Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Andrew A Adamczyk

James David Pakko

Ronald G Hurley

Jeffrey Scott Hepburn

Chaitanya Kumar Narula

Lisa A Hansen

Davorin David Hrovat

Christian Thomas Goralski, Jr

Jacobus Hendrik Visser

Eva Thanasiu

Peter Mitchell Lyon

Clifford N Montreuil

Lee-Fei Chen

Anthony T Ander

Scott Christopher Williams

A method and system are provided for monitoring exhaust gas conversion efficiency of a catalytic converter during operation of an internal combustion engine coupled to the catalytic converter. The system includes an upstream exhaust gas sensor interposed the engine and the catalytic converter for generating a first signal based on the exhaust gas upstream of the converter. A downstream exhaust gas sensor is interposed the catalytic converter and atmosphere for generating a second signal based on the exhaust gas downstream of the converter. A phase shift detector is provided for estimating a phase shift between the first and second signals. A processor is provided for aligning the first and second signals such that the resulting phase shift between the first and second signals is substantially an integer multiple of &pgr; radians and for determining conversion efficiency of the catalytic converter based such phase aligned first and second signals. With such method and system, average error of the calculated index ratio using such system and method and the theoretical average error in index ration (IR) is minimized when the phase shift between the upstream and downstream sensor signals is substantially an integer multiple of &pgr; radians.

Method and system for monitoring a catalytic converter

A method of monitoring hydrocarbons concentration in an exhaust gas includes the steps of: sampling exhaust gas on a vehicle, isolating the hydrocarbons from the exhaust gas on a vehicle, and measuring the amount of hydrocarbons isolated from the sample on a vehicle and providing an indication based on the amount of hydrocarbons. A sensor assembly for monitoring the concentration of hydrocarbons in an exhaust gas of a vehicle includes: a hydrocarbon absorbing material placed in a stream of gas on a vehicle, a gas sensor operatively connected with the absorbing material and in the stream of gas and producing a gas signal, and a sensor controller connected to the gas sensor for receiving the gas signal and for determining the amount of hydrocarbons.

Assembly and method for monitoring hydrocarbon concentration in exhaust

Methods and apparatus are provided for monitoring the performance of a hydrocarbon trapping device which removes hydrocarbons from an engine exhaust stream during cold startup conditions before the catalyst has reached its light-off temperature. The electronic engine controller which provides conventional fuel control functions is used to numerically integrate sensed values during a predetermined time interval in the engine's startup period. The sensed values indicate the rate at which hydrocarbons are being retained or purged by the trap, and the result of the integration indicates the total amount of hydrocarbon molecules trapped or purged. The integration result values may be retained for future readout during diagnostic procedures, and the result values may be compared with a threshold value to generate an alarm indication whenever the integration result value indicates that the trap is not performing satisfactorily.

Methods and apparatus for monitoring the performance of hydrocarbon

This invention is directed to an electrically heatable catalyst device comprising an electrically insulating substrate carrying an electrically conductive material selected from metal oxides, carbides, nitrides and silicides, and applied thereon a washcoat carrying a catalyst.

Electrically heatable catalyst device using electrically conductive

This invention is directed to a system for monitoring the efficiency of a catalyst employed to convert exhaust gases containing carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, e.g., those generated by an internal combustion engine such as in an automobile. The system comprises a thin-film resistive device and an electrical circuit connected to said thin-film resistive device capable of determining a change in the electrical resistance of a electrically conductive material provided in the device, the electrical resistance being subject to change during conversion of said exhaust gases over the catalyst.

System for monitoring the performance of automotive catalysts

An automotive internal combustion engine is equipped with a hydrocarbon adsorber for the purpose of controlling the emissions of unburned hydrocarbons from the vehicle's tailpipe. Regeneration of the adsorber is achieved by an electronic engine controller operating an air pump and a sample pump, using information from an exhaust gas oxygen sensor.

Automotive engine exhaust aftertreatment system including hydrocarbon

An automotive engine and exhaust aftertreatment system includes an engine, a catalytic exhaust aftertreatment device for receiving exhaust gas from the engine, and an air source for supplying air to the exhaust stream entering the catalyst. An exhaust gas oxygen sensor determines the amount of oxygen contained in the exhaust entering the catalyst, and an engine control computer connected with the air source and with the oxygen sensor monitors the amount of oxygen contained in the exhaust and controls the amount of air supplied to the exhaust stream by the air source such that the available oxygen is slightly in excess of the stoichiometric requirement. In this manner, the light-off time of the catalyst is minimized.

Automotive engine having catalytic exhaust aftertreatment device and

An automotive internal combustion engine is equipped with a hydrocarbon adsorber for the purpose of controlling the emission of unburned hydrocarbons from the vehicle's tailpipe. Regeneration of the adsorber is achieved by an electronic engine controller operating a purge air system for drawing desorbed hydrocarbon material into the engine's intake.

An automotive internal combustion engine is equipped with a hydrocarbon adsorber for the purpose of controlling the emissions of unburned hydrocarbons from the vehicle's tailpipe. Regeneration of the adsorber is achieved by an electronic engine controller operating an air pump with information from an exhaust gas oxygen sensor.

Automotive engine with exhaust hydrocarbon adsorber having oxygen sensor

Techniques for controlling the spin of driven wheels of a vehicle also including non-driven wheels and an engine controlled by a spark angle and/or throttle position. The spark angle is controlled by a signal responsive to a slip error signal and a slip error derivative signal in order to alter the spark angle in a manner that controls the spin of the driven wheels. The throttle position is controlled by a throttle position control signal that is responsive to a slip error signal, a slip error derivative signal, and a slip error integration signal, in order to adjust the throttle position in a manner that controls the spin of the driven wheels. Wheel spin also can be controlled by the combination of a spark angle control signal and a throttle position control signal.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Andrew A Adamczyk