Particulate filters are used to remove particulate matter such as soot and ash in the emissions control systems of vehicles, including gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines. Methods are provided to predict the long-term performance and durability of emissions control systems having particulate filters. The methods account for factors such as thermal aging, soot accumulation and regeneration, and ash loading.

Vehicle exhaust system uses delta pressure based estimation of accumulated soot within a diesel particulate filter. The exhaust system has a diesel oxidation catalyst and a diesel particulate filter. A fuel injector is connected upstream from the diesel oxidation catalyst and the diesel particulate filter. A delta pressure sensor measures difference in pressure at inlet and outlet of the diesel particulate filter. A controller determines when to regenerate the diesel particulate filter based on an estimated amount of soot. The controller, in a first regeneration mode, causes the fuel injector to inject fuel at a first rate into the exhaust stream, and to re-evaluate amount of soot accumulated within the diesel particulate filter under increased volumetric flow. The controller, in a second regeneration mode, causes the fuel injector to inject fuel at a second rate into the exhaust stream in order to combust soot trapped in the diesel particulate filter.

An exhaust purification device includes a PM filter and a differential pressure sensor for the PM filter, and calculates a first estimated amount PMf based on the operating state of the internal combustion engine and a second estimated amount PMc based on the differential pressure. The exhaust purification device performs an anomaly determination of the differential pressure sensor based on the state of the differential pressure sensor from stopping of the internal combustion engine to a startup thereof, and corrects the first estimated amount PMf based on the second estimated amount PMc when starting the internal combustion engine. The exhaust purification device calculates, as the PM deposition amount Pr, the larger value of the first and second estimated amounts, and starts a filter regeneration control of the PM filter when the PM deposition amount Pr is equal to or more than a first predetermined amount.

The invention relates to a method for the regeneration of a soot particulate filter that is installed on the outlet side of an internal combustion engine, comprising the following steps: detecting a loading value of the soot particulate filter; measuring an operating temperature of the soot particulate filter; switching off a cylinder of the internal combustion engine; starting a supply of fresh air to the soot particulate filter via the switched-off cylinder; adjusting a cylinder valve so as to control the supply of fresh air; regenerating the soot particulate filter. The invention further relates to a control unit, to an internal combustion engine and to a motor vehicle for carrying out a method of this kind.

A vehicle is provided and includes a GPF (gasoline particulate filter) that is configured to store a soot generated in an engine and burn the soot and a sensor that is configured to detect a first soot mass included in the GPF. A controller is configured to calculate a second soot mass estimated at the ignition off based on the detected first soot mass and determine an inlet temperature of the GPF based on the second soot mass and a predetermined reference value. The engine is then operated based on the determined inlet temperature of the GPF.

An internal combustion engine makes available exhaust gas which can be treated by means of a catalytic converter and a particle filter. A method for determining the particle load of the particle filter comprises steps of determining the storage capacity of the catalytic converter for oxygen and determining the particle load of the particle filter on the basis of the determined storage capacity in the controller.

An engine control device is provided, which includes an oxidation catalyst provided in an exhaust passage to oxidize unburned fuel within exhaust gas, a NO.sub.x catalyst provided integrally with or downstream of the oxidation catalyst, a PM filter provided in the exhaust passage downstream of the oxidation catalyst to capture fine particulate matter within the exhaust gas, a fuel injector, and a controller. When the particulate matter is accumulated by a given amount, the controller starts a PM filter regeneration control to remove the particulate matter, and after this control is started and when the accumulation amount decreases by a given amount, the controller starts a NO.sub.x catalyst regeneration control to switch between a first state in which an air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas is a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or less and a second state in which the air-fuel ratio is higher than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio.

A radio frequency sensing, control, and particulate matter diagnostics network and system and method and, more specifically, a radio frequency particulate filter diagnostics system comprising a housing including an inlet connected to a source of particulate matter, a particulate filter in the housing and adapted for filtering the particulate matter, and a radio frequency sensor adapted to detect conditions of abnormal particulate filter or system operation and including at least one radio frequency probe configured to be in contact with the housing for the particulate filter housing and adapted to receive radio frequency signals and a radio frequency control unit in communication with the radio frequency probe.

Apparatus (100) for controlling an aftertreatment system of an internal combustion engine (101), a system comprising an apparatus, a vehicle comprising a system and a method (1000) of controlling injection in an internal combustion engine (101) are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a processing means (102) configured to receive a first signal from a first temperature sensing means (103) indicative of a first temperature of exhaust gases outputted from an internal combustion engine (101) at a first location upstream of a first exhaust system component (104) configured to provide a passage for exhaust gases. The processing means is also configured to receive a second signal from a flow rate sensing means (105) indicative of a flow rate of the exhaust gases outputted from the engine (101) and calculate an approximated value at least from the first signal and the second signal. The approximated value is indicative of a second temperature of exhaust gases at a location downstream of the first exhaust system component (104). The processing means is further configured to provide an output signal to control the after treatment system, in dependence of the calculated approximated value.

A controller executes a dither control process and a deposition amount calculating process. In the dither control process, on condition that an execution request for a regeneration process of the filter is made, fuel injection valves are operated such that at least one of the cylinders is a lean combustion cylinder, and at least another one of the cylinders is a rich combustion cylinder. In the deposition amount calculating process, a deposition amount is calculated such that, as compared to a case in which a target value of an average value of an exhaust air-fuel ratio in a predetermined period by the dither control process is a first air-fuel ratio, a decrease amount per unit time of the deposition amount is calculated to be a great value in a case in which the target value is a second air-fuel ratio, which is leaner than the first air-fuel ratio.