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Urea selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts have the capability to deliver the high NOx conversion efficiencies required for future emission standards. However, the potential for the occasional over-temperature can lead to the irreversible deactivation of the SCR catalyst. On-board diagnostics (OBD) compliance requires monitoring of the SCR function to make sure it is operating properly. Initially, SCR catalyst performance metrics such as NOx conversion, NH3 oxidation, NH3 storage capacity, and BET surface area are within normal limits. However, these features degrade with high temperature aging. In this work, a laboratory flow reactor was utilized to determine the impact on these performance metrics as a function of aging condition. Upon the completion of a full time-at-temperature durability study, four performance criteria were established to help determine a likely SCR failure.

Diesel particulate filters (DPFs) are a technology likely to be deployed to meet future stringent emission levels for heavy and light duty diesel powertrains in North America and Europe. This paper discusses experimental results in the active regeneration of DPFs. Attention is given to the system components, the information based on which regeneration is triggered, and the means to achieve a regeneration. The paper will report on successful regenerations under several extreme conditions.

Over the past decade urea-based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) has become a leading aftertreatment solution to meet increasingly stringent Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions requirements in diesel powertrains. A common trend seen in modern SCR systems is the use of "split-brick" configurations where two SCR catalysts are placed in thermally distinct regions of the aftertreatment. One catalyst is close-coupled to the engine for fast light-off and another catalyst is positioned under-floor to improve performance at high space velocities. Typically, a single injector is located upstream of the first catalyst to provide the reductant necessary for efficient NOx reduction. This paper explores the potential benefit, in terms of improved NOx reduction, control of NH3 slip or reduced reductant consumption, of having independently actuated injectors in front of each catalyst.

Many excellent papers have been written about the subject of estimating engine-out NOx on diesel engines based on real-time available data. The claimed accuracy of these models is typically around 6-10% on validation data sets with known inputs. This reported accuracy typically ignores input uncertainties, thus arriving at an optimistic estimate of the model accuracy in a real-time application. In our paper we analyze the effect of input uncertainty on the accuracy of engine-out NOx estimates via a numerical Monte Carlo simulation and show that this effect can be significant. Even though our model is based on an in-cylinder pressure sensor, this sensor is limited in its capability to reduce the effect of other measured inputs on the model.

Regulatory authorities are actively revising and updating the rules for on board diagnostics of diesel powertrains. Diesel oxidation catalysts are among the parts that will have to be monitored. This paper discusses some of the issues related to the feasibility of monitoring these catalysts. We concentrate on the effect of real world noise factors on the ability to distinguish marginal from threshold catalysts and demonstrate that with current sensor and catalyst technology the separation between the two is poor.

The advancement of Machine-learning (ML) methods enables data-driven creation of Reduced Order Models (ROMs) for automotive components and systems. For example, Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) has emerged as a powerful tool in recent years for building a static ROM as an alternative to a conventional parametric model or a multi-dimensional look-up table. GPR provides a mathematical framework for probabilistically representing complex non-linear behavior. Today, GPR is available in various programing tools and commercial CAE packages. However, the application of GPR is system dependent and often requires careful design considerations such as selection of input features and specification of kernel functions. Hence there is a need for GPR design optimization driven by application requirements. For example, a moving window size for training must be tuned to balance performance and computational efficiency for tracking changing system behavior.

Electrically assisted turbochargers are a promising technology for improving boost response of turbocharged engines. These systems include a turbocharger shaft mounted electric motor/generator. In the assist mode, electrical energy is applied to the turbocharger shaft via the motor function, while in the regenerative mode energy can be extracted from the shaft via the generator function, hence these systems are also referred to as regenerative electrically assisted turbochargers (REAT). REAT allows simultaneous improvement of boost response and fuel economy of boosted engines. This is achieved by optimally scheduling the electrical assist and regeneration actions. REAT also allows the exhaust turbine to operate within a narrow range of optimal vane positions relative to the unassisted variable geometry turbocharger (VGT). The ability to operate within a narrow range of VGT vane positions allows an opportunity for a more optimal turbine design for a REAT system.

The availability of connectivity and autonomy enabled resources, within the automotive sector, has primarily been considered for driver assist technologies and for extending the levels of vehicle autonomy. It is not a stretch to imagine that the additional information, available from connectivity and autonomy, may also be useful in further improving powertrain functions. Critical powertrain subsystems that must operate with limited or uncertain knowledge of their environment stand to benefit from such new information sources. Unfortunately, the adoption of this new information resource has been slow within the powertrain community and has typically been limited to the obvious problem choices such as battery charge management for electric vehicles and efforts related to fuel economy benefits from adaptive/coordinated cruise control. In this paper we discuss the application of connectivity resources in the management of an aftertreatment sub-system, the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).

A wet clutch is an established component in a conventional powertrain. It also finds a new role in electrified systems. For example, a wet clutch is utilized to couple or decouple an internal combustion engine from an electrically-driven drivetrain on demand in hybrid electric vehicles. In some electrical vehicle designs, it provides a means for motor speed reduction. Wet clutch control for those new applications may differ significantly from conventional strategy. For example, actuator pressure may be heavily modulated, causing the clutch to exhibit pronounced hysteresis. The clutch may be required to operate at a very high slip speed for unforeseen behaviors. A linear transfer function is commonly utilized for clutch control in automating shifting applications, assuming that clutch torque is proportional to actuator pressure. However, the linear model becomes inadequate for enabling robust control when the clutch behavior becomes highly nonlinear with hysteresis.