U.S. patent application number 14/917822 was filed with the patent office on 2016-08-04 for module for an scr system and system comprising same.
This patent application is currently assigned to PLASTIC OMNIUM ADVANCED INNOVATION AND RESEARCH. The applicant listed for this patent is PLASTIC OMNIUM ADVANCED INNOVATION AND RESEARCH. Invention is credited to Romain HERDIER, Frederic JANNOT, Volodia NAYDENOV.
Application Number | 20160222860 14/917822 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49150803 |
Filed Date | 2016-08-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160222860 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HERDIER; Romain ; et
al. |
August 4, 2016 |
MODULE FOR AN SCR SYSTEM AND SYSTEM COMPRISING SAME
Abstract
A module for an SCR system including: a base plate including a
socket and a first sensor of a first type mounted in the socket; an
electrical interface connected to the first sensor. The electrical
interface is configured to alternatively connect to a second sensor
of a second type.
Inventors: |
HERDIER; Romain; (Uccle,
BE) ; NAYDENOV; Volodia; (Louvain-La-Neuve, BE)
; JANNOT; Frederic; (Bousval, BE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
PLASTIC OMNIUM ADVANCED INNOVATION AND RESEARCH |
Brussels |
|
BE |
|
|
Assignee: |
PLASTIC OMNIUM ADVANCED INNOVATION
AND RESEARCH
Brussels
BE
|
Family ID: |
49150803 |
Appl. No.: |
14/917822 |
Filed: |
September 10, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
September 10, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2014/069322 |
371 Date: |
March 9, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F01N 2900/1811 20130101;
Y02T 10/12 20130101; Y02A 50/20 20180101; F01N 2610/148 20130101;
Y02T 10/24 20130101; F01N 2900/1818 20130101; F01N 11/002 20130101;
F01N 2530/18 20130101; Y02A 50/2325 20180101; F01N 2610/02
20130101; F01N 3/2066 20130101; F01N 3/2896 20130101; F01N
2610/1406 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F01N 11/00 20060101
F01N011/00; F01N 3/28 20060101 F01N003/28; F01N 3/20 20060101
F01N003/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 10, 2013 |
EP |
13183685.0 |
Claims
1-6. (canceled)
7. A module for an SCR system, the module comprising: a base plate
including a socket and a first sensor of a first type mounted in
the socket: an electrical interface connected to the first sensor;
wherein the electrical interface is configured to alternatively
connect to a second sensor of a second type.
8. A module according to claim 7, wherein the first sensor is a
combined temperature and urea quality sensor, and wherein the
second sensor is a temperature sensor.
9. A module according to claim 7, wherein the first sensor is a
combined temperature sensor, quality sensor, and urea level sensor,
and wherein the second sensor is a combined temperature sensor and
urea level sensor.
10. An SCR system comprising: a module according to claim 7; and an
ECU; the electrical interface connecting the first sensor to the
ECU; wherein the ECU is configured to read out a signal received
via the electrical interface as digital sensor data.
11. The SCR system according to claim 10, wherein the ECU is
further configured to read out a signal received from the
electrical interface as analog sensor data, when the signal
originates from a temperature sensor.
12. A motor vehicle comprising the SCR system according to claim
10.
Description
[0001] The present invention pertains to systems for selective
catalytic reduction of NO in the exhaust gas of internal combustion
engines. In particular, the present invention pertains to a module
including sensors for assessing properties of the content of a urea
tank (for example, temperature and/or quality).
[0002] International patent application publication WO 2007/141312
A1 in the name of the present applicant discloses a system for
storing an internal combustion engine exhaust gas liquid additive,
the said system comprising a tank for storing the additive and an
"immersed" baseplate positioned through an opening made in the
bottom wall of the tank, the said baseplate comprising at least one
orifice through which a system for injecting the said additive into
the exhaust gases can be fed, and also incorporating at least one
other active component of the storage system and/or of the
injection system. It is known from this document to equip the base
plate with a temperature sensor, a quality sensor, or a pressure
sensor. This document does not address the spatial issues of
placing multiple sensors on the base plate. If the system needs to
accommodate multiple sensors, it is customary to arrange one or
more sensors at a different place in the tank, off the base
plate.
[0003] It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to
overcome this disadvantage. According to an aspect of the
invention, there is provided a module for an SCR system, the module
having a base plate with a socket and a first sensor (101) mounted
in said socket, the module further comprising an electrical
interface connected to a first sensor (101) of a first type,
wherein said electrical interface is also adapted to alternatively
connect to a second sensor (102) of a second type.
[0004] Thus it is proposed a module with a versatile electrical
interface. In other words, the module is equipped with an
electrical interface with can operate with a sensor of a first
type, and which can also operate with a sensor of a second
type.
[0005] Thus, in a first configuration, the electrical interface is
connected with a sensor of a first type. In a second configuration,
the electrical interface is connected with a sensor of a second
type.
[0006] For instance, said first sensor is a combined temperature
and urea quality sensor, and said second sensor is a temperature
sensor.
[0007] Embodiments of the present invention are based on the
insight of the inventor that while it may be possible to place a
combined quality and temperature sensor on the base plate to save
space, this would require a redesign of the entire module. In
addition, the resulting module would be more expensive, regardless
of whether the quality measurement function is actually desired by
the end customer. Thus, the invention provides a module
architecture that supports a combined quality and temperature
sensor, which could be replaced by a temperature sensor depending
on the requirements of the customer, without requiring substantive
modifications. In some embodiments, minor modifications may be
needed, as will be described in more detail below.
[0008] The urea quality is any physical feature specific to the
urea.
[0009] For instance, this quality is the concentration of urea.
This quality may then be measured directly, or indirectly through
the measurement of another physical feature of the urea, such as
viscosity, capacity, density, opacity.
[0010] According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided
an SCR system comprising a module as described above and an ECU,
the electrical interface connecting the combined temperature and
urea quality sensor to the ECU, wherein the ECU is configured to
read out a signal received via the electrical interface as digital
sensor data. In an embodiment of the SCR system according to the
present invention, the ECU is further configured to read out a
signal received from the electrical interface as analog sensor
data, when the signal originates from a temperature sensor.
[0011] It is an advantage of this embodiment that the SCR system
may be equipped with a combined quality and temperature sensor, or
a temperature sensor, depending on the requirements of the
customer, without requiring modifications of the wiring or the
ECU.
[0012] In a variant of this embodiment, the first sensor is a
combined temperature sensor, quality sensor, and a urea level
sensor, and the second sensor is a temperature sensor and a urea
level sensor.
[0013] A further advantage is that said sensor is able to take
measurements at the point closest to the urea suction point.
[0014] According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a
motor vehicle comprising the SCR system as described above.
[0015] These and other aspects and advantages of the present
invention will now be described in more detail with reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 represents a module according to an embodiment of the
present invention; and
[0017] FIG. 2 represents a module having a slightly different
socket, in which a temperature sensor is mounted instead of a
combined temperature and quality sensor.
[0018] FIG. 1 represents a base plate 110 of a delivery module for
a vehicular fluid tank, in particular a urea solution tank of an
SCR system. Reference is made to WO 2009/007405, in the name of the
present applicant, for a detailed description of a known module.
Fluid communication between the inside and the outside of the tank
is achieved by means of tubes passing through the base plate 110
(not visible in the views reproduced here). The base plate 110 is
sometimes referred to in the art as the "flange". The module may be
attached to a tank wall by placing it over an opening provided for
that purpose, and securing it.
[0019] The module of FIG. 1 integrates a combined quality and
temperature sensor 101, i.e. a quality sensor also capable of
measuring temperature. This allows replacing the temperature sensor
of current designs by the quality and temperature sensor. The
module design and the electronic architecture according to the
invention are such that the combined quality and temperature
sensor, and the "legacy" temperature sensor of the SCR module
become intercheangeable.
[0020] In FIG. 2, the module is shown with a legacy temperature
sensor 102.
[0021] The interchangeability may be achieved with physically
identical module forms (i.e., where the two types of sensors have
the same footprint and the same mechanical mounting means), or with
different module forms which can be produced with minimal changes
to the moulding process (e.g., by moulding the actual mounting
socket by means of an interchangeable socket). In both cases, the
production process becomes highly uniform for both variants. In
particular, the electrical interface at the bottom of the base
plate (the side facing outwards of the tank, not visible in the
views reproduced here) is identical for both variants, such that no
distinction needs to be made in the further wiring and assembly
process.
[0022] The ECU is preferably capable of correctly reading the
incoming signal on the same wire pair, regardless of whether the
connected sensor is a combined quality and temperature sensor or a
temperature sensor, notwithstanding the fact that sensors of the
former type typically provide a digital signal, while sensors of
the latter type provides an analog signal. The inventors have found
that this effect can be achieved by branching the sensor signal in
parallel towards a digital I/O port and to an analog (diagnostic)
port. When the digital sensor signal on the digital input port is
detected as timeout (continuous analog signal) and there is no
fault detected on analog (diagnostic) input, then the temperature
sensor is connected and the analog (diagnostic) port is used to
measure the temperature sensor signal; otherwise the combined
quality and temperature sensor is connected and the digital port is
used to read the signal from the combined quality and temperature
sensor.
[0023] The module of the present invention may be mounted in a urea
tank of an SCR system. The SCR system may be arranged in a vehicle
with an internal combustion engine.
[0024] While the invention has been described hereinabove with
reference to separate embodiments, this was done for clarifying
purposes only. The skilled person will appreciate that features
described in connection one embodiment, can also be applied to
other embodiments, with the same technical effects and advantages.
Furthermore, the scope of the invention is not limited to these
embodiments, but is defined by the accompanying claims.
* * * * *