VEHICLE WITH PETROL PARTICULATED SOOT REGENERATION STRATEGY WITH EMISSION REDUCTION CRITERIA FOR LOW POLLUTANT EMISSIONS

Abstract

In accordance with exemplary implementations, a vehicle comprises a body, an engine within the body, and at least one exhaust pipe extending from the engine and incorporating a particulate filter in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe to capture exhaust material from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle also has at least one air intake pipe having a first end with an inlet positioned to capture an airflow entering the body as the vehicle moves, and a second end in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe with an outlet positioned to provide an airflow from the intake pipe into the exhaust pipe upstream of the particulate filter. Passive soot regeneration with THC and CO reduction is achieved by this introduced airflow.

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The technical field generally relates to vehicles and in particular to methods and systems for controlling the regeneration of particulate filters for gasoline engines of vehicles.

[0002] Many vehicles are equipped with exhaust aftertreatment systems that include particulate filters to reduce harmful emissions. These particulate filters require frequent regeneration as soot accumulates in them. However, some existing passive and active regeneration techniques could be improved. DESCRIPTION

[0003] In an exemplary implementation, a vehicle includes a body, an engine within the body, and at least one exhaust pipe extending from the engine and incorporating a particulate filter in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe to capture exhaust material from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle also includes at least one air intake pipe with a first end featuring an inlet positioned to capture the airflow entering the body while the vehicle is in motion. The air intake pipe has a second end connected to the exhaust pipe and an outlet positioned to provide an airflow from the intake pipe into the exhaust pipe upstream of the particulate filter.

[0004] In another exemplary implementation, the vehicle includes a valve on the air injection pipe, which is arranged to open and close depending on the temperature at the particulate filter.

[0005] In another exemplary implementation, the inlet includes a collector whose free end points towards the front of the vehicle.

[0006] In another exemplary implementation, the vehicle includes an air intake manifold with a manifold pipe to direct the airflow. The intake is connected to the distribution channel.

[0007] In one exemplary implementation, the vehicle also includes at least one catalytic converter connected to the exhaust pipe between the engine and the exhaust outlet.

[0008] Also in an exemplary implementation, the engine includes two cylinder blocks, each with one of the exhaust pipes, and the injection pipe comprises a single inlet and a division into two outlet sections, each having one of the second ends and an outlet connected to another of the exhaust pipes.

[0009] In one exemplary implementation, the engine includes multiple cylinder blocks, and the at least one exhaust pipe comprises two flow-parallel exhaust pipe sections. Each exhaust pipe section has a first end connected to another of the cylinder blocks and a second end that merges into a combined exhaust pipe section connected to the particulate filter. The injection pipe is connected to only one of the parallel exhaust pipes.

[0010] Even in an exemplary implementation, the inlet pipe has a side wall with a conical edge that defines the outlet.

[0011] In one exemplary implementation, the vehicle also includes temperature sensors for the particulate filter, a valve for the air intake pipe, and a control unit with at least one processor that communicates with the temperature sensors and the valve. The processor is configured to control the valve so that air can flow through the air intake pipe and to the particulate filter when both the temperatures before and after the particulate filter exceed a threshold value and the exhaust pressure in the exhaust pipe is lower than the air pressure at the intake.

[0012] In an exemplary implementation, a method involves obtaining sensor data indicating the temperature of at least one particulate filter in a vehicle's emission system by a processor circuit comprising at least one processor. The particulate filter is connected to an exhaust pipe leading from the vehicle's engine. Depending on the measured temperature at the particulate filter, the method involves the at least one processor opening an air injection pipe. This pipe has a forward-facing inlet on the vehicle and is positioned to capture the airflow under the hood entering the vehicle while the vehicle is decelerating. The air injection pipe includes an outlet that is in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe between the particulate filter and the engine.

[0013] In an exemplary implementation, the method also includes controlling a maximum mass flow rate of the air to be injected by adjusting an air injector nozzle diameter at the outlet of the injection pipe and an air collector diameter at the inlet of the injection pipe.

[0014] In one exemplary implementation, the method also includes the passive activation of the regeneration of the particulate filter by allowing air to flow through the injection pipe when the particulate filter has a temperature of at least 600 °C for a non-catalyst particulate filter and 350 °C for a catalyst particulate filter.

[0015] In one exemplary implementation, the procedure also includes the passive activation of the regeneration of the particulate filter by allowing air to flow through the injection pipe when the vehicle decelerates sufficiently to reduce the exhaust pressure below the air pressure at the intake.

[0016] Also in an exemplary implementation, the method includes the reduction of THC and CO emissions during a tip-in after deceleration by releasing oxygen stored in catalysts during a dynamic cylinder cut-off (DCCO).

[0017] In one exemplary implementation, the procedure also includes closing the air inlet pipe when the temperature of the particle filter rises to 900 or 950 degrees Celsius.

[0018] In an exemplary implementation, a vehicle's emissions system includes at least one exhaust pipe extending from the vehicle's engine and incorporating a particulate filter in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe. At least one temperature sensor is positioned to measure the temperature at the particulate filter. At least one air intake pipe has a forward-facing inlet on the vehicle and is positioned to capture the under-hood airflow entering the vehicle while the vehicle is decelerating. The air intake pipe includes an outlet in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe between the particulate filter and the engine, as well as a valve.The processor forms at least one processor that is communicatively connected to the at least one temperature sensor and the valve and is arranged in such a way that it operates by opening and closing the air injection pipe depending on a detected temperature of the particle filter.

[0019] In one exemplary implementation, the emission system also includes a mixing device in the exhaust pipe between the outlet and the particulate filter.

[0020] In another exemplary implementation, the air inlet pipe has a side wall with an opening that forms the outlet, and the opening is dimensioned to control a mass flow rate of air.

[0021] In one exemplary implementation, the at least one processor is arranged to operate by opening the air intake pipe when it is detected that the vehicle is driving through a DCCO event. The air intake pipe can be opened for two or more seconds at a time.

[0022] In one exemplary implementation, the particulate filter also has an inlet and an outlet temperature sensor. The at least one processor is arranged to perform a health diagnosis of an air injection system and the particulate filter, which includes determining at least one of the following: a particulate filter temperature difference between before and after air injection into the particulate filter and at several different engine speeds, or particulate filter inlet and outlet temperature differences with and without air injection at different engine speeds. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The present disclosure is described below in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein identical numbers denote identical elements and the drawings are not to scale, and wherein: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an example vehicle according to at least one of the implementations described here; Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a front view of the example vehicle from Fig. 1 according to at least one of the implementations described herein; Fig. 3 A schematic representation of an example emission system on the vehicle of Fig. 1 according to at least one of the implementations described herein; Fig. 4 A schematic representation of an alternative example emission system on the vehicle of Fig. 1 according to at least one of the implementations described herein; Fig. 5 a schematic diagram of another alternative example emission system on the vehicle of Fig. 1 according to at least one of the implementations described herein; Fig. 6 a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional view of an air collector according to at least one of the implementations described here; Fig. 7 a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional view of an air injection pipe according to at least one of the implementations described herein; and Fig. 8 is a flowchart of a process for particulate filter regeneration for vehicles according to at least one of the implementations described here. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following detailed description merely outlines exemplary implementations and is not intended to restrict disclosure or their application and use. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by the theory presented in the preceding background or in the following detailed description.

[0025] With reference to Fig. Figure 1 shows an example vehicle 100 comprising a propulsion system 102, an emission system 114, and a control system 104. As described below in accordance with various implementations, the propulsion system 102 includes an engine 112, and the emission system 114 has a particulate filter (PF) 116 with an air injection assembly (AIA) 118. The control system 104 controls the particulate filter regeneration of the PF via the AIA 118 (as, for example, shown below in connection with vehicle 100). Fig. 1 and the procedure 800 of Fig. 8 (described in more detail according to different implementations).

[0026] In various implementations, Vehicle 100 includes an automobile. Vehicle 100 can be any type of vehicle, such as a sedan, station wagon, truck, or sport utility vehicle (SUV), and it can have two-wheel drive (2WD) (i.e., rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive), four-wheel drive (4WD), or all-wheel drive (AWD), and / or various other vehicle types. In certain implementations, Vehicle 100 can also include a motorcycle or other vehicle, such as an aircraft, spacecraft, watercraft, etc., and / or one or more other types of mobile platforms (e.g., a robot and / or other mobile platform) that have an emissions system.

[0027] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 100 comprises a body 105 mounted on a chassis 110. The body 105 essentially encloses other components of the vehicle 100 and has a front 160 with a front or air grille 162. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 100 comprises a body 105 mounted on a chassis 110. The body 105 essentially encloses other components of the vehicle 100 and has a front 160 with a front or air grille 162. Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the body 105 can include a hood 204 that covers the engine 112, while the air grille 162 at the front 160 of the vehicle, and thus in front of the engine 112, provides openings for airflow that enters the body from outside and onto or over (or under) the engine 112, referred to here as under-hood air or airflow. Air can enter the engine 112 and the exhaust system 114 from both the underside of the body 105 and from other openings in the body 105. The body 105 and the chassis 110 can together form a frame. The vehicle 100 also includes a multitude of wheels 106 and wheel axles 108 coupled to them. The wheels 106 are each rotatably connected to the chassis 110 near a respective corner of the body 105 to facilitate the movement of the vehicle 100.In one implementation, the vehicle 100 includes four wheels 106, although this may vary in other implementations (e.g., for trucks and certain other vehicles).

[0028] In various implementations, the drive system 102 is mounted on the chassis 110 and drives the wheels 106 via the wheel axles 108. In the illustrated embodiment, the drive system 102 is a propulsion system that includes the engine 112 as an internal combustion engine 112. The engine 112 is in fluid communication with the emission system 114. In various implementations, the emission system 114 directs the exhaust gases from the engine 112 to emission reduction devices such as the PF 116 before expelling the exhaust gases from the vehicle 100. The PF 116 filters soot from the exhaust gases produced by the engine 112 and must be regenerated at regular intervals to remove the soot from the PF 116. The present vehicle 100 extends the emission system 114 by an air injection assembly 118 and the functions of a control system 104 for controlling the air injection assembly 118. The details are provided below.

[0029] With reference to Fig. Figure 3 is an example of an emission system 114 of vehicle 100, which is the same as or similar to emission system 300. System 300 extends from an engine 302, which may be identical to or similar to engine 112. Engine 302 has two cylinder blocks 304 and 306, each with a cylinder bore 308 and 310, respectively, with spark plugs 314 and fuel injectors 312. A fuel line 316 supplies fuel to the injectors 312.

[0030] An air intake manifold 318 has an inlet (or intake section) 320 that directs the air through an air filter 322 and then to an arrangement of pipes 324 that carries the air to the cylinder blocks 304 and 306. An air pressure gauge (or intake manifold pressure gauge) 326 monitors the air pressure in the intake manifold 318. Air and fuel, directed into the cylinder bores 308 and 310, combust, causing the pistons (not shown) to move back and forth within the bores, thus driving a drive shaft which in turn drives the wheel axles 108 and the wheels 106. The engine 302 and its components can be considered part of the emission system 300, but this is not necessarily the case.

[0031] Regarding the emission system 300, one or more (here two) exhaust pipes 330 and 332 extend rearward from the cylinder blocks 304 and 306, respectively, and have exhaust pipes 334 and 336 with a branched inlet end 338 and 340 with branches 342 and 344, respectively, which are in fluid communication with another cylinder bore 308 or 310 to provide an outlet for exhaust material from the cylinder bores 308 and 310. It should be noted that the terms "pipe," "tube," and "conduit" are used interchangeably here and refer to elements that provide a passage for solids, liquids, and / or gases and are not restricted to a specific cross-sectional shape (e.g., circular or cylindrical) unless otherwise indicated by the context.It will also be acknowledged that one or more exhaust valve phasers (not shown) may be fitted to the engine 302 to control the exhaust flow from the cylinder bores 308 and 310 and into the exhaust pipes 334 and 336.

[0032] In this example, the emission system 300 is a three-way catalytic converter system with a double catalyst (e.g., TWC-1), although other types of emission systems could also be used. In this example, the exhaust pipes 334 and 336 are each connected in fluid contact with a catalyst assembly 346 and 348, respectively, downstream of the engine 112 (or further back in this example), and each catalyst assembly 346 and 348 has a front closed coupled catalyst 350 and 352, respectively, and a rear closed catalyst 354 and 356, respectively, although many other types and arrangements of catalyst assemblies could be used instead.

[0033] In this exemplary implementation, the exhaust pipes 334 and 336 each have a fluid-connected particulate filter (PF) 360 or 362, one of which is a gasoline particulate filter (GPF) that can be a pure PF or a catalyst PF. Each PF 360 and 362 has an inlet end 364 and an outlet end 366. Downstream of the PFs 360 and 362, the exhaust pipe can be connected to other known components, such as a muffler, before terminating at an outlet (not shown), typically located at the rear of the vehicle 100. It will be acknowledged that other types of PFs 360 and 362 can also be used.

[0034] The emission system 300 also has several sensors throughout the system 300 to monitor various parameters of the system 300's operation. Most importantly, each PF 360 and 362 has a thermocouple 368 and 370, respectively, with each thermocouple having an inlet-side exhaust gas temperature (EGT) sensor 372 located near the inlet end 364 of the PF 360 and 362, and an outlet-side exhaust gas temperature (EGT) sensor 374 located near the outlet end 366 of the PF 360 and 362. In this example, other pressure and temperature sensors are also provided, including an EGT sensor 376 upstream of the PF 360 and 362, and also upstream of the catalyst devices 346 and 348, and downstream of the engine 302.

[0035] The emission system 300 has an air injection assembly (AIA) 380, similar to or identical to the AIA 118 ( Fig. 1) which is in fluid communication with the exhaust pipes 334 and 336, in order to blow air, which may be outside air, into the exhaust pipes 334 and 336 and thus into the PFs 360 and 362. Specifically, the AIA 380 has an air injection pipe 382, ​​in this example in three sections, which include an inlet section 386 with an inlet collector 384, which divides into at least two outlet branches 388 and 390, each having outlets 392 and 394, respectively, which are connected to another of the exhaust pipes 334 and 336. It is understood that the air injection pipe 382 can have an outlet nozzle for each exhaust pipe to which it is connected. Alternatively, the outlets 392 and 394 are located near, on, or within the outlets of the catalyst devices 346 or 348.

[0036] The air injection pipe 382 of the AIA 380 can be made of steel, unalloyed steel, stainless steel, aluminum steel, composite materials such as carbon fiber or glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), etc., as long as the material can adequately withstand the temperatures and air or gas pressures that are to be expected in an emission system for an AIA 380.

[0037] The AIA 380 can optionally be equipped with a valve 398 for the air inlet pipe. This valve can be an on / off valve, a shut-off valve, etc., controlled to fully open or close. Alternatively, it can be a valve, such as a control valve, with intermediate positions to precisely vary the air volume. The AIA 380 can also be equipped with a check valve 399 to prevent unwanted backflow. The collector 384 also has an air filter 396. Further details on the collector 384 are provided in [reference missing]. Fig. 6 provided, and further details on outlets 392 and 394, including an optional nozzle, are in Fig. 7 provided.

[0038] This arrangement allows the particulate filter 360 or 362 to be passively regenerated when the vehicle is in a deceleration mode. Deceleration can occur, in particular, when the user is not pressing the accelerator pedal and the vehicle is idling, or when an autonomous driving system does not inject fuel into the engine for a short or temporary period of up to two seconds. In other situations, the vehicle may be in a Dynamic Cylinder Management (DCCO) mode, in which fewer than all or even none of the engine's cylinders are used. The DCCO mode is frequently used to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions during the test cycle. Another situation is the Deceleration Fuel Cut-Off (DFCO) mode, in which fuel injection is briefly stopped during deceleration to save fuel.As the vehicle 100 moves forward, these and other deceleration modes result in a situation where the exhaust gases of the engine 112 in the exhaust pipes 334 and 336 have a low exhaust backpressure compared to the relatively higher air pressure of a relatively high air mass flow or the air energy of the outside or ambient air entering the vehicle body under the hood 204 from the front air grille 162, to give an example. Air can also enter under the hood 204 and / or into the air intake manifold 318 from other locations.

[0039] The low exhaust pressure allows air (or more air) to be introduced into the particulate filter (PF) 360 or 362 via the air injection pipe 382. The air trapped in PFs 360 and 362, at sufficiently high temperatures, combusts particulate matter (PM), total hydrocarbons (THC), and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions—in other words, soot. This is a passive rather than an active process. This avoids active regeneration, which tends to increase NOx emissions. The reduction of NOx and soot is achieved by regulating the airflow to PFs 360 and 362. While the engine 302 powers the vehicle, the oxygen stored in the GPF can further reduce HC and CO emissions during rich running. This provides the vehicle 100 with better compliance with regulatory emission standards.Furthermore, the current passive regeneration can indirectly lead to a reduction in the consumption of platinum group metals (PGMs) in catalyst devices 346 and 348, resulting in significant financial savings.

[0040] The low exhaust pressure and high mass airflow (or high airflow pressure) cause intake air pressure pulses when the engine cylinders are suddenly shut down. These pulses, occurring at the beginning of deceleration events (DCCO), induce air injection at the front of the PF 360 or 362. Furthermore, this situation also improves ride quality during tip-in (when the engine is restarted to propel the vehicle) after deceleration events by continuing to deliver or pulse air in intake manifold 318 to the PF 360 or 362. In this case, the PF 360 or 362 utilizes the additional oxygen to burn off additional THC and CO.

[0041] Regarding valve 398, a control unit 140 ( Fig. 1) The valve 398 opens and closes depending on the PF activation and deactivation temperatures and the detection (or assumption) of the lower exhaust pressure, as described in detail below. In an alternative configuration, the valve 398 can be omitted entirely to save costs. In this case, the air injection pipe 382 remains open.

[0042] In the present example, valve 398 can be an on / off valve or a shut-off valve that has only a fully open or fully closed position. In other configurations, valve 398 can have different positions between open and closed to more precisely control the air mass flow rate as desired.

[0043] Referring again to Fig. 1. In various implementations, when controlling, for example, the regeneration of the particulate filter (PF) 360 or 362 (or 116), the control system 104 provides instructions or control signals that control the valve 398 to selectively open or close it, for example as below in conjunction with method 800 of Fig. 8 described in more detail. In various implementations, the control system 104 can also be coupled with the drive system 102 and the emission system 114 to provide various other control functions for the drive system 102, the emission system 114 and / or for various other systems and components of the vehicle 100.

[0044] In various implementations, the control system 104 includes a sensor array 120 and the control unit 140. In these implementations, the sensor array 120 includes sensors that receive sensor data relating to the emission system 114 and for use in controlling the drive system 102, including the regeneration of the particulate filter 116. In the implementation shown, the sensor array 120 includes one or more soot sensors 122 and temperature sensors 124. It will be acknowledged that in certain implementations, the sensor array 120 may also include any number of other sensors 126, including air or exhaust pressure sensors.

[0045] In various implementations, the soot sensors 122 detect the presence, quantity, and / or concentration of soot in the PF 116. The term "soot" as used in this application refers to all particles or substances produced during combustion by the engine 112, including, but not limited to, powdery, flaky, or other carbon substances generated by combustion. In certain implementations, the soot sensors 122 may include one or more pressure sensors, such as a differential pressure sensor or a delta-p sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensors themselves may be used to calculate the pressure, which in turn provides an indication of the amount of soot in the PF 116. However, this may vary in other implementations, for example, by allowing the use of one or more other sensors.

[0046] In various implementations, the temperature sensors include 124 exhaust gas temperature sensors (EGT) 368 and 370 ( Fig. 3), upstream exhaust gas temperature sensors 376 ( Fig. 3) and others, if desired, configured to measure the air temperature of one or more parts of the air in the emission system 114. In various implementations, the temperature sensors 124 are used to measure the temperature of the exhaust gas at the inlet 364 and / or outlet 366, for example at PF 360 or 362.

[0047] In certain implementations, the sensor arrangement 120 may also include one or more additional sensor types 126, such as the intake pressure sensor 326, oxygen sensors, intake manifold airflow sensors, and many other sensors, such as one or more engine torque sensors, in addition to other possible sensor types.

[0048] In various implementations, the control unit 140 is coupled to the sensor array 120. In various implementations, the control unit 140 is also connected to the drive system 102 and the emission system 114. In various implementations, the control unit 140 can also be connected to one or more other systems and / or components of the vehicle 100.

[0049] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the control unit 140, in various implementations, comprises a computer system (here also referred to as computer system 140) and includes processor circuits forming at least one processor 142, a memory 144, an interface 146, a storage device 148, and a computer bus 150. In various implementations, the control unit (or computer system) 140 controls the regenerative filtering of the PF 116. In various implementations, the control unit 140 controls various other functions of the vehicle 100, including the movement of the vehicle 100, as well as various other functions of the drive system 102 and various other vehicle systems and components. In various implementations, the control unit 140 establishes these and other functions in accordance with the procedures of Method 800 of Fig. 8 ready, as described further below in this context.

[0050] In various implementations, the control unit 140 (and in certain implementations, the control system 104 itself) is located inside the body 105 of the vehicle 100. In one implementation, the control system 104 is mounted on the chassis 110. In certain implementations, the control unit 140 and / or the control system 104 and / or one or more of its components may be located outside the body 105, for example, on a remote server, in the cloud, or on another device where image processing is performed remotely. It will therefore be acknowledged that the control unit 140 is otherwise independent of the in Fig. The implementation shown in Figure 1 may differ. For example, the control unit 140 may be coupled with one or more remote computer systems and / or other control systems, or may otherwise use them, for example as part of one or more of the aforementioned devices and systems of the vehicle 100.

[0051] The at least one processor 142 performs the calculation and control functions of the control unit 140 and can include any type of processor or multiple processors, individual integrated circuits such as a microprocessor, multiple processor cores, a system on a chip (SoC), or any suitable number of integrated circuits and / or printed circuit boards working together to perform the functions of a processing unit.

[0052] During operation, the at least one processor 142 executes one or more programs 152 contained in the memory 144 and, as such, controls the general operation of the control unit 140 and the computer system of the control unit 140, generally during the execution of the processes described herein, such as process 800 of Fig. 8 and as further described below in connection therewith. The processor 142 can perform each operation of the process 800 by operating a separate unit or module of the program 152, which executes the individual operations of the process 800 by any combination of software, firmware, and / or hardware. The processor 142 can be operated by a program 152 that is operated by at least one processor 142, such as a particulate filter regeneration program or system. It is understood that a single unit or module of the program 152 can perform multiple operations of the process 800.It is acknowledged that one or more of the units of program 152, performing operations of procedure 800, as well as one or more processors 142, may be located away from the vehicle 100 and may communicate wirelessly with units or programs 152 that are still on board to operate the valve of the air injection pipe 398.

[0053] Memory 144 can be any suitable type of memory. For example, memory 144 can include various types of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) such as SDRAM, the various types of static RAM (SRAM), and the various types of non-volatile memory (PROM, EPROM, and Flash). In certain examples, memory 144 is located on the same computer chip as, and / or is housed with, the processor 142. In the implementation shown, memory 144 stores the aforementioned program 152 along with one or more stored values ​​156 (e.g., thresholds for controlling particulate filter regeneration).

[0054] Bus 150 is used to transmit programs, data, status, and other information or signals between the various components of the control unit 140's computer system. Interface 146 enables communication with the control unit 140's computer system, for example, from a system driver and / or another computer system, and can be implemented using any suitable method and device. In one implementation, interface 146 receives various data from the sensor array 120. Interface 146 can include one or more network interfaces for communication with other systems or components. Interface 146 can also include one or more network interfaces for communication with technicians and / or one or more memory interfaces for connecting to storage devices, such as the storage device 148.

[0055] The storage device 148 can be any suitable type of storage device, including various types of random-access storage and / or other storage facilities. In an exemplary implementation, the storage device 148 comprises a program product from which the memory 144 can receive a program 152 that contains one or more implementations of the method 800 of Fig. 8, as described below. In another exemplary implementation, the program product can be stored directly in memory 144 and / or on a hard disk (e.g., hard disk 157) and / or accessed in other ways, as described below.

[0056] Bus 150 can be any suitable physical or logical structure for connecting computer systems and components. This includes, but is not limited to, direct, hard-wired connections, fiber optic technology, infrared, and wireless bus technologies. During operation, program 152 is stored in memory 144 and executed by processor 142.

[0057] It will be acknowledged that, while this exemplary implementation is described in the context of a fully functional computer system, the person skilled in the art will recognize that the mechanisms of the present disclosure can be distributed as a program product using one or more types of non-volatile, computer-readable, signal-carrying media for storing the program and its instructions and for carrying out its distribution. For example, a non-volatile, computer-readable medium carrying the program and containing computer instructions stored therein to induce a computing device or computer processor (such as Processor 142) to execute the program. Such a program product can take a variety of forms, and the present disclosure applies equally regardless of the specific type of computer-readable signal carrier used to carry out the distribution.Examples of signal-carrying media include: writable media such as floppy disks, hard disks, memory cards, and optical disks, as well as transmission media such as digital and analog communication links. It is acknowledged that cloud-based storage and / or other techniques may also be used in certain implementations. It is also acknowledged that the computer system of control unit 140 may otherwise differ from the one described in [reference to relevant document]. Fig. The implementation shown in Figure 1 may differ, for example, in that the computer system of the control unit 140 may be coupled with one or more remote computer systems and / or other control systems or may use them in other ways.

[0058] With reference to Fig. 4 has an alternative emission system 400 for the vehicle 100 many of the same or similar parts, which are numbered similarly to the already numbered parts of emission system 300 ( Fig. 3), so that these parts do not need to be described again. Here, however, the exhaust pipes 432 and 434 each have a converging outlet end 457 and 459, respectively, which merge into a single common exhaust pipe 461, which has one or more common PFs 460 with an inlet end 462, an outlet end 464, and a thermocouple 468 with an inlet temperature sensor 472 and an outlet temperature sensor 474. In this example, the PF 460 can also be equipped with a delta-P sensor (or some other type of pressure sensor) that measures the pressure differential across the PF 460, which can be used to measure the amount of soot at the PF 460. The exhaust pipe 461 can lead to a single GPF and other known exhaust components, instead of to multiple components for multiple exhaust pipes as in emission system 300 ( Fig. 3) to reduce financial costs.

[0059] In this example with converging parallel exhaust pipes 432 and 434, an air injection assembly (AIA) 480 has an air injection pipe 482 extending from one of the parallel exhaust pipes 432 or 434, but not both. Similar to the air injection assembly 380, the air injection assembly 480 has a widened collector 484 at its free end as the inlet of the air injection pipe 482 and an outlet 492 that is in fluid communication with one of the exhaust pipes 432 or 434 to provide the collected high mass airflow via the exhaust pipe 432 or 434 and the exhaust pipe 461 to the PF 460. Air injected from one side of the engine bank (or a single exhaust pipe 432 or 434) can achieve better mixing and thus better uniformity, resulting in a mixing of air and exhaust gas at the common or shared pipe 461 entering the PF 460, resulting in a greater reduction of THC, CO and PM soot in the PF 460.

[0060] The AIA 480 has an opening / closing (or shut-off or other) valve 498 on the air injection pipe 482 for controlling the mass airflow to the PF 460 and a one-way valve 499 for limiting the backflow in the air injection pipe 482. The valve 498 can be controlled by the control unit 140 and the program 152, as described elsewhere herein.

[0061] The present arrangement collects and filters the high mass airflow when the vehicle is operating in a low exhaust pressure mode, as mentioned above, and the other advantages of the Exhaust System 300 mentioned above, such as further soot combustion during a tip-in, also apply here.

[0062] Alternatively, a mixing device 477, e.g. a swirl vane or a spherical mixer, can be provided upstream of the inlet 462 of the PF 460 in the common injection pipe 461 to achieve further mixing of the injected air and any exhaust gas present, thus creating an even more homogeneous mixed flow before entering the PF 460.

[0063] With reference to Fig. 5 has an alternative emission system 500 for the vehicle 100 many identical or similar parts that are numbered similarly to the already numbered parts of the emission systems 300 ( Fig. 3) and / or 400 ( Fig. 4), so these parts do not need to be described again. In contrast, an air injection assembly (AIA) 580 has an air injection pipe 582 with an inlet 593 that is in fluid communication with a line 591 of the air intake manifold 518, instead of using a collector at a free inlet end. The AIA 580 also has a one-way valve 599 and optionally a valve 598 for opening or closing the air injection pipe 582, which is controlled, for example, by control unit 140 and program 152. Here, too, many of the advantages of the exhaust systems 300 and 400, which provide a high or good mass airflow to the PF at low exhaust pressure, also apply to the exhaust system 500.

[0064] Referring to Fig. 6 has a collector 600, similar to or equal to collector 384 ( Fig. 3) or 484 ( Fig. 4) a funnel-shaped body 602 with an inlet end 604 to form an inlet for the air supply pipe 382 or 482. The collector 600 also has an opening at the inlet end 604 with an inner diameter or width F, which can be dimensioned experimentally to establish or limit a maximum air mass flow rate. A pyramid-shaped side wall 606 extends from the inlet end 604 to an outlet end 610 for connection to the air supply pipe. An air filter 612, made of paper, fabric, or other known filter materials, is attached to an inner surface 608 of the side wall 606. The inlet end 604 is positioned under the hood of the vehicle so that it points forward and captures the air entering the vehicle from under the hood.The inlet end is a free end, meaning that the free end is not enclosed by another pipe or air duct to collect ambient or hood air. This allows the inlet end 604 to be attached to other structures to limit or stop its movement relative to the vehicle or other components within the vehicle 100.

[0065] With reference to Fig. Figure 7 features an air inlet pipe 700, similar to or identical with air inlet pipe 382, ​​482, or 582, and a tubular body 702, which may be made of stainless steel or another of the aforementioned materials. The body 702 is shown here as straight, but need not always be. The body 702 has an outlet end 704, which is welded shut here. The inlet of the air inlet pipe 700 is located at the top of the Fig. Figures 3-6 illustrate the outlet 704. It has a side wall 706 with an outlet opening (or discharge or opening) 708, which is bounded by a rim 710. In one configuration, the rim 710 is circular and inclined obliquely outwards to form a frustoconical surface, such that an outer edge of the rim 710 has a larger diameter than the inner edge of the rim 710. Alternatively, the outlet 708 is connected to a nozzle 720, for example by welding, casting, or some other fastening, and this nozzle is frustoconical with the same or a different inclination as the rim 710 or terminates in a conical hole. The inclination of the rim 710 and / or the nozzle 720 distributes the injected air as it enters an exhaust pipe 712. The air inlet pipe 700 extends through a side wall 716 of the exhaust pipe 712.

[0066] The dimensions of the air injection pipe 700 can be designed to control the air mass flow and may include an outer diameter a and a wall thickness d, an inner diameter c of the outlet 708, a distance b from a centerline 714 of the outlet 708 and a distal end of the outlet 704, and an included angle e at the frustoconical rim 710 or the nozzle 720. In an example configuration, a = 1.0 in, b = 0.4 in, c = 0.5 in, d = 0.3 in, and e = 80 degrees. The dimensions of the injection pipe 700, particularly at the rim 710 and the nozzle 720, as well as the diameters at the collector 600, can be designed to allow for the injection of a maximum air mass flow. The diameters of the air inlets determine how much air is to be trapped at the PF, and the diameters of the air injectors determine the flow coefficients to be used for the emission system and the air distribution of the air injections.

[0067] For one possible example, the airflow when using a 720 nozzle can be determined by calculation: m=CDu¨se∗aDu¨seP1RT2γγ−1(P2P1)2γ[1−(P2P1)γ−1γ] where m is the air flow rate (or air mass flow rate), where CDue is the nozzle outlet coefficient, a Düse The cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle throat is , where P1 and P2 are the upstream and downstream pressures with respect to the nozzle, respectively, where R is the gas constant J / kg,K, where T is the temperature before the inlet of the PF, and where γ is the specific heat ratio. An exemplary way to determine the relationship between P1 and P2 is as follows: P1+(1 / 2)ρv12+ρgh1=P2+(1 / 2)ρv22+ρgh2 where ρ is the fluid density, v is the fluid velocity and, to include the hydrostatic pressure, g is the acceleration due to gravity and h is the fluid depth.

[0068] With reference to Fig. Section 8 now describes a process 800 for particulate filter regeneration with air injection in accordance with exemplary implementations herein. Process 800 is described here with processes 802 to 822, which are generally numbered evenly. In various implementations, process 800 can be used in conjunction with vehicle 100. Fig. 1 will be implemented, which includes the propulsion system 102, the emission systems 114, 300, 400 or 500 from the Fig. 1 and 3-5, the tax system 104 of Fig. 1 and its components, which may be referenced here.

[0069] Procedure 800 includes “Operating the Vehicle” 802, and this refers to an initial phase of normal operation, during which it is irrelevant whether the vehicle is accelerating, decelerating, or even idling, as the system or procedure 800 at this point first checks the amount of soot in the PFs 116. It will be acknowledged that this operation and others of procedure 800 can be performed continuously in a loop during the operation of the vehicle while it is in motion.

[0070] Method 800 includes “receiving emission parameters” 804 and various implementations in which sensor data are acquired. In these various implementations, sensor data relating to the operation of the propulsion system 102 and the emission systems 114, 300, 400 and 500 are acquired. Fig. 1 and 3-5 are acquired. In various implementations, the sensor data are acquired via sensors of the sensor array 120 and sent to the processor 142 ( Fig. 1) provided for processing.

[0071] In particular, in various implementations, the sensor data includes data from the engine control module (ECM), including soot detection data on the presence and amount of soot (e.g., an estimated volume, mass, and / or percentage concentration thereof) in the particulate filter 116 ( Fig. 1) In various implementations, the soot data is acquired via one or more soot sensors 122 ( Fig. 1) obtained, e.g., from one or more differential pressure sensors such as a Delta-P sensor, since the pressure difference across the PF indicates the soot load. Alternatively, one or more temperature sensors (see below) can be used to convert the temperature into pressure, e.g., at PFs 360 and 362 (or 116). Other types of soot detection sensors can also be used, and the sensor data is provided to processor 142 for processing.

[0072] In various implementations, the sensor data of process 804 also include temperature data for one or more temperatures of the air along the flow path of the exhaust pipes 334 and 336 of, for example, Fig. 3. In various implementations, temperature data from thermocouples 368 and 370 at the PFs 368 and 370, as well as from temperature sensors 376 at the upstream ends of the exhaust pipes 334 and 336 near the engine 302, are generated. The temperature data are also provided to the processor 142 for processing. In various implementations, the sensor data (including soot quantity and temperature data) are continuously acquired and used throughout the entire procedure 800.

[0073] Other sensors 126 may include those that measure engine speed, torque, air flow rate, coolant, ambient temperature, intake manifold pressure, etc., which can be used by the emission system.

[0074] In an optional form, the regeneration of the particulate filter is only carried out upon request. In this example, the regeneration of the particulate filter is requested in accordance with the instructions provided by the processor 142 when the soot concentration in the particulate filter 116 exceeds a predetermined threshold, which may be stored in memory 144 as the value 156, or alternatively, when regeneration of the particulate filter is required, which includes both active and passive regeneration.

[0075] The alternative used here foregoes such a prompt and instead continuously monitors the soot level in the PF 116, taking appropriate action. In this case, an active regeneration is performed if the soot level is high, and if it is lower, it is assumed that at least some soot is present in the PF 116. Depending on the pressures and temperatures in the exhaust system, as well as the vehicle's movement (or the presence of sufficient airflow), the described passive regeneration with air injection is then carried out. This process can be performed continuously as long as the vehicle is in motion.

[0076] Procedure 800 includes the query “Soot load above active regeneration threshold?” 806. This threshold refers to an amount of soot that is too large for passive regeneration to burn adequately and efficiently, and the threshold can be determined by experiments, which can be provided in grams.

[0077] If the soot load is too high, procedure 800 includes "performing a lean active regeneration" 808. In various implementations, processor 142 provides instructions specifically for heating the particulate filter 116. In various implementations, the particulate filter 116 is heated to a predetermined temperature (which is stored, for example, as a value 156 in memory 144) to provide regeneration of the particulate filter 116 (which includes, for example, burning off soot in the particulate filter 116). In various implementations, the engine is operated in a slightly lean condition with delayed post-injection of fuel to burn off the particulate filter soot. Furthermore, active regeneration can be performed as long as the exhaust gas temperatures at the inlet and outlet of the particulate filter 116 are below a maximum threshold temperature for active regeneration.

[0078] Procedure 800 includes the query "Soot load below the threshold for aborting soot regeneration" (810). The soot load is measured regularly during process 808 and stopped as soon as the soot quantity falls below the threshold of process 806, although this threshold can be changed if desired. If the soot load is still above the threshold, procedure 800 returns to process 808 to continue active regeneration. If the soot load falls below the threshold, procedure 800 loops back to process 802 to restart procedure 800.

[0079] If, during procedure 806, the soot load is determined to be below the soot load threshold, procedure 800 includes the query "Exhaust gas temperature upstream of the PF above the activation threshold?" 812. During vehicle operation, the exhaust gases (and / or the preceding active regeneration) heat the PF 116. The exhaust gas temperature upstream of the PF should be above a certain minimum temperature for the soot to be effectively ignited and burned at the PF 116. In one form, the exhaust or minimum temperature threshold (or the activation threshold for passive regeneration) is 350°C for a catalyst-equipped GPF or 600°C for a bare GPF. In another form, the threshold temperature is a single temperature at the inlet or outlet of the PF 116, but it can also be both or a combination thereof.If it is determined that the exhaust gas temperature at PF 116 is below the minimum threshold, procedure 800 returns to process 804 to continue monitoring whether the conditions for passive regeneration are improving.

[0080] Otherwise, if the PF 116 temperature is above the minimum threshold, Procedure 800, “Start passive air injection when exhaust pressure is lower,” includes 814. This allows passive air generation to be performed during deceleration events, such as DCCO events, DFCO events, and other deceleration events or modes, as described above. It is possible to easily monitor when the accelerator pedal is not being pressed by the user or when no fuel is being injected into the engine cylinders, etc. As mentioned, this can occur as long as the inlet and / or outlet temperatures at the PF 116 remain above the activation threshold. The temperature can be continuously monitored.

[0081] It should be noted that for passive regeneration, the air intake manifold may or may not be open, depending on whether air is drawn from under the hood rather than directly from the intake manifold. Passive regeneration can also occur when both the intake and exhaust ports are closed.

[0082] As mentioned above, the vehicle should also be in motion to gather air under the hood at a relatively high speed (compared to being stationary), or in other words, a high mass airflow rate, which through some shapes can be at least 5 MPH, but otherwise can be 20-100 or 20 to 80 MPH.

[0083] Furthermore, the deceleration period can be very short, e.g., at least two seconds. Alternatively, as little as 1 gram of air mass (or air pulse) can be sufficient to perform passive regeneration with air injection. This means that passive regeneration with air injection can be repeated many times in very short intervals if the vehicle is driven in such a way that only short deceleration times are available for passive regeneration with air injection.

[0084] Procedure 800 includes the query: “Are the inlet or outlet temperatures of the particulate filter, or both, above a GPF deactivation temperature limit or below a GPF air injection (or activation) temperature limit?” 816. Therefore, if the exhaust (or air) temperature at or near the PF 116 is above a maximum GPF limit temperature, soot regeneration should be stopped for safety reasons to prevent damage to the PF 116, fires, or other hazards. In one form, the maximum (or deactivation) temperature threshold is set at 900 degrees Celsius for catalytic PFs and at 950 degrees Celsius for bare PFs. Similarly, air injection can be stopped at this time if the exhaust temperature is below the activation temperature thresholds from Procedure 812.In both threshold comparisons, the exhaust gas (or air) temperature at the PF inlet alone, at the PF outlet alone, or a combination of both can be used for comparison with the corresponding thresholds. In various implementations, this determination is based on the exhaust air temperature values ​​measured by the temperature sensors of thermocouples 368 and 370, as shown, for example, on PFs 360 and 362.

[0085] If the temperatures are still within the threshold values, Procedure 800 returns to Operation 814 to continue air injection and passive regeneration. If any of the threshold values ​​are not met, Procedure 800 includes "Stop Air Injection" 818, and Procedure 800 returns to Operation 802 to operate the vehicle and restart the regeneration process.

[0086] As a further alternative, a diagnostic routine for checking the status of the particulate filter, referred to here as a health diagnosis, can be performed in the present implementations. For the health diagnosis, procedure 800 includes a sample query, "Change in particulate filter inlet temperature before and after air injection at various engine speeds below health thresholds" 820, and this refers to the operation of the vehicle in a deceleration state, such as DCCO or DFCO conditions, which result in low exhaust pressure and high mass airflow. Alternatively, both the inlet and outlet temperatures at the PF can be used to generate temperature differences, instead of just the inlet temperature, both with and without air injection for both of the aforementioned alternatives.The temperatures can be obtained from the thermocouple sensors described here, and these temperatures can be compared with threshold values ​​determined during the experiments. Pressures can be calculated from the temperatures, which in turn can be used to determine the soot load on the PF. Subsequently, procedure 800 can include the air injection status message 822, which refers at least to a system error message if the health thresholds are not met, but can also include a message indicating an acceptable or passed condition if the thresholds are met.

[0087] Accordingly, procedures, control units, and vehicles are provided for controlling the regeneration of the particulate filter. Various implementations, such as the one mentioned above in connection with Procedure 800, are used. Fig. As described in section 8, passive regeneration with air injection is carried out during the particle filter regeneration.

[0088] In various implementations, the techniques disclosed here (including the operations and functions of Procedure 800 of Fig. 8 and as described above) provide extended states in which the regeneration of particulate filters is carried out using an air injection pipe. In various implementations, this can result in cleaner exhaust air and / or other performance improvements for the propulsion system 102 and / or the vehicle 100.

[0089] It is acknowledged that the systems, vehicles, and methods may differ from those depicted in the illustrations and described here. For example, vehicle 100 of the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 and all components of the Fig. 1 to 7 of the one in Fig. The vehicle shown in Figure 1 may differ. It will also be acknowledged that the processes of Procedure 800 differ from those in Fig. 8 may differ from those shown and / or that various processes of procedure 800 may occur simultaneously and / or in a different order than that shown. Fig. The 8 shown processes can take place.

[0090] Although at least one exemplary implementation has been presented in the preceding detailed description, it should be acknowledged that a large number of variations exist. It should also be acknowledged that the exemplary implementation or implementations are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure in any way. Rather, the preceding detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a practical roadmap for implementing the exemplary implementation or implementations. It is understood that various modifications in the function and arrangement of elements may be made without deviating from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the attached claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims

[1] Vehicle, comprising: a car body; an engine in the car body; at least one exhaust pipe extending from the engine and incorporating a particulate filter in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe to capture exhaust material from the exhaust pipe; and at least one air injection pipe having a first end with an inlet arranged to receive an airflow entering the body while the vehicle is in motion, the air injection pipe comprising a second end in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe and having an outlet arranged to provide an airflow from the injection pipe into the exhaust pipe upstream of the particulate filter. [2] Vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a valve on the air injection pipe, which is arranged so that it can be opened and closed depending on a temperature at the particulate filter. [3] Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the inlet comprises a collector the free end of which points towards the front of the vehicle. [4] Vehicle according to claim 1, comprising an air inlet manifold with a manifold pipe to direct the airflow and wherein the inlet is connected to the manifold pipe. [5] Vehicle according to claim 1, comprising at least one catalyst which is in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe between the engine and the outlet. [6] Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the engine comprises two cylinder blocks, each with one of the exhaust pipes, and wherein the injection pipe comprises a single inlet and a division into two outlet sections, each having one of the second ends and an outlet which is in fluid communication with another of the exhaust pipes. [7] Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the engine comprises several cylinder blocks, wherein the at least one injection pipe comprises two flow-parallel exhaust pipe sections, each exhaust pipe section having a first end connected to another of the cylinder blocks and a second end converging in a connected exhaust pipe section which is flow-parallel to the particulate filter, and wherein the injection pipe is connected to only one of the parallel exhaust pipe sections. [8] Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air injection pipe has a side wall with a conical edge that defines the outlet. [9] Vehicle according to claim 1, comprising temperature sensors of the particulate filter, a valve of the injection pipe and a control unit with at least one processor which is communicatively connected to the temperature sensors and the valve, and wherein the processor is arranged to operate by controlling the valve to allow an airflow through the air injection pipe and to the particulate filter when both the temperatures before and after the particulate filter are above a threshold value and the exhaust pressure in the exhaust pipe is lower than the air pressure at the inlet. [10] Procedures, including: Receiving sensor data indicating the temperature of at least one particulate filter of a vehicle's emission system by a processor circuit comprising at least one processor, wherein the particulate filter is in fluid communication with an exhaust pipe extending from an engine of the vehicle; and Opening of an air injection pipe by the at least one processor depending on a detected temperature at the particulate filter, wherein the air injection pipe has an inlet directed towards the front of the vehicle and arranged to detect an airflow under the hood entering the vehicle while the vehicle is moving at a deceleration, wherein the air injection pipe includes an outlet in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe between the particulate filter and the engine.

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