A control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a characteristic storage portion configured to store therein torque-characteristic information representing an output torque characteristic as a characteristic of an output torque of an engine of the vehicle, which has appeared in a certain control operation, such that the stored torque-characteristic information is divided into a plurality of groups corresponding to respective refueling points that provide the fuel; and a factor determination portion configured, when the output torque characteristic represented by the torque-characteristic information belonging to one of the plurality of groups and the output torque characteristic represented by the torque-characteristic information belonging to another one of the plurality of groups are different from each other and a characteristic difference therebetween is not smaller than a threshold value, to determine that the characteristic difference is caused by a difference in a property of the fuel.

Provided are an exhaust gas monitoring system and method for allowing a driver to monitor a state of an exhaust gas discharged from a vehicle during driving without getting out of the vehicle, thus improving convenience, and improving driving safety by diagnosing a state of an engine.

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 system includes a controller having a control signal generation unit that provides control signals to actuate one or more valve actuators of an engine to a desired position, and control signals to modify one or more operational parameters and an operational mode of the engine. A parameter signal process unit receives parameter signals corresponding to at least one operational parameter of the engine, and at least one sensor coupled to the engine. At least one sensor corresponds to a position of a valve. A failure detection unit generates at least one fault code corresponding to one or more failure modes. A failure mode isolation unit isolates a failure mode from the one or more failure modes in response to modifying the operational parameters or the operational mode, causing actuation of the valves to a desired position, or receiving the parameter signals and the sensor.

The occurrence of the misfire having a level at which exhaust purifying function of a catalyst is impaired (OT-level misfire) is detected. Upon the detection of the OT-level misfire, basic OT risk from the misfire is multiplied by a correction coefficient corresponding to the accumulated PM amount on the catalyst. The basic OT risk from the misfire is a basic value of OT risk from the misfire which is set based on the operating condition of the engine. The correction coefficient is set to a smaller value as the accumulated PM amount increases. Therefore, the OT risk from the misfire after the multiplication decreases as the accumulated PM amount increases. When a predetermined judgement condition with the OT risk from the misfire is established, it is judged that the misfire having the level occurs.

A vehicle includes an engine having a particulate matter removal filter to remove particulate matter, in an exhaust system, and a control device to control the engine such that the vehicle travels in a mode selected from a plurality of modes including a first mode in which both fuel efficiency and ride quality are achieved and a second mode in which the engine is operated at a load higher than a predetermined load. When an accumulation quantity of the particulate matter in the particulate matter removal filter is equal to or more than a threshold, the control device notifies a driver that traveling in the second mode is recommended. When the driver selects the second mode in response to the notification, it is possible to restrain an uncomfortable feeling to be given to the driver, even if the engine is operated at a high load for regenerating the filter.

A monitoring method, the purpose of which is, when a loss of power is detected in an aircraft engine, to generate an alarm in the form of a single message displayed on a display screen in the cockpit, in order to indicate if the level of damage suffered by the engine is critical or not. The steps implemented are based on alarm signals transmitted by a central processing unit of the engine and also on alarm signals transmitted by a diagnostic device for the onboard systems of the aircraft, in order to take account of both the situation of the engine and also the situation of the systems surrounding the engine which can be affected by damage to an engine.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling operation of an engine of a vehicle to supply power to a power box that in turn supplies power to loads external to the vehicle. In one example, a method comprises, responsive to a request by an operator to operate an engine to power one or more loads external to the vehicle, monitoring an engine temperature and issuing an alert requesting the operator to take mitigating action to reduce the engine temperature when the engine temperature reaches a threshold temperature, and controlling a cooling fan as a function of whether or not the mitigating action is taken. In this way, fuel economy may be improved and power supply to power external loads may be optimized.

The occurrence of the misfire having a level at which exhaust purifying function of a catalyst is impaired (OT-level misfire) is detected. Upon the detection of the OT-level misfire, basic OT risk from the misfire is multiplied by a correction coefficient corresponding to the accumulated PM amount on the catalyst. The basic OT risk from the misfire is a basic value of OT risk from the misfire which is set based on the operating condition of the engine. The correction coefficient is set to a smaller value as the accumulated PM amount increases. Therefore, the OT risk from the misfire after the multiplication decreases as the accumulated PM amount increases. When a predetermined judgement condition with the OT risk from the misfire is established, it is judged that the misfire having the level occurs.

A control method of a vehicle having an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system includes efficiently controlling a temperature of recirculated exhaust gas and, even when the temperature of recirculated exhaust gas excessively increases, damage to hardware, such as an intake manifold or parts of the exhaust gas recirculation system can be prevented. The control method includes: detecting the temperature of exhaust gas recirculated to an engine intake system by the EGR system; entering into a protection mode so as to control the temperature of the recirculated exhaust gas; determining a correction value such that the controller controls the temperature of the recirculated exhaust gas; and correcting an engine control value by using the determined correction value and controlling an engine according to the corrected engine control value.