Control of filter regeneration

Abstract

A system comprises an engine including an exhaust system with a particle filter operable to collect particulate matter in exhaust produced by the engine, a sensor arrangement, a controller, and one or more engine control devices. The sensor arrangement provides a first sensor signal representative of oxygen in the exhaust and a second sensor signal representative of a temperature of the particle filter. The controller regulates operation of the particle filter in response to the sensor arrangement. The controller is structured to generate one or more output signals corresponding to a minimum exhaust flow rate as a function of the first and second sensor signals. The control devices are responsive to the one or more output signals to provide the minimum exhaust flow rate to the filter.

1 . A system, comprising: 
 an engine including an exhaust system with a particle filter operable to collect particulate matter in exhaust produced by the engine;    a sensor arrangement operable to provide a sensor signal representative of temperature of the particle filter;    a controller responsive to the sensor arrangement to regulate operation of the particle filter, the controller being structured to generate one or more output signals corresponding to a minimum exhaust flow rate provided to the particle filter based on an oxidation rate of the particulate matter in the filter as a function of the sensor signal and an oxygen signal representative of oxygen level in the exhaust; and    one or more engine control devices responsive to the one or more output signals to provide the minimum exhaust flow rate to the filter.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes means for determining the oxidation rate.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the determining means includes means for providing information representative of the oxidation rate as a function of accumulation of the particulate matter in the filter.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes means for providing the oxygen signal.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more engine control devices include means for adjusting rotational speed of the engine.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes means for providing information representative of accumulation of the particulate matter in the filter.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes means for determining soot loading in the particle filter and the one or more output signals are further generated in accordance with the determining means.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle carrying the engine, the sensor arrangement, a controller, and the one or more engine control devices.  
   
   
       9 . A method of controlling filter regeneration, comprising: 
 providing exhaust from an engine to a particle filter;    collecting particulate matter from the exhaust in the filter;    oxidizing the particulate matter deposited in the filter;    generating one or more signals corresponding to an oxidation rate of the particulate matter in the filter;    in response to the one or more signals, regulating operation of the engine to provide a minimum exhaust flow rate to the particle filter in accordance with the oxidation rate of the particulate matter to control temperature of the filter during the oxidizing of the particulate matter.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , which includes determining the oxidation rate as a function of accumulation of the particulate matter in the filter.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a first one of the one or more signals is representative of temperature corresponding to the filter.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a second one of the one or more signals is representative of oxygen content of the exhaust.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the regulating of the operation of the engine includes providing control signals to one or more engine control devices to adjust engine speed.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 operating the engine at an idle state; and    maintaining the minimum exhaust flow rate during the operating of the engine at the idle state.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising determining soot loading of the particle filter.  
   
   
       16 . A system, comprising: 
 an engine including an exhaust system with a particle filter operable to collect particulate matter in exhaust produced by the engine, operation of the engine being regulated by one or more control devices;    a sensor arrangement operable to provide one or more sensor signals; and    a controller responsive to the sensor arrangement to regulate the engine to provide a minimum exhaust flow rate to the filter based on an oxidation rate of the particulate matter in the filter as a function of the one or more sensor signals.    
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the sensor arrangement includes means for providing a first sensor signal representative of oxygen in the exhaust and a second signal representative of a temperature of the filter.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the sensor arrangement provides a third signal representative of loading of the filter with the particulate matter.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is structured to calculate the oxidation rate of the particulate matter in the filter as a function of temperature and oxygen level in the exhaust.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller includes means for determining the minimum exhaust flow.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller includes means for determining soot loading in the filter.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller includes means for defining a virtual sensor to determine oxygen content of the exhaust.