Electric Heating Catalyst Power Loss Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for electric heating catalysts in internal combustion engines face issues where temporary loss of power during preheating can lead to excessive heating when power is restored, causing potential failure due to the inability to accurately detect and manage the catalyst's temperature.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a cooling period after power recovery to prevent excessive temperature rises by stopping energization until the electric heating catalyst's temperature falls, ensuring safe resumption of preheating.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the electric heating catalyst is preheated by energization before starting the internal combustion engine, then exhaust gas purification action is obtained at an early stage, but if power is temporarily lost during preheating and the same preheating is performed from initial state, the electric heating catalyst is excessively heated which may cause failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectric heating catalyst protectionVSAvoidcontrol complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device performs preliminary cooling by forbidding energization for a predetermined period after power recovery, before allowing preheating to resume. This preliminary cooling action prevents excessive temperature rise when preheating is restarted, protecting the electric heating catalyst from damage due to temporary power loss during the preheating process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the electric heating catalyst is preheated continuously until the target energization amount is reached, then exhaust performance is improved, but if power is lost during preheating, information on estimated temperature is lost and excessive heating occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexhaust gas purification speedVSAvoidelectric heating catalyst safety
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device uses feedback from power status detection to control the preheating process. When power is detected as lost during preheating, the control device forbids further energization for a predetermined period after power recovery, adjusting the preheating strategy based on the power interruption feedback to prevent excessive heating while maintaining exhaust gas purification effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of time

If energization is resumed immediately after power recovery, then preheating time is reduced, but the electric heating catalyst temperature may be too high causing excessive temperature rise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepreheating timeVSAvoidelectric heating catalyst temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The control device applies preliminary anti-action by forbidding energization for a predetermined period after power recovery. This counter-action prevents the harmful effect of excessive temperature rise by cooling the electric heating catalyst before resuming preheating, even though it extends the total preheating time slightly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Prevents excessive temperature rises and protects the electric heating catalyst by ensuring it is cooled to a safe temperature before resuming preheating, thereby preventing potential failures.

Implementation Method 1

an electric heating catalyst that can be forcibly heated by energization is used in an exhaust system

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

a cooling period necessary for temperature of the electric heating catalyst to fall

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Data Source

PatentEP4159983B1Control method and control device for internal combustion engine
Publication Date: 2024.03.13 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP4159983B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4159983B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4159983B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An internal combustion engine (1) has an electric heating catalyst (5) in an exhaust passage (2) . When it is detected that a door has been opened, the electric heating catalyst (5) is preheated. If power of an engine controller (8) is lost during the preheating, information on an estimated temperature, which is stored in the engine controller (8), is lost. The engine controller (8) forbids energization of the electric heating catalyst (5) until a cooling period necessary for temperature of the electric heating catalyst (5) to fall elapses after recovery of the power of the engine controller (8) . After the cooling period elapses, the preheating is started again.