Patent ID: 8813478

Claim:
An exhaust gas treatment system for an internal combustion engine, comprising: an exhaust gas conduit in fluid communication with, and configured to receive an exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine, the exhaust gas containing oxides of nitrogen (“NO x ”) and water; an oxidation catalyst (“OC”) device in fluid communication with the exhaust gas conduit and configured to receive the exhaust gas, wherein the OC device treats hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide to form carbon dioxide and water; a flow-through container of absorbent particles in fluid communication with the exhaust gas conduit and configured to receive the exhaust gas wherein the flow-through container is located downstream of the OC device, wherein the flow-through container substantially adsorbs water from the exhaust gas below a threshold temperature; an electrically heated catalyst (“EHC”) device in fluid communication with the exhaust gas conduit and configured to receive the exhaust gas, wherein the EHC device is located downstream of the OC device and the flow through container of absorbent particles, and wherein the EHC device is selectively activated to produce heat; a selective catalytic reduction (“SCR”) device in fluid communication with the exhaust gas conduit and configured to receive the exhaust gas, wherein the SCR device is located downstream of the flow through container and next to the EHC device, and wherein the SCR device is selectively heated by the EHC device to a SCR light-off temperature, and wherein the overall temperature of the SCR device is represented by a SCR temperature profile; and a control module in communication with the EHC device, comprising: a control logic for determining the SCR temperature profile; and a control logic for activating the EHC device if the SCR temperature profile is below the SCR light-off temperature, wherein the EHC device is selectively activated to heat the SCR device to the SCR light-off temperature before the flow-through container of absorbent particles reaches the threshold temperature.