Various embodiments may include a method for monitoring a nitrogen oxide trap comprising: monitoring a storage capacity of the nitrogen oxide trap; deactivating nitrogen oxide trap regeneration based on the monitored storage capacity; and upon a predetermined event, reactivating nitrogen oxide trap regeneration.

Methods and systems are provided for an aftertreatment system. In one example, a system comprising a spark-ignited engine comprising a selective catalytic reduction device (SCR) arranged in an exhaust passage downstream of a catalyst, and an injector positioned to inject a reductant directly into the exhaust passage downstream of the catalyst subsequent an engine shut-off event.

In a hybrid vehicle, suppression of an amount of fuel consumed for reducing NOx stored in an NSR catalyst and suppression of deterioration in exhaust gas components due to unreacted fuel flowing out from the NSR catalyst are made compatible with each other. Predetermined power source control is carried out in accompany with the execution of NOx reduction processing to supply fuel to the NSR catalyst. In the predetermined power source control, an engine rotation speed of an internal combustion engine is made to decrease or an operation of the internal combustion engine is made to stop, and an electric motor is controlled so as to compensate for required torque. Further, during a period of execution of the predetermined power source control, a lower limit value of a predetermined target SOC range for an SOC of a battery is changed to a value smaller than at times other than the period of execution of the predetermined power source control.

A control system for a vehicle, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the control system being arranged to: determine a prediction of an end of a current driving cycle of the vehicle, determine a likelihood of slippage from an emissions trap of the vehicle in a next driving cycle of the vehicle in dependence on the prediction of the end of the current driving cycle, and control purging of the emissions trap prior to the prediction of the end of the current driving cycle in dependence on the likelihood of slippage.

The invention relates to a method to heat exhaust gases to a selected specific temperature by fuel injection control in an internal combustion engine (112), which engine comprises a control unit (115) registering the currently requested load and determining a required fuel amount in response to the requested load. The method involves registering low load operation of the internal combustion engine; registering an input from at least one exhaust after-treatment system (121) sensor indicating a detected condition; determining an exhaust temperature requirement for the detected condition and calculating a target exhaust temperature; selecting a group of cylinders to be regulated for achieving the target exhaust temperature; calculating a ratio for desired 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd fuel amounts to be injected alternately in consecutive induction strokes for the selected group of cylinders to achieve the target exhaust temperature; wherein the ratio defines an offset between an increased 1.sup.st fuel amount to be injected in a cylinder of the selected group of cylinders for every second induction stroke, and a reduced 2.sup.nd fuel amount to be injected for the intermediate induction strokes.

A control unit configured to control an electric turbocharger and an EGR valve. While an internal combustion engine is stopped, an oxygen-free period, which is a period during which oxygen surrounding an exhaust gas purifier used for an oxidation reaction runs out, is estimated based on a temperature of the exhaust gas purifier. Before entering the oxygen-free period, the EGR valve is opened and the electric turbocharger is driven. Air surrounding the exhaust gas purifier is replaced with fresh air. After replacement with the fresh air has been completed, the electric turbocharger is stopped.

The present invention relates to a mixed oxide with enhanced resistance and NO.sub.x storage capacity. The mixed oxide may be used as a component of a NO.sub.x trap material in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. The invention also relates to a method for treating an exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine using the mixed oxide.

A vehicle (1) is a hybrid vehicle including a traveling mode to travel only with the driving force of a drive motor (5). Vehicle (1) is mounted with an internal combustion engine (10) capable of being operated at an air-fuel ratio leaner than the theoretical air-fuel ratio. The operation of internal combustion engine (10) is controlled by a control unit (41). Control unit (41) is configured to determine whether to stop internal combustion engine (10) in an operation state, in consideration of the NOx adsorption ratio of a downstream-side exhaust purification catalyst (33) provided in an exhaust passage (31) of internal combustion engine (10).

A control system for a vehicle, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the control system being arranged to: determine a prediction of an end of a current driving cycle of the vehicle, determine a likelihood of slippage from an emissions trap of the vehicle in a next driving cycle of the vehicle in dependence on the prediction of the end of the current driving cycle, and control purging of the emissions trap prior to the prediction of the end of the current driving cycle in dependence on the likelihood of slippage.

A control system for a vehicle, the control system having one or more controllers, the control system being arranged to: determine a likelihood of a NOx adsorber trap of a vehicle requiring purging; determine an efficiency of purging the NOx adsorber trap; determine an operating efficiency of a selective catalyst reduction system of the vehicle; determine a schedule for purging of the NOx adsorber trap of the vehicle in dependence on the likelihood of the NOx adsorber trap requiring purging, the efficiency of purging the NOx adsorber trap, and the operating efficiency of the selective catalyst reduction system; and control purging of the NOx adsorber trap according to the schedule.