Inverter-based exhaust aftertreatment thermal management apparatuses, methods, systems, and techniques

A method comprising:

• providing a vehicle system including an engine configured to output torque to propel the vehicle system and to output exhaust to an exhaust aftertreatment system that includes one or more electrical heating elements, an electric machine configured to selectably operate as a motor to provide torque to the vehicle system and as a generator to receive torque from the vehicle system, an inverter module including a plurality of inverter phase legs and an auxiliary leg, the plurality of inverter phase legs being operatively coupled with a first DC rail, a second DC rail, and the electric machine, the auxiliary leg being operatively coupled with the first DC rail, the second DC rail and the one or more electrical heating elements in the exhaust aftertreatment system, the inverter module further including a capacitor connected to the first DC rail and the second DC rail, and an electronic control system in operative communication with the inverter module and the exhaust aftertreatment system;
• evaluating with the electronic control system whether the electric machine is operating as the generator,
• selectably controlling with the electronic control system the plurality of inverter phase legs to rectify AC power received from the electric machine,
• evaluating with the electronic control system whether to heat one or more components of the exhaust aftertreatment system,
• selectably operate with the electronic control system with a switching device set including a first switch and a second switch in the auxiliary leg to receive rectified power from the plurality of inverter phase legs through each of the first DC rail and the second DC rail via an output node intermediate and selectably operatively coupleable with the first DC rail and the second DC rail by operation the switching device set, and to provide the rectified power from the first DC rail and the second DC rail to the one or more electrical heating elements thermally coupled with the one or more components of the exhaust aftertreatment system effective to heat the one or more components, and
• outputting discharge current from the inverter module from the capacitor to the one or more electrical heating elements.

An apparatus for selectably providing power to and receiving power from a hybrid vehicle traction motor, the apparatus comprising:

• a DC bus including a first DC rail, a second DC rail and a capacitor operatively coupled with the first DC rail and the second DC rail;
• a plurality of inverter phase legs each including a respective first switch operatively coupled with the first DC rail and operatively coupled with a respective traction motor input/output node and a respective second switch operatively coupled with the respective traction motor input/output node and operatively coupled with the second DC rail;
• and
• at least one auxiliary leg including a first auxiliary leg switch operatively coupled with the first DC rail and operatively coupled with an output node that is operatively coupled with a resistive heating element, a second auxiliary leg switch operatively coupled with the second DC rail and operatively coupled with the output node, the resistive heating element being selectably operatively coupled with the first DC rail by operation of the first auxiliary leg switch and selectably operatively coupled with the second DC rail by operation of second auxiliary leg switch, wherein the resistive heating element receives rectified power from the first DC rail and the second DC rail and is configured to thermally interface with and selectably transfer heat to an exhaust aftertreatment system component, the resistive heating element further being operatively coupled to receive discharge current from the capacitor.