature for T_Htr_Out by first issuing only the command for near post-injection quantity and using the heater 106 if the target temperature is not reached.

[0029] System 100 can also include an operator input / output (I / O) device (not shown). The operator I / O device is coupled to the controller 108 in such a way that information can be exchanged between the controller 108 and the operator I / O device, with the information relating to one or more components of the Fig. 1 or provisions of the controller 108. The communication device allows an operator to communicate with the controller 108 and one or more components of the system 100. The operator I / O device may include, but is not limited to, an interactive display, a touchscreen device, one or more buttons and switches, voice command receivers, etc. In various alternative embodiments, the controller 108 and components described herein may be implemented with non-vehicle applications as described above (e.g., a power generator). Accordingly, the operator I / O device may be specific to these applications. In these cases, the operator I / O device may include, for example, a laptop, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a telephone, a watch, a PDA, etc.Via the operator I / O device, the controller 108 can provide diagnostic information, a fault message, or a service message based on one or more specifications. In some embodiments, the controller 108 can, for example, display the temperature of the DOC 105, the temperature of the motor 102 and the exhaust gas, as well as various other information, via the operator I / O device.

[0030] In Fig. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram 200 of the control 108 of the system 100. Fig. Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment. The control unit 108 can be structured as one or more electronic control units (ECUs). The control unit 108 can be separate from or contained within a transmission unit, an exhaust aftertreatment control unit, a powertrain control module, and / or an engine control module, etc. In one embodiment, the components of the control unit 108 are combined into a single unit. In another embodiment, one or more of the components can be geographically distributed throughout the system. All such variations fall within the scope of this disclosure. As shown, the control unit 108 includes a processing circuit 202 with a processor 204 and a storage device 206, a control system 208 with a heating circuit 210, a near post-injection circuit 212, and a control circuit 214, as well as a communication interface 216.

[0031] In one configuration, the heating circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214 are implemented as machine-readable or computer-readable media executable by a processor, such as processor 204. As described herein and elsewhere, the machine-readable media facilitate the performance of certain operations to enable the reception and transmission of data. For example, the machine-readable media can provide an instruction (e.g., a command, etc.) to, for instance, acquire data. In this context, the machine-readable media can include programmable logic that determines the frequency of data acquisition (or transmission).The computer-readable media can contain code written in any programming language, including but not limited to Java or similar languages, and all conventional procedural programming languages, such as C or similar languages. The computer-readable program code can be executed on a single processor or on multiple remote processors. In the latter case, the remote processors can be interconnected via any type of network (e.g., CAN bus, etc.).

[0032] In another configuration, the heating circuit 210, the near-post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214 are implemented as hardware units, e.g., as electronic control units. As such, the heating circuit 210, the near-post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214 can be implemented as one or more circuit components that include, among other things, processing circuits, network interfaces, peripheral devices, input devices, output devices, sensors, etc. In some embodiments, the heating circuit 210, the near-post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214 can be implemented as one or more analog circuits, electronic circuits (e.g., integrated circuits (ICs), discrete circuits, system-on-a-chip (SOC) circuits), microcontrollers, etc.), telecommunications circuits, hybrid circuits, and any other type of “circuit.” In this respect, the heater circuit 210, the near-post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214 may include any type of component for achieving or facilitating the achievement of the operations described herein. A circuit described herein may, for example, include one or more transistors, logic gates (e.g., NAND, AND, NOR, OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR, etc.), resistors, multiplexers, registers, capacitors, inductors, diodes, wiring, etc. The heater circuit 210, the near-post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214 may also include programmable hardware devices, such as field-programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, or the like.The heating circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214 may include one or more memory devices for storing instructions that can be executed by the processor(s) of the heating circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214. The one or more memory devices and the processor(s) may have the same definition as given below with respect to the memory device 206 and the processor 204. In some hardware unit configurations, and as described above, the heating circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214 may be geographically distributed at different locations within the system.Alternatively, and as shown, the heating circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212 and the control circuit 214 can be implemented in or within a single unit / housing, which is shown as the control 108.

[0033] In the example shown, the controller 108 includes the processing circuit 202 with the processor 204 and the storage device 206. The processing circuit 202 can be structured or configured to execute or implement the instructions, commands, and / or control processes described herein with respect to the heating circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214. The configuration shown represents the heating circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214 as machine-readable or computer-readable media.As already mentioned, this illustration is not intended to be limiting, since the present disclosure also considers other embodiments in which the heating circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214, or at least one of the circuits heating circuit 210, near post-injection circuit 212, and control circuit 214, is configured as a hardware unit. All such combinations and variations fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0034] The processor 204 can be implemented as one or more general-purpose processors, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a digital signal processor (DSP), a group of processing components, or other suitable electronic processing components. In some embodiments, the one or more processors can be shared by several circuits (e.g., the heating circuit 210, the near-post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214 can include or otherwise share the same processor, which in some embodiments can execute instructions stored in different memory areas or accessed otherwise).Alternatively or additionally, the one or more processor(s) can be structured to perform certain operations independently of one or more co-processors or to execute them in another way. In other embodiments, two or more processors can be coupled via a bus to enable independent, parallel, pipelined, or multithreaded instruction execution. All such variations fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0035] The storage device 206 (e.g., memory, storage unit, storage device) may include one or more devices (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 herein. The storage device 206 may be communicatively connected to the processor 204 to provide the processor 204 with computer code or instructions for executing at least some of the processes described herein. Furthermore, the storage device 206 may be or include tangible, non-temporary volatile memory or non-volatile memory.Accordingly, the storage device may include 206 database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure to support the various activities and information structures described herein.

[0036] The communication interface 216 can include any combination of wired and / or wireless interfaces (e.g., sockets, antennas, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, wired terminals) for performing data communication with various systems, devices, or networks structured to enable communication within the vehicle (e.g., between and among the vehicle's components; in the example shown, the system 100 is contained within a vehicle) and communication outside the vehicle (e.g., with a remote server). For example, the communication interface 216 can include an Ethernet card and a connector for sending and receiving data over an Ethernet-based communication network and / or a Wi-Fi transceiver for communicating over a wireless communication network when it comes to communication outside the vehicle / system.The communication interface 216 can be structured to communicate over local area networks or wide area networks (e.g. the Internet) and can use a variety of communication protocols (e.g. IP, LON, Bluetooth, ZigBee, radio, cellular, near field communication).

[0037] The communication interface 216 facilitates communication between and within the controller 108 and one or more components of the system 100 (e.g., the motor 102, the gearbox, the aftertreatment system 104, the temperature sensors 110, 112, 114, etc.). Communication between and within the controller 108 and the system 100 components can be established via any number of wired or wireless connections (e.g., via any IEEE standard). A wired connection can include, for example, a serial cable, a fiber optic cable, a CAT5 cable, or any other type of wired connection. In contrast, a wireless connection can include the internet, Wi-Fi, cellular networks, Bluetooth, ZigBee, radio, etc. In one embodiment, a controller area network (CAN) bus facilitates the exchange of signals, information, and / or data.The CAN bus can include any number of wired and wireless connections that enable the exchange of signals, information, and / or data. The CAN bus can be a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection can be established with an external computer (e.g., via the internet using an internet service provider).

[0038] Heating circuit 210 is structured to communicate, at least partially, with and control heater 106. Heating circuit 210 can switch heater 106 on and off. Depending on the capabilities of heater 106, heating circuit 210 can instruct heater 106 to operate at different temperature levels based on a variety of conditions (e.g., if the outside temperature is at the freezing point of water, the instructed heating temperature is X; and if the outside temperature is more than a predefined amount below the freezing point of water, the heating temperature is X + 10 degrees Celsius). Thus, differentiated control of heater 106 can be achieved via heating circuit 210. Heating circuit 210 is coupled to temperature sensors 110, 112, and 114. As described herein, in one embodiment, the command to activate heater 106 (i.e.,In various embodiments, the command to activate the heater 106 (i.e., to switch it on) is based on the heater circuit 210 detecting an input regarding the temperature of the exhaust gas leaving the heater 106 (T_Htr_Out) at temperature sensor 112, and whether T_Htr_Out is at or below the predefined threshold. In various embodiments, the command to activate the heater 106 (i.e., to switch it on) is based on the heater circuit 210 detecting an input regarding the inlet temperature of the exhaust gas entering the heater 106 (T_Htr_In) at temperature sensor 110, and whether T_Htr_In is at or below the predefined threshold. In various embodiments, the command to activate the heater 106 (i.e., to switch it on) is based on the heater circuit 210 detecting an input regarding the temperature of the exhaust gas leaving the SCR 109 (T_SCR_Out) at temperature sensor 114, and whether T_SCR_Out is at or below the predefined threshold.

[0039] The heating circuit 210 can also determine whether the heater 106 is required at all. For example, if the motor 102 is not running and has been idle for some time, it may be at the same temperature as the ambient temperature. The heater 106 must not be activated (switched off) if the ambient temperature, and therefore the temperature of the motor 102, is not at or below a threshold temperature (e.g., freezing point or a temperature that prevents or hinders starting the motor). Thus, a temperature, such as the ambient temperature, can be used to determine whether or not the heater 106 should be activated. In this context, and in response to an input to start the motor and a valid temperature reading from the temperature sensors 110, 112, and 114 (i.e., below a threshold), the heating circuit 210 instructs the heater 106 to switch on.Accordingly, the exhaust gas is then heated by the heater 106. The heater circuit 210 is further structured to communicate with the heater 106 to stop the heating process on command. Such a command can be issued, for example, by a sensor at the outlet of the aftertreatment system 104, which detects the NOx match and thus indicates that the catalyst no longer needs to be heated because the exhaust gas threshold temperature has been reached. As such, the heater circuit 210 instructs the heater 106 to switch off. Alternatively, the heater 106 can be switched off after a predefined operating time. Another example is that an exhaust gas temperature can be used to switch off the heater. For instance, if the exhaust gas temperature is at or above a predefined value, the heater 106 can be instructed to switch off.

[0040] The near post-injection circuit 212 is structured to communicate, at least partially, with and control the engine 102, and in particular with the fuel injector(s) connected to the engine 102 via the coupling. For example, a command (e.g., quantity and timing) is sent to the designated injectors for the near post-injection circuit in the cylinder when the near post-injection circuit 212 provides this command or instruction. Depending on the capabilities of the engine 102, the near post-injection circuit 212 can instruct multiple near post-injections at different times. Additionally, the near post-injection circuit 212 can determine, based on a variety of conditions, that a near post-injection by the engine 102 is not required (e.g., if the ambient temperature is more than a predefined amount above the water freezing point).Thus, differentiated control of the motor 102 can be carried out via the near post-injection circuit 212. The near post-injection circuit 212 is coupled to the temperature sensors 110, 112, and 114. As described herein, in one embodiment, the command for selective injection of near post-injections is based on the near post-injection circuit 212 detecting an input regarding the temperature of the exhaust gas leaving the heater 106 (T_Htr_Out) and whether T_Htr_Out is at or below the predefined threshold value. The near post-injection circuit 212 can, for example, also receive and perform the determination based on T_Htr_In and T_SCR_Out.

[0041] The control circuit 214 is configured to communicate with and control the various components of the system 100 in response to the heating circuit 210 and the near post-injection circuit 212. This allows a single controller to coordinate the heating power command and the post-injection command. The control circuit 214 is configured to communicate with the heating circuit 210 to modulate the heating power command based on a predefined threshold temperature and an actual temperature. The heating command is the control parameter for the heating system, specifying the temperature to which the heating should be modulated, a ramp rate for controlling the heating power to a target temperature, and commands for switching the heating on, switching the heating off, etc. The actual temperature is the temperature to which the exhaust gas has actually been heated.The control circuit 214 can increase or decrease the heating output of the heater 106, or switch the heater 106 on or off, depending on whether the setpoint temperature is reached and the size of the difference between the setpoint temperature and the actual temperature. For example, the control circuit 214 can increase the heating output if the actual exhaust gas temperature is below the setpoint temperature (i.e., the predefined threshold temperature) in order to reach the setpoint temperature. The degree to which the heating output is increased can depend on the size of the difference between the actual temperature and the setpoint temperature. Additionally, the control circuit 214 can switch off the heater 106 if the actual temperature reaches or exceeds the setpoint temperature, because heating the exhaust gas is no longer necessary.Alternatively, control circuit 215 can reduce the heating output once the actual exhaust gas temperature has reached or exceeded the setpoint temperature in order to maintain that temperature. The heater 106 can also be switched back on, for example, by control circuit 214, if the actual temperature starts to fall too close to or below the setpoint temperature.

[0042] A chaining sequence is used to allow the control circuit 214 to determine the order of operations between instructing the heating circuit 210 and the near post-injection circuit 212. The chaining sequence, or chaining rule, issues one command until saturation and then issues a second command if the setpoint is not reached. By allowing only one operation at a time, the control circuit 214 reduces conflicts, inefficiencies, and potential errors due to redundant efforts. For example, during operation, the control circuit 214 first communicates with the heating circuit 210 and instructs it to operate normally. Simultaneously, the control circuit 214 instructs the near post-injection circuit 212 to stop its operations. The heating circuit 210 then reports whether the predefined threshold temperature has been reached.Once the capabilities of the heater 106 are exhausted, the control circuit 214 communicates with the near post-injection circuit 212 to resume normal operation if necessary. Alternatively, the control circuit 214 can first act as the near post-injection circuit 212 and then as the heater circuit 210, depending on the data returned by the near post-injection circuit 212. This saves processing power and increases the efficiency of the control system.

[0043] This chaining sequence and commands include, but are not limited to, instructions for changing the chaining sequence based on the battery's state of charge, the fuel level, and whether the actual gas temperature is above or below a predefined threshold. For example, if system 100 includes a battery (e.g., to power the electric heater), control circuit 214 determines whether and for how long the battery charge is sufficient to operate the heater. Control circuit 214 assesses the sufficiency of the state of charge (SOC) based on whether the SOC is at or below a predetermined charge threshold. If the SOC is above the predetermined charge threshold (e.g., 50% or more), control circuit 214 may decide to operate the heater circuit 210 first.Additionally, the control circuit 214 can analyze the fuel level based on a predetermined threshold fuel level to determine whether it is at or below the predetermined threshold fuel level (e.g., 50%) and therefore the fuel should be conserved, or whether there is enough fuel for combustion during post-injection. Furthermore, the control circuit 215 can simultaneously evaluate the fuel level and the state of charge (SOC). For example, if the fuel level is at 30% and the SOC is at 40%, the control circuit 214 determines that both the fuel level and the SOC are below their respective thresholds and instructs the heater 106 to activate because the SOC is higher than the fuel level. Finally, the control circuit 214 determines whether the actual exhaust gas temperature is above or below the predefined threshold. For example, if the exhaust gas temperature is below 50%, the control circuit 214 will activate the heater 106.In this respect, the control circuit 214 can either do without the heating circuit 210 or the circuit for near post-injection 212, since additional heating for the catalyst is deemed unnecessary.

[0044] In Fig. Figure 4 describes an exemplary embodiment of a method 300 for controlling a catalyst temperature with coordinated control of the heater outlet temperature (i.e., DOC inlet temperature) using the motor 102 (near post-injection in the cylinder) and the heater 106. The DOC inlet temperature can be controlled using the method 300. The method can be implemented by the components of the Fig. 1-3 are carried out so that reference can be made to them for the explanation of method 300. It should be noted that, due to the chaining sequence described herein, method 300 is exemplary and the order of operations may vary in other embodiments.

[0045] In step 302, a command to activate heater 106 is received. This command can originate from the controller 108, based on the inlet heater temperature sensor 110, the outlet heater temperature sensor 112, and / or the SCR outlet temperature sensor 114. The controller 108 uses the temperature readings received from the temperature sensors to determine whether the exhaust gas temperature is at or below a threshold temperature level. The predefined threshold can be, for example, between 200°C and 500°C. If the temperature is below the threshold, such as at the temperature of freezing water, this may indicate insufficient catalyst heating. Based on this determination, the heater circuit 210 instructs heater 106 to start in step 304. In step 306, temperature sensors 110, 112, and 114 can monitor the exhaust gas temperature.In this step, the heating circuit 210 can modulate the command to increase or decrease the heating power or to switch off the heater 106, depending on the setpoint temperature and the actual temperature. In step 308, the temperature signal is received by the controller 108 to determine the next steps. If the controller 108 determines that the exhaust gas temperature is at or below a predefined threshold, the near post-injection circuit 212, in step 310, controls the engine 102 (specifically, the fuel system's designated injectors) for near post-injection. Furthermore, the controller 108 can control the heater 106 to stop heating simultaneously or almost simultaneously with the near post-injections. Subsequently, fuel can be injected to heat the exhaust gas.In step 312, the inlet heater temperature sensor 110, the outlet heater temperature sensor 112, and / or the SCR outlet temperature sensor 114 monitor the temperature again to determine whether the exhaust gas is at or below the predefined threshold. If the exhaust gas is below the threshold, procedure 300 can be repeated. If the exhaust gas is at or above the predefined threshold, this indicates proper catalyst heating.

[0046] In Fig. Figure 5 illustrates a System 500 according to an exemplary embodiment. Similar to the System 100 described herein, the System 500 includes a motor 102, an aftertreatment system 104, a heater 106, a controller 108, an inlet heater temperature sensor 110, an outlet heater temperature sensor 112, and an SCR outlet temperature sensor 114. Additionally, as with the System 100, the System 500 may also include an operator I / O device (not shown). It is understood that these elements include the definitions and examples given in the Fig. The heater 106 is, however, as shown, positioned downstream of the motor 102 and the DOC 105 (e.g., upstream of the DPF 107, downstream of the DPF 107, upstream of the SCR 109) to heat the air entering the SCR 109. In various embodiments, the heater 106 can be positioned upstream of the DOC 105. The system 500 also includes a DOC inlet temperature sensor 116.

[0047] Fig. Figure 6 shows another example logic for the controller 108. The coordination between the commands can include the same temperature reference (T_Ref). While T_Ref is shown in several places, its value can be different for each of these inputs in some embodiments. In other embodiments, T_Ref can be the same value for each of these inputs. In this example, the controller 108 issues a command based on certain inputs read from the sensors. For example, the controller 108 can receive a measurement of an inlet temperature of the exhaust gas entering the DOC 105 (T_DOC_In), an inlet temperature of the exhaust gas entering the heater 106 (T_Htr_In), an outlet temperature of the exhaust gas leaving the heater 106 (T_Htr_Out), or the temperature of the exhaust gas leaving the SCR 109 (T_SCR_Out).Whether these temperatures are at or below a predefined threshold is analyzed by the controller 108, which then initiates various actions depending on this determination, such as the command for near post-injection (Post2_cmd), the command for heating power (P_eh_cmd), or the command for far post-injection (Post3_cmd). As in . Fig. As shown in Figure 6, the controller 108 can consist of two controllers: one controller for operating the near post-injection command and a second controller for operating both the far post-injection command and the heating power. As explained herein, the controllers are configured to communicate with each other when two controllers are used. Due to the physical setup of the system 500, as shown in Figure 6, the controllers can communicate with each other when two controllers are used. Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the System 500 is suitable for distributing the functions between two controllers. However, in the example shown, one controller can be used to operate all three commands.

[0048] In the embodiment that includes the remote post-injection command, the inlet temperature of heater 106 (T_Htr_In) is a function of the remote post-injection command (Post3_cmd), the temperature of the exhaust gas entering DOC 105 (T_DOC_In), and additional parameters for near post-injection regarding quantity, timing, etc. The outlet temperature of heater 106 (T_Htr_Out), the temperature of the gas exiting the heater, is a function of the power delivered to heater 106 (P_eh / (m_exh*Cp)) plus a function of the heater inlet temperature (T_Htr_In). The inlet temperature of the exhaust gas entering DOC 105 (T_DOC_In) is a function of the near post-injection command (Post2_cmd) and additional parameters for post-injection quantity, timing, etc.The first output of greatest interest is the exhaust gas temperature entering heater 106 (T_Htr_In), as this is the temperature, or approximate temperature, of the gas leaving the catalyst (e.g., the DOC 105). The second output of greatest interest is the exhaust gas temperature leaving heater 106 (T_Htr_Out), as this is the temperature, or approximate temperature, entering another catalyst (e.g., the SCR).

[0049] The system is thus able to control the quality, quantity, and timing of remote post-injection, the quality, quantity, and timing of near post-injection to a specific extent, and the heating power. One way to achieve coordination between the commands is to set the temperature reference, the predefined threshold temperature, to the same threshold for all three commands. The predefined threshold can be between 200°C and 500°C. Additionally, the controller 108 can be programmed using a chaining sequence as described herein. For example, the controller 108 can first check T_Htr_Out and determine whether a command has been issued or not, before checking T_Htr_In or T_DOC_In, and so on.

[0050] In Fig. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram 200 of the control 108 of the system 100. Fig. Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment. In one embodiment, the components of the control unit 108 are combined into a single unit. In another embodiment, one or more of the components may be geographically distributed throughout the system. All such variations fall within the scope of this disclosure. The control unit 108 comprises a processing circuit 202 with a processor 204 and a storage device 206, a control system 208 with a heating circuit 210, a near post-injection circuit 212, a control circuit 214, a remote post-injection circuit 218, and a communication interface 216. The same definitions and examples apply to the remote post-injection circuit 218 as to the heating circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212, and the control circuit 214, which are described herein with respect to structure, communication, relationship, etc.within the controller 108 and the various connected components are described. In various other embodiments, two controllers may be present: one controller comprising the heating circuit 210 and the remote post-injection circuit 218, and a second controller comprising the near post-injection circuit 212. The first and second controllers are operationally coupled to enable communication and operation of all the circuits they contain.

[0051] The heating circuit 210 is structured in such a way that it communicates at least partially with and controls the heating element 106, similar to how in Fig. 3 described. The heating circuit 210 is coupled to the temperature sensors 110, 112, 114, and 116. As described herein, in one embodiment, the command to activate the heater 106 (i.e., to switch it on) is based on the heating circuit 210 detecting an input regarding the temperature of the exhaust gas leaving the heater 106 (T_Htr_Out) at temperature sensor 112, and whether T_Htr_Out is at or below the predefined threshold. In other embodiments, the command to activate the heater 106 (i.e., to switch it on) is based on the heating circuit 210 detecting an input regarding the inlet temperature of the exhaust gas entering the heater 106 (T_Htr_In) at temperature sensor 110, and whether T_Htr_In is at or below the predefined threshold. In other embodiments, the command to activate the heater 106 (i.e.,The command to activate the heater 106 (i.e., switch it on) depends on the heating circuit 210 detecting an input regarding the temperature of the exhaust gas leaving the SCR 109 (T_SCR_Out) at temperature sensor 114 and whether T_SCR_Out is at or below the predefined threshold. In various embodiments, the command to activate the heater 106 (i.e., switch it on) is based on the heating circuit 210 detecting an input regarding the inlet temperature of the exhaust gas entering the DOC 105 (T_DOC_In) at temperature sensor 116 and whether T_SCR_Out is at or below the predefined threshold.

[0052] The circuit for near post-injection 212 is structured to communicate at least partially with and control the engine 102, as shown in Fig. 3 described. For example, a command is sent to the designated injectors for the near post-injection circuit in the cylinder (e.g., quantity and timing) when the near post-injection circuit 212 provides this command or instruction. The near post-injection circuit 212 is coupled to the temperature sensors 110, 112, 114, and 116. As described herein, in one embodiment, the command for selective near post-injection is based on the near post-injection circuit 212, which detects an input regarding the exhaust gas temperature leaving the heater 106 (T_Htr_Out) and whether T_Htr_Out is at or below the predefined threshold. The near post-injection circuit 212 can, for example, also receive and perform the determination based on T_Htr_In and T_SCR_Out.

[0053] The remote post-injection circuit 218 is structured to communicate with and control the engine 102, at least partially. For example, a command (e.g., quantity, quality, and timing) is sent to the designated remote post-injection injectors when the remote post-injection circuit 218 provides this command or instruction. Depending on the capabilities of the engine 102, the remote post-injection circuit 218 can initiate multiple remote post-injections at different times. Additionally, the remote post-injection circuit 218 can determine, based on a variety of conditions, that remote post-injection of the engine 102 is not required (e.g., if the outside temperature exceeds the water freezing temperature by more than a predefined amount). Thus, differentiated control of the engine 102 can be achieved via the remote post-injection circuit 218.The remote post-injection circuit 218 is coupled to the temperature sensors 110, 112, 114, and 116. As described herein, in one embodiment, the command for selective remote post-injection is based on the remote post-injection circuit 218, which detects an input regarding the exhaust gas temperature leaving the heater 106 (T_Htr_Out) and whether T_Htr_Out is at or below the predefined threshold. The remote post-injection circuit 218 can, for example, also receive and perform the determination based on T_DOC_In, T_Htr_In, and T_SCR_Out.

[0054] The control circuit 214 is configured to communicate with and control the various components of the system 100 in response to the heater circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212, and the far post-injection circuit 218. Thus, a single control can coordinate the power command and the post-ignition command. However, the control can also consist of two control circuits configured to communicate with each other. For example, one control circuit can be configured to control the heater circuit 210 and the far post-injection circuit 218, while a second control circuit is configured to control the near post-injection circuit 212.In various embodiments with two controllers, one control circuit can be located in one controller and a second control circuit in a second controller, wherein one control circuit is configured to control the heating circuit 210 and the remote post-injection circuit 218, and a second control circuit is configured to control the near post-injection circuit 212. In cases where the heating circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212, and the far post-injection circuit 218 are not controlled by the same control system, the heating circuit 210 and the far post-injection circuit 218 can be paired. However, any combination can be effective.

[0055] A chaining sequence is used to allow the control circuit 214 to determine the order of operations. The chaining sequence, or chaining rule, issues one command until saturation is reached and then issues a second command if the setpoint is not reached. By allowing only one operation at a time, the control circuit 214 reduces conflicts, inefficiencies, and potential errors due to redundant efforts. For example, the control circuit 214 first communicates with the heating circuit 210 and instructs it to operate normally. Simultaneously, the control circuit 214 instructs the remote post-injection circuit 218 to stop its operations. The heating circuit 210 then reports whether the target of reaching the predefined threshold temperature has been achieved.Once the capabilities of the heater 106 are exhausted, the control circuit 214 communicates with the remote post-injection circuit 218 to resume normal operation if necessary. Alternatively, the control circuit 214 can first communicate with the remote post-injection circuit 218 and then with the heater circuit 210, depending on the data returned by the remote post-injection circuit 218. Additionally, the chaining sequence includes communication with the near post-injection circuit 212 in the required order.

[0056] This chaining sequence and commands include, but are not limited to, instructions for changing the chaining sequence based on the battery's state of charge, the fuel level, and whether the actual gas temperature is above or below a predefined threshold. For example, if system 100 includes a battery (e.g., to power the electric heater), control circuit 214 determines whether and for how long the battery charge is sufficient to operate the heater. Control circuit 214 assesses the sufficiency of the state of charge (SOC) based on whether the SOC is at or below a predetermined charge threshold. If the SOC is above the predetermined charge threshold (e.g., 50% or more), control circuit 214 may decide to operate the heater circuit 210 first.Additionally, the control circuit 214 can analyze the fuel level based on a predetermined threshold fuel level to determine whether it is at or below the predetermined threshold fuel level (e.g., 50%) and thus whether fuel should be conserved, or whether there is enough fuel for combustion during post-injection. Furthermore, the control circuit 215 can evaluate the fuel level and the state of charge (SOC) simultaneously. For example, if the fuel level is at 30% and the SOC is at 40%, the control circuit 214 determines that both the fuel level and the SOC are below their respective thresholds and instructs the heater 106 to activate because the SOC is higher than the fuel level. Finally, the control circuit 214 can determine whether the actual gas temperature is above or below the predefined threshold. For example, if the gas temperature is...In addition, the control circuit 214 can either do without the heating circuit 210, the circuit for near post-injection 212 and / or the circuit for far post-injection 218.

[0057] In Fig. Figure 8 describes, according to an exemplary embodiment, a method 800 for controlling a catalyst temperature with coordinated control of the heater outlet temperature (i.e., DOC inlet temperature) using the motor 102 (remote post-injection) and the heater 106. The method can be implemented by the components of the Fig. 5-7 are carried out, so that reference can be made to them for the explanation of Method 800. It should be noted that, due to the chaining sequence described herein, Method 800 is exemplary and the order of operations may vary in other embodiments.

[0058] In step 802, a command to activate heater 106 is received. This command can originate from the controller 108, based on the inlet heater temperature sensor 110, the outlet heater temperature sensor 112, the SCR outlet temperature sensor 114, and / or the DOC inlet temperature sensor 116. The controller 108 uses the temperature reading received from the temperature sensors to determine whether the exhaust gas temperature is at or below a threshold temperature level. The predefined threshold can be, for example, between 200°C and 500°C. If the temperature is below the threshold, such as at the temperature of freezing water, this may indicate insufficient catalyst heating. Based on this determination, the heater circuit 210 activates heater 106 to start in step 804. In step 806, temperature sensors 110, 112, 114 and 116 can monitor the exhaust gas temperature.In this step, the heating circuit 210 can modulate the command to increase or decrease the heating power or to switch off the heater 106, depending on the setpoint temperature and the actual temperature. In step 808, the temperature signal is received by the controller 108 to determine the next steps. If the controller 108 determines that the exhaust gas temperature is at or below a predefined threshold, the remote post-injection circuit 218 instructs the engine 102 (i.e., the designated fuel injectors) in step 810 to perform post-injections. Furthermore, the controller 108 can control the heater 106 to stop heating at or near the same time as the remote post-injections. Subsequently, fuel can be injected to heat the exhaust gas.In step 812, the inlet heater temperature sensor 110, the outlet heater temperature sensor 112, the SCR outlet temperature sensor 114, and / or the DOC inlet temperature sensor 116 monitor the temperature again to determine whether the exhaust gas is at or below the predefined threshold. If the exhaust gas is below the threshold, procedure 800 can be repeated. If the exhaust gas is at or above the predefined threshold, this indicates proper catalyst heating.

[0059] As used herein, the terms “approximately”, “about”, “essentially”, and similar terms are to be interpreted broadly and in accordance with the common and accepted usage of those skilled in the art who are familiar with the subject matter of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art reviewing this disclosure should understand that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain described and claimed features without limiting the scope of those features to the specified precise numerical ranges. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insignificant or inconsistent modifications or changes to the described and claimed subject matter are to be considered to be within the scope of the disclosure, as specified in the accompanying claims.

[0060] It should be noted that the term "exemplary" and variations thereof, as used herein to describe different embodiments, are intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations or illustrations of possible embodiments (and that such terms are not intended to imply that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).

[0061] The term "coupled" and variations thereof as used here means the connection of two elements directly or indirectly. Such a connection may be stationary (e.g., permanent or fixed) or movable (e.g., removable or detachable). Such a connection may be achieved by directly coupling the two elements, by coupling the two elements using one or more separate intermediate elements, or by coupling the two elements using an intermediate element formed integrally as a single, unified body with one of the two elements. When "coupled" or variations thereof are modified by an additional term (e.g., "directly coupled"), the general definition of "coupled" given above is modified by the specific meaning of the additional term (e.g.,"Directly coupled" means connecting two elements without a separate intermediary, which leads to a narrower definition than the general definition of "coupled" given above. Such coupling can be mechanical, electrical, or fluidic. For example, the "coupling" of circuit A with circuit B can mean that circuit A communicates directly with circuit B (i.e., without an intermediary) or indirectly with circuit B (e.g., via one or more intermediaries).

[0062] While in the Fig. 3 and Fig. Seven different circuits with special functionality are shown; it is understood that the controller 108 can include any number of circuits to complete the functions described herein. For example, the activities and functionalities of the heating circuit 210, the near post-injection circuit 212, the control circuit 214, and the far post-injection circuit 218 can be combined in several circuits or as a single circuit. Additional circuits with additional functionality may also be included. Furthermore, the controller 108 can also control other activities that go beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0063] As mentioned above, and in one configuration, the "circuits" can be implemented in a machine-readable medium for execution by various types of processors, such as the 204 processor from Fig.3. An identified circuit of executable code may, for example, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, which may be organized as an object, a procedure, or a function. However, the executable files of an identified circuit need not be physically located together; they may comprise different instructions stored in different locations. When logically connected, these instructions comprise the circuit and achieve its stated purpose. Indeed, a circuit of computer-readable program code may consist of a single instruction or many instructions and may even be distributed across multiple distinct code segments, between different programs, and across multiple storage devices. Similarly, operational data within circuits can be identified and illustrated here.They can exist in any suitable form and be organized in any suitable type of data structure. Operational data can be collected as a single data set or distributed across various locations, including different storage devices, and can exist, at least in part, only as electronic signals within a system or network.

[0064] While the term "processor" is briefly defined above, the terms "processor" and "processing circuit" are to be interpreted broadly. In this respect, and as mentioned above, the "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 structured to execute instructions provided by memory. The one or more processors may be in the form of a single-core processor, a multi-core processor (e.g., a dual-core processor, triple-core processor, quad-core processor, etc.), a microprocessor, etc. In some embodiments, the one or more processors may be external to the setup, e.g., B. one or more processor(s) can be a remote processor (e.g.a cloud-based processor). Alternatively or additionally, the one or more processor(s) can be internal and / or local within the facility. In this respect, a particular circuit or its components can be located locally (e.g., as part of a local server, a local computer system, etc.) or remotely (e.g., as part of a remote server such as a cloud-based server). For this purpose, a “circuit” described herein can contain components distributed across one or more locations.

[0065] Although the figures and description illustrate a particular sequence of process steps, the order of these steps may differ from those shown and described, unless otherwise stated above. Furthermore, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously, unless otherwise stated above. Such variations may depend, for example, on the software and hardware systems chosen and on the designer's choice. All such variations fall within the scope of the disclosure.

[0066] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been presented for illustrative and descriptive purposes. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the exact form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or can be derived from this disclosure. The embodiments have been selected and described to explain the principles of the disclosure and their practical application, so that a person skilled in the art may use the various embodiments and with various modifications suitable for the respective intended use. 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.

[0067] Accordingly, the present disclosure may exist in other specific forms without any departure from its spirit or essential features. The described embodiments are to be regarded in every respect as illustrative only and not as limiting. The scope of the disclosure is therefore defined more by the appended claims than by the preceding description. All modifications that are in the sense and within the scope of equivalence of the claims are to be included within their scope.

Claims

[1] System (100), comprising: a post-treatment system (104) coupled to a motor (102); a stoker (106); at least one sensor (110) configured to determine an exhaust gas temperature; and at least one processing circuit (202) that is structured to: Determine whether the exhaust gas temperature is at or below a predefined threshold temperature; Providing an initial command to control the heater in response to the exhaust gas temperature being at or below the predefined threshold temperature; selective provision of a second command to increase the exhaust gas temperature; Coordinating the first and second commands, whereby the first command, followed by the second command, is only issued if the predefined threshold temperature is not reached by the first command; and Changing the first and second commands depending on the fuel level. [2] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein the after-treatment system (104) comprises a catalyst. [3] System (100) according to claim 2, wherein the catalyst is at least one of a selective catalytic reduction catalyst (SCR catalyst) (109) or a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) (105). [4] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein the heater (106) is positioned downstream of the motor (102) and upstream of the catalyst. [5] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a first sensor (110) coupled to an input of the heater (106), a second sensor (112) coupled to an output of the heater (106), and a third sensor (114) coupled to an output of a catalyst of the aftertreatment system. [6] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing circuit (202) is further structured to coordinate the first and second commands using a multivariable model, the multivariable model comprising at least one temperature input determined by the at least one sensor, at least one predicted temperature output, a near post-injection quantity parameter, a near post-injection timing parameter or power delivered to the heater. [7] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing circuit (202) is further structured to modify the first and second commands based on whether the exhaust gas temperature is above or below the predefined threshold temperature. [8] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing circuit (202) is further structured to adapt a control of the heater (106) depending on the predefined threshold temperature and an actual temperature. [9] System (100), comprising: at least one control (108) that is structured to: Determine whether an exhaust gas temperature is at or below a predefined threshold temperature; Providing an initial command to control a heater (106) in response to the exhaust gas temperature being at or below the predefined threshold temperature; Providing a second command to increase the exhaust gas temperature; Coordinating the first and second commands, whereby the first command, followed by the second command, is only issued if the predefined threshold temperature is not reached by the first command; and Changing the first and second commands depending on the fuel level. [10] System (100) according to claim 9, wherein the second command is a post-injection command, wherein the post-injection command is at least one of: a near post-injection (212) when the heater (106) is positioned downstream of an engine and upstream of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) (105); or a remote post-injection (218) when the heater (106) is positioned downstream of the DOC (105) and upstream of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system (109). [11] System according to claim 9, wherein the at least one controller (108) is further structured to adapt the control of the heater (106) depending on the predefined threshold temperature and an actual temperature. [12] System according to claim 9, wherein the at least one controller (108) is further structured to coordinate the first and second commands using a multivariable model, the multivariable model comprising at least one temperature input determined by the at least one sensor, at least one predicted temperature output, a near post-injection quantity parameter, a near post-injection timing parameter or power delivered to the heater. [13] Procedure (300), comprising: Determine that an exhaust gas temperature is at or below a predefined threshold temperature; and Determining a sequence of commands, where the sequence of commands includes: Providing an initial command to control a heater (106) in response to a determination that the exhaust gas temperature is at or below the predefined threshold temperature; selectively issuing a second command to increase the exhaust gas temperature; and Changing the first and second commands depending on the fuel level. [14] Method (300) according to claim 13, further comprising adjusting the control of the heater (106) depending on the predefined threshold temperature and an actual temperature. [15] Method (300) according to claim 13, wherein determining that the exhaust gas temperature is at or below the predefined threshold temperature is in response to receiving (302) information indicating the exhaust gas temperature. [16] Method (300) according to claim 13, wherein the second command is a post-injection, wherein the post-injection is one of: a near post-injection (212) when the heater (106) is positioned downstream of an engine (102) and upstream of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) (105); or a remote post-injection (218) when the heater (106) is positioned downstream of the DOC (105) and upstream of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system (109). [17] Method (300) according to claim 16, further comprising deactivating post-injection in response to the exhaust gas temperature being at or above the predefined threshold temperature. [18] Method (300) according to claim 13, further comprising deactivating the heater (106) in response to the exhaust gas temperature being at or above the predefined threshold temperature. [19] Method (300) according to claim 13, further comprising coordinating the first and the second command, wherein the first command, followed by the second command, is only provided if the predefined threshold temperature is not reached by the first command.

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