METHOD FOR SETTING A PREDETERMINED OXYGEN FILLING VALUE OF AN OXYGEN STORAGE RESERVOIR OF A CATALYTIC CONVERTER FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE AS WELL AS AN ASSOCIATED DEVICE AND AN ASSOCIATED MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20090151324A1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: ODENDALL, Bodo
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/276
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0864 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0814 Oxygen storage amount
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0295 Control according to the amount of oxygen that is stored on the exhaust gas treating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1445 the characteristics being related to the exhaust flow

Abstract

A method for setting a predetermined oxygen filling value of an oxygen storage reservoir of a catalytic converter for a motor vehicle, the oxygen filling value being set with consideration of a combustion air ratio which has been determined depending on the raw emission values which have been determined or which are to be determined for the exhaust gas components which are to be oxidized and reduced by the catalytic converter.

Claims

1. A method for setting a predetermined oxygen filling value of an oxygen storage reservoir of a catalytic converter for a motor vehicle, wherein the oxygen filling value is set with consideration of a combustion air ratio which is determined depending on the raw emission values which have been determined or which are to be determined for the exhaust gas components which are to be oxidized and reduced by the catalytic converter.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein raw emission values for hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide are determined as the exhaust gas components which are to be oxidized and/or for nitrogen oxides and oxygen as the exhaust gas components which are to be reduced.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein balancing of oxygen entry into the catalytic converter and/or of oxygen discharge from the catalytic converter is weighted by way of the relative oxygen filling of the catalytic converter such that the reaction rate of oxygen entry rises with a decrease of the relative oxygen filling and/or the reaction rate of oxygen discharge drops as the relative oxygen filling decreases and/or the reaction rate of oxygen entry declines with an increase of relative oxygen filling and/or the reaction rate of oxygen discharge increases with the increase of the relative oxygen filling.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the combustion air ratio is determined depending on the raw emission values converted to the change of the oxygen filling value of the oxygen storage reservoir of the catalytic converter as a function of the mass flow of exhaust gas.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the converted raw emission values are used for correction of a formula for oxygen entry into and oxygen discharge out of the oxygen storage reservoir of the catalytic converter.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the combustion air ratio is determined as a function of the values of an oxygen storage curve and an oxygen discharge curve of the oxygen storage reservoir of the catalytic converter, which values are assigned to a predetermined oxygen filling value.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the oxygen filling value is set for a catalytic converter which is in the equilibrium state.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method is carried out when there are large masses of exhaust gas.

9. A device for setting a predetermined oxygen filling value of the oxygen storage reservoir of a catalytic converter for a motor vehicle, designed for setting the oxygen filling value with consideration of a combustion air ratio which is determined depending on the raw emission values which have been determined or which are to be determined for the exhaust gas components which are to be oxidized and reduced by the catalytic converter.

10. A motor vehicle including a device as set forth in claim 9.

11. A method comprising:

detecting the consistency of exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle; and

varying the supply of oxygen to the oxygen storage reservoir of said vehicle responsive to the detected consistency of said exhaust gases.

12. The method according to claim 11 including detecting the consistency of exhaust gases introduced into said catalytic converter.

13. The method according to claim 11 including detecting the consistency of the exhaust gases emanating from said catalytic converter.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein said supply of oxygen is determined as a function of stored values predicated on the detailed consistency of said exhaust gases.