A heater system for an exhaust system is provided. The heater system includes a heater disposed in an exhaust conduit. The heater includes a plurality of heating elements disposed in the exhaust conduit. A heating control module controls the plurality of heating elements differently according to operating conditions specific to each heating element. In other forms, the heater system for an exhaust system has a plurality of heating zones, instead of a plurality of heating elements. The heating control module controls the plurality of heating zones differently according to operating conditions specific to each heating zone.

A purification method comprises providing a purification device comprising at least one exhaust gas purification member having an upstream surface through which the exhaust gas enters the purification member and a downstream surface through which the exhaust gases exit the purification member. The method further includes, in the absence of forced circulation of the exhaust gas through the purification member by an engine of the vehicle, heating radiatively at least either the upstream zone or the downstream zone, for example before starting the engine of the vehicle.

A fluid control system is provided that in one form includes a first flow channel, a second flow channel, a heater disposed in the second flow channel, and a fluid control device disposed upstream from the first and second flow channels. When the heater is turned on, the fluid control device changes a fluid flow rate through at least one of the first flow channel and the second flow channel. In another form, the fluid control system includes a bypass conduit, a heater disposed within the bypass conduit, and a fluid control device disposed near the inlet and outlet of the bypass conduit. In still another form, the fluid control system includes a regeneration device disposed downstream from at least one exhaust aftertreatment system and closes an outlet of the exhaust pipe.

A method of predicting the temperature of a resistive heating element in a heating system is provided. The method includes obtaining resistance characteristics of resistive heating elements and compensating for variations in the resistance characteristics over a temperature regime. The resistance characteristics of the resistive heating element include, but are not limited to, inaccuracies in resistance measurements due to strain-induced resistance variations, variations in resistance due to the rate of cooling, shifts in power output due to exposure to temperature, resistance to temperature relationships, non-monotonic resistance to temperature relationships, system measurement errors, and combinations of resistance characteristics. The method includes interpreting and calibrating resistance characteristics based on a priori measurements and in situ measurements.

A method for mitigating against failure of a particulate matter sensor of an automobile vehicle includes: determining if a key-off event is present, identifying an engine is off in a vehicle after-run mode; defining when local environmental conditions are outside of mechanical limits of a particulate matter (PM) sensor; identifying input values to reverse the local environmental conditions of the PM sensor; and controlling operation of a heating element of the PM sensor to achieve the input values to reverse the local environmental conditions during the vehicle after-run mode.

A vehicle exhaust gas reduction system positioned in an exhaust system of an engine includes: an electrically heated catalyst (EHC) of heating exhaust gas of the engine by electrically generating heat; a sub-gasoline particulate filter (Sub GPF) heated by operation of the EHC to combust a particulate number (PN) included in the exhaust gas; a main gasoline particulate filter (Main GPF) of purifying the exhaust gas discharged from the engine; and a controller configured for performing PN reduction control by operating the EHC to be On in a low-temperature condition, and increasing a temperature of the Sub GPF to a reference temperature at which soot combustion is possible, combusting the PN passing through the Sub GPF and soot collected in the Sub GPF.

An exhaust gas purifying device for an internal combustion engine includes: an electrically heated catalyst (EHC) including an insulating member; an insulation resistance detector; and a processor. The processor is configured to: acquire an insulation resistance value of the insulating member using the insulation resistance detector each time a trip of the vehicle starts; and execute diagnostic processing to diagnose the state of the EHC when the acquired insulation resistance value is equal to or less than a reference value. In the diagnostic processing, the processor is configured to determine whether or not there is an insulation abnormality of the EHC, based on an index value indicating the degree of decrease in an insulation resistance value of the insulating member of the current trip with respect to an insulation resistance value of the insulating member of one or more past trips including the last trip.

A method for mitigating against failure of a particulate matter sensor of an automobile vehicle includes: determining if a key-off event is present, identifying an engine is off in a vehicle after-run mode; defining when local environmental conditions are outside of mechanical limits of a particulate matter (PM) sensor; identifying input values to reverse the local environmental conditions of the PM sensor; and controlling operation of a heating element of the PM sensor to achieve the input values to reverse the local environmental conditions during the vehicle after-run mode.

A method for operating an electrically heatable catalytic converter in an exhaust tract of an internal combustion engine having at least one honeycomb body through which an exhaust-gas stream can flow, and having at least one electrically heatable heating conductor positioned upstream of the honeycomb body in a throughflow direction of the exhaust gas includes: applying an electrical current to the heating conductor such that the heating conductor is electrically heated in a manner dependent on an ambient temperature around the heating conductor; and electrically heating the heating conductor such that a dwell time of a temperature of the heating conductor is bounded in a temperature range defined by a first lower limit temperature T.sub.G1U and an upper limit temperature T.sub.G1O.

Methods and systems are provided for a battery supplying power to an exhaust oxygen sensor heater. In one example, a method may include estimating a power delivered to the heater during heating of the sensor and in response to a power delivered from a battery being lower than a threshold, adjusting a battery charging strategy prior to an immediately subsequent engine start.