Patent ID: 7114324
Filing Date: 2006-10-03
Classification: F01N,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A method for operating an internal combustion engine, comprising: providing an exhaust aftertreatment system coupled downstream of the engine, such exhaust aftertreatment system having an injector, a nonthermal plasma discharge device located downstream of the injector, a NOx storage device located downstream of the nonthermal plasma discharge device, and a NOx sensor located downstream of the NOx storage device; determining a desired NO to NO2 conversion efficiency; providing a quantity of fuel and a quantity of electrical energy to the nonthermal plasma discharge device based on said desired conversion efficiency and minimizing a total effective fuel consumption by the nonthermal plasma discharge device; and: determining said total effective fuel consumption as a sum of the quantity of fuel supplied to the nonthermal plasma discharge device and an equivalent fuel consumption quantity, said equivalent fuel consumption quantity is based on an amount of electrical power supplied to the nonthermal plasma discharge device, the overall efficiency of the engine to convert fuel energy into electrical energy, and the energy content of the fuel.