In typical exhaust sampling systems, such as constant volume samplers (CVS), engine exhaust is diluted with a make-up gas, or diluent, and a sample of the diluted exhaust is proportionally extracted and stored in one or more sample bags. Depending upon the engine size, drive cycle and ambient conditions, the CVS total flow rate, which includes both the make-up gas and engine exhaust, is selected to ensure the diluted exhaust sample does not condense water when stored in the bags.
In addition to determining an appropriate CVS total flow rate, some systems fill the sample bags with a gas, such as a pre-fill gas, to avoid bag condensation. Some other systems apply heat to the sample bags such that the temperature of the sample is maintained above the dew point.
Disclosed is an exhaust sampling system including a plurality of exhaust sampling system zones. The zones are, at least, a sampling conduit, a fill circuit, and a read circuit. A controller is programmed to predict a minimum dilution ratio to avoid condensation in one of the exhaust sampling system zones. The controller is further programmed to run a test procedure in which a sample of exhaust is diluted with a make-up gas at a selected minimum dilution ratio that is greater than or equal to the predicted minimum dilution ratio. Further disclosed are methods of predicting whether condensation occurs during a test procedure.
These and other features of the present disclosure can be best understood from the following drawings and detailed description.
The drawings can be briefly described as follows:
A schematic view of an example exhaust sampling system 10 is shown in
The example system 10 includes a sampling conduit 12 configured to receive a make-up air 14 and exhaust 16 from an engine 18. The make-up air 14 is directed to the sampling conduit 12 by way of an inlet 20 formed in one end of the sampling conduit. The inlet 20 is provided with a filter 22 in this example. A pump 24 is positioned opposite the inlet 20 to draw a desired amount of make-up air into the sampling conduit 12. Exhaust 16 is directed into the sampling conduit 12 by way of a tail pipe 26.
As used herein, the term exhaust refers to the various fluids emitted from an engine (including gasses and vapors), as well as the particulate matter (PM) suspended therein. PM is commonly emitted from engines and typically includes carbonaceous matter in elemental form (or, soot) and carbonaceous matter in the form of volatile and semi-volatile hydrocarbon compounds (which may be SOF, or soluble organic fraction), and other organic and inorganic compounds (such as sulfates). The make-up air discussed above can be any type of diluent, such as ambient air, whose water concentration is known or readily determinable.
As illustrated, the sampling conduit 12 further includes a mixer 28, a tunnel 30, a heat exchanger 32, and a measuring device 34. A detailed discussion of these components is present in U.S. Pat. No. 7,559,262. While the sampling conduit includes these components 28, 30, 32, 34 in this example, this application extends to other types of sampling conduits, including conduits without these components.
Downstream of the inlet 20 and the tail pipe 26 is a sampler 36 for extracting a sample of the mixture of the makeup gas 14 and the exhaust 16. The mixture of the makeup gas 14 and the exhaust 16 is referred to herein as the diluted exhaust. The sample, sampled by sampler 36, is referred to as the diluted exhaust sample.
Downstream of the sampler 36, the diluted exhaust sample is directed through a fill circuit 38. In this example, the fill circuit includes a valve 40, pump 42, and a flow meter 44. The fill circuit 38 further includes independently adjustable valves 46 leading to a respective sample bag 48. While the fill circuit 38 is shown including the valve 40, pump 42 and flow meter 44, the fill circuit could include any combination of components, as desired. As used herein, use of the term fill circuit 38 refers to the portion of the sampling system 10 downstream of the sampling conduit 12 and upstream of the sample bags 48. The term fill circuit can be inclusive of the sampler 36, in some examples.
As illustrated, the fill circuit 38 directs the diluted exhaust sample to two sample bags 48, however this application extends to disclosures which include any number of bags, including only one sample bag. Depending on the number of sample bags 48, the number of valves 46 can be adjusted accordingly.
Downstream of the bags 48 is a read circuit 50, which includes independently adjustable valves 52, a pump 54, a flow meter 55, and an emissions analyzer 56, which may be a bench-type analysis unit. Like the fill circuit 38, the read circuit 50 may include any combination of desired components. As used herein, the term read circuit 50 refers to the portion of the sampling system 10 downstream of the bags 48.
A controller 58, which may be any type of known computer including a computer readable medium with the capability of storing instructions executable by the controller. The controller 58 is further in communication with each of the disclosed system components. For example, the controller is operable to control and monitor the engine 18, and is further capable of independently operating the various pumps 24, 42, 54 and valves 40, 46, 52.
Variations of the system 10 come within the scope of this disclosure. For example, in one variation the system 10 fills the sample bags 48 with a gas, such as a pre-fill gas from a source 60, before filling the bags with the diluted exhaust sample to ensure an accurate measurement at the analyzer 56. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,559,262. This disclosure extends to systems that do not include a pre-filling feature. This disclosure further extends to systems that include a post-filling feature either alone, or in combination with, a pre-filling feature.
In another example, the system 10 includes a mini-diluter 62, such as the one illustrated in
With reference back to
The diluted exhaust sample is directed from the sampling conduit 12 to the sample bags 48, by way of the fill circuit 38. The diluted exhaust sample is collected in the sample bags 48 during the test procedure. Following the test procedure, the diluted exhaust sample is directed from sample bags 48 downstream to the read circuit 50, and ultimately to an analyzer 56.
During test procedures such as the example procedure described above, the formation of condensation in the diluted exhaust sample not only leads to inaccurate test results, but certain legislation prohibits condensation from being permitted inside the sample bags. New legislation is even more restrictive, and prohibits condensation from forming in more than just the sample bags 48. In other words, if condensation occurs at any point in the sampling system 10 during a test procedure, the new legislation effectively renders that test procedure compromised, and a new test procedure would be required.
Accordingly, this disclosure considers not only the sample bags 48, but alternatively, or in addition, considers at least one of the read circuit 38, the fill circuit 50, and the sampling conduit 12, when selecting a minimum dilution ratio DRCVS-MIN for the exhaust 16.
In general, the dilution ratio DRCVS is defined in accordance with the following:
where QM is the make-up gas 14 flow rate and QEX is an exhaust 16 flow rate. Once DRCVS-MIN is selected (e.g., DRCVS is set to DRCVS-MIN), as discussed below, then the flow rate in the sampling conduit QCVS is provided in accordance with:
Q
CVS=DRCVS-MIN·Qex-ave
where Qex-ave is an average expected exhaust 16 flow rate during a test procedure. Alternatively, Qex-ave could be a running average of exhaust 16 flow rate during the procedure. Given DRCVS-MIN, the controller 58 is operable to provide an appropriate QCVS.
As generally mentioned above, the problem of condensation could be avoided by excessively diluting the exhaust 16 with the make-up gas 14. However, this would lead to an exhaust sample that would be extremely difficult to analyze, due to the high content of make-up gas 14 in the diluted exhaust sample. Accordingly, in one example of this disclosure the minimum dilution ratio DRCVS-MIN is selected such that it is as low as possible, while still being high enough to avoid condensation within the various components of the exhaust sampling system 10. To find this optimum DRCVS-MIN, dilution ratios to avoid condensation in the fill circuit 38, the bags 48, the read circuit 50, and the sampling conduit 12 are separately determined, and the minimum dilution ratio of the exhaust 16 is set such that it is greater than or equal to a maximum of the predicted dilution ratios.
In particular, and with reference to
where Wex-max is a maximum expected water concentration in the exhaust during the test procedure, Wfill-sat is an expected saturated water concentration to be associated with the fill circuit 38 during the test procedure, and Wm is an expected water concentration in the make-up gas during the test procedure. In one example, Wfill-sat is determined from the following equation:
where PH20-vap is a saturation vapor pressure that is identified using a known method (for example, a look-up table). In another example, PH20-vap is identified using certain federal regulations as a guide. In this example, the input temperature Tfill is an expected average temperature of the diluted exhaust sample in the fill circuit 38 during a given test procedure. Pfill is an expected average pressure of the diluted exhaust sample in the fill circuit 38 during the test procedure. Tfill and Pfill can be determined by considering ambient conditions, for example, as well as the Tfill and Pfill present during prior, similar tests. In one example, Tfill, is selected such that it is above the dew point of the mixture of the make-up gas 14 and the exhaust 16 at the minimum dilution ratio expected during testing, thus providing a built-in safety factor.
The remaining variables in the DRfill-min equation, Wex-max and Wm, are predicted based on inputs from the engine and the surrounding system. For example, the composition of the fuel combusted by the engine, as well as the properties and composition of the engine intake air will impact the water concentration in the exhaust, Wex-max. In the example where the make-up gas 14 is ambient air, the water concentration in the make-up gas 14 is determined based on parameters such as the temperature and pressure of the surroundings of the system 10. Various pressure and temperature sensors can be positioned relative to the system 10, and these sensors are capable of communicating with the controller 58.
At 70, a minimum dilution ratio to avoid condensation in the read circuit, DRread-min, is predicted. Similar to DRfill-min, DRread-min is predicted in accordance with:
where Wm is defined above, Wex-ave is an is a average expected water concentration in the exhaust during the test procedure, and Wread-sat is an expected saturated water concentration to be associated with the read circuit 50 during the test procedure. Wread-sat is determined in a manner similar to Wfill-sat, above, and is based on Tread and Pread, an expected average temperature and pressure of the diluted exhaust sample in the read circuit 50 during a given test procedure. In particular, in the example, Tread is set above the dew point that corresponds to the water content in the diluted exhaust sample, and Pread is above a pressure to which the diluted exhaust sample is raised when pumping (e.g., with pump 54) to the analyzer 56.
Likewise, a predicted minimum dilution ratio is determined for the bags at 72. DRbag-min is predicted in accordance with:
where Wbag-sat is an expected saturated water concentration to be associated with the at least one sample bag 48 during the test procedure. Wbag-sat is determined in a manner similar to Wread-sat and Wfill-sat, above, and is based on and Pbag, an expected average temperature and pressure of the diluted exhaust sample within the bags 48 during a test procedure. Tbag will need to be above the dew point of the diluted exhaust sample in some examples. When computing DRbag-min, some examples could substitute Wex-ave with a maximum integrated value for the concentration of water in the exhaust gas, to protect for peak exhaust. That is, while the actual Wex-ave could be used some examples would substitute the value for Wex-ave with the average plus a test-dependent margin.
Further, a predicted minimum dilution ratio is determined for the sampling conduit 12, at 73. DRtun-min is predicted in accordance with:
where Wex-max and Wm are defined above, and Wtun-sat is an expected saturated water concentration to be associated with the sampling conduit 12 during the test procedure. Wsamp-cond-sat is determined in a manner similar to Wfill-sat, above, and is based on Tsamp-cond and Psamp-cond, an expected average temperature and pressure of the diluted exhaust sample in the sampling conduit 12 during a given test procedure. In particular, in the example, Tsamp-cond is set above the dew point that corresponds to the water content in the diluted exhaust sample, and Psamp-cond is assumed to be equal to atmospheric pressure.
In one example, during the test, the actual temperature of bags is higher by roughly 4-5° C. than the Tbag used in the calculations, to give some safety factor. Pbag may vary between the calculations and actual test conditions to provide a safety factor. Likewise, DRfill-min and DRread-min can be provided with built-in safety factors.
Once these minimum dilution ratios are predicted at steps 68, 70 and 72, the controller 58 selects an exhaust minimum dilution ratio, DRCVS-MIN, that is greater than or equal to a maximum of the predicted minimum dilution ratios, DRfill-min, DRbag-min, DRread-min, and DRsamp-cond-min·DRCVS-MIN is selected, at 74, as follows:
DRCVS-MIN≧max(DRfill-min, DRread-min, DRbag-min, DRsamp-cond-min)
In one example test procedure, exhaust 16 is diluted with the make-up gas 14 at a ratio equal to DRCVS-MIN. It is possible in some examples to dilute the exhaust at a ratio above the maximum of the predicted ratios for an added safety factor. However, as mentioned above, more accurate test results are possible with a lower dilution ratio. In one example, DRCVS-MIN is selected such that the make-up gas 14 is mixed with the exhaust 16 at a ratio within a range of 1:1 and 10:1.
The ratios DRfill-min, DRbag-min, DRread-min, DRsamp-cond-min, and DRCVS-MIN are absolute minimums, such that the minimum dilution ratio should not drop below DRCVS-MIN at any point during the test procedure. In another example, the overall average dilution ratio over the course of a test would not drop below DRCVS-MIN. In yet another example, the ratios are running averages, such that a running average of the dilution should not drop below DRCVS-MIN.
In another example, the controller 58 dilutes the exhaust 18 at a ratio DRCVS-MIN determined based on at least one test parameter, which can include parameters from an engine or vehicle performance model 78 and parameters 80 of the system 10, as illustrated in
Regardless of how DRCVS-MIN is selected, average and maximum exhaust flow rate from the engine or vehicle over the course of the test procedure Qex-ave and Qex-max, can be estimated by given values, or, for example, can be predicted based on an estimated engine horsepower throughout the test procedure. Then the minimum QCVS-min used throughout the test procedure can be provided as follows:
Q
CVS-min≧max(Qex-max·DRfill-min, Qex-ave·DRread-min, Qex-max·DRbag-min, Qex-max·DRsamp-cond-min)
In one example, the at least one test parameter includes such parameters as resistive load (e.g., dyno coefficients), engine RPM, fuel type, fuel composition, engine or vehicle intake air properties and composition, and combustion efficiency. Certain exhaust sampling system parameters would also be relevant in determining a minimum dilution ratio, as generally mentioned above, and would impact the engine performance model 78. These parameters 80 include Tfill and Pfill, Tread and Pread, Tbag and Pbag, Tsamp-cond and Psamp-cond and the composition properties of the make-up gas 14 (e.g., portions attributable to N2, O2, etc). For these parameters, a known engine performance model is determinable, and the controller can select a flow rate QCVS for a required minimum dilution ratio DRCVS-MIN.
Alternatively, the minimum dilution ratio selected for the test of
During the test, at 82, the controller 58 will monitor the actual performance of the test parameters relative to the model to determine whether the difference between the two indicates a possible condensation in the exhaust sampling system 10, at 84. If such an indication is present such that the tests may be compromised by potential condensation, the test procedure is ended at 86.
A graphical representation of a scenario indicating a possible compromise in the test procedure is shown in
In one example, during the test procedure, the controller 58 monitors RPM of the engine 18 relative to a model relating engine RPM to minimum dilution ratio. If the engine RPM exceeds the value associated with the model such that the minimum dilution ratio DRCVS-MIN is not sufficient to avoid condensation, as represented in the shaded area of
Another feature of this disclosure is represented in the flowchart of
This disclosure can be used to avoid condensation in more than just the sample bags of an exhaust system. As noted, there are several reasons to avoid condensation in more than just the sample bags, including more accurate testing, and compliance with new regulations.
This disclosure can be used to interrupt a compromised test procedure by monitoring for condensation during the test, rather than determining, after a completed test, that condensation had occurred. Interrupting a compromised test leads to time and cost savings relative to the alternative.
Although the different examples have the specific components shown in the illustrations, embodiments of this invention are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from one of the examples in combination with features or components from another one of the examples.
One of ordinary skill in this art would understand that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and non-limiting. That is, modifications of this disclosure would come within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the following claims should be studied to determine their true scope and content.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/478,170 filed on May 23, 2012. The entire disclosure of the application referenced above is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13478170 | May 2012 | US |
Child | 15080623 | US |