Method and system for controlling temperatures of exhaust gases emitted from an internal combustion engine to facilitate regeneration of a particulate filter

A method for controlling temperatures of exhaust gases emitted from an internal combustion engine to facilitate regeneration of particulates captured with a particulate filter, the internal combustion engine having a number of cylinders for internal combustion which emit exhaust gases and the particulate filter being in fluid communication with the emitted exhaust gases to capture particulates, the method comprising:

• determining a desired increase in exhaust gas temperature relative to current exhaust gas temperatures, the desired increase in exhaust gas temperature corresponding with a need to increase exhaust gas temperatures in order to facilitate regenerate of the particulate filter;
• and
• operating a radiator fan as a function of the desired increase in exhaust gas temperature to increase load on the engine and thereby exhaust gas temperature so as to emit exhaust gases from the engine to meet the desired increase in exhaust gas temperature;
• controlling a radiator fan speed to control a rate at which the exhaust gas temperatures increase;
• and
• wherein the fan clutch is variable such that the fan speed may be controlled at variable speeds and the rate at which the exhaust gas temperatures increase is controlled by varying the fan speed.

A method for controlling temperatures of exhaust gases emitted from an internal combustion engine to facilitate regeneration of particulates captured with a particulate filter, the internal combustion engine having a number of cylinders for internal combustion which emit exhaust gases and the particulate filter being in fluid communication with the emitted exhaust gases to capture particulates, the method comprising:

• determining a desired increase in exhaust gas temperature relative to current exhaust as gas temperatures, the desired increase in exhaust gas temperature corresponding with a need to increase exhaust gas temperatures in order to facilitate regenerate of the particulate filter;
• and
• operating a radiator fan as a function of the desired increase in exhaust gas temperature to increase load on the engine and thereby exhaust gas temperature so as to emit exhaust gases from the engine to meet the desired increase in exhaust as temperature;
• operating the fan only if an engine coolant fluid temperature is above a predefined threshold;
• and
• wherein the engine is in a vehicle having a passenger compartment, and wherein the method further comprises selecting the engine coolant fluid temperature threshold as a function of desired passenger compartment temperatures.

A method for controlling temperatures of exhaust gases emitted from an internal combustion engine to facilitate regeneration of particulates captured with a particulate filter, the internal combustion engine having a number of cylinders for internal combustion which emit exhaust gases and the particulate filter being in fluid communication with the emitted exhaust gases to capture particulates, the method comprising:

• determining a desired increase in exhaust gas temperature;
• operating a radiator fan as a function of the desired increase in exhaust gas temperature to increase load on the engine and thereby exhaust gas temperature so as to emit exhaust gases from the engine to meet the desired increase in exhaust gas temperature if an engine coolant fluid temperature is above a engine coolant temperature threshold;
• and
• wherein the engine is in a vehicle having a passenger compartment in communication with a heater which operates off of engine coolant fluid to heat the passenger compartment, and wherein the method further comprises selecting the engine coolant fluid temperature threshold as a function of desired passenger compartment temperatures.

A method for increasing load on a engine to increase exhaust gases emitted from the engine in order to facilitate regeneration of particulates captured with a particulate filter in a vehicle having a passenger compartment, the method comprising:

• determining a minimum passenger compartment temperature;
• determining a minimum engine coolant fluid temperature for an engine coolant fluid as a function of the minimum passenger compartment temperature;
• operating a radiator fan as a function of a desired increase in exhaust gas temperature to increase load on the engine and thereby exhaust gas temperature so as to emit exhaust gases from the engine to meet the desired increase in exhaust gas temperature to facilitate regeneration of the particulate filter, whereby operation of the fan cools the engine coolant fluid;
• and
• adjusting the operation of the radiator fan to prevent the engine coolant fluid from cooling below the minimum engine coolant fluid temperature.