Exhaust gas purification device for an internal combustion engine
US5970707A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 9, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 26, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 9, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02T10/40
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
In an exhaust gas purification device for an internal combustion engine, a three-way catalyst and a NO.sub.X occluding and reducing catalyst (a NORC) are disposed in the exhaust gas passage of an engine in this order from the upstream side. A first air-fuel ratio sensor is disposed in the exhaust gas passage between the three-way catalyst and the NORC, and a second air-fuel ratio sensor is disposed in the exhaust gas passage downstream of the NORC. An engine electronic control unit (ECU) changes the operating air-fuel ratio of the engine from a lean air-fuel ratio to a rich air-fuel ratio and a rich air-fuel ratio to a lean air-fuel ratio in order to evaluate the abilities of the three-way catalyst and the NORC. The ECU evaluates the catalytic abilities based on the output of the first air-fuel ratio sensor when the engine air-fuel ratio is changed. Further, the ECU evaluates the catalytic ability and the NO.sub.X absorbing capacity of the NORC based on the outputs of the first and the second air-fuel ratio sensor when the engine operating air-fuel ratio is changed. The evaluation of the abilities of both the three-way catalyst and the NORC in one successive changing operation of t…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.