Eaton develops 48 V aftertreatment heating controller to help manufacturers meet emissions regulations

According to foreign media reports, power management company Eaton (Eaton) announced that its eMobility (eMobility) business unit has introduced a 48 V programmable power electronic control unit for electrically heated catalysts to help commercial vehicle manufacturers meet Increasingly stringent global emissions regulations.Rapid heating of exhaust aftertreatment catalysts, as well as keeping them warm during low engine load operation, is critical for optimal performance reducing harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) exhaust emissions.

Image credit: Eaton

Tom Stoltz, Principal Engineer, 48 V Systems, Eaton's eMobility business unit, said: "Commercial vehicle manufacturers face numerous new challenges in generating and controlling power levels for individual vehicle components. Our control units help them overcome these challenges and enable electrical integration, to meet future ultra-low NOx regulations.”

This air-cooled electrocatalyst heater controller is part of Eaton's broad 48 V electrical systems portfolio, which includes technologies that enable manufacturers to integrate 48 V architectures into next-generation vehicles.Eaton is also developing a family of electric heater power electronic controllers for solutions ranging from 2 kW to 15 kW and operating at peak efficiencies as high as 99%.The controller is designed to receive power commands from the aftertreatment system, provide soft-start and soft-stop functions to help maintain system voltage control, and provide diagnostic feedback for heater elements.

"This aftertreatment catalyst heater controller contains all the necessary power electronics to smoothly deliver power to the heater and ensure that the vehicle electrical system remains stable during heater operation," Stoltz said.

The launch of the technology comes at a time when automakers face increasingly stringent emissions standards around the world.In Europe, the next phase of emissions standards, Euro VII for heavy-duty diesel trucks, is scheduled to roll out as early as 2026.In the U.S., the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will enact stricter regulations in 2024 and 2027.Overall, the new regulations aim to reduce exhaust pipe NOx limits by 90%, accelerating the need for global engine manufacturers to adopt additional emission reduction strategies such as electrocatalyst heating.