System and method for axial zoning of heating power
AssigneeWatlow Electric Manufacturing Company
InventorsMark D. Everly, James Pradun, Sanhong Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heater system for an exhaust system is provided. The heater system includes a heater disposed in an exhaust conduit. The heater includes a plurality of heating elements disposed in the exhaust conduit. A heating control module controls the plurality of heating elements differently according to operating conditions specific to each heating element. In other forms, the heater system for an exhaust system has a plurality of heating zones, instead of a plurality of heating elements. The heating control module controls the plurality of heating zones differently according to operating conditions specific to each heating zone.
Claims25
A heater system for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, the heater system comprising:
- a heater disposed in an exhaust conduit of the exhaust system, the heater including a plurality of heating elements disposed along an axial direction of the exhaust conduit;
- and
- a heater control module operable to actively control power being supplied to at least two heating elements among the plurality of heating elements differently with respect to each other according to at least one operating condition specific to the at least two heating elements among the plurality of heating elements,
- wherein the at least two heating elements includes a first upstream heating element and a first downstream heating element and the heater control module controls the first upstream heating element to be at a higher power level and a lower temperature than the first downstream heating element.
A heater system for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, the heater system comprising:
- a heater disposed in an exhaust conduit of the exhaust system, the heater including a plurality of heating zones disposed along an axial direction of the exhaust conduit;
- and
- a heater control module operable to actively control power being supplied to at least two heating zones among the plurality of heating zones differently with respect to each other and according to at least one operating condition specific to the at least two heating zones among the plurality of heating zones,
- wherein the at least two heating zones includes a first upstream heating zone and a first downstream heating zone and the heater control module controls the first upstream heating zone to be at a higher power level and lower temperature than the first downstream heating zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.