CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Stage application of PCT/EP2018/072725, filed Aug. 23, 2018, and published on Feb. 27, 2020, as WO 2020/038577 A1, all of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a method for controlling an internal combustion engine system provided with e.g. an EGR system and a gas feeding device for feeding exhaust gas in the EGR system. The invention also relates to an internal combustion engine system, a vehicle and controlling devices for controlling the above method.

The invention can typically be applied in heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks, buses and construction equipment, but can also be applied in other types of applications and in other types of vehicles and vessels. Although the invention will be described with respect to a truck, the invention is not restricted to this particular vehicle.

BACKGROUND

EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) is a well-known means for reducing the amounts of nitrogen oxide (NOx) in the exhaust gas of internal combustion engines, for instance diesel engines arranged for propulsion of vehicles, such as trucks. A part of the exhaust gas is recirculated to the intake side of the engine, which lowers the maximum combustion temperature in the engine and reduces the production of NOx.

An EGR system can be arranged in different ways but includes at least some form of EGR channel that fluidly connects the exhaust side and the intake side of the engine. Commonly, an EGR system includes an EGR flow control valve and an EGR cooler.

Control of the EGR flow in EGR systems is associated with various challenges, such as fluctuating intake and exhaust pressures, hardware durability problems due to high exhaust gas temperatures and soot deposition, condensation and corrosion in EGR cooler, etc. A further challenge is that during certain operational conditions in many engines, and during most of the time for certain engines provided with an efficient turbo arrangement, the pressure at the intake side is higher than at the exhaust side so there is no driving force for recirculating the exhaust gas.

To overcome the challenge related to a higher pressure at the intake side than at the exhaust side U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,166 proposes the use of a gas feeder (an EGR pump/compressor) for feeding gas from the exhaust side to the intake side. Although such a gas feeder seems to solve the intended problem this solution is rare on commercial engines, possibly due to durability problems.

Alternative ways of dealing with a higher pressure at the intake side is to make use of a variable geometry turbo (VGT) arrangement for controlling the exhaust gas pressure (i.e. for keeping the exhaust gas pressure sufficiently high). A drawback of such a VGT arrangement is a fuel consumption penalty related to the increased exhaust back pressure. Another way is to supply EGR into the intake duct via a venturi nozzle. A drawback of venturis is that they are typically associated with a significant loss in pressure, in particular for large flows of gas. A further way is to generate a pulsed EGR flow by arranging a non-return valve in the EGR conduit that provides for a flow towards the intake side each time there is pulse of exhaust gas but where return flow between the pulses is prevented. A drawback related to pulsed EGR flow is difficulties in controlling the flow.

There is thus a need for an EGR system that provides for an effective and reliable recirculation of exhaust gas also when the pressure is higher on the intake side than on the exhaust side.

SUMMARY

An object of the invention is to provide a method and a device, which method/device provides for, compared to known methods and devices, a more effective and reliable recirculation of exhaust gas in an internal combustion engine system when the pressure is higher on the intake side than on the exhaust side.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a method according to claim1. According to a second aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a device (engine system and vehicle) according to the independent device claim. According to a further aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a computer-related product/medium or a control unit for controlling the method.

The method relates to a method for controlling an internal combustion engine system, wherein the internal combustion engine system is provided with an air intake duct, an exhaust gas duct and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, wherein the EGR system comprises an EGR conduit that fluidly connects the exhaust duct and the intake duct, and wherein a gas feeding device is arranged in the EGR conduit, said gas feeding device being configured to feed exhaust gas from the exhaust duct to the intake duct during operation of the engine system.

The method is characterized in that it comprises the step of: detecting a risk of freezing of condensed water in the EGR conduit; and, in case such a risk is detected and in case the gas feeding device is not in operation, operating the gas feeding device.

The method is intended to be carried out when the engine system has cooled down some time after having turned off the general operation of the engine system. A main purpose of the method is to prevent freezing of the gas feeding device and thereby prevent freezing-related damage to the gas feeding device or to a drive source/motor arranged to drive the gas feeding device. If water is present in the gas feeding device, that typically is equipped with rotary members intended to rotate inside a surrounding housing, and if this water is allowed to freeze, there is a risk that the gas feeding device or the drive source will be damaged, either during the freezing process when the water expands while forming ice or when the engine system, including the gas feeding device, is started. According to the invention the risk of freezing is detected and, if so (for instance because the outside temperature is below 0° C.), the gas feeding device is operated so as to remove the water from the device and/or so as to keep the moveable parts of the device in motion to avoid freezing inside the device. The method is of course of primary interest for engine systems used under cold conditions, such as engine systems provided onto vehicles operating in e.g. Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, high-altitude countries, etc. The method may be carried out on a vehicle that has been parked for a long time.

The method thus provides for an effective and reliable recirculation of exhaust gas, in particular in an internal combustion engine system where the pressure is higher on the intake side than on the exhaust side, in that the method eliminates or at least reduces durability problems related to gas feeding devices used for feeding recirculated exhaust gas. In short, the method contributes to making EGR gas feeding devices of interest for commercial engines.

As a response to the freeze-risk detection, the gas feeding device may be operated in a normal direction (i.e. the direction used during normal operation of the engine system) or in a reverse direction, or in alternating directions. That is, rotary members of the gas feeding device may be rotated in the normal rotational direction or in the reverse direction, or be rotated back and forth in alternating rotational directions. This operation of the gas feeding device has an additional advantageous effect in that it may at least partly remove deposited material (soot etc.) that may have accumulated in the gas feeding device. This effect is likely to be particularly significant when the gas feeding device is operated in the reverse direction. Besides preventing freezing, the above method may thus also improve the (long-term) function of the gas feeding device (since it may prevent long-term build-up of deposited material).

In an embodiment the step of detecting the freezing risk comprises the step of determining a temperature in or close to the gas feeding device. The temperature may be directly measured in or close to the gas feeding device but it is also possible to measure or determine in some other way the temperature at some distance from the gas feeding device and calculate or estimate the temperature in or close to the gas feeding device. Various approximation may be used since it is not critical that the exact temperature is determined; it is sufficient that a risk of freezing is detected. A threshold value, for instance 3° C., can be set for the temperature and be used as a trigger for operating the gas feeding device (if not already in operation). That is, if the determined temperature is below the threshold value the gas feeding device is started.

In an embodiment the step of determining the temperature comprises at least two temperature determinations carried out at different points in time so as to allow a determination of a change of the temperature in or close to the gas feeding device. This provides for the use of, in addition to the threshold value for the temperature, a threshold value also for the (rate of) change of the temperature as a trigger for operating the gas feeding device. The number of temperature determinations can of course be much higher than two; the temperature may be determined e.g. each second or each minute. The determination of the change of the temperature can be rather rough, it might e.g. be sufficient to classify the temperature as increasing, decreasing or constant using a time base of, say, 10 min (and using a reasonable accuracy in the classification). As an example, the combined thresholds can be used to decide to start operation of the gas feeding device if the temperature is 3° C. and decreasing but to decide not to start operation of the gas feeding device if the temperature is 3° C. but increasing. Various variants are possible.

In an embodiment the step of detecting the freezing risk comprises the step of determining a humidity in the EGR conduit. The humidity may be measured in the EGR conduit by means of a humidity sensor or may be calculated/estimated based on a determined temperature and information on engine system operating parameters prior to turning off the general operation of the engine system. Knowledge of the humidity can be used to detect an EGR condensation risk and can therefore be used in the step of detecting the risk of freezing of condensed water in the EGR conduit. For instance, in some engine systems it may be that if the humidity is below a certain threshold the amount of condensed water can be considered to be so small that it is not required to operate the gas feeding device even if the determined temperature indicates that there is a freezing risk.

In an embodiment the step of operating the gas feeding device is carried out so as to pump any condensed water out from the EGR conduit or at least out from the gas feeding device. This is very useful if condensed water has accumulated in the gas feeding device. Most, if not all, devices configured to feed gas can to some degree also feed/pump water (although great caution might be needed to avoid damages). The pumping of water can be done in either direction of the EGR conduit with reverse or normal rotational direction of a rotary member in the gas feeding device and the pumping direction to choose depends e.g. on where the gas feeding device is positioned in the EGR conduit in relation to intake duct, exhaust duct, EGR cooler, etc. The pumping operation can be terminated, i.e. the gas feeding device can be turned off, when the water has been removed, which might take only some seconds.

In an embodiment the step of operating the gas feeding device is carried out by operating the gas feeding device in a low-power mode in which the capability of the gas feeding device to feed gas is smaller than during normal operational conditions but where moving parts of the gas feeding device are kept in motion. This is not the same as pumping out water but is instead a form of “creep mode” for the gas feeding device useful at low temperatures for keeping movable parts, such as rotary members, in motion and thereby prevent freezing in the gas feeding device and prevent that the moveable parts get stuck. For instance, rotary members may be rotated one round per minute or similar. Continuous motion of the moveable parts is preferred. The gas feeding device may be operated in the low-power mode for a relatively long time (hours, days, or even longer depending on e.g. power demand and available energy, such as power demand for an electric motor used for driving the gas feeding device and available electric energy in an electric energy storage device/battery). The gas feeding device may be set in the low-power (“creep”) mode after the step of pumping out water from the gas feeding device.

In an embodiment the step of operating the gas feeding device in the low-power mode comprises the step of: determining whether a rotational friction of a rotary member of the gas feeding device exceeds a threshold value, and, in case the threshold value is exceeded, increasing a drive power of a drive motor arranged to drive the gas feeding device and the moving parts to a power level higher than a power level normally used in the low-power mode. An increased rotational friction of such a rotary member, i.e. a rotational friction above the threshold, indicates that freezing may have started and/or that accumulations of deposited material may partly prevent free rotation of the rotary member. Increasing the drive power of the drive motor can in such a situation be useful for increasing the rotational speed and thereby securing that freezing is avoided and/or increasing the chances of removing the deposited material. The increased drive power may be used during a certain predetermined time period or until a further determination of the rotational friction shows that it has fallen below the threshold.

The determination of the rotational friction may comprise one or more of the following steps:measuring a torque applied to the rotary member;measuring the driving power of the drive motor, such as a drive motor current of an electric drive motor arranged to rotate a rotary member of the gas feeding device;measuring an actual rotational speed of a rotary member; and/ormeasuring a response time of a rotary member between a change in driving power and a resulting change of rotational speed.

The rotational friction can thus be determined indirectly from different measurements and calculations and combinations thereof.

In an embodiment the method is carried out within a threshold time interval after switching off the internal combustion engine system. The threshold time may be adjusted depending on e.g. the ambient/outdoor temperature. As an example, the method might be automatically started one hour after switching off the engine system (and after parking the vehicle onto which the engine system is arranged) if the ambient temperature is between 0° C. and −3° C. If the ambient temperature is lower the method can be automatically started after a shorter time period. In this case the trigger for starting the method is thus a certain time period after switching off in combination with an ambient temperature, which is in contrast to the example given above where a determined temperature in or close to the gas feeding device works as the trigger. Both triggers may be activated so that the method can be started as a response to either of the triggers.

In an embodiment the method is carried out within an arbitrary interval after switching off the internal combustion engine system. This means that the initiation of the method is not strictly related to the point of time of switching off the engine system. Instead the method can be started as a response to a certain temperature (ambient temperature or temperature in or close to the gas feeding device) or other trigger, such as a manual action. If there is no freezing risk at all the method may be completely inactivated (but may still be activated and run to remove accumulated deposits).

In an embodiment the gas feeding device is configured to feed exhaust gas by means of at least one rotating member.

In an embodiment the gas feeding device is configured to feed exhaust gas by means of a displacement pump, preferably a Roots type blower having a pair of rotors provided with meshing lobes. Such a pump is suitable for feeding the exhaust gas but seems to be unreliable in this particular application if not subject to e.g. anti-freezing measures and possibly also recurrent monitoring of its function and various cleaning actions to remove depositions of soot etc.

In an embodiment the engine system comprises a drive motor, such as an electric motor, arranged to drive the gas feeding device. The drive motor is typically arranged to rotate rotary members of the gas feeding device. An electric drive motor is particularly suitable for driving the gas feeding device since such a motor relatively can be controlled to drive the device at different speeds and in different directions and also to start or stop at a distinct point in time.

According to the second aspect the invention relates to an internal combustion engine system configured to control anyone of the above method steps.

According to a variant of the second aspect the invention relates to a vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine system of the above type.

According to the further aspect the invention relates to:

a computer program product comprising program code means for controlling the steps of the above method when said program product is run on a computer;

a computer readable medium carrying a computer program comprising program code means for controlling the steps of the above method when said program product is run on a computer; and

a control unit for controlling the internal combustion engine system of the above type, the control unit being configured to control the steps of the above method.

Further advantages and advantageous features of the invention are disclosed in the following description and in the dependent claims.

