Patent ID: 11952930
Assignee: CUMMINS INC.
Field: Environmental technology (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC F  H  B  Y | IPC F

Claim 0:
1. A vehicle system comprising:
an engine configured to output torque to propel the vehicle system and to output exhaust to an exhaust aftertreatment system, the exhaust aftertreatment system including one or more heating elements;
an electric machine configured to selectably operate as a motor to provide torque to the vehicle system and as a generator to receive torque from the vehicle system;
an inverter module including a plurality of inverter phase legs and an auxiliary leg, the plurality of inverter phase legs being operatively coupled with a first DC rail, a second DC rail, and the electric machine, the auxiliary leg being operatively coupled with the first DC rail and the second DC rail and including an output node intermediate and selectably operatively coupleable with the first DC rail and the second DC rail by operation of a first auxiliary leg switch operatively coupled with the first DC rail and the output node and a second auxiliary leg switch operatively coupled with the second DC rail and the output node, the output node being operatively coupled with the one or more electrical heating elements in the exhaust aftertreatment system, the inverter module further including a capacitor connected to the first DC rail and the second DC rail to output discharge current from the inverter module to the one or more electrical heating elements; and
an electronic control system in operative communication with the inverter module and the exhaust aftertreatment system, the electronic control system being configured to:
evaluate whether the electric machine is operating as the generator,
selectably operate the plurality of inverter phase legs to rectify AC power received from the electric machine,
evaluate whether to heat one or more components of the exhaust aftertreatment system, and
selectably operate at least one of the first and second auxiliary leg switches to receive rectified power from the plurality of inverter phase legs through each of the first DC rail and the second DC rail, and to provide the rectified power from the first DC rail and the second DC rail to the one or more electrical heating elements thermally coupled with the one or more components of the exhaust aftertreatment system effective to heat the one or more components.