Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Norihito Watanabe

Kenichi Ohmori

Kenji Abe

Kei Machida

Tetsuo Endo

Yasuyuki Miyahara

Masao Komine

Shusuke Akazaki

Tadashi Sato

Takashi Haga

Masahiro Sato

Shiro Takakura

A humidity sensoris disposed downstream of an exhaust gas purifier comprising a hydrocarbon adsorbing catalyst, and an air-fuel ratio sensoris disposed at least downstream of the exhaust gas purifier. The hydrocarbon adsorbing ability of a hydrocarbon adsorbent of a hydrocarbon adsorbing catalyst(the exhaust gas purifier) is evaluated using output data of the humidity sensor. The unburned gas purifying ability based on a catalytic action of the hydrocarbon adsorbing catalystis evaluated using output data of the air-fuel ratio sensor. Based on the evaluated results, the overall deteriorated state of the exhaust gas purifier is evaluated. The overall deteriorated state of the exhaust gas purifier which has the hydrocarbon adsorbing catalystcan thus adequately be evaluated.

Deteriorated state evaluation device for exhaust emission control equipment

A humidity sensor is disposed near an HC adsorbent in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. After the internal combustion engine is shut off, it is detected whether or not the humidity sensor has failed based on the value of the humidity detected by the humidity sensor when the detected value of the humidity is substantially constant, by determining whether or not the detected value of the humidity falls in a range between upper and lower limit thresholds that are set depending on the temperature near the HC adsorbent. It is stably and easily detected whether or not the humidity sensor disposed near the HC adsorbent in the exhaust system of the internal combustion engine has failed.

Method of detecting failure of humidity sensor

An exhaust gas valve device in an internal combustion engine, including a first bearing member mounted between a valve shaft and a valve body with one end of the valve shaft turnably fitted into the first bearing member, a second bearing member mounted between the valve shaft and the valve body with the other end of the valve shaft turnably passed through the second bearing member, and an actuator connected to the other end of the valve shaft protruding from the second bearing member. The valve body, the valve shaft and the first and second bearing members are formed of metal materials having equivalent thermal expansion coefficients; the first and second bearing members are press-fitted into said valve body; and a skin of a graphite-based solid lubricant is formed on a surface of the valve shaft in regions corresponding to the first and second bearing members. The concentricity accuracy of the pair of bearing members supporting the opposite ends of the valve shaft is enhanced, while avoiding an increase in the number of parts, thereby preventing the generation of noise and reducing the friction.

Exhaust gas valve device in internal combustion engine

An adsorbent deterioration determining apparatus can accurately determine a deterioration of an adsorbent in a relatively simple configuration. The adsorbent deterioration determining apparatus determines a deterioration of an adsorbent arranged in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine for purifying exhaust gases. The adsorbent is capable of adsorbing hydrocarbons and moisture in exhaust gases. The adsorbent deterioration determining apparatus comprises a humidity sensor arranged at a location downstream of the adsorbent in the exhaust system for detecting the humidity of exhaust gases, and an ECU for determining a deterioration of the adsorbent in accordance with a detected output of the humidity sensor at the time a predetermined time has elapsed from a start of the internal combustion engine.

Adsorbent deterioration determining apparatus

An exhaust gas purification system of internal combustion engine having a branch pipe coupled to the exhaust pipe through a flange and having a first cylindrical case constituting a bypass exhaust gas passage and a second cylindrical case constituting a main exhaust gas passage, whose flow are switched by a switch-over valve by selectively connecting the exhaust pipe to the main exhaust gas passage or the bypass exhaust gas passage, and an adsorbent installed in the bypass exhaust gas passage for adsorbing unburned components of the exhaust gas. The unburned exhaust gas components are recirculated to the air intake system through an EGR pipe. In the system, an inlet of the EGR pipe is formed integrally with the branch pipe flange, thereby enabling to prevent increase in fabrication step and cost and further to facilitate maintenance. Moreover, the first cylindrical case is made displace relative to the second cylindrical case. This can prevent the deformation due to the thermal stress which could occur when they are different in temperature.

Exhaust gas purification system of internal combustion engines

In an internal combustion engine having a double-structure exhaust passage comprised of an inner (bypass) exhaust passage and an outer (main) exhaust passage arranged to surround the outside of the inner exhaust passage such that exhaust gases are discharged through one of the inner and outer exhaust passages, an exhaust gas characteristic detecting apparatus is capable of reliably detecting the characteristic of exhaust gases through the inner exhaust passage. The detecting apparatus comprises a guide pipe extending across the outer exhaust passage and having an exhaust gas introducing port facing the inner exhaust passage for introducing exhaust gases flowing into the inner exhaust passage into the guide pipe, and a sensor having a sensing unit for detecting the humidity of exhaust gases and arranged such that the sensing unit is positioned in the guide pipe.

Exhaust gas characteristic detecting apparatus for internal combustion engine

An exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided for simultaneously realizing sufficient recovery of the adsorbing capability of an adsorbent and limitation to an increase in exhaust resistance. The exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprises a flow path switching valve for switching an exhaust gas flow path to a bypass exhaust passage or to a main exhaust passage, three-way catalysts, and an HC adsorbent arranged in the bypass exhaust passage for adsorbing hydrocarbons in exhaust gases and fully desorbing the adsorbed hydrocarbons when it is heated to a full desorption temperature or higher. A troidal passage of the main exhaust passage completely surrounds a portion of the bypass exhaust passage in which the HC adsorbent is arranged. A ratio S /S of the cross-sectional area S of the troidal passage to the cross-sectional area of a flow-in passage is set in a range from 1.0 at which the exhaust resistance begins gradually decreasing as the ratio S /S increases to 3.0 at which the HC adsorbent can be heated to the full desorption temperature or higher.

Growing community of inventors

Wako, Japan

Norihito Watanabe