IP Library Granted Patent US 8,495,862
Granted Patent B2
US 8,495,862 · App. 12/974,366 · Granted Jul 30, 2013

System and method for detecting low quality reductant and catalyst degradation in selective catalytic reduction systems

Inventors: Stephen Paul Levijoki (Swartz Creek, MI); Yue-Yun Wang (Troy, MI); Brett B. Thompson (Farmington Hills, MI)
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,495,862
App. No.
12/974,366
Filed
Dec 21, 2010
Granted
Jul 30, 2013
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3748
USPC
60/277
Abstract

A control system for a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system includes a conversion efficiency determination module, an ammonia slip determination module, and a diagnostic module. The conversion efficiency determination module determines a conversion efficiency of an SCR catalyst. The ammonia slip determination module determines an amount of ammonia slip across the SCR catalyst when the conversion efficiency is less than a predetermined threshold. The diagnostic module determines pass/fail statuses of a reductant supply and the SCR catalyst based on the amount of ammonia slip and at least one ammonia slip threshold.

Claims (29)

1. A control system for a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, comprising:

a first electronic circuit configured to determine a conversion efficiency of an SCR catalyst;

a second electronic circuit configured to determine an amount of ammonia slip across the SCR catalyst when the conversion efficiency is less than a predetermined threshold; and

a third electronic circuit configured to:

determine a first pass/fail status of a reductant supply based on the amount of ammonia slip and a first ammonia slip threshold; and

determine a second pass/fail status of the SCR catalyst based on the amount of ammonia slip and a second ammonia slip threshold, wherein the second ammonia slip threshold is different from the first ammonia slip threshold.

2. The control system of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth electronic circuit configured to generate the first pass/fail status for the reductant supply based on the amount of ammonia slip and the first ammonia slip threshold.

3. The control system of claim 2 , wherein the fourth electronic circuit is configured to generate a first fail status indicating a low quality reductant when the amount of ammonia slip is less than the first ammonia slip threshold.

4. The control system of claim 3 , further comprising a fifth electronic circuit configured to generate the second pass/fail status for the SCR catalyst based on the amount of ammonia slip and the second ammonia slip threshold.

5. The control system of claim 4 , wherein the fifth electronic circuit is configured to generate a second fail status indicating a degraded SCR catalyst when the amount of ammonia slip is greater than the second ammonia slip threshold.

6. The control system of claim 5 , wherein the second ammonia slip threshold is greater than the first ammonia slip threshold.

7. The control system of claim 5 , wherein the SCR system increases or decreases reductant injection when one of the first and second fail statuses is generated.

8. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic circuit is configured to determine the conversion efficiency of the SCR catalyst based on measurements from cross-sensitive nitrogen oxide (NOx) sensors disposed upstream and downstream from the SCR catalyst during a period having predetermined operating conditions where ammonia slip is likely to occur.

9. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the second electronic circuit is configured to determine the amount of ammonia slip during a period when at least one of engine speed and exhaust temperature is greater than a corresponding threshold.

10. The control system of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third electronic circuits include at least one of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a processor and memory including one or more programs, and a combinational logic circuit.

11. A method for controlling a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, comprising:

determining a conversion efficiency of an SCR catalyst;

determining an amount of ammonia slip across the SCR catalyst when the conversion efficiency is less than a predetermined threshold;

determining a first pass/fail status of a reductant supply based on the amount of ammonia slip and a first ammonia slip threshold; and

determining a second pass/fail status of the SCR catalyst based on the amount of ammonia slip and a second ammonia slip threshold, wherein the second ammonia slip threshold is different from the first ammonia slip threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating the first pass/fail status for the reductant supply based on the amount of ammonia slip and the first ammonia slip threshold.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the first pass/fail status includes generating a first fail status indicating a low quality reductant when the amount of ammonia slip is less than the first ammonia slip threshold.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising generating the second pass/fail status for the SCR catalyst based on the amount of ammonia slip and the second ammonia slip threshold.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein generating the second pass/fail status includes generating a second fail status indicating a degraded SCR catalyst when the amount of ammonia slip is greater than the second ammonia slip threshold.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second ammonia slip threshold is greater than the first ammonia slip threshold.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising increasing or decreasing reductant injection by the SCR system when one of the first and second fail statuses is generated.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining the conversion efficiency of the SCR catalyst based on measurements from cross-sensitive nitrogen oxide (NOx) sensors disposed upstream and downstream from the SCR catalyst during a period having predetermined operating conditions where ammonia slip is likely to occur.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising determining the amount of ammonia slip during a period when at least one of engine speed and exhaust temperature is greater than a corresponding threshold.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the second ammonia slip threshold is greater than the first ammonia slip threshold.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2014
From: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034287/0159 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 24, 2011
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 026499/0267 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2010
From: LEVIJOKI, STEPHEN PAUL; WANG, YUE-YUN; THOMPSON, BRETT B.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 025548/0008 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61390289 · Oct 6, 2010
Related Publication 20120085082A1 · Apr 12, 2012