Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for diagnosis of catalyst performance

US6026639A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
35References
52Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 3, 1997
Grant dateFeb 22, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 3, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02T10/40
  • WIPO fieldEnvironmental technology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method and apparatus that converts time-resolved sensor signals into frequency domain signals using Fast Fourier Transforms and power spectral densities. A signal, as a means to assess catalyst performance such as a signal based on sensing oxygen concentration in motor vehicle exhaust in accordance with the present invention is in the time domain and has multiple components at different frequencies. The use of Fast Fourier Transforms isolates the various spectral density which arise from different frequency components of the complex time domain signal. The analysis has been found to be substantially independent of operating conditions. The power spectral density has found to be a precise indication of oxygen storage and release of the catalyst and catalyst performance. The catalyst performance can be signaled to the vehicle operator for on board diagnostics (OBD) of the catalyst.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.