Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system for reducing cold start emissions of a motor vehicle. A brushless DC motor is coupled to an engine for cranking the engine. In response to receiving a cold start signal from a cold start actuator, the motor controller activates the brushless DC motor to crank the engine for a cold start duration and increase fuel pressure. In response to a motor controller receiving an auto start signal from an auto start actuator, the motor controller activates the brushless DC motor to crank the engine for an auto start duration that is shorter than the cold start duration. In response to determining that the cold start duration or the auto start duration has expired, an engine controller activates the fuel delivery system to deliver fuel to the engine.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system for reducing cold start emissions of a motor vehicle. A brushless DC motor is coupled to an engine for cranking the engine. In response to receiving a cold start signal from a cold start actuator, the motor controller activates the brushless DC motor to crank the engine for a cold start duration and increase fuel pressure. In response to a motor controller receiving an auto start signal from an auto start actuator, the motor controller activates the brushless DC motor to crank the engine for an auto start duration that is shorter than the cold start duration. In response to determining that the cold start duration or the auto start duration has expired, an engine controller activates the fuel delivery system to deliver fuel to the engine.

Abstract: A vehicle system includes a vehicle component, a battery, and a thermoelectric module coupled to the component to allow heat transfer between the catalytic converter and the thermoelectric module, wherein the thermoelectric module is electrically connected to the battery. The vehicle system further includes a temperature sensor coupled to the vehicle component. The temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature of the vehicle component. The vehicle system further includes a controller in electronic communication with the thermoelectric module. The controller is programmed to switch the thermoelectric module among the heating mode, the cooling mode, and the power-generation mode based on the temperature of the vehicle component. The vehicle component may be an exhaust manifold, a turbocharger turbine housing, an exhaust gas conduit coupled between an exhaust manifold and a catalytic converter, and/or a catalytic converter.

Abstract: A method to determine soot mass of a gasoline engine powered automobile vehicle includes: predefining a time period between approximately 50 seconds to 200 seconds defining a cold start operation of a gasoline engine; determining a critical engine cold start temperature at a time defining a start of the cold start operation; identifying a cold start soot mass value from a lookup table based on the predefined time period and the critical engine cold start temperature; calculating a hot engine soot mass value for a hot engine operating time; repeating the calculating step for at least one next successive hot engine operating time; and adding the cold start soot mass value to the hot engine soot mass value for the hot engine operating time and the at least one next successive hot engine operating time to define a total soot mass value.

Abstract: A vehicle system includes a vehicle component, a battery, and a thermoelectric module coupled to the component to allow heat transfer between the catalytic converter and the thermoelectric module, wherein the thermoelectric module is electrically connected to the battery. The vehicle system further includes a temperature sensor coupled to the vehicle component. The temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature of the vehicle component. The vehicle system further includes a controller in electronic communication with the thermoelectric module. The controller is programmed to switch the thermoelectric module among the heating mode, the cooling mode, and the power-generation mode based on the temperature of the vehicle component. The vehicle component may be an exhaust manifold, a turbocharger turbine housing, an exhaust gas conduit coupled between an exhaust manifold and a catalytic converter, and/or a catalytic converter.

Abstract: A method to determine soot mass of a gasoline engine powered automobile vehicle includes: predefining a time period between approximately 50 seconds to 200 seconds defining a cold start operation of a gasoline engine; determining a critical engine cold start temperature at a time defining a start of the cold start operation; identifying a cold start soot mass value from a lookup table based on the predefined time period and the critical engine cold start temperature; calculating a hot engine soot mass value for a hot engine operating time; repeating the calculating step for at least one next successive hot engine operating time; and adding the cold start soot mass value to the hot engine soot mass value for the hot engine operating time and the at least one next successive hot engine operating time to define a total soot mass value.

Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a fuel injector cleaning module and a fuel control module. The fuel injector cleaning module generates an instruction to clean a fuel injector of an engine based on engine operating conditions. The fuel control module, in response to the injector clean instruction, controls the fuel injector to perform N fuel injections for each combustion event in a cylinder of the engine and, during each of the N fuel injections, deactivates the fuel injector before the fuel injector fully opens. N is an integer greater than one.

Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a fuel injector cleaning module and a fuel control module. The fuel injector cleaning module generates an instruction to clean a fuel injector of an engine based on engine operating conditions. The fuel control module, in response to the injector clean instruction, controls the fuel injector to perform N fuel injections for each combustion event in a cylinder of the engine and, during each of the N fuel injections, deactivates the fuel injector before the fuel injector fully opens. N is an integer greater than one.