US20130186349A1 - Reductant supply line heating system - Google Patents
Reductant supply line heating system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20130186349A1 US20130186349A1 US13/356,745 US201213356745A US2013186349A1 US 20130186349 A1 US20130186349 A1 US 20130186349A1 US 201213356745 A US201213356745 A US 201213356745A US 2013186349 A1 US2013186349 A1 US 2013186349A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- reductant
- supply line
- reductant supply
- temperature
- tank
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01N—GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F01N3/00—Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust
- F01N3/08—Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust for rendering innocuous
- F01N3/10—Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust for rendering innocuous by thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust
- F01N3/18—Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust for rendering innocuous by thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust characterised by methods of operation; Control
- F01N3/20—Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust for rendering innocuous by thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust characterised by methods of operation; Control specially adapted for catalytic conversion ; Methods of operation or control of catalytic converters
- F01N3/2066—Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]
- F01N3/208—Control of selective catalytic reduction [SCR], e.g. dosing of reducing agent
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01N—GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F01N2610/00—Adding substances to exhaust gases
- F01N2610/02—Adding substances to exhaust gases the substance being ammonia or urea
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01N—GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F01N2610/00—Adding substances to exhaust gases
- F01N2610/14—Arrangements for the supply of substances, e.g. conduits
- F01N2610/1406—Storage means for substances, e.g. tanks or reservoirs
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01N—GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F01N2610/00—Adding substances to exhaust gases
- F01N2610/14—Arrangements for the supply of substances, e.g. conduits
- F01N2610/148—Arrangement of sensors
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01N—GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F01N2610/00—Adding substances to exhaust gases
- F01N2610/14—Arrangements for the supply of substances, e.g. conduits
- F01N2610/1486—Means to prevent the substance from freezing
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01N—GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F01N2900/00—Details of electrical control or of the monitoring of the exhaust gas treating apparatus
- F01N2900/06—Parameters used for exhaust control or diagnosing
- F01N2900/08—Parameters used for exhaust control or diagnosing said parameters being related to the engine
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01N—GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F01N2900/00—Details of electrical control or of the monitoring of the exhaust gas treating apparatus
- F01N2900/06—Parameters used for exhaust control or diagnosing
- F01N2900/18—Parameters used for exhaust control or diagnosing said parameters being related to the system for adding a substance into the exhaust
- F01N2900/1806—Properties of reducing agent or dosing system
- F01N2900/1811—Temperature
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01N—GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F01N2900/00—Details of electrical control or of the monitoring of the exhaust gas treating apparatus
- F01N2900/06—Parameters used for exhaust control or diagnosing
- F01N2900/18—Parameters used for exhaust control or diagnosing said parameters being related to the system for adding a substance into the exhaust
- F01N2900/1806—Properties of reducing agent or dosing system
- F01N2900/1814—Tank level
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
- Y02T10/10—Internal combustion engine [ICE] based vehicles
- Y02T10/12—Improving ICE efficiencies
Definitions
- the present disclosure is relates to a heating system, and more particularly to the heating system for a reductant supply line.
- Heating systems are generally known to be employed to maintain fluid viscosity of a reductant in an aftertreatment system.
- U.S. Published Application No. 2008/0298788 relates to a heated hose assembly including an extruded inner liner, an intermediate layer comprising strands of a nonmetallic material, and at least one heating wire. Each of the nonmetallic material and heating wires is interwoven about the exterior of the extruded inner liner.
- the heated hose assembly further includes an outer coating dispersed throughout the strands of the intermediate layer, and a crimp attachment component for attaching the at least one heating wire to a power source.
- the present disclosure provides a system.
- the system includes a reductant tank, a receiver, a first valve, a reductant supply line, a plurality of sensors, and a controller.
- the reductant tank is configured to store a reductant.
- the receiver is configured to receive a supply of the reductant from an off-board reservoir.
- the first valve is in communication with the reductant tank and the first valve is configured to control a reductant flow into the reductant tank.
- the reductant supply line is in fluid communication with the receiver.
- the reductant supply line is configured to provide the reductant flow to the first valve.
- the plurality of sensors is configured to generate a signal based on one or parameters.
- the controller is in communication with the plurality of sensors.
- the controller is configured to issue a command to a heating element to modulate a temperature of the reductant supply line based, at least in part on the signal generated by the plurality of sensors.
- the disclosure provides a method for modulating a temperature of a reductant supply line.
- the method receives one or more signals from a plurality of sensors.
- the method determines a heating requirement of the reductant supply line based, at least in part, on the received signals from the plurality of sensors.
- the method issues a command to a heating element in communication with the reductant supply line to modulate the temperature of the reductant supply line based, at least in part, on the determination of the heating requirement of the reductant supply line.
- FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an exemplary system, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 2 is a process for modulating a temperature of a reductant supply line.
- FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100 .
- the system 100 may include a reductant tank 102 .
- the reductant tank 102 stores a reductant.
- the reductant may include, without any limitation, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), ammonia or any other reducing agent.
- DEF diesel exhaust fluid
- the reductant tank 102 may be located in an engine compartment of a machine and the reductant tank 102 may either be a part of or connected to an aftertreatment system used in the machine.
- the machine may include for example, on-highway trucks or vehicles, off-highway trucks or machines, earth moving equipment, generators, aerospace applications, locomotive applications, marine applications, pumps, stationary equipment, or other engine powered applications.
- the reductant tank 102 may be provided in proximity to a fuel tank (not shown in figure) in the engine compartment.
- a fuel tank not shown in figure
- the reductant tank 102 may be located anywhere in the machine.
- the reductant tank 102 may or may not be thermally insulated.
- the insulation, if present, may be provided by any suitable means in order to maintain the reductant at a threshold temperature.
- Other parameters related to the reductant tank 102 such as size, shape, location, and material used may vary within the scope of the disclosure.
- a level of the reductant stored in the reductant tank 102 may reduce due to usage. Hence, the reductant tank 102 may need to be refilled with the reductant.
- a receiver 104 is configured to connect to receive a supply of the reductant from an off-board reservoir.
- the reservoir or any other storage located at the ground level may be temporarily connected to the receiver 104 in order to supply the reductant to the system 100 .
- an external nozzle of a pump connected to the reservoir is plugged into the receiver 104 to provide the supply of the reductant.
- the receiver 104 may be located proximal to the ground level, facilitating in ease of access.
- a first valve 106 is in communication with reductant tank 102 .
- the first valve 106 may be configured to control a reductant flow into the reductant tank 102 .
- the first valve 106 may be located at a shut-off level of the reductant tank 106 .
- the receiver 104 may be in fluid communication with the first valve 106 via a reductant supply line 108 .
- the reductant supply line 108 may provide the reductant flow to the first valve 106 .
- the system 100 may include any other necessary components needed to fill, vent and/or stop the refill of the reductant tank 102 .
- the reductant supply line 108 may be hose or pipe made of any suitable material, such as plastic, rubber, and the like. Parameters such as length, diameter and flexibility of the reductant supply line 108 may vary. In one embodiment, a part or entire of the reductant supply line 108 may be located outside of the machine.
- a portion of the reductant flow may be frozen in the reductant supply line 108 .
- the system 100 may include a controller 110 in a communication with a plurality of sensors 112 .
- the plurality of sensors 112 may generate signals based on one or parameters.
- the controller 110 may modulate a temperature of the reductant supply line 108 based on the signals generated by the plurality of sensors 112 .
- the plurality of sensors 112 may include a temperature sensor 114 , a reductant level sensor 116 , a fuel level sensor 118 and/or an engine sensor 120 , which are connected to the controller 110 via communication lines respectively 122 , 124 , 126 , 128 respectively.
- the one or more parameters may include a temperature of ambient air, a reductant level, a fuel level, an engine state, and the like.
- the temperature sensor 114 may generate a signal indicative of the temperature of the ambient air.
- the reductant level sensor 116 provides a reading of the level of the reductant in the reductant tank 102 .
- the fuel level sensor 118 provides a reading of the level of fuel in the fuel tank.
- the engine sensor 120 may generate a signal indicative of the engine state. For example, the engine may be in an active state, idle state or shutdown state.
- the location of the plurality of sensors 112 does not limit the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, the plurality of sensors 112 may include other sensors not mentioned above.
- a heating element 130 may be in communication with the controller 110 via communication line 132 .
- the heating element 130 may be coupled to the reductant supply line 108 via communication line 134 .
- the heating element 130 may be integrated with the reductant supply line 108 , for example, like electrically heated lines.
- the heating element 130 may include any suitable electrical heater, without any limitation.
- the controller 110 may be a microcomputer including a microprocessor unit, input and output ports, an electronic storage medium for executable programs and calibration values, random access memory, a data bus, and the like.
- the controller 110 may also include a routine for controlling and/or diagnosing one or more components of the system 100 .
- the controller 110 may be located at a remote, on-board location. In yet another embodiment, the controller 110 may be located within the engine compartment of the machine.
- controller 110 to modulate the temperature of the reductant supply line 108 will be explained in detail with connection to FIG. 2 .
- the above described disclosure relates to the system 100 of refilling the reductant tank 102 .
- a part of the reductant may be stranded in the reductant supply line 108 .
- the disclosure is directed towards heating the reductant supply line 108 to clear the stranded reductant present in the reductant supply line 108 .
- the reductant may be DEF.
- the DEF may have a tendency to freeze in the reductant supply line 108 .
- the freezing point for the DEF containing 32.5% by weight of urea is ⁇ 11° C.
- a general tendency by way of convenience would be to refill the reductant tank 102 when the fuel tank is being filled. If the heating of the reductant supply line 108 was based only on the level of the reductant in the reductant tank 102 , then on some instances when the fuel tank needed refilling but the reductant tank 102 did not, the reductant supply line 108 would still be frozen. Thus, the disclosure takes into consideration inputs received from the plurality of sensors 112 , not limited to any one of them.
- the disclosure also addresses loss of productive time due to manual intervention wherein if the heating of the reductant supply line 108 was triggered manually, an operator would have to wait for certain duration of time until the operator could begin to refill the reductant tank 102 .
- the disclosure also relates to cut off of the heat supplied to the reductant supply line 108 since a constantly running heating element may result in loss of efficiency, and undue wear on components in the machine.
- the controller 110 may receive one or more signals from the plurality of sensors 112 .
- the plurality of sensors 112 may include the temperature sensor 114 .
- the signal received from the temperature sensor 114 may be indicative of the ambient temperature.
- the plurality of sensors 112 may include the reductant level sensor 116 and/or the fuel level sensor 118 .
- the signals received from the reductant level sensor 116 and/or the fuel level sensor 118 may be indicative of the fill level of the reductant and/or the fuel respectively.
- the plurality of sensors 112 may include the engine sensor 120 .
- a heating requirement of the reductant supply line 108 may be determined.
- the controller 110 may compare the temperature of the ambient air provided by the temperature sensor 114 , with a pre-determined threshold temperature of the reductant supply line 108 . In a situation where the ambient temperature is below or less than the pre-determined threshold temperature, the controller 110 may determine that the reductant supply line 108 requires heating. For example, when the ambient temperature falls below ⁇ 11° C., the controller 110 may determine that the reductant supply line 108 containing the DEF requires heating.
- the reductant supply line 108 may require heating prior to refilling of the reductant tank 102 , in order to clear the reductant supply line 108 of the reductant that may be stranded and frozen in the reductant supply line 108 .
- the controller 110 may estimate when a next or a subsequent filling of the reductant tank may occur. Accordingly, the controller 110 may determine that the reductant supply line 108 requires heating prior to the subsequent refill of the reductant tank 102 .
- the refill of the reductant tank 102 may be further based on the refill requirement of the fuel tank.
- the reductant tank 102 may be filled each time the machine requires a fuel refill.
- the heating requirement of the reductant supply line 108 may be based on a refill requirement of the fuel tank.
- the controller 110 may estimate a next or subsequent filling of the fuel tank. Based on the signal received from the fuel level sensor 118 , the controller may determine the heating requirement of the reductant supply line 108 prior to the refilling of the fuel tank.
- the consumption of the fuel by the machine may be more than the usage of reductant.
- the controller 110 may maintain a relation between the refill cycles of the fuel tank and the reductant tank 102 and accordingly determine the heating requirement of the reductant supply line 108 based on the estimated next reductant tank 102 refill requirement.
- the controller 110 may determine the engine state of the machine, for example, active state, idle state or shutdown state. In an exemplary situation, the controller 110 may determine that the reductant supply line 108 requires heating, when the engine is determined to be in the shutdown state for a long time.
- the controller 110 may receive signals from any combination of the above described plurality of sensors 112 . In this case, the controller 110 may assign priorities in the form of weighting factors to each of the received signals. The controller 110 may then determine the heating requirement of the reductant supply line 108 based on the prioritized signals.
- the controller 110 may determine the heating requirement of the reductant supply line 108 based on other factors, without any limitation.
- a command is issued to the heating element 130 to increase the temperature of the reductant supply line 108 .
- the command issued by the controller 110 may be used to initiate the heating of the reductant supply line 108 .
- the heating element 130 may be integrated with the reductant supply line 108 .
- the DEF should not be heated excessively, as high temperatures may result in breakdown of the chemical properties of the DEF. Also, excessive or unrequired heating of the reductant supply line 108 may result in unnecessary loss of energy.
- the controller 110 may also issue a command to stop an ongoing heating of the reductant supply line 108 .
- the heating of the reductant supply line 108 have a time based control such that the heating may automatically cease after a pre-defined interval of time.
- another temperature sensor may be coupled with the reductant supply line 108 to generate signals indicative of the temperature of the reductant supply line 108 .
- the controller 110 may compare the temperature of the reductant supply line 108 with the pre-determined threshold temperature, either periodically or during an ongoing heating of the reductant supply line 108 . Hence, the controller 110 may keep a check to prevent excessive heating of the reductant supply line 108 .
- the controller 110 may also control or regulate the magnitude of heat supplied to the reductant supply line 108 by the heating element 130 .
- the magnitude of heat supplied to the reductant supply line 108 may be varied by modulating a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal where the duty cycle of the PWM signal is directly proportional to the level of heat supplied by the heating element 130 to the reductant supply line 108 .
- PWM pulse width modulated
- the controller 110 may be manually triggered to issue the command to the heating element 130 via any suitable user interface. Additionally, provisions may be made to drain off the stranded reductant present in the reductant supply line 108 .
- An exemplary provision may include and external line having a manual valve, such that the external line is connected to the reductant supply line 108 .
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Toxicology (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Exhaust Gas After Treatment (AREA)
Abstract
A system including a reductant tank, a receiver, a first valve, a reductant supply line, a plurality of sensors, and a controller is provided. The reductant tank is configured to store a reductant. The receiver is configured to receive a supply of the reductant from an off-board reservoir. The first valve is in communication with the reductant tank and is configured to control a reductant flow into the reductant tank. The reductant supply line is in fluid communication with the receiver and is configured to provide the reductant flow to the first valve. The plurality of sensors is configured to generate a signal. The controller is in communication with the plurality of sensors. The controller is configured to issue a command to a heating element to modulate a temperature of the reductant supply line based, at least in part, on the signal generated by the plurality of sensors.
Description
- The present disclosure is relates to a heating system, and more particularly to the heating system for a reductant supply line.
- Heating systems are generally known to be employed to maintain fluid viscosity of a reductant in an aftertreatment system. U.S. Published Application No. 2008/0298788 relates to a heated hose assembly including an extruded inner liner, an intermediate layer comprising strands of a nonmetallic material, and at least one heating wire. Each of the nonmetallic material and heating wires is interwoven about the exterior of the extruded inner liner. The heated hose assembly further includes an outer coating dispersed throughout the strands of the intermediate layer, and a crimp attachment component for attaching the at least one heating wire to a power source.
- In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a system. The system includes a reductant tank, a receiver, a first valve, a reductant supply line, a plurality of sensors, and a controller. The reductant tank is configured to store a reductant. The receiver is configured to receive a supply of the reductant from an off-board reservoir. The first valve is in communication with the reductant tank and the first valve is configured to control a reductant flow into the reductant tank. The reductant supply line is in fluid communication with the receiver. The reductant supply line is configured to provide the reductant flow to the first valve. The plurality of sensors is configured to generate a signal based on one or parameters. The controller is in communication with the plurality of sensors. The controller is configured to issue a command to a heating element to modulate a temperature of the reductant supply line based, at least in part on the signal generated by the plurality of sensors.
- In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for modulating a temperature of a reductant supply line. The method receives one or more signals from a plurality of sensors. The method determines a heating requirement of the reductant supply line based, at least in part, on the received signals from the plurality of sensors. The method issues a command to a heating element in communication with the reductant supply line to modulate the temperature of the reductant supply line based, at least in part, on the determination of the heating requirement of the reductant supply line.
- Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an exemplary system, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; and -
FIG. 2 is a process for modulating a temperature of a reductant supply line. -
FIG. 1 illustrates anexemplary system 100. Thesystem 100 may include areductant tank 102. Thereductant tank 102 stores a reductant. In one embodiment, the reductant may include, without any limitation, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), ammonia or any other reducing agent. - The
reductant tank 102 may be located in an engine compartment of a machine and thereductant tank 102 may either be a part of or connected to an aftertreatment system used in the machine. The machine may include for example, on-highway trucks or vehicles, off-highway trucks or machines, earth moving equipment, generators, aerospace applications, locomotive applications, marine applications, pumps, stationary equipment, or other engine powered applications. - In one embodiment, the
reductant tank 102 may be provided in proximity to a fuel tank (not shown in figure) in the engine compartment. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that thereductant tank 102 may be located anywhere in the machine. Moreover, thereductant tank 102 may or may not be thermally insulated. The insulation, if present, may be provided by any suitable means in order to maintain the reductant at a threshold temperature. Other parameters related to thereductant tank 102 such as size, shape, location, and material used may vary within the scope of the disclosure. During operation of the aftertreatment system, a level of the reductant stored in thereductant tank 102 may reduce due to usage. Hence, thereductant tank 102 may need to be refilled with the reductant. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , areceiver 104 is configured to connect to receive a supply of the reductant from an off-board reservoir. The reservoir or any other storage located at the ground level may be temporarily connected to thereceiver 104 in order to supply the reductant to thesystem 100. For example, an external nozzle of a pump connected to the reservoir is plugged into thereceiver 104 to provide the supply of the reductant. In another embodiment, thereceiver 104 may be located proximal to the ground level, facilitating in ease of access. - A
first valve 106 is in communication withreductant tank 102. Thefirst valve 106 may be configured to control a reductant flow into thereductant tank 102. In one embodiment, thefirst valve 106 may be located at a shut-off level of thereductant tank 106. Thereceiver 104 may be in fluid communication with thefirst valve 106 via areductant supply line 108. Thereductant supply line 108 may provide the reductant flow to thefirst valve 106. Thesystem 100 may include any other necessary components needed to fill, vent and/or stop the refill of thereductant tank 102. Moreover, thereductant supply line 108 may be hose or pipe made of any suitable material, such as plastic, rubber, and the like. Parameters such as length, diameter and flexibility of thereductant supply line 108 may vary. In one embodiment, a part or entire of thereductant supply line 108 may be located outside of the machine. - In one embodiment, a portion of the reductant flow may be frozen in the
reductant supply line 108. As shown inFIG. 1 , thesystem 100 may include acontroller 110 in a communication with a plurality ofsensors 112. The plurality ofsensors 112 may generate signals based on one or parameters. Thecontroller 110 may modulate a temperature of thereductant supply line 108 based on the signals generated by the plurality ofsensors 112. - In one embodiment, the plurality of
sensors 112 may include atemperature sensor 114, areductant level sensor 116, afuel level sensor 118 and/or anengine sensor 120, which are connected to thecontroller 110 via communication lines respectively 122, 124, 126, 128 respectively. The one or more parameters may include a temperature of ambient air, a reductant level, a fuel level, an engine state, and the like. - The
temperature sensor 114 may generate a signal indicative of the temperature of the ambient air. Thereductant level sensor 116 provides a reading of the level of the reductant in thereductant tank 102. Thefuel level sensor 118 provides a reading of the level of fuel in the fuel tank. Theengine sensor 120 may generate a signal indicative of the engine state. For example, the engine may be in an active state, idle state or shutdown state. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the location of the plurality ofsensors 112 does not limit the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, the plurality ofsensors 112 may include other sensors not mentioned above. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , aheating element 130 may be in communication with thecontroller 110 via communication line 132. Theheating element 130 may be coupled to thereductant supply line 108 viacommunication line 134. In one embodiment, theheating element 130 may be integrated with thereductant supply line 108, for example, like electrically heated lines. Theheating element 130 may include any suitable electrical heater, without any limitation. - In one embodiment, the
controller 110 may be a microcomputer including a microprocessor unit, input and output ports, an electronic storage medium for executable programs and calibration values, random access memory, a data bus, and the like. Thecontroller 110 may also include a routine for controlling and/or diagnosing one or more components of thesystem 100. Additionally, in another embodiment, thecontroller 110 may be located at a remote, on-board location. In yet another embodiment, thecontroller 110 may be located within the engine compartment of the machine. - The operation of the
controller 110 to modulate the temperature of thereductant supply line 108 will be explained in detail with connection toFIG. 2 . - The above described disclosure relates to the
system 100 of refilling thereductant tank 102. During the reductant refilling operation of thereductant tank 102, a part of the reductant may be stranded in thereductant supply line 108. The disclosure is directed towards heating thereductant supply line 108 to clear the stranded reductant present in thereductant supply line 108. In one embodiment, the reductant may be DEF. In extremely cold conditions, the DEF may have a tendency to freeze in thereductant supply line 108. The freezing point for the DEF containing 32.5% by weight of urea is −11° C. - A general tendency by way of convenience would be to refill the
reductant tank 102 when the fuel tank is being filled. If the heating of thereductant supply line 108 was based only on the level of the reductant in thereductant tank 102, then on some instances when the fuel tank needed refilling but thereductant tank 102 did not, thereductant supply line 108 would still be frozen. Thus, the disclosure takes into consideration inputs received from the plurality ofsensors 112, not limited to any one of them. - The disclosure also addresses loss of productive time due to manual intervention wherein if the heating of the
reductant supply line 108 was triggered manually, an operator would have to wait for certain duration of time until the operator could begin to refill thereductant tank 102. The disclosure also relates to cut off of the heat supplied to thereductant supply line 108 since a constantly running heating element may result in loss of efficiency, and undue wear on components in the machine. - Initially, at
step 202, thecontroller 110 may receive one or more signals from the plurality ofsensors 112. In one embodiment, the plurality ofsensors 112 may include thetemperature sensor 114. The signal received from thetemperature sensor 114 may be indicative of the ambient temperature. In another embodiment, the plurality ofsensors 112 may include thereductant level sensor 116 and/or thefuel level sensor 118. The signals received from thereductant level sensor 116 and/or thefuel level sensor 118 may be indicative of the fill level of the reductant and/or the fuel respectively. In yet another embodiment, the plurality ofsensors 112 may include theengine sensor 120. - Subsequently, at
step 204, a heating requirement of thereductant supply line 108 may be determined. When thecontroller 110 receives the signal from thetemperature sensor 114, thecontroller 110 may compare the temperature of the ambient air provided by thetemperature sensor 114, with a pre-determined threshold temperature of thereductant supply line 108. In a situation where the ambient temperature is below or less than the pre-determined threshold temperature, thecontroller 110 may determine that thereductant supply line 108 requires heating. For example, when the ambient temperature falls below −11° C., thecontroller 110 may determine that thereductant supply line 108 containing the DEF requires heating. - Additionally, the
reductant supply line 108 may require heating prior to refilling of thereductant tank 102, in order to clear thereductant supply line 108 of the reductant that may be stranded and frozen in thereductant supply line 108. Hence, based on the signal received from thereductant fill sensor 116, thecontroller 110 may estimate when a next or a subsequent filling of the reductant tank may occur. Accordingly, thecontroller 110 may determine that thereductant supply line 108 requires heating prior to the subsequent refill of thereductant tank 102. - Moreover, in some situations, the refill of the
reductant tank 102 may be further based on the refill requirement of the fuel tank. Generally, for the purpose of convenience, thereductant tank 102 may be filled each time the machine requires a fuel refill. Hence, in this situation, the heating requirement of thereductant supply line 108 may be based on a refill requirement of the fuel tank. In one embodiment, thecontroller 110 may estimate a next or subsequent filling of the fuel tank. Based on the signal received from thefuel level sensor 118, the controller may determine the heating requirement of thereductant supply line 108 prior to the refilling of the fuel tank. Additionally, in some situations, the consumption of the fuel by the machine may be more than the usage of reductant. Hence, in one embodiment thecontroller 110 may maintain a relation between the refill cycles of the fuel tank and thereductant tank 102 and accordingly determine the heating requirement of thereductant supply line 108 based on the estimatednext reductant tank 102 refill requirement. - In one embodiment, based on the signal received from the
engine sensor 120, thecontroller 110 may determine the engine state of the machine, for example, active state, idle state or shutdown state. In an exemplary situation, thecontroller 110 may determine that thereductant supply line 108 requires heating, when the engine is determined to be in the shutdown state for a long time. - In another embodiment, the
controller 110 may receive signals from any combination of the above described plurality ofsensors 112. In this case, thecontroller 110 may assign priorities in the form of weighting factors to each of the received signals. Thecontroller 110 may then determine the heating requirement of thereductant supply line 108 based on the prioritized signals. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the situations described above are merely on exemplary basis and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. Thecontroller 110 may determine the heating requirement of thereductant supply line 108 based on other factors, without any limitation. - At
step 206, based on the determined heating requirement, a command is issued to theheating element 130 to increase the temperature of thereductant supply line 108. Hence, the command issued by thecontroller 110 may be used to initiate the heating of thereductant supply line 108. As described above, in one embodiment, theheating element 130 may be integrated with thereductant supply line 108. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the use of electrically heated lines is known in art and may considerably reduce the cost associated with the setup of thesystem 100. Moreover, the simple connection of thereductant supply line 108 to the machine facilitates in providing simple user purchased equipment. - Moreover, the DEF should not be heated excessively, as high temperatures may result in breakdown of the chemical properties of the DEF. Also, excessive or unrequired heating of the
reductant supply line 108 may result in unnecessary loss of energy. In one embodiment, thecontroller 110 may also issue a command to stop an ongoing heating of thereductant supply line 108. In one embodiment, the heating of thereductant supply line 108 have a time based control such that the heating may automatically cease after a pre-defined interval of time. - In one embodiment, another temperature sensor may be coupled with the
reductant supply line 108 to generate signals indicative of the temperature of thereductant supply line 108. Thecontroller 110 may compare the temperature of thereductant supply line 108 with the pre-determined threshold temperature, either periodically or during an ongoing heating of thereductant supply line 108. Hence, thecontroller 110 may keep a check to prevent excessive heating of thereductant supply line 108. - In yet another embodiment, the
controller 110 may also control or regulate the magnitude of heat supplied to thereductant supply line 108 by theheating element 130. In an exemplary implementation, the magnitude of heat supplied to thereductant supply line 108 may be varied by modulating a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal where the duty cycle of the PWM signal is directly proportional to the level of heat supplied by theheating element 130 to thereductant supply line 108. - Moreover, in other situations, the
controller 110 may be manually triggered to issue the command to theheating element 130 via any suitable user interface. Additionally, provisions may be made to drain off the stranded reductant present in thereductant supply line 108. An exemplary provision may include and external line having a manual valve, such that the external line is connected to thereductant supply line 108. - While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.
Claims (20)
1. A system comprising:
a reductant tank configured to store a reductant;
a receiver configured to receive a supply of the reductant from an off-board reservoir;
a first valve in communication with the reductant tank configured to control a reductant flow into the reductant tank;
a reductant supply line in fluid communication with the receiver, the reductant supply line configured to provide the reductant flow to the first valve;
a plurality of sensors configured to generate a signal based on one or parameters; and
a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors, the controller configured to issue a command to a heating element to modulate a temperature of the reductant supply line based, at least in part on the signal generated by the plurality of sensors.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reductant includes a diesel emission fuel.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a reductant level sensor, a fuel level sensor and an engine sensor.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of a temperature of ambient air, a reductant level, a fuel level and an engine state.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heating element is in communication with the controller, the heating element configured to increase the temperature of the reductant supply line.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the heating element is integrated with the reductant supply line.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the temperature of the reductant supply line is increased for a pre-determined period of time.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is at a remote location.
9. A method comprising:
receiving one or more signals from a plurality of sensors;
determining a heating requirement of a reductant supply line based, at least in part, on the received signals from the plurality of sensors; and
issuing a command to a heating element in communication with the reductant supply line to modulate a temperature of the reductant supply line based, at least in part, on the determination of the heating requirement of the reductant supply line.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining a heating requirement of a reductant supply line further includes estimating a refill requirement of a reductant tank based on the signal received from a reductant level sensor, wherein the reductant supply line is heated prior to the reductant tank refill.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining a heating requirement of a reductant supply line further includes estimating a refill requirement of a fuel tank based on the signal received from a fuel level sensor, wherein the reductant supply line is heated prior to the fuel tank refill.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining a heating requirement of a reductant supply line further includes determining an engine state based on the signal received from an engine sensor, wherein the reductant supply line is heated based on the engine state.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining a heating requirement of a reductant supply line further includes comparing a temperature of ambient air provided by a temperature sensor with a predetermined threshold temperature of the reductant supply line.
14. The method of claim 9 further including providing a time based control for modulating the temperature of the reductant supply line.
15. A computer based system for modulating a temperature associated with a reductant supply line comprising:
a communication interface communicating with a memory;
the memory configured to communicate with a processor; and
the processor, in response to executing a computer program, performs operations comprising:
receiving one or more signals from a plurality of sensors;
determining a heating requirement of the reductant supply line based, at least in part, on the received signals from the plurality of sensors; and
issuing a command to a heating element in communication with the reductant supply line based, at least in part, on the determination of the heating requirement of the reductant supply line.
16. The computer based system of claim 15 , wherein determining a heating requirement of a reductant supply line further includes estimating a refill requirement of a reductant tank based on the signal received from a reductant level sensor, wherein the reductant supply line is heated prior to the reductant tank refill.
17. The computer based system of claim 15 , wherein determining a heating requirement of a reductant supply line further includes estimating a refill requirement of a fuel tank based on the signal received from a fuel level sensor, wherein the reductant supply line is heated prior to the fuel tank refill.
18. The computer based system of claim 15 , wherein determining a heating requirement of a reductant supply line further includes determining an engine state based on the signal received from an engine sensor, wherein the reductant supply line is heated based on the engine state.
19. The computer based system of claim 15 , wherein determining a heating requirement of a reductant supply line further includes comparing a temperature of ambient air provided by a temperature sensor with a predetermined threshold temperature of the reductant supply line.
20. The computer based system of claim 15 further including providing a time based control for modulating the temperature of the reductant supply line.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/356,745 US20130186349A1 (en) | 2012-01-24 | 2012-01-24 | Reductant supply line heating system |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/356,745 US20130186349A1 (en) | 2012-01-24 | 2012-01-24 | Reductant supply line heating system |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20130186349A1 true US20130186349A1 (en) | 2013-07-25 |
Family
ID=48796189
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/356,745 Abandoned US20130186349A1 (en) | 2012-01-24 | 2012-01-24 | Reductant supply line heating system |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20130186349A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9650932B2 (en) | 2014-12-22 | 2017-05-16 | Caterpillar Inc. | Insulated reductant tank |
Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6810661B2 (en) * | 2002-08-09 | 2004-11-02 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Method and system for freeze protecting liquid NOx reductants for vehicle application |
US20070199308A1 (en) * | 2004-10-29 | 2007-08-30 | Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. | Exhaust emission purifying apparatus for engine |
US20070251226A1 (en) * | 2004-04-30 | 2007-11-01 | Bosch Corporation | Liquid Supply Device for Exhaust Gas Post-Treatment Device |
US20080098726A1 (en) * | 2006-10-31 | 2008-05-01 | Caterpillar Inc. | System implementing low-reductant engine operation mode |
US20090205320A1 (en) * | 2008-02-19 | 2009-08-20 | Caterpillar Inc. | Reducing agent heating system and method |
US7578321B2 (en) * | 2005-10-13 | 2009-08-25 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Freeze protection for on-board vehicle emissions treatment system |
US20090288734A1 (en) * | 2008-05-21 | 2009-11-26 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Procedure for a reasonability check of a temperature sensor |
US20100095653A1 (en) * | 2008-10-22 | 2010-04-22 | Caterpillar Inc. | System and method for heating a reducing agent associated with a reducing agent distribution system |
US20100319321A1 (en) * | 2007-07-03 | 2010-12-23 | Hitachi Corporation Machinery Co., Ltd. | Engine Powered Machine |
-
2012
- 2012-01-24 US US13/356,745 patent/US20130186349A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6810661B2 (en) * | 2002-08-09 | 2004-11-02 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Method and system for freeze protecting liquid NOx reductants for vehicle application |
US20070251226A1 (en) * | 2004-04-30 | 2007-11-01 | Bosch Corporation | Liquid Supply Device for Exhaust Gas Post-Treatment Device |
US20070199308A1 (en) * | 2004-10-29 | 2007-08-30 | Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. | Exhaust emission purifying apparatus for engine |
US7578321B2 (en) * | 2005-10-13 | 2009-08-25 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Freeze protection for on-board vehicle emissions treatment system |
US20080098726A1 (en) * | 2006-10-31 | 2008-05-01 | Caterpillar Inc. | System implementing low-reductant engine operation mode |
US20100319321A1 (en) * | 2007-07-03 | 2010-12-23 | Hitachi Corporation Machinery Co., Ltd. | Engine Powered Machine |
US20090205320A1 (en) * | 2008-02-19 | 2009-08-20 | Caterpillar Inc. | Reducing agent heating system and method |
US20090288734A1 (en) * | 2008-05-21 | 2009-11-26 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Procedure for a reasonability check of a temperature sensor |
US20100095653A1 (en) * | 2008-10-22 | 2010-04-22 | Caterpillar Inc. | System and method for heating a reducing agent associated with a reducing agent distribution system |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9650932B2 (en) | 2014-12-22 | 2017-05-16 | Caterpillar Inc. | Insulated reductant tank |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
CN105121801B (en) | For supplying the device of liquid additive and starting the method for device operation | |
US8234854B2 (en) | System and method for heating a reducing agent associated with a reducing agent distribution system | |
US9032712B2 (en) | Method for heating a delivery system and motor vehicle having a delivery system | |
CN203532016U (en) | Urea spray feeding device with heater | |
RU2535441C2 (en) | Method of air removal from fluid feed system and fluid feed system | |
EP1741887A1 (en) | Liquid feed device for exhaust gas aftertreatment device | |
CN105545421B (en) | System and method for managing diesel exhaust gas fluid layering | |
CN103670629B (en) | The urea pipe method for heating and controlling of the SCR aftertreatment system of motor | |
US20170107881A1 (en) | Device for providing a liquid additive | |
KR20110112230A (en) | Heater for a vehicular fluid tank, motor vehicle comprising same, and method for heating a vehicular fluid tank | |
CN104955541A (en) | Filter apparatus for a liquid vessel, in particular for aqueous urea solution | |
CN101939516A (en) | Process for transferring a liquid using a pump | |
JP2016521828A (en) | Method of operating an apparatus for providing a liquid additive | |
CN105408594A (en) | Method for operating a device for conveying a liquid | |
US10272386B2 (en) | Tank device | |
US20130186349A1 (en) | Reductant supply line heating system | |
WO2012148636A2 (en) | Reductant heater | |
US9038678B2 (en) | Reductant fill system | |
US20130129330A1 (en) | Fluid reservoir having a heating reserve bowl | |
CN209764395U (en) | High-temperature-resistant detection device for urea nozzle | |
CN112267930A (en) | Main and auxiliary urea device and urea supply mode | |
CN111305933B (en) | Urea injection device, urea tank for heating urea and heating method | |
US20140290221A1 (en) | Control unit for urea-water adding device | |
CN103748326A (en) | Additive delivery system and method for controlling said system | |
JP2013531167A (en) | Method and device relating to cooling of the input unit of an SCR system |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CATERPILLAR INC., ILLINOIS Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WRIGHT, CAMERON;GRUEL, CHRISTOPHER;REEL/FRAME:027581/0431 Effective date: 20120118 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |