Vehicular Control Device for Catalyst Warm-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles with improved engine thermal efficiency, it is challenging to distribute heat generated by the engine preferentially to components such as the catalyst, transmission oil, and lubricant oil when they need to be heated at a cold temperature, leading to potential retardation in catalyst warm-up and increased fuel consumption.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular control device that prohibits the actuation of the blower until the catalyst and transmission oil reach specific temperature determination values, ensuring heat is efficiently directed to these components, and uses a seat heater to maintain passenger compartment comfort, while allowing the blower to operate once the engine and heat exchanging fluid are sufficiently warmed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the blower is activated to heat the passenger compartment when the engine is cold, then the passenger compartment heating is provided, but the catalyst warm-up is retarded and fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device prohibits blower activation during the catalyst warm-up period (from engine start until catalyst reaches determination temperature), ensuring heat is first directed to the catalyst. Only after the catalyst is sufficiently warmed up does the blower become eligible for activation, thus performing the catalyst warm-up action preliminarily before passenger compartment heating
Solution Approach 2:
The control device continuously monitors the catalyst temperature and uses this feedback to control blower activation. When the catalyst temperature reaches the determination temperature, the control device permits blower activation; otherwise, it prohibits activation, creating a feedback-based control mechanism that dynamically adjusts heating based on catalyst warm-up status
2Use of energy by moving object
If the engine size is reduced to improve thermal efficiency, then fuel consumption is reduced, but the heat available for warming up the catalyst and other components is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The control device prioritizes catalyst warm-up by prohibiting blower activation during the warm-up period, ensuring that all available engine heat is directed to the catalyst first. This preliminary action of dedicating heat resources to catalyst activation compensates for the reduced heat availability from smaller engine sizes
Solution Approach 2:
The control device changes the operational parameters of the heating system by introducing a determination temperature threshold for the catalyst. When the catalyst temperature is below this threshold, the blower is prohibited from activating, effectively changing the thermal distribution parameters to favor catalyst warm-up over passenger compartment heating during critical periods
3Speed
If the blower is prohibited from activating during catalyst warm-up, then the catalyst warm-up speed is improved, but the passenger compartment heating is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The control device implements preliminary action by prohibiting blower activation until the catalyst reaches the determination temperature. This ensures that the catalyst warm-up process is prioritized and completed first, after which the blower can be activated to provide passenger compartment heating, thus resolving the timing conflict through sequential operation
Solution Approach 2:
The control device introduces dynamic control by continuously monitoring catalyst temperature and adjusting blower activation status accordingly. The prohibition on blower activation is not static but dynamically adjusted based on whether the catalyst has reached the determination temperature, allowing the system to transition from catalyst-focused heating to passenger compartment heating as conditions change
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 ensures rapid warm-up of the catalyst and transmission oil, reduces fuel consumption, and maintains passenger compartment comfort by prioritizing heat distribution to essential components, thereby improving exhaust emission and fuel efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The heat exchanging device circulates heat exchanging fluid in a circulation path passing through the engine and thus causes heat exchange between the fluid and the engine
Implementation Method 2
The air is passed through a heat exchanger on the circulation path in the heat exchanging device. This causes heat exchange between the air and the heat exchanging fluid
Data Source
AI summary
During the time period from the start of an engine to the completion of a catalyst warming-up, the drive of a blower in an air-conditioning equipment is inhibited to suppress the heat-exchange of the air, which is caused to flow in an air duct by the drive of the blower, with cooling water in a heater core disposed in a circulating passage. Therefore, the heat generated in the engine is restrained from being fed to the inside of a compartment through that air after fed to the cooling water. As a result, the temperatures of the engine and the cooling water rise quickly, and the temperature of the exhaust of the engine rises so that the heat is efficiently fed to the catalyst through the exhaust. This means that the heat generated in the engine is preferentially fed through the exhaust to the catalyst that is the portion needing the feed of heat at a low temperature, other than the compartment in the automobile.