# US 11,905,874 B2 · Real-time control of reductant droplet spray momentum and in-exhaust spray distribution

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- Number: US 11,905,874 B2
- Document ID: US11905874B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/897,467
- Filed: 2022-08-29
- Published: 2022-12-29
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2016-12-07
- Assignees: Cummins Emission Solutions Inc.
- Applicants: Cummins Emission Solutions Inc.
- Inventors: Samuel Johnson; Nassim Khaled; Patrick C. Hudson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11905874B2

## CPC

- F01N 3/208: {Control of selective catalytic reduction [SCR], e.g. by adjusting the dosing of reducing agent}
- F01N 3/0814: {combined with catalytic converters, e.g. NOx absorption/storage reduction catalysts}
- F01N 9/00: Electrical control of exhaust gas treating apparatus (monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00; conjoint electrical control of two or more combustion engine functions F02D43/00)
- B01D 53/9418: {for removing nitrogen oxides by selective catalytic reduction [SCR] using a reducing agent in a lean exhaust gas}
- F01N 2610/02: the substance being ammonia or urea
- F01N 2610/1453: Sprayers or atomisers; Arrangement thereof in the exhaust apparatus
- F01N 2610/146: Control thereof, e.g. control of injectors or injection valves
- F01N 2900/0601: being estimated
- F01N 2900/08: said parameters being related to the engine
- F01N 2900/10: said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components
- F01N 2900/1404: Exhaust gas temperature
- F01N 2900/1406: Exhaust gas pressure
- F01N 2900/1411: Exhaust gas flow rate, e.g. mass flow rate or volumetric flow rate
- F01N 2900/1808: Pressure
- F01N 2900/1811: Temperature
- F01N 2900/1821: Injector parameters
- F01N 2900/1824: Properties of the air to be mixed with added substances, e.g. air pressure or air temperature
- Y02A 50/20: Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A system for controlling reductant spray momentum for a target spray distribution includes an exhaust system having an exhaust conduit with exhaust flowing therethrough, a reductant injection system for injecting reductant into the exhaust flowing through the exhaust system based on one or more injection parameters, a reductant supply system for supplying reductant to the reductant injection system based on one or more supply parameters, and a controller. The controller is configured to access current vehicle, engine, exhaust, or reductant condition parameters, determine one or more control parameters based on a control model and the accessed current vehicle, engine, exhaust, or reductant condition parameters, and modify a value of the one or more injection parameters or the one or more supply parameters to control the reductant spray.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a reductant injection system for injecting reductant into an exhaust gas based on an injection parameter or a supply parameter; and
a controller configured to:
access a current exhaust gas condition parameter, which comprises at least one of an exhaust gas pressure, an exhaust gas density, an exhaust gas temperature, an exhaust gas mass flow, or an exhaust gas vorticity,
determine one or more control parameters based on a control model and as a function of the accessed current exhaust gas condition parameter, and
modify a value of the injection parameter or the supply parameter based on the one or more control parameters to control a reductant spray momentum, a reductant droplet momentum, or a reductant momentum vector from the reductant injection system so as to provide a target spray droplet distribution or a target spray distribution.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the current exhaust gas condition parameter further comprises an exhaust gas flow velocity.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the control model is based on a Latin hypercube study performed to compute parameters of an empirical model for an exhaust gas system platform using a range of values for exhaust gas properties and reductant properties.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the controller is further configured to access at least one of a current vehicle condition parameter, a current engine condition parameter, or a current reductant condition parameter; and
the one or more control parameters are determined further based on the at least one of the current vehicle condition parameter, the current engine condition parameter, or the current reductant condition parameter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein:
the controller is configured to access the current reductant condition parameter;
the one or more control parameters are determined based on the current reductant condition parameter; and
the current reductant condition parameter comprises at least one of a reductant temperature, reductant momentum based on an injection supply pressure, a reductant density, a reductant air supply pressure, a reductant air supply flow rate, or a reductant spray cone angle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein:
the controller is configured to access the current vehicle condition parameter;
the one or more control parameters are determined based on the current vehicle condition parameter; and
the current vehicle condition parameter comprises at least one of a vehicle speed, a vehicle tire pressure, a vehicle inclination angle, a vehicle drive gear selection, a vehicle mass, a vehicle weight, a vehicle trailer weight, or a vehicle air line pressure.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein:
the controller is configured to access the current reductant condition parameter,
the one or more control parameters are determined based on the current reductant condition parameter, and
the current reductant condition parameter comprises at least one of a reductant temperature, reductant momentum based on an injection supply pressure, a reductant density, a reductant air supply pressure, a reductant air supply flow rate, or a reductant spray cone angle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein:
the controller is configured to access the current engine condition parameter,
the one or more control parameters are determined based on the current engine condition parameter, and
the current engine condition parameter comprises at least one of an engine fuel flow rate, an engine air flow rate, an engine boost pressure, an engine intake pressure, an engine load, an engine rotational speed, an engine cylinder temperature, an engine cylinder pressure, or an engine fuel pressure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the control model is an empirical model.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the control model is a physics based model.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein parameters of the physics based model are obtained by performing a Latin hypercube study for an exhaust gas system platform using a range of values for exhaust gas properties and reductant properties.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the controller uses at least the current exhaust gas condition parameter to determine the reductant spray momentum and modifies the value of the injection parameter to achieve the target spray droplet distribution or the target spray distribution for the current exhaust gas condition parameter.

### Claim 13

A method comprising:
receiving a signal from an exhaust gas sensor;
determining a current exhaust gas condition parameter based on the signal, wherein the current exhaust qas condition parameter comprises at least one of an exhaust qas pressure, an exhaust qas density, an exhaust qas temperature, an exhaust qas mass flow, or an exhaust qas vorticity;
determining one or more control parameters based on a control model and as a function of the accessed current exhaust gas condition parameter;
modifying a value of an injection parameter or a supply parameter based on the one or more control parameters to control a reductant spray momentum, a reductant droplet momentum, or a reductant momentum vector from a reductant injection system so as to provide a target spray droplet distribution or a target spray distribution; and
commanding the reductant injection system to inject reductant into an exhaust gas based on the injection parameter or a reductant supply system to supply reductant to the reductant injection system based on the supply parameter.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein at least the current exhaust gas condition parameter is used to determine the reductant spray momentum and to modify the injection parameter to achieve the target spray droplet distribution or the target spray distribution for the current exhaust gas condition parameter.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising accessing at least one of a current vehicle condition parameter, a current engine condition parameter, or a current reductant condition parameter;
wherein the one or more control parameters are determined further based on the at least one of the current vehicle condition parameter, the current engine condition parameter, or the current reductant condition parameter.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising accessing the current reductant condition parameter;
wherein the one or more control parameters are determined based on the current reductant condition parameter, and
wherein the current reductant condition parameter comprises at least one of a reductant temperature, reductant momentum based on an injection supply pressure, a reductant density, a reductant air supply pressure, a reductant air supply flow rate, or a reductant spray cone angle.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising accessing the current vehicle condition parameter;
wherein the one or more control parameters are determined based on the current vehicle condition parameter, and the current vehicle condition parameter comprises at least one of a vehicle speed, a vehicle tire pressure, a vehicle inclination angle, a vehicle drive gear selection, a vehicle mass, a vehicle weight, a vehicle trailer weight, or a vehicle air line pressure.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising accessing the current reductant condition parameter;
wherein the one or more control parameters are determined based on the current reductant condition parameter, and
wherein the current reductant condition parameter comprises at least one of a reductant temperature, reductant momentum based on an injection supply pressure, a reductant density, a reductant air supply pressure, a reductant air supply flow rate, or a reductant spray cone angle.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising accessing the current engine condition parameter;
wherein the one or more control parameters are determined based on the current engine condition parameter, and the current engine condition parameter comprises at least one of an engine fuel flow rate, an engine air flow rate, an engine boost pressure, an engine intake pressure, an engine load, an engine rotational speed, an engine cylinder temperature, an engine cylinder pressure, or an engine fuel pressure.

### Claim 20

A system comprising:
a reductant injection system for injecting reductant into an exhaust gas based on an injection parameter or a supply parameter; and
a controller configured to:
access a current exhaust gas condition parameter and a current reductant condition parameter which comprises at least one of a reductant temperature, reductant momentum based on an injection supply pressure, a reductant density, a reductant air supply pressure, a reductant air supply flow rate, or a reductant spray cone angle,
determine one or more control parameters based on a control model and as a function of the accessed current exhaust gas condition parameter and the accessed current reductant condition parameter, and
modify a value of the injection parameter or the supply parameter based on the one or more control parameters to control a reductant spray momentum, a reductant droplet momentum, or a reductant momentum vector from the reductant injection system so as to provide a target spray droplet distribution or a target spray distribution.

### Claim 21

A system comprising:
a reductant injection system for injecting reductant into an exhaust gas based on an injection parameter or a supply parameter; and
a controller configured to:
access a current exhaust gas condition parameter, a current vehicle condition parameter which comprises at least one of a vehicle speed, a vehicle tire pressure, a vehicle inclination angle, a vehicle drive gear selection, a vehicle mass, a vehicle weight, a vehicle trailer weight, or a vehicle air line pressure, and a current reductant condition parameter which comprises at least one of a reductant temperature, reductant momentum based on an injection supply pressure, a reductant density, a reductant air supply pressure, a reductant air supply flow rate, or a reductant spray cone angle,
determine one or more control parameters based on a control model and as a function of the accessed current exhaust gas condition parameter, the accessed current vehicle condition parameter, and the accessed current reductant condition parameter, and
modify a value of the injection parameter or the supply parameter based on the one or more control parameters to control a reductant spray momentum, a reductant droplet momentum, or a reductant momentum vector from the reductant injection system so as to provide a target spray droplet distribution or a target spray distribution.

### Claim 22

A method comprising:
accessing a current exhaust gas condition parameter;
accessing a current reductant condition parameter which comprises at least one of a reductant temperature, reductant momentum based on an injection supply pressure, a reductant density, a reductant air supply pressure, a reductant air supply flow rate, or a reductant spray cone angle;
determining one or more control parameters based on a control model and as a function of the accessed current exhaust gas condition parameter and the accessed current reductant condition parameter;
modifying a value of an injection parameter or a supply parameter based on the one or more control parameters to control a reductant spray momentum, a reductant droplet momentum, or a reductant momentum vector from a reductant injection system so as to provide a target spray droplet distribution or a target spray distribution; and
commanding the reductant injection system to inject reductant into an exhaust gas based on the injection parameter or a reductant supply system to supply reductant to the reductant injection system based on the supply parameter.

### Claim 23

A method comprising:
accessing a current exhaust gas condition parameter;
accessing a current vehicle condition parameter which comprises at least one of a vehicle speed, a vehicle tire pressure, a vehicle inclination angle, a vehicle drive gear selection, a vehicle mass, a vehicle weight, a vehicle trailer weight, or a vehicle air line pressure;
accessing a current reductant condition parameter which comprises at least one of a reductant temperature, reductant momentum based on an injection supply pressure, a reductant density, a reductant air supply pressure, a reductant air supply flow rate, or a reductant spray cone angle;
determining one or more control parameters based on a control model and as a function of the accessed current exhaust gas condition parameter, the accessed current vehicle condition parameter, and the accessed current reductant condition parameter;
modifying a value of an injection parameter or a supply parameter based on the one or more control parameters to control a reductant spray momentum, a reductant droplet momentum, or a reductant momentum vector from a reductant injection system so as to provide a target spray droplet distribution or a target spray distribution; and
commanding the reductant injection system to inject reductant into an exhaust gas based on the injection parameter or a reductant supply system to supply reductant to the reductant injection system based on the supply parameter.