Sensor connection integration device

Abstract

An article of manufacture includes a housing having three input ports and an output port. An electronic sensor operationally coupled to an exhaust flowpath is coupled to the first input port via an electrical conduit. A first fluid conduit fluidly couples the second input port to the exhaust flowpath upstream of a particulate filter, and a second fluid conduit fluidly couples the third input port to the exhaust flowpath downstream of the particulate filter. A differential pressure sensor in the housing determines a differential pressure in response to a first pressure at the second input port and a second pressure at the third input port. The article includes a communication module that provides electronic information representative of the differential pressure and output from the electronic sensor at the output port, wherein the communication module is disposed in the housing.

1 . An article of manufacture, comprising:
 a housing having a first input port, a second input port, a third input port, and an output port;   an electronic sensor operationally coupled to an exhaust flowpath;   an electrical conduit structured to electrically couple the electronic sensor to the first input port;   a first fluid conduit fluidly open to the second input port at a first end and fluidly open to the exhaust flowpath at a position upstream of a particulate filter at a second end;   a second fluid conduit fluidly open to the third input port at a first end and fluidly open to the exhaust flowpath at a position downstream of the particulate filter at a second end;   a differential pressure sensor structured to determine a differential pressure in response to a first pressure at the second input port and a second pressure at the third input port; and   an electrical communicator structured to provide electronic information representative of the differential pressure and output from the electronic sensor at the output port, wherein the electrical communicator is disposed in the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic sensor comprises a sensor selected from the sensors consisting of: a thermistor, an oxygen sensor, a NO x  sensor, a mass airflow sensor, and a pressure sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is mounted on an aftertreatment component. 
     
     
         4 . The article of manufacture of  claim 3 , wherein the aftertreatment component comprises at least one component selected from the components consisting of: an oxidation catalyst, the particulate filter, a NOx adsorber, a three-way catalyst, a four-way catalyst, a selective reduction catalyst, a lean NOx reduction catalyst. 
     
     
         5 . The article of manufacture of  claim 3 , wherein the housing is further mounted on a metal plate interposed between the housing and the aftertreatment component. 
     
     
         6 . The article of manufacture of  claim 5 , wherein the housing is further mounted on a support interposed between the housing and the aftertreatment component, wherein the support is structured to provide a gap between the housing and the aftertreatment component. 
     
     
         7 . The article of manufacture of  claim 6 , wherein the gap comprises at least 30 millimeters. 
     
     
         8 . The article of manufacture of  claim 6 , wherein the gap comprises a gap such that, when the aftertreatment component is at a rated temperature, a temperature of the housing does not exceed 125° C. 
     
     
         9 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic information representative of the differential pressure and output from the electronic sensor comprises at least one information element selected from the information elements consisting of: a modulated electric parameter, a datalink signal, and a network signal. 
     
     
         10 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein the housing has only one output port. 
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 mounting a housing on an aftertreatment component, the housing comprising a plurality of input ports and an output port;   operationally coupling an electronic sensor to an exhaust flowpath, wherein the aftertreatment component is disposed in the exhaust flowpath;   electrically coupling a first input port of the housing to the electronic sensor;   fluidly coupling a second input port of the housing to the exhaust flowpath at a position upstream of a particulate filter;   fluidly coupling a third input port of the housing to the exhaust flowpath at a position downstream of the particulate filter;   providing a differential pressure sensor structured to determine a differential pressure in response to a first pressure at the second input port and a second pressure at the third input port; and   providing a communication means for providing electronic information representative of the differential pressure and the output from the electronic sensor at the output port, wherein the communication means is disposed in the housing.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the aftertreatment component comprises a NOx reduction catalyst and an oxidation catalyst. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the particulate filter is disposed in a second aftertreatment component. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising electronically coupling an external controller to the output port. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the electronically coupling comprises connecting the output port to an original equipment manufacturer wiring harness. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the electronic information representative of the differential pressure and the output from the electronic sensor comprises at least one information element selected from the information elements consisting of: a modulated electric parameter, a datalink signal, and a network signal. 
     
     
         17 . A system, comprising:
 an exhaust flowpath fluidly coupled to an internal combustion engine;   a first aftertreatment component disposed in the exhaust flowpath, the first aftertreatment component comprising a first oxidation catalyst upstream of a particulate filter;   a second aftertreatment component disposed in the exhaust flowpath, the second aftertreatment component comprising a NO x  reduction catalyst upstream of a second oxidation catalyst;   a housing mounted on one of the first aftertreatment component and the second aftertreatment component, the housing having an output port and a plurality of input ports;   a first temperature sensor operationally coupled to the exhaust flowpath at a position upstream of the first oxidation catalyst, and a first electrical conduit that electrically couples the first temperature sensor to a first input port of the housing;   a first fluid conduit fluidly open to a second input port of the housing at a first end and fluidly open to the exhaust flowpath at a position upstream of the particulate filter at a second end;   a second fluid conduit fluidly open to a third input port of the housing at a first end and fluidly open to the exhaust flowpath at a position downstream of the particulate filter at a second end;   a differential pressure sensor structured to determine a differential pressure in response to a first pressure at the second input port and a second pressure at the third input port;   a second temperature sensor operationally coupled to the exhaust flowpath at a position downstream of the first oxidation catalyst and upstream of the particulate filter, and a second electrical conduit that electrically couples the second temperature sensor to a fourth input port of the housing;   a third temperature sensor operationally coupled to the exhaust flowpath at a position downstream of the particulate filter, and a third electrical conduit that electrically couples the third temperature sensor to a fifth input port of the housing;   a fourth temperature sensor operationally coupled to the exhaust flowpath at a position upstream of the NOx reduction catalyst, and a fourth electrical conduit that electrically couples the fourth temperature sensor to a sixth input port of the housing;   a fifth temperature sensor operationally coupled to the exhaust flowpath at a position downstream of the second oxidation catalyst, and a fifth electrical conduit that electrically couples the fifth temperature sensor to a seventh input port of the housing; and   an electrical communicator structured to provide electronic information representative of the differential pressure and output from each of the temperature sensors at the output port of the housing, wherein the electrical communicator is disposed in the housing.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the housing is further mounted a metal plate interposed between the housing and the one of the first aftertreatment component and the second aftertreatment component. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the housing is further mounted on a support interposed between the housing and the one of the first aftertreatment component and the second aftertreatment component, wherein the support is structured to provide a gap between the housing and the one of the first aftertreatment component and the second aftertreatment component, wherein the gap comprises a gap such that, when the one of the first aftertreatment component and the second aftertreatment component is at a rated temperature, a temperature of the housing does not exceed 125° C. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the housing is further mounted on a support interposed between the housing and the one of the first aftertreatment component and the second aftertreatment component, wherein the support is structured to provide a gap between the housing and the one of the first aftertreatment component and the second aftertreatment component, wherein the gap comprises at least 30 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the electronic information representative of the differential pressure and output from each of the temperature sensors comprises at least one information element selected from the information elements consisting of: a modulated electric parameter, a datalink signal, and a network signal. 
     
     
         22 . A method, comprising:
 providing an internal combustion engine fluidly coupled to an exhaust flowpath;   mounting a housing on an aftertreatment component disposed in the exhaust flowpath, the housing having an output port and a plurality of input ports;   providing a temperature signal from a temperature sensor operationally coupled to the exhaust flowpath to a first input port of the housing;   providing a first pressure value to a second input port of the housing, the first pressure value comprising a value representative of a pressure of the exhaust flowpath at a position upstream of a particulate filter;   providing a second pressure value to a third input port of the housing, the second pressure value comprising a value representative of a pressure of the exhaust flowpath at a position downstream of the particulate filter;   determining a differential pressure in response to the first pressure value and the second pressure value; and   providing electronic information representative of the differential pressure and the temperature signal to the output port of the housing.   
     
     
         23 . A system, comprising:
 an exhaust flowpath fluidly coupled to an internal combustion engine;   a first aftertreatment component disposed in the exhaust flowpath, the first aftertreatment component comprising a first oxidation catalyst upstream of a particulate filter;   a second aftertreatment component disposed in the exhaust flowpath, the second aftertreatment component comprising a NO x  reduction catalyst upstream of a second oxidation catalyst;   a housing mounted on one of the first aftertreatment component and the second aftertreatment component, the housing having an output port and a plurality of input ports;   a first temperature sensor operationally coupled to the exhaust flowpath at a position upstream of the first oxidation catalyst, and a first electrical conduit that electrically couples the first temperature sensor to a first input port of the housing;   a first fluid conduit fluidly open to a second input port of the housing at a first end and fluidly open to the exhaust flowpath at a position upstream of the particulate filter at a second end;   a second fluid conduit fluidly open to a third input port of the housing at a first end and fluidly open to the exhaust flowpath at a position downstream of the particulate filter at a second end;   a differential pressure sensor structured to determine a differential pressure in response to a first pressure at the second input port and a second pressure at the third input port; and   communication means for providing electronic information representative of the differential pressure and output from the electronic sensor at the output port, wherein the communication means is disposed in the housing.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising an engine control module structured to control operations of the internal combustion engine, wherein the engine control module is communicatively coupled to the output port. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the engine control module is communicatively coupled to the output port by one of electrical coupling and datalink coupling.