Heating of an exhaust gas recirculation line during an overrun mode of a combustion unit

Abstract

A method for operating an internal combustion engine, which comprises a combustion unit, a generator coupled with the combustion unit, a fresh gas tract, an exhaust tract, an exhaust gas recirculation line, which branches off of the exhaust tract and opens into the fresh gas tract, and at least one electrical heating device, which is integrated into the exhaust tract or into the exhaust gas recirculation line, characterized in that, during an overrun mode of the combustion unit, the heating device is operated with energy provided by the generator, and exhaust gas heated with the aid of the heating device is partially or completely guided via the exhaust gas recirculation line.

Claims

1. A method for operating an internal combustion engine, which comprises a combustion unit, a generator coupled with the combustion unit, a fresh gas tract, an exhaust tract, an exhaust gas recirculation line, which branches off of the exhaust tract and opens into the fresh gas tract, and at least one electrical heating device, which is integrated into: a section of the exhaust tract that is upstream of the exhaust gas recirculation line or the exhaust gas recirculation line or the section of the exhaust tract that is upstream of the exhaust gas recirculation line and the exhaust gas recirculation line, the method comprising: operating the at least one electrical heating device with energy provided by the generator during an overrun mode of the combustion unit; and guiding via the exhaust gas recirculation line, partially or completely, exhaust gas heated with the aid of the at least one electrical heating device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein method is performed during a warm-up phase of the internal combustion engine.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical heating device is assigned to an exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus, and the exhaust gas recirculation line branches off of the exhaust tract downstream from the exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein an exhaust gas cooler is integrated into the exhaust gas recirculation line, the exhaust gas to be guided via the exhaust gas recirculation line being guided during the overrun mode via an exhaust gas bypass, which bypasses the exhaust gas cooler, and/or wherein a coolant flow through the exhaust gas cooler is reduced or prevented in comparison to an operation of the combustion unit under load.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the coolant flow is partially or completely guided via a coolant bypass of a cooling system of the internal combustion engine.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generator is operated at maximum electrical power during the overrun mode of the combustion unit.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical heating device is additionally operated with energy originating from an energy storage source.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one electrical heating device is additionally operated with energy from the energy storage source only if a setpoint heating power of the at least one electrical heating device is greater than an actual electrical power of the generator.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus and/or a branch of the exhaust gas recirculation line is/are arranged downstream from an exhaust gas turbine integrated into the exhaust tract.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the combustion unit is operated in an auto-igniting manner.

11. A method for operating an internal combustion engine, which comprises a combustion unit, a generator coupled with the combustion unit, a fresh gas tract, an exhaust tract, an exhaust gas recirculation line, which branches off of the exhaust tract and opens into the fresh gas tract, and at least one electrical heating device, which is integrated into the exhaust tract and into the exhaust gas recirculation line, the method comprising: operating the at least one electrical heating device with energy provided by the generator during an overrun mode of the combustion unit; and guiding via the exhaust gas recirculation line, partially or completely, exhaust gas heated with the aid of the at least one electrical heating device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an internal combustion engine suitable for carrying out a method according to the invention according to an exemplary embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an internal combustion engine suitable for carrying out a method according to the invention according to an exemplary embodiment; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows an operating characteristic map of an internal combustion engine operated according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) The internal combustion engine illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a combustion unit 1, which is designed, for example, in the form of a reciprocating engine, including four cylinder openings 2 arranged in series. Cylinder openings 2 each limit a combustion chamber 4 with the aid of reciprocating pistons 3 guided therein and a cylinder head. During the operation of combustion unit 1, and thus the internal combustion engine, fresh gas is supplied to these combustion chambers 4 via a fresh gas tract 5, the supply of the fresh gas being controlled with the aid of inlet valves 6, which are assigned to the individual combustion chambers 4. The fresh gas is exclusively or primarily air, which is sucked in from the surroundings. Exhaust gas is generated during the combustion of mixture quantities, which are made up of the fresh gas as well as fuel injected directly into combustion chambers 4 via fuel injectors 7. This exhaust gas is guided out of the internal combustion engine via an exhaust tract 8, the removal of the exhaust gas from the individual combustion chambers 4 being controlled with the aid of outlet valves 9.

(6) The internal combustion engine is provided with a charged design, for which purpose, a fresh gas compressor 10 is integrated into fresh gas tract 5. Fresh gas compressor 10 is part of an exhaust gas turbocharger, which further comprises an exhaust gas turbine 11, which is integrated into exhaust tract 8. Exhaust gas which flows through exhaust gas turbine 11 results in a rotating driving of a turbine rotor, which is connected to a compressor rotor of fresh gas compressor 10 in a rotationally driving manner via a shaft 12, so that a driving of fresh gas compressor 10 with the aid of exhaust gas turbine 11 takes place as a result.

(7) Exhaust gas turbine 11 is arranged in exhaust tract 8 upstream from an exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus 13 (with regard to the flow direction of the exhaust gas). Exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus 13 is provided to remove components of the exhaust gas which represent harmful substances from the exhaust gas or to convert them into harmless components.

(8) In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus 13 comprises multiple exhaust gas aftertreatment components: Specifically, an oxidation catalyst 14, an NOx storage catalyst 15, an SCR catalyst 16, which includes an upstream injection device 17 for a reduction agent (NH.sub.3), as well as a particle filter (18) are provided. Oxidation catalyst 14 as well as NOx storage catalyst 15 are provided with in integral design, i.e. in the form of a first exhaust gas aftertreatment component, which effectuates both exhaust gas aftertreatment functions. The same applies to SCR catalyst 16 and particle filter 18 in the form of an integral second exhaust gas aftertreatment component.

(9) The internal combustion engine further comprises an exhaust gas recirculation line 19, which branches off of exhaust tract 8 downstream from exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus 13 and which opens into fresh gas tract 5 upstream from fresh gas compressor 10. With the aid of exhaust gas recirculation line 19, a portion of or also the entire exhaust gas at the opening and arriving therefrom may be introduced into fresh gas tract 5, mixed with air and, after a compression, supplied (again) to combustion chambers 4 of combustion unit 1 with the aid of fresh gas compressor 10. A control or setting of the portion (0% to 100%) of the exhaust gas to be guided via exhaust gas recirculation line 19 may be implemented with the aid of two control valves 20, one of which is integrated into exhaust gas recirculation line 19 (so-called “exhaust gas recirculation valve”), and the other is integrated into exhaust tract 8 downstream from the branch of exhaust gas recirculation line 19 (so-called “exhaust gas valve”).

(10) An exhaust gas cooler 21 or a first heat exchange side thereof is furthermore integrated into exhaust gas recirculation line 19. A second heat exchange side of exhaust gas cooler 21 is integrated into a cooling system 22 of the internal combustion engine, in which a liquid coolant may be transported in multiple cooling circuits to effectuate a cooling of those components of the internal combustion engine, for which a cooling of this type is necessary.

(11) One or multiple electrical heating device(s) 23 is/are integrated into the exhaust tract 8 (or into the section thereof, which is situated upstream from exhaust gas recirculation line 19) and/or into exhaust gas recirculation line 19. FIG. 1 shows a multiplicity of possibilities with regard to the arrangement of these heating devices 23. If present, heating device(s) 23 integrated into exhaust tract 8 is/are preferably assigned to at least one of the (combined) exhaust gas aftertreatment components, so that the corresponding exhaust gas aftertreatment component(s) may be heated as needed with the aid of heating device(s) 23. A transfer of the thermal energy may take place by means of radiation and/or convection. Heating device(s) 23 assigned to the exhaust gas aftertreatment component(s) may be arranged, for example, directly upstream therefrom or be integrated thereinto according to FIG. 1. An arrangement of heating devices 23 directly downstream from the exhaust gas aftertreatment components is also possible according to FIG. 1. In the case of an integration of one or multiple heating device(s) 23 into exhaust gas recirculation line 19, they may be arranged, for example directly upstream from exhaust gas cooler 21 and/or directly downstream therefrom according to FIG. 1.

(12) The energy necessary for an operation of heating device(s) 23 may be provided with the aid of a generator 24, which is driven directly by combustion unit 1 or by an output shaft (crankshaft) 13 of combustion unit 1. Additionally or alternatively, the energy necessary for an operation of heating device(s) 23 may also be provided with the aid of an energy storage source 25 in the form of a battery.

(13) Within the scope of the method according to the invention for operating an internal combustion engine, it is provided according to FIG. 1 to (also) use heating device(s) 23 to heat the exhaust gas output by combustion unit 1 during the overrun mode thereof, this heated exhaust gas being partially or completely guided via exhaust gas recirculation line 19 for the purpose of heating the latter. This takes place, in particular, during a warm-up phase after a cold start of the internal combustion engine to heat exhaust gas recirculation line 19 and the components integrated thereinto as well as fresh gas compressor 14 integrated into fresh gas tract 5 to the extent that the risk of a condensation of moisture from the exhaust gas guided via exhaust gas recirculation line 19 no longer exists even if the exhaust gas is no longer heated with the aid of heating device(s) 23. An exhaust gas recirculation during an operation of the combustion unit under load is to be implemented thereby as quickly as possible after a cold start of the internal combustion engine, which has an advantageous effect with respect to the harmful emissions and, in particular, nitrogen oxide raw emissions of combustion unit 1.

(14) FIG. 3 shows the operating range of combustion unit 1, in which the method according to the invention is carried out. An operating characteristic map, in which the profile of the torque (m) generated or taken up by combustion unit 1 is shown over the operating speed (n). Curve 26 shows the profile of the maximum torque which may be generated by combustion unit 1. (Constantly progressing) curve 27, however, shows the boundary line related to the torque with regard to the gradient of the temperature of exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus 13. A positive temperature gradient is given during an operation of combustion unit 1 at operating points above this curve 27, so that an increase in the temperature of exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus 13 is effectuated by the exhaust gas generated by combustion unit 1 during the warm-up phase. However, a negative temperature gradient is present during an operation of combustion unit 1 below this curve 27, so that a cooling of exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus 13 would usually take place during the warm-up phase. (Constantly progressing) curve 28 in FIG. 3 furthermore shows the braking torque effectuated by combustion unit 1 during the unfired overrun mode, and curve 29 shows the profile of a maximum recuperation torque which may be effectuated with the aid of the internal combustion engine, which is made up of the braking torque of combustion unit 1 which is in an unfired overrun mode, as well as the resistance torque, which may be additionally effectuated with the aid of generator 24. The range of the operating characteristic map below curve 28 is the one in which the electrical energy necessary for an operation of heating device(s) 23 may be advantageously generated with the aid of generator 24.

(15) One purpose of the method according to the invention is to heat exhaust gas output with the aid of heating device(s) 23 during an overrun mode of by combustion unit 1 and to guide it via exhaust gas recirculation line 19 for the purpose of heating the latter as quickly as possible after a cold start of the internal combustion engine until a sufficiently high temperature is reached. Exhaust gas cooler 21 integrated into exhaust gas recirculation line 19 may counteract this purpose if it simultaneously effectuates a cooling effect, due to a transfer of thermal energy from the exhaust gas to the coolant of cooling system 22. It is therefore provided according to the invention to partially or completely deactivate exhaust gas cooler 21 during this measure, in that, in the internal combustion engine according to FIG. 1, a mass flow of coolant of the cooling system guided through exhaust gas cooler 21 is reduced (possibly to zero).

(16) Additionally or alternatively, it may also be provided to partially or completely guide the exhaust gas to be guided via exhaust gas recirculation line 19 via an exhaust gas bypass 30, which bypasses exhaust gas cooler 21, provided that such a bypass is provided, as is the case in the internal combustion engine according to FIG. 2. Exhaust gas cooler 21 may then no be able to effectuate a cooling of the exhaust gas guided via exhaust gas bypass 30. However, the disadvantage thereof may be that a heating of exhaust gas cooler 21 itself is not effectuated with the aid of the heated exhaust gas or only to a reduced extent.

(17) The internal combustion engine according to FIG. 2 corresponds to the one according to FIG. 1 with the exception of this additional exhaust gas bypass 30 as well as further control valves 20, which are provided to guide exhaust gas as needed via exhaust gas recirculation line 19 and/or exhaust gas bypass 30.

(18) Particular exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus 13 of the internal combustion engines according to FIGS. 1 and 2 may specifically have a design which is described below.

(19) At least one heating device 23 should be preferably arranged in exhaust tract 8 upstream from particle filter 18. It may also be arranged directly upstream from particle filter 18 or directly upstream from SCR catalyst 16 (which may have, for example, a design as an SCR disk), SCR catalyst 16, in turn, being able to be arranged directly upstream from particle filter 18. Particle filter 18 may be preferably designed in such a way that a regeneration by soot burn-off already takes place starting at temperatures >350° C. The cellularity of SCR catalyst 16 may be preferably maximized in comparison to that of particle filter 18 to implement a maximization of the effective surface for the NOx conversion. Due to NOx storage catalyst 15, which is arranged upstream from SCR catalyst 16, SCR catalyst 16 may be provided with a passive design. However, an active design is also possible, using a dosing and mixing section between injection device 17 and SCR catalyst 16.

(20) Due to a heating of exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatus 13 by the at least one heating device 13, a relatively fast reaching of the start of conversion for HC, CO, NOx and particle emissions may be implemented after a cold start of the internal combustion engine.

(21) Exhaust gas aftertreatment apparatuses 13 according to FIGS. 1 and 2 are also advantageous with regard to an on-board diagnosis (OBD) of the internal combustion engine, since two different exhaust gas aftertreatment components are used for the conversion of the HC and CO emissions. Two exhaust gas aftertreatment components and, in the case of the illustrated use of NOx storage catalyst 15, even three thereof, are also available for the NOx conversion. In the case of a fault in one exhaust gas aftertreatment component, the compliance with the particular emission threshold are this ensured.

(22) The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.