IP Library Granted Patent US 8,393,140
Granted Patent B2
US 8,393,140 · App. 12/576,412 · Granted Mar 12, 2013

Passive ammonia-selective catalytic reduction for NOx control in internal combustion engines

Inventors: Kevin L. Perry (Fraser, MI); Karthik Ramanathan (Karnataka, IN); Ashok Gopinath (Karnataka, IN); Steven J. Schmieg (Troy, MI)
Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,393,140
App. No.
12/576,412
Granted
Mar 12, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for operating an internal combustion engine includes controlling the engine to a preferred air/fuel ratio to generate an engine-out exhaust gas feedstream including preferred concentrations of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen, converting the nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen to ammonia across a first catalytic device; and storing the ammonia on an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device fluidly serially connected downstream of the first catalytic device.

Claims (44)

1. A method for operating an internal combustion engine coupled to a hybrid powertrain including non-fuel torque generative devices operatively coupled to an energy storage device, comprising:

controlling the engine to an ammonia producing air/fuel ratio to generate an engine-out exhaust gas feedstream including ammonia producing concentrations of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen;

converting the nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen to ammonia across a first catalytic device;

storing the ammonia on an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device fluidly serially connected downstream of the first catalytic device; and

recovering an excess engine torque exceeding a required output torque using the non-fuel torque generative devices to convert the excess engine torque for storage in the energy storage device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ammonia producing air/fuel ratio to generate an engine-out exhaust gas feedstream including ammonia producing concentrations of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen comprises a lambda value between 0.95 and 1.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device includes a catalytic material comprising a base metal.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

discontinuing controlling the engine to the ammonia producing air/fuel ratio when a temperature of the ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device is greater than a predetermined temperature.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

discontinuing controlling the engine to the ammonia producing air/fuel ratio when a space velocity of the exhaust gas feedstream is greater than a predetermined space velocity.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ammonia producing concentrations of nitric oxide and hydrogen comprise ratios of hydrogen to nitric oxide between 3:1 and 5:1.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ammonia producing concentrations of carbon monoxide and nitric oxide comprise ratios of carbon monoxide to nitric oxide between 9:1 and 15:1.

8. A method for operating an internal combustion engine coupled to a hybrid powertrain including non-fuel torque generative devices operatively coupled to an energy storage device, comprising:

controlling the engine to an ammonia producing air/fuel ratio to generate an engine-out exhaust gas feedstream including ammonia producing concentrations of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen;

converting the nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen to ammonia across a first catalytic device;

storing the ammonia on an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device fluidly serially connected downstream of the first catalytic device; and

attenuating torque from the non-fuel torque generative devices when the engine is controlled at the ammonia producing air/fuel ratio.

9. A method for operating an internal combustion engine coupled to a hybrid powertrain including non-fuel torque generative devices operatively coupled to an energy storage device, comprising:

controlling the engine to an ammonia producing air/fuel ratio to generate an engine-out exhaust gas feedstream including ammonia producing concentrations of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen;

converting the nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen to ammonia across a first catalytic device;

storing the ammonia on an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device fluidly serially connected downstream of the first catalytic device; and

lowering a temperature of the ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device by attenuating a torque output from the engine and increasing a torque output from the non-fuel torque generative devices under a high load operation.

10. A method for operating an internal combustion engine coupled to a hybrid powertrain including non-fuel torque generative devices operatively coupled to an energy storage device, comprising:

only when a temperature of an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device is within a predetermined operating range, operating the engine at an air/fuel ratio comprising one of stoichiometric and rich to generate an exhaust gas feedstream including nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen at ratios of hydrogen to nitric oxide between 3:1 and 5:1 and at ratios of carbon monoxide to nitric oxide between 9:1 and 15:1;

converting the nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen to ammonia across a first catalytic device;

storing the ammonia on an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device fluidly serially connected downstream of the first catalytic device; and

recovering an excess engine torque exceeding a required output torque using the non-fuel torque generative devices to convert the excess engine torque for storage in the energy storage device.

11. A method for operating an internal combustion engine, comprising:

only when a temperature of an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device is within a predetermined operating range, controlling the engine to an ammonia producing air/fuel ratio to generate an engine-out exhaust gas feedstream having ammonia producing ratios and concentrations of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen, the ammonia producing air/fuel ratio comprising one of a stoichiometric and a rich air/fuel ratio;

converting the nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen to ammonia across a close-coupled three-way catalytic converter device;

storing the ammonia on the ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device fluidly serially connected downstream of the close-coupled three-way catalytic converter device; and

recovering an excess engine torque exceeding a required output torque using non-fuel torque generative devices to convert the excess engine torque for storage in an energy storage device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ammonia producing air/fuel ratio to generate the engine-out exhaust gas feedstream having ammonia producing ratios and concentrations of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen corresponds to a lambda value ranging between 0.90 and 1.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ammonia producing air/fuel ratio to generate the engine-out exhaust gas feedstream having ammonia producing and concentrations of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen corresponds to a lambda value ranging between 0.95 and 1.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ammonia producing air/fuel ratio to generate the engine-out exhaust gas feedstream having ammonia producing ratios and concentrations of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen corresponds to a lambda value ranging between 0.97 and 1.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ammonia producing ratios of hydrogen to nitric oxide are between 3:1 and 5:1.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ammonia producing of carbon monoxide to nitric oxide are between 9:1 and 15:1.

17. An engine control system, comprising:

an internal combustion engine system including an exhaust aftertreatment system having a three-way catalyst device fluidly serially connected upstream of an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device;

a hybrid powertrain coupled to the internal combustion engine system and including non-fuel torque generative devices operatively coupled to an energy storage device; and

a controller that controls the engine at an air/fuel ratio comprising one of stoichiometric and rich to generate an exhaust gas feedstream including nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen only when a temperature of the ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device is within a predetermined operating range, wherein the hydrogen and nitric oxide are generated at ratios between 3:1 and 5:1 and the carbon monoxide and nitric oxide are generated at ratios between 9:1 and 15:1 the controller controls the non-fuel torque generative devices to recover an excess engine torque exceeding a required output torque and convert the excess engine torque for storage in the energy storage device.

18. The engine control system of claim 17 , wherein the controller that controls the engine to generate the exhaust gas feedstream including nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen at hydrogen to nitric oxide ratios between 3:1 and 5:1 and at carbon monoxide to nitric oxide between 9:1 and 15:1 controls the air/fuel ratio comprising one of stoichiometric and rich to a lambda value ranging between 0.90 and 1.

19. The engine control system of claim 17 , wherein the controller that controls the engine to generate the exhaust gas feedstream including nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen at hydrogen to nitric oxide ratios between 3:1 and 5:1 and at carbon monoxide to nitric oxide between 9:1 and 15:1 controls the air/fuel ratio comprising one of stoichiometric and rich to a lambda value ranging between 0.97 and 1.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2014
From: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034287/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 10, 2011
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 025781/0299 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 8, 2010
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 025324/0555 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2010
From: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025315/0091 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2010
From: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025246/0234 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 25, 2010
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
Reel/Frame 023990/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 25, 2010
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Reel/Frame 023989/0155 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2009
From: PERRY, KEVIN L.; RAMANATHAN, KARTHIK; GOPINATH, ASHOK; SCHMIEG, STEVEN J.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 023495/0454 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 12430819 · Apr 27, 2009
Provisional Application 61049804 · May 2, 2008
Provisional Application 61117269 · Nov 24, 2008
Related Publication 20100043402A1 · Feb 25, 2010