A system, apparatus, and method for oxidizing methane in the exhaust gas from a lean-burn combustion gas engine in which a syngas stream comprising H.sub.2 and CO, or a combustible hydrocarbon with a light-off temperature at or below the temperature of the engine exhaust temperature, is added to and combined with the engine exhaust stream and passed through an oxidation catalyst whereupon the combustible gas oxidizes and increases the operating temperature of a platinum group oxidation catalyst sufficiently to exceed the light-off temperature of the platinum group catalyst for oxidizing methane emissions contained in the engine exhaust stream.

A method for adapting modeled reaction kinetics of a reaction taking place in a catalytic converter, with model-based fill level feedback control. The method includes specifying a setpoint value for at least one fill level of at least one exhaust-gas component that can be stored in the catalytic converter; calculating at least one fill level of the catalytic converter using a signal of an exhaust-gas sensor upstream of the catalytic converter and using a catalytic converter model with at least one storage capacity and reaction kinetics of the at least one reaction taking place in the catalytic converter; setting an air-fuel mixture such that the calculated fill level approximates the specified setpoint value; ascertaining a difference between a signal of the exhaust-gas sensor upstream of the catalytic converter and a signal of an exhaust-gas sensor downstream of the catalytic converter; and deactivating the fill-level-dependent setting of the air-fuel mixture.

Methods are provided for emissions control of a vehicle. In one example, a method for an engine may include, responsive to a plurality of diagnostic entry conditions being met, indicating degradation of a hydrocarbon trap based on an NH.sub.3 amount in an exhaust gas. In some examples, the NH.sub.3 amount may be determined based on one or more NO.sub.x sensor outputs. In some examples, the plurality of diagnostic entry conditions may include the engine having been in operation over an initial duration immediately following an engine cold start. Conditions of the exhaust gas following the engine cold start may be opportunistically utilized in determining the NH.sub.3 amount from the one or more NO.sub.x sensor outputs. In some examples, the exhaust gas may be actively provided at a predetermined air-fuel ratio to meet at least one of the plurality of diagnostic entry conditions.

A system, apparatus, and method for oxidizing methane in the exhaust gas from a lean-burn combustion gas engine in which a syngas stream comprising H.sub.2 and CO, or a combustible hydrocarbon with a light-off temperature at or below the temperature of the engine exhaust temperature, is added to and combined with the engine exhaust stream and passed through an oxidation catalyst whereupon the combustible gas oxidizes and increases the operating temperature of a platinum group oxidation catalyst sufficiently to exceed the light-off temperature of the platinum group catalyst for oxidizing methane emissions contained in the engine exhaust stream.

A system includes a controller coupled to an exhaust gas aftertreatment system coupled to a plurality of combustion cylinders of an engine. The controller is structured to: determine that the engine is operating in a low load operating condition; deactivate a combustion cylinder based on the determination that the engine is operating in the low load operating condition such that an exhaust gas temperature threshold corresponds with when the combustion cylinder is deactivated; increase an engine exhaust gas temperature while the combustion cylinder is deactivated via at least one thermal management command; and reactivate the deactivated combustion cylinder in response to the engine operating with a load greater than a preset threshold for a certain period of time.

A method for adapting modeled reaction kinetics of a reaction taking place in a catalytic converter, with model-based fill level feedback control. The method includes specifying a setpoint value for at least one fill level of at least one exhaust-gas component that can be stored in the catalytic converter; calculating at least one fill level of the catalytic converter using a signal of an exhaust-gas sensor upstream of the catalytic converter and using a catalytic converter model with at least one storage capacity and reaction kinetics of the at least one reaction taking place in the catalytic converter; setting an air-fuel mixture such that the calculated fill level approximates the specified setpoint value; ascertaining a difference between a signal of the exhaust-gas sensor upstream of the catalytic converter and a signal of an exhaust-gas sensor downstream of the catalytic converter; and deactivating the fill-level-dependent setting of the air-fuel mixture.

An exhaust gas purification filter is used so as to support a NO.sub.X purification catalyst. The exhaust gas purification filter includes a honeycomb structure portion and a plug portion. The honeycomb structure portion includes a partition wall and cells. Numerous pores are formed in the partition wall. The cells are partitioned by the partition walls and form a flow path for an exhaust gas. The plug portion alternately seals an inflow end surface or an outflow end surface for the exhaust gas in the cells. The partition wall has a gas permeability coefficient that is equal to or greater than 0.35×10.sup.−12 m.sup.2, a pore volume ratio of pore diameters of 9 μm or less that is equal to or less than 25%, and an average pore diameter that is equal to or greater than 12 μm.

Provided is an exhaust gas purifying filter used with a HC purifying catalyst supported thereon. Numerous pores are formed in partitions of the exhaust gas purifying filter. In a cross-section of the partition, pores are open at a passage surface, having an open end of which the opening diameter is 50 μm or larger. In the cross-section of the partitions, the partitions include a narrow part where a pore diameter is 5 μm or more and the pore diameter becomes a minimum in a region. In the cross-section of the partitions, the region is positioned between a pair of virtual lines L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 extending from opposing sides of the opening end to a passage surface positioned opposite to the opening end along the wall thickness direction X, Z. The pore diameter at the narrow part is 6% or more and less than or equal to 20% of the opening diameter.

An exhaust passage includes a main passage and bypass passage, a catalyst, an exhaust control valve, and an HC adsorbent in the bypass passage. The exhaust control valve is controlled so that, when a temperature of the catalyst is higher than a predetermined sintering occurrence temperature, the quality of HC desorbed from the HC adsorbent is greater when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing through the upstream exhaust passage portion is a lean air-fuel ratio compared to when it is a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or rich air-fuel ratio, or the quality of HC desorbed from the HC adsorbent is greater when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing through the upstream exhaust passage portion is a larger lean air-fuel ratio compared to when it is a smaller lean air-fuel ratio.

An energy recovery converter for exhaust gases or waste heat is provided. The converter includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), an exhaust gas having a first molecular oxygen content, and an external electrical load. The MEA includes a first electrode, a second electrode and an oxygen ion conductive membrane sandwiched between the first and second electrodes. Each of the first and second electrodes includes at least one oxidation catalyst configured to promote an electrochemical reaction. The second electrode of the MEA is exposed to the exhaust gas and the first electrode of the MEA is exposed to a gas having a second molecular oxygen content. The second molecular oxygen content is higher than the first molecular oxygen content. The external electrical load is connected between the first and second electrodes of the MEA.