Devices and methods for reducing emissions, e.g., hydrocarbons, NOx, carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), and carbon monoxide (CO) from an internal combustion engine burning a hydrocarbon fuel. The devices include a mixture of tourmaline, quartz, and a holographic film within a non-metallic housing. The device containing the mixture and the holographic film is then charged. After charging the device, treating hydrocarbon fuel is taught by exposing the hydrocarbon fuel to the charged device before combustion of the hydrocarbon fuel in an internal combustion engine.

An exhaust gas aftertreatment system for an internal combustion engine has an exhaust system that can be connected to an outlet of the internal combustion engine. A three-way catalytic converter that is situated close to the engine and, downstream from the three-way catalytic converter that is situated close to the engine, a second catalytic converter and a particle reduction device are arranged in the direction in which an exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine flows through an exhaust gas channel of the exhaust system. A fuel injector is arranged on the exhaust gas channel so as to inject fuel downstream from the three-way catalytic converter that is situated close to the engine and upstream from the second catalytic converter, and the exhaust system comprises a secondary air system with which secondary air can be blown into the exhaust gas channel downstream from the three-way catalytic converter that is situated close to the engine and upstream from the second catalytic converter.

A method for operating an exhaust gas burner that is situated in an exhaust gas system downstream from an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle during a start phase of the exhaust gas burner, in which the internal combustion engine is not fired. The method includes an incremental increasing of the air mass flow supplied to the exhaust gas burner and an incremental varying of a fuel mass flow supplied to the exhaust gas burner.

The present invention is applied to an exhaust system provided with a three-way catalyst and a NOx catalyst which are provided in an exhaust passage of an engine and to which sulfur components in exhaust adhere and release the attached sulfur components by rich components in exhaust, and NOx sensors provided downstream of the catalysts. The NOx sensor is a limiting current type sensor. It is determined whether a sulfur release state is present in which a sulfur component is released from the three-way catalyst and the NOx catalyst. When it is determined that it is in the state of sulfur release, reaction suppression processing for suppressing the reaction between oxygen and sulfur components in the pump cell electrodes and the monitor cell electrodes of the NOx sensors is performed.

Systems and methods for controlling a regeneration process of catalyst(s) are disclosed. The method includes receiving, via Kalman filter, initial estimation from a previous instance of time. The initial estimation includes one or more first estimated inside temperature(s) and/or first estimated outlet temperature of A/T catalyst. An output from a simulation model may be generated to calculate a mean and covariance. Sensor measurement covariance may be compared against the mean and covariance of the output to update Kalman filter gain and process covariance. A weighted average may be calculated between sensor measurements and mean of the output to generate a second estimation for the next instance of time, wherein weight is based on Kalman filter gain. The second estimation includes one or more second estimated inside temperature(s) and/or second estimated outlet temperature of A/T catalyst to control the mass flow rate in diesel engine via a closed loop control system.

An exhaust system of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle includes a particulate filter where particles are filterable out from the exhaust gas by the particulate filter. A selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalytic converter through which the exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine is flowable for denitrifying the exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine is disposed downstream of the particulate filter. The exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine is heatable by a combustor at a point disposed upstream of the SCR catalytic converter and downstream of the particulate filter where the combustor provides an exhaust gas of the combustor. Particles are filterable out from the exhaust gas of the combustor by a filter element.

An exhaust control system of a vehicle includes a fuel injector configured to inject fuel into a combustion chamber of a burner of an exhaust system upstream of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst; an air pump configured to pump air into the combustion chamber of the burner; a spark plug configured to ignite an air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber of the burner; a fuel control module configured to, while an engine is off before an engine startup, selectively actuate the fuel injector and begin fuel injection; a pump control module configured to, while the engine is off before the engine startup, selectively turn on the air pump; and a spark control module configured to, while the engine is off and before the engine startup, selectively apply power to the spark plug and begin providing spark.

An ammonia generating apparatus comprises a housing comprising a first end wall on which a reductant injector configured to insert a reductant into the housing is mountable. A heating coil assembly is disposed within the housing. A first end of the heating coil assembly is located proximate to a location of the first end wall where a reductant injector tip of the reductant injector is located when the reductant injector is mounted on the first end wall. The heating coil assembly is configured to generate heat sufficient to thermolyze the reductant to generate ammonia and reaction byproducts, in response to an electric current being passed therethrough. A hydrolysis catalyst can be disposed downstream of the heating coil assembly for catalyzing hydrolysis of the reaction byproducts into ammonia.

A method to control an exhaust gas after-treatment system for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine having at least one catalytic converter and a burner, which is suited to introduce exhaust gases into an exhaust duct so as to speed up the heating of said at least one catalytic converter; the method entails inserting an indicator in a dashboard of a vehicle provided with the internal combustion engine so that it provides a driver of the vehicle with indications concerning the burner; and keeping the indicator turned on during a starting step, during which the temperature of said at least one catalytic converter is lower than an activation temperature.

Apparatus and method for mixing reductant in an exhaust gas flow using virtual interception. Embodiments include an exhaust gas and reductant mixer comprising a body, a first flow device, and a reductant entry port. The body defines an exhaust gas flow path having a central portion. The first flow device swirls the exhaust gas in a circumferential direction with respect to the gas flow path. The reductant entry port introduces the reductant into the gas flow path at a location downstream from the first flow device and in an introduction direction (1) offset from the central portion, and (2) opposite the circumferential direction.