Granted Patent B2

US 12,540,570 · App. 18/402,609 · Granted Feb 3, 2026

Inventor: Sylvain J. Charbonnel (Peoria, IL)

Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.

F01N9/002F01N2560/06F01N2610/03F01N2900/0402F01N2900/1602

Abstract

Claims (47)

1 . An aftertreatment regeneration system comprising:

an aftertreatment system;

a temperature sensor operative to monitor a temperature of the aftertreatment system;

a hydrocarbon doser operatively coupled to the aftertreatment system; and

a model predictive controller operative to:

receive an aftertreatment regeneration request;

receive temperature information generated by the temperature sensor;

generate, based on the aftertreatment regeneration request and the temperature information generated by the temperature sensor, a predicted future state of the aftertreatment system;

generate, based on the aftertreatment regeneration request, the temperature information generated by the temperature sensor, and the predicted future state of the aftertreatment system, a control command for actuating the hydrocarbon doser; and

linearize the model of the aftertreatment system before and after generating the control command for actuating the hydrocarbon doser.

2 . The aftertreatment regeneration system of claim 1 , wherein the model predictive controller is further operative to:

generate, based on the aftertreatment regeneration request and the temperature information generated by the at least one temperature sensor, a plurality of predicted future states of the aftertreatment system for a respective plurality of future time steps; and

generate the control command for actuating the hydrocarbon doser based on the plurality of predicted future states of the aftertreatment system.

3 . The aftertreatment regeneration system of claim 1 , further comprising a model of the aftertreatment system and wherein the controller is further operative to access the model of the aftertreatment system and generate the predicted future state of the aftertreatment system using the model of the aftertreatment system.

4 . The aftertreatment regeneration system of claim 1 , wherein the aftertreatment regeneration request includes a target temperature and a target duration of time associated with the target temperature.

5 . The aftertreatment regeneration system of claim 1 , further comprising at least two temperature sensors operative to monitor the temperature of the aftertreatment system, wherein the aftertreatment system includes an oxidation catalyst, and wherein the temperature information includes temperature information from a first temperature sensor upstream of the oxidation catalyst and from a second temperature sensor downstream of the oxidation catalyst.

6 . The aftertreatment regeneration system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operative to:

generate an estimated internal temperature of the aftertreatment system; and

generate the predicted future state of the aftertreatment system based on the aftertreatment regeneration request, the temperature information generated by the at least one temperature sensor, and the estimated internal temperature of the aftertreatment system.

7 . The aftertreatment regeneration system of claim 6 , wherein the estimated internal temperature of the aftertreatment system is generated using a model of the aftertreatment system.

8 . The aftertreatment regeneration system of claim 6 , wherein the model predictive controller is further operative to:

generate a plurality of estimated internal temperatures of the aftertreatment system for a respective plurality of positions within the aftertreatment system; and

generate the predicted future state of the aftertreatment system based on the aftertreatment regeneration request, the temperature information generated by the at least one temperature sensor, and the plurality of estimated internal temperatures of the aftertreatment system.

9 . The aftertreatment regeneration system of claim 1 , wherein the model predictive controller is further operative to:

evaluate multiple sets of candidate control points and a select a set of control points from the multiple sets of candidate control points that optimizes a cost function; and

generate the control command for actuating the hydrocarbon doser based on the set of control points selected from the multiple sets of candidate control points.

10 . A method for controlling an aftertreatment regeneration process for an aftertreatment system including an aftertreatment system and a hydrocarbon doser operatively coupled to the aftertreatment system, the method comprising:

receiving an aftertreatment regeneration request;

receiving temperature information generated by at least one temperature sensor operative to monitor a temperature of the aftertreatment system;

generating a plurality of estimated internal temperatures of the aftertreatment system for a respective plurality of positions within the aftertreatment system;

generating a plurality of predicted future states of the aftertreatment system based on the aftertreatment regeneration request, the temperature information generated by the at least one temperature sensor, and the plurality of estimated internal temperatures of the aftertreatment system, wherein the plurality of predicted future states of the aftertreatment system includes at least three predicted future states generated for at least three future time steps; and

generating, based on the aftertreatment regeneration request, the temperature information generated by the at least one temperature sensor, and the plurality of predicted future states of the aftertreatment system, a control command for actuating the hydrocarbon doser.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the temperature information includes temperature information from a first sensor upstream of the aftertreatment system and from a second temperature sensor downstream of the aftertreatment system.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of estimated internal temperatures of the aftertreatment system includes a first estimated internal temperature proximate an inlet end of the aftertreatment system and a second estimated internal temperature proximate an outlet end of the aftertreatment system.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of estimated internal temperatures further includes a third estimated internal temperature proximate a particulate filter of the aftertreatment system.

14 . A model predictive controller for controlling an aftertreatment regeneration process for a machine including an aftertreatment system and a hydrocarbon doser operatively coupled to the aftertreatment system, operative to:

receive an aftertreatment regeneration request;

receive temperature information generated by at least one temperature sensor operative to monitor a temperature of the aftertreatment system;

generate, based on the aftertreatment regeneration request and the temperature information generated by the at least one temperature sensor, a predicted future state of the aftertreatment system; and

generate, based on the aftertreatment regeneration request, the temperature information generated by the at least one temperature sensor, and the predicted future state of the aftertreatment system, a control command for actuating the hydrocarbon doser,

wherein the control command is generated at least in part using a cost function, and

wherein generating the control command using the cost function comprises:

evaluating multiple sets of candidate control points based on one or more soft constraints used to rank the multiple sets of candidate control points;

selecting a set of control points from the multiple sets of candidate control points that optimizes the cost function; and

generating the control command for actuating the hydrocarbon doser based on the set of control points selected from the multiple sets of candidate control points.

15 . The model predictive controller of claim 14 , further operative to access a model of the aftertreatment system and use the model of the aftertreatment system to generate the predicted future state of the aftertreatment system.

16 . The model predictive controller of claim 14 , wherein the model predictive controller is a constrained model predictive controller.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (26)