Exhaust gas emission control apparatus of hybrid vehicle

• US 6,327,852 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirose, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, DIEM T
• Application Number:
  US09/525,246
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 602/84, 602/95, 602/97, 180/65.2, 180/65.4, 180/309
• US Class Current: 60/297
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/068 Engine exhaust temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2570/12 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2570/14 Nitrogen oxides
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0814 combined with catalytic converters, e.g. NOx absorption/storage reduction catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0878 Bypassing absorbents or adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0802 Temperature of the exhaust gas treatment apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/18 Control of the engine output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0235 in relation with the state of the exhaust gas treating apparatus control of exhaust gas treating apparatus per se F01N
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

An exhaust gas emission control apparatus is provided in an exhaust passage of a hybrid mechanism driven by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. The apparatus has an adsorbent that adsorbs unburned fuel contained in exhaust gas when the temperature of the adsorbent is lower than a predetermined temperature, and that releases adsorbed unburned fuel therefrom when the temperature is at least the predetermined temperature. When the temperature of the adsorbent is lower than the predetermined temperature, the apparatus controls the hybrid mechanism to delay an increase in the temperature of the adsorbent.

Claims

1. An exhaust gas emission control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle wherein the vehicle is driven by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, the apparatus comprising:

an adsorbent provided in an exhaust passage of the engine wherein, when an adsorbent temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the adsorbent adsorbs therein unburned fuel contained in exhaust gas and, when the adsorbent temperature is at least the predetermined temperature, the adsorbent releases the unburned fuel therefrom; and

a controller which, when the temperature of the adsorbent is below the predetermined temperature, decreases a drive power output from the engine and increases a drive power output from the electric motor, so that an increase in the temperature of the adsorbent is delayed.

2. An exhaust gas emission control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust gas emission catalyst provided in the exhaust passage downstream of the adsorbent, the exhaust gas emission catalyst substantially removing the unburned fuel from exhaust gas.

3. An exhaust gas emission control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle wherein the vehicle is driven by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, the apparatus comprising:

an adsorbent provided in an exhaust passage of the engine wherein, when an adsorbent temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the adsorbent adsorbs therein unburned fuel contained in exhaust gas and, when the adsorbent temperature is at least the predetermined temperature, the adsorbent releases the unburned fuel therefrom; and

a controller which, when the temperature of the adsorbent is below the predetermined temperature, controls a drive power output from the engine and a drive power output from the electric motor to delay an increase in the temperature of the adsorbent.

4. The exhaust gas emission control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller controls a torque of the engine as the drive power output from the engine.

5. The exhaust gas emission control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller decreases the torque of the engine.

6. An exhaust gas emission control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle wherein the vehicle is driven by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, the apparatus comprising:

an adsorbent provided in an exhaust passage of the engine wherein, when an adsorbent temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the adsorbent adsorbs therein unburned fuel contained in exhaust gas and, when the adsorbent temperature is at least the predetermined temperature, the adsorbent releases the unburned fuel therefrom; and

a controller which, when the temperature of the adsorbent is below the predetermined temperature, controls a drive power output from the engine to delay an increase in the temperature of the adsorbent.

7. The exhaust gas emission control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller controls a torque of the engine as the drive power output of the engine.

8. The exhaust gas emission control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the controller decreases the torque of the engine.