IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,466,633
Granted Patent B1
US 11,466,633 · App. 17/456,211 · Granted Oct 11, 2022

Method and system for preparing an engine for starting

Inventors: Jason Martz (Canton, MI); Eric Matthew Kurtz (Dearborn, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
F02D41/0255F02D41/0002F02D41/08F02D2041/001F02D2200/0802F02D2200/604F02D2200/70
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,466,633
App. No.
17/456,211
Granted
Oct 11, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for heating a catalyst via a catalyst heater are presented. In one example, the catalyst may be heated to provide a minimum amount of time for the catalyst to reach a threshold temperature. In another example, the catalyst heater may be heated to minimize an amount of power that is used to heat the catalyst.

Claims (27)

1. A method for operating an engine, comprising:

activating a catalyst heater in an engine exhaust system and operating the catalyst heater at substantially full power;

rotating an engine without supplying fuel to the engine; and

adjusting an amount of air flow through the engine such that a target temperature is achieved at an inlet of a catalyst.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the target temperature is based on a temperature at which a phase change material changes phase.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the target temperature is a maximum rated temperature of the catalyst.

4. The method of claim 1 , where the engine is rotated with a throttle of the engine open more than 50% open.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising adjusting valve timing of one or more cylinders to achieve the target temperature.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rotating the engine with poppet valves of one or more cylinders deactivated in an open state.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rotating the engine with poppet valves of one or more cylinders deactivated in a fully closed state.

8. A system for operating an engine, comprising:

an internal combustion engine including a catalyst and a catalyst heater; and

a controller including executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that cause the controller to minimize an amount of time to heat a catalyst to a threshold temperature in a first mode, and additional instructions that cause the controller to minimize an amount of power to heat the catalyst to a threshold temperature in a second mode, the amount of time minimized by adjusting an amount of air flow through the internal combustion engine while operating the catalyst heater with a substantially constant amount of electrical power.

9. The system of claim 8 , where the amount of power is minimized via adjusting a target catalyst inlet temperature based on a present catalyst temperature.

10. The system of claim 9 , where amount of power is minimized via rotating the engine at a speed that is below an engine idle speed.

11. The system of claim 8 , further comprising additional instructions to adjust a target catalyst inlet temperature based on a temperature at which a phase change material changes phase.

12. The system of claim 8 , where the first mode and the second mode may be selected via a user input.

13. The system of claim 8 , where the amount of air is adjusted to produce a target temperature at an inlet of the catalyst.

14. The system of claim 8 , where the substantially constant amount of electrical power is a maximum rated power of the catalyst heater.

15. The system of claim 8 , further comprising additional instructions to adjust a target temperature at an inlet of the catalyst after the catalyst reaches a threshold temperature to a temperature that is based on a property of a phase changing material.

16. A method for operating an engine, comprising:

rotating an engine at a speed that an oil pump of the engine delivers a minimum threshold pressure without supplying fuel to the engine in response to a catalyst heating request; and

adjusting an amount of power delivered to a catalyst heater to generate a target temperature at an inlet of a catalyst, the target temperature at the inlet of the catalyst being a lower value of a target catalyst temperature and a present catalyst temperature plus an offset temperature.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising adjusting the target temperature to a temperature that is based on a temperature at which a phase change material changes phase once a temperature of the catalyst reaches a target temperature.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising adjusting air flow through the engine as a function of ambient air temperature.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising adjusting an actual total number of cylinders delivering air to the catalyst heater in response to the catalyst heating request.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising adjusting engine poppet valve timing in response to the catalyst heating request.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 23, 2021
From: MARTZ, JASON; KURTZ, ERIC MATTHEW
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 058193/0652 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,637,968