Method of reducing warm-up time of an aftertreatment device and a vehicle system for the same

Abstract

A method of reducing warm-up time of an aftertreatment device and a vehicle system for the same are disclosed. Fuel is injected into a plurality of cylinders of an internal combustion engine which is controlled, via a controller. The fuel in a first subset of the plurality of cylinders is combusted to produce a first exhaust product having excess fuel. The fuel in a second subset of the plurality of cylinders is combusted to produce a second exhaust product having excess air. The first exhaust product is expelled through a turbocharger and a valve is actuated to route the second exhaust product away from a dedicated EGR system and downstream from the turbocharger. The excess fuel of the first exhaust product and the excess air of the second exhaust product are mixed downstream from the turbocharger to create an exothermic reaction that produces heat to warm up the aftertreatment device.

1 . A method of reducing warm-up time of an aftertreatment device, the method comprising:
 controlling, via a controller, an amount of fuel being injected into a plurality of cylinders of an internal combustion engine;   combusting the fuel in a first subset of the plurality of cylinders to produce a first exhaust product having excess fuel;   combusting the fuel in a second subset of the plurality of cylinders to produce a second exhaust product having excess air;   expelling the first exhaust product through a turbocharger;   actuating a valve to route the second exhaust product away from a dedicated exhaust gas recirculation system and downstream from the turbocharger; and   mixing the excess fuel of the first exhaust product and the excess air of the second exhaust product downstream from the turbocharger to create an exothermic reaction that produces heat to warm up the aftertreatment device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein controlling, via the controller, the amount of fuel being injected into the plurality of cylinders further comprises signaling a fuel injector of each of the plurality of cylinders, via the controller, to inject a predetermined amount of fuel into each of the plurality of cylinders to produce the first exhaust product having the excess fuel and the second exhaust product having the excess air. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein signaling the fuel injector of each of the plurality of cylinders, via the controller, further comprises signaling the fuel injector of each of the plurality of cylinders to operate in one of a first mode and a second mode, with the first exhaust product having the excess fuel and the second exhaust product having the excess air when in the first mode. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising injecting a predetermined amount of fuel into the first subset of the plurality of cylinders, via the fuel injector, when in the first mode and injecting a predetermined amount of fuel into the second subset of the plurality of cylinders, via the fuel injector, when in the first mode, with the amount of fuel injected into the second subset being less than the first subset. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein signaling the fuel injector of each of the plurality of cylinders to operate in one of the first mode and the second mode further comprises signaling the fuel injector of each of the plurality of cylinders to operate in the second mode to change the amount of fuel being injected into at least one of the first subset and the second subset of the plurality of cylinders, which changes at least one of the first exhaust product and the second exhaust product being produced during combustion. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein signaling the fuel injector of each of the plurality of cylinders to operate in the second mode to change the amount of fuel being injected into at least one of the first subset and the second subset of the plurality of cylinders further comprises signaling the fuel injector of each of the plurality of cylinders to operate in the second mode to change the amount of fuel being injected into both of the first subset and the second subset of the plurality of cylinders, which changes the first exhaust product and the second exhaust product being produced during combustion. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein injecting a predetermined amount of fuel into the first subset of the plurality of cylinders, via the fuel injector, when in the first mode further comprises injecting the same amount of fuel into each of the plurality of cylinders of the first subset when in the first mode. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein actuating the valve further comprises actuating the valve in a first position that routes the second exhaust product toward the aftertreatment device and bypasses the dedicated exhaust gas recirculation system, and a second position that routes the second exhaust product through the dedicated exhaust gas recirculation system back to an air intake system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein mixing the excess fuel of the first exhaust product and the excess air of the second exhaust product downstream from the turbocharger further comprises mixing the excess fuel and the excess air between the turbocharger and the aftertreatment device such that the exothermic reaction occurs upstream from the aftertreatment device and the heat produced from the exothermic reaction is directed toward the aftertreatment device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein actuating the valve further comprises signaling the valve, via the controller, to switch between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein expelling the first exhaust product through the turbocharger further comprises expelling the first exhaust product toward the aftertreatment device to mix with the second exhaust product when the valve is in the first position. 
     
     
         12 . A vehicle system for reducing warm-up time of an aftertreatment device, the system comprising:
 an air intake system;   an internal combustion engine defining a plurality of cylinders and configured to combust a fuel;   wherein each of the plurality of cylinders are coupled with the air intake system;   wherein combustion of the fuel occurs within a first subset of the plurality of cylinders which produces a first exhaust product;   wherein combustion of the fuel occurs within a second subset of the plurality of cylinders which produces a second exhaust product;   an exhaust system in fluid communication with the first subset of the plurality of cylinders;   a turbocharger in fluid communication with the exhaust system, wherein the turbocharger expels the first exhaust product;   a dedicated exhaust gas recirculation system in selective fluid communication with the second subset of the plurality of cylinders and the air intake system to route the second exhaust product from the second subset of the plurality of cylinders to the air intake system;   a valve coupled with the dedicated exhaust gas recirculation system to selectively route the second exhaust product downstream from the turbocharger such that the first and second exhaust products mix downstream from the turbocharger to create an exothermic reaction; and   a controller, having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions, wherein the controller is configured to:
 control an amount of fuel being injected into the plurality of cylinders of the internal combustion engine; and 
 actuate the valve to route the second exhaust product away from the dedicated exhaust gas recirculation system and downstream from the turbocharger. 
   
     
     
         13 . The vehicle system of  claim 12 , further comprising an aftertreatment device, and wherein the exothermic reaction produces heat that warms up the aftertreatment device. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle system of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to actuate the valve in a first position that routes the second exhaust product toward the aftertreatment device and bypasses the dedicated exhaust gas recirculation system, and a second position that routes the second exhaust product through the dedicated exhaust gas recirculation system back to the air intake system. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle system of  claim 14 , further including a first conduit disposed between the turbocharger and the aftertreatment device to guide the first exhaust product toward the aftertreatment device, and further including a second conduit coupled with the valve and the first conduit to guide the second exhaust product into the first conduit to mix the first and second exhaust products when the valve is in the first position. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle system of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to signal a fuel injector of each of the plurality of cylinders to inject a predetermined amount of fuel into each of the plurality of cylinders to produce the first exhaust product having the excess fuel and the second exhaust product having the excess air. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to signal the fuel injector of each of the plurality of cylinders to operate in one of a first mode and a second mode, with the first exhaust product having the excess fuel and the second exhaust product having the excess air when in the first mode. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle system of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to signal the fuel injector of the first subset of the plurality of cylinders to inject a predetermined amount of fuel into the first subset of the plurality of cylinders when in the first mode and inject a predetermined amount of fuel into the second subset of the plurality of cylinders when in the first mode, with the amount of fuel injected into the second subset being less than the first subset.