Failure determination system of exhaust gas purification apparatus

Abstract

In a failure determination system that performs failure determination of an exhaust gas purification apparatus having a NOx selective catalytic reduction catalyst (NOx catalyst) that is disposed in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine and uses ammonia as a reducing agent, the failure determination of the exhaust gas purification apparatus is performed by a failure determination unit, based on a detected value of a NOx sensor that detects NOx in exhaust gas. Then, based on an adsorption amount difference at assumed failure that is the difference between an ammonia equilibrium adsorption amount in the NOx catalyst in an equilibrium state of ammonia adsorption, assuming that the exhaust gas purification apparatus is in a predefined failure state, and an actual ammonia adsorption amount in the NOx catalyst, the failure determination itself by the failure determination unit is inhibited or the use of the NOx sensor in the failure determination is restricted. Accordingly, in the failure determination system of exhaust gas purification apparatus having the NOx selective catalytic reduction catalyst, erroneous determinations at the time of failure determination are suppressed, thereby further improving the accuracy of the failure determination.