Hybrid Engine Starter Purging for Combustion Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hybrid electric vehicles, residual exhaust gas in the exhaust gas recirculation line can cause unstable combustion and increased production of noxious materials when the engine is restarted after a prolonged downtime, as the catalytic converter may not reach its activation temperature quickly enough to process these gases effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that involves a controller to rotate the engine without fuel injection before starting, to purge residual exhaust gas from the recirculation line, ensuring the catalytic converter reaches its activation temperature and stabilizes combustion by correlating engine rotations with air supply and catalyst temperature conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the engine is restarted after prolonged downtime, then the engine can be quickly reactivated, but residual exhaust gas in the recirculation line causes unstable combustion and increased noxious emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by detecting residual exhaust gas in the recirculation line before engine restart and actively purging it through the combustion chamber. This prevents the residual gas from causing unstable combustion, thereby maintaining reliable combustion stability while enabling quick engine reactivation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the catalytic converter is used to process noxious materials, then emissions are reduced, but it cannot reach activation temperature quickly enough after prolonged downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary purging of residual exhaust gas through the combustion chamber before the catalytic converter needs to process emissions. This preliminary action removes the problematic residual gas that would otherwise require extended catalyst activation time, enabling faster emission control effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful residual exhaust gas into a beneficial purging mechanism by directing it through the combustion chamber where it is burned off. This transforms the harmful residual gas from a problem into a useful function that cleans the recirculation line and stabilizes combustion.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If exhaust gas is recirculated to lower combustion temperature, then nitrogen oxide production is reduced, but residual gas accumulates in the recirculation line during engine downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by detecting the presence of residual exhaust gas in the recirculation line and responding by activating the purging function through the combustion chamber. This closed-loop control maintains proper exhaust gas composition by removing accumulated residual gas while preserving the benefits of exhaust gas recirculation during normal operation.
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
This approach effectively stabilizes combustion, reduces the emission of noxious gases by ensuring the catalytic converter is activated before engine start-up, thereby improving the processing of residual gases and minimizing their discharge.
Implementation Method 1
a catalytic converter for processing noxious materials contained in the exhaust gas
Implementation Method 2
energy generated by burning fossil fuel into kinetic energy
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of stabilizing combustion in the engine of a hybrid electric vehicle. The system includes a controller controlling a starter and an injector, wherein the controller causes the starter to rotate the engine without fuel injection before starting the engine after an engine starting condition is satisfied or after an engine stop condition is satisfied and the engine is stopped.