# US 9,752,480 B2 · Method of operating a diesel engine and diesel engine arrangement having plural operating modes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,752,480 B2 - Document ID: US9752480B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/650,853 - Filed: 2012-12-23 - Published: 2015-11-05 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-23 - Assignees: Mack Trucks, Inc. - Applicants: Mack Trucks, Inc. - Inventors: Patrik Bergh; Heath Morris; Johan Dahl - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752480B2 ## CPC - F01N 3/20: specially adapted for catalytic conversion (F01N3/22 takes precedence) - F01N 3/0253: {adding fuel to exhaust gases} - F01N 3/0842: {Nitrogen oxides} - F01N 3/2066: {Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]} - F01N 3/208: {Control of selective catalytic reduction [SCR], e.g. by adjusting the dosing of reducing agent} - 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) - F02D 41/30: Controlling fuel injection {(F02D41/182, F02D41/24 take precedence)} - F02M 26/00: Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding exhaust gases to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture, e.g. by exhaust gas recirculation [EGR] systems - F01N 2560/026: for measuring or detecting NOx - F01N 2610/02: the substance being ammonia or urea - F01N 2900/0412: using pre-calibrated maps, tables or charts - F01N 2900/08: said parameters being related to the engine - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems - 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) - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A method is provided of operating a diesel engine having an exhaust aftertreatment system (EATS) including one or more apparatus for controlling exhaust NOX levels, the engine including a plurality of systems and components, at least some of which systems and components are adapted to be set to one or more control setpoints for one or more base actuators of the engine. The method includes establishing a plurality of engine operating modes, each operating mode differing from any other operating mode with respect to at least one control setpoint, for each operating mode, mapping fuel economy versus NOX levels exiting the EATS, selecting an operating mode from among the plurality of operating modes so that exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than a predetermined NOX level and a least amount of fuel is consumed per unit energy; and operating the engine in the selected operating mode. An engine arrangement is also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a diesel engine having an exhaust aftertreatment system (EATS) including one or more apparatus for controlling exhaust NOX levels, the engine comprising a plurality of systems and components, at least some of which systems and components being adapted to be set to one or more control setpoints for one or more base actuators of the engine, the method comprising: establishing a plurality of engine operating modes, each operating mode differing from any other operating mode with respect to at least one control setpoint; for each operating mode, mapping fuel economy versus NOX levels exiting the EATS; selecting an operating mode from among the plurality of operating modes so that exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than a predetermined NOX level and a least amount of fuel is consumed per unit energy; operating the engine in the selected operating mode until fuel economy in another operating mode at which exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than a predetermined NOX level becomes superior to fuel economy in the selected operating mode; and selecting the another operating mode after fuel economy in the another operating mode at which exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than a predetermined NOX level becomes superior to fuel economy in the selected operating mode, wherein the step of mapping fuel economy versus NOX levels comprises establishing a record, for each operating mode, of time spent at different engine speeds and loads and fuel economy and NOX levels at the recorded engine speeds and loads. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of mapping fuel economy versus NOX levels comprises updating a record, for each operating mode, of time spent at different engine speeds and loads. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of mapping fuel economy versus NOX levels comprises updating the record, for each operating mode, of fuel economy and NOX levels at the different engine speeds and loads. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, for each operating mode, the engine is adapted to interpolate between a high NOX mode and a low NOX mode by adjusting one or more engine operating parameters, the method comprising interpolating along at least part of the range between the high NOX mode and the low NOX mode in the selected operating mode by adjusting one or more engine operating parameters. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as set forth in claim 4, comprising adjusting one or more operating engine parameters so that the engine interpolates toward the high NOX mode in the selected operating mode to no higher than a point at which exhaust NOX levels are at or below the predetermined NOX level. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method as set forth in claim 4, comprising adjusting one or more operating engine parameters so that the engine interpolates toward the high NOX mode while operating in the selected operating mode, and, when or before NOX levels are at the predetermined NOX level, selecting a different engine operating mode from among the plurality of operating modes so that exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than the predetermined NOX level and the least amount of fuel is consumed per unit energy. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the diesel engine comprises one or more of cylinder inlet valves, cylinder exhaust valves, fuel injection valves, fuel pumps, a compressor, a turbine, a turbocharger, an intake air throttle, a charge air cooler, and an exhaust gas recirculation line comprising an exhaust gas recirculation valve, the control setpoints comprising one or more of cylinder inlet valve opening timing, cylinder exhaust valve opening timing, fuel injection valve opening timing, fuel pumps pressure, a compressor boost pressure, turbine backpressure, an intake air throttle position, combustion chamber temperature, and exhaust gas recirculation valve position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of mapping fuel economy versus system out NOX comprises determining exhaust mass or volume flow through the EATS, NOX level exiting the EATS, and temperature in the EATS. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein temperature in the EATS comprises temperature of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as set forth in claim 1, comprising repeating the selecting and operating steps after occurrence of a triggering event. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the triggering event comprises the passage of a predetermined amount of time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as set forth in claim 1, comprising at least periodically updating maps of fuel economy versus NOX levels exiting the EATS for each operating mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as set forth in claim 12, comprising continuously updating the maps of fuel economy versus NOX levels exiting the EATS for each operating mode. ### Claim 14 A method of operating a diesel engine having an exhaust aftertreatment system (EATS) including one or more apparatus for controlling exhaust NOX levels, comprising: operating the engine in a first mode with a first series of control setpoints for a plurality of base actuators of the engine; operating the engine in a second mode with a second series of control setpoints for the plurality of base actuators, at least one control setpoint of the first and second series of control setpoints being different; tracking exhaust mass or volume flow through the EATS, NOX levels exiting the EATS, and temperature in the EATS for the engine over a plurality of engine speeds and loads in the first mode and in the second mode; selecting one of the first mode and the second mode so that, for a given engine speed and load, exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than a predetermined NOX level and a least amount of fuel is consumed per unit energy until fuel economy in the other one of the first mode and the second mode becomes superior to fuel economy in the selected one of the first and second mode and exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than the predetermined NOX level; and selecting the other one of the first and second mode after fuel economy in the other one of the first mode and the second mode becomes superior to fuel economy in the selected one of the first and second mode and exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than the predetermined NOX level. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein, for each of the first and second operating modes, the engine is adapted to interpolate between a high NOX mode and a low NOX mode by adjusting one or more engine operating parameters, the method comprising interpolating along at least part of the range between the high NOX mode and the low NOX mode in the selected operating mode by adjusting one or more engine operating parameters. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method as set forth in claim 15, comprising adjusting one or more operating engine parameters so that the engine interpolates toward the high NOX mode while operating in the selected operating mode, and, when or before NOX levels are at the predetermined NOX level, selecting another engine operating mode so that exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than the predetermined NOX level. ### Claim 17 A diesel engine arrangement, comprising: a diesel engine having an exhaust aftertreatment system (EATS); a NOX sensor arranged to sense NOX levels exiting the EATS; and a controller arranged to receive a signal from the NOX sensor, the controller comprising a map of fuel economy versus NOX levels exiting the EATS for a plurality of engine operating modes, each engine operating mode differing from any other engine operating mode with respect to at least one base actuator of the engine, the controller being programmed to select one of the plurality of operating modes and cause the engine to operate in the selected operating mode so that, for a given engine speed and load, exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than a predetermined NOX level and a least amount of fuel is consumed per unit energy until fuel economy in another operating mode at which exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than a redetermined NOX level becomes superior to fuel economy in the selected operating mode; and to select the another operating mode after fuel economy in the another operating mode at which exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than a predetermined NOX level becomes superior to fuel economy in the selected operating mode, wherein, for each operating mode, the engine is adapted to interpolate between a high NOX mode and a low NOX mode by adjusting one or more engine operating parameters, the controller being programmed so that the engine is permitted to interpolate toward the high NOX mode in the selected operating mode to no higher than a point at which exhaust NOX levels are at or below the predetermined NOX level. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The diesel engine arrangement as set forth in claim 17, wherein the diesel engine comprises one or more of cylinder inlet valves, cylinder exhaust valves, fuel injection valves, fuel pumps, a compressor, a turbine, a turbocharger, an intake air throttle, a charge air cooler, and an exhaust gas recirculation line comprising an exhaust gas recirculation valve, the control setpoints comprising one or more of cylinder inlet valve opening timing, cylinder exhaust valve opening timing, fuel injection valve opening timing, fuel pumps pressure, a compressor boost pressure, turbine backpressure, an intake air throttle position, combustion chamber temperature, and exhaust gas recirculation valve position. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The diesel engine arrangement as set forth in claim 17, wherein the controller is programmed so that, when one or more operating engine parameters are adjusted so that the engine interpolates toward the high NOX mode while operating in the selected operating mode, when or before NOX levels are at the predetermined NOX level, a different engine operating mode is selected from among the plurality of operating modes so that exhaust exiting the EATS contains NOX at no more than the predetermined NOX level and the least amount of fuel is consumed per unit energy. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The diesel engine arrangement as set forth in claim 17, wherein the controller is programmed to perform the selection of and operation in an operating mode after occurrence of a triggering event. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The diesel engine arrangement as set forth in claim 20, wherein the triggering event comprises the passage of a predetermined amount of time. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The diesel engine arrangement as set forth in claim 17, wherein the controller is programmed to at least periodically update maps of fuel economy versus NOX levels exiting the EATS for each operating mode. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The diesel engine arrangement as set forth in claim 22, wherein the controller is programmed to continuously update the maps of fuel economy versus NOX levels exiting the EATS for each operating mode.