It is to determine whether a temperature rise condition of a first cell or a second cell is satisfied based on whether a first parameter has exceeded a predetermined first threshold or a second parameter has exceeded a predetermined second threshold. After satisfaction of the temperature rise condition, it is to determine that an exhaust gas sensor is in an active state upon determination that a corresponding time condition is satisfied.

A sensor for detecting electrically conductive and/or polarizable particles, in particular for detecting soot particles, includes a substrate, a first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer, which is arranged between the substrate and the first electrode layer. An insulation layer is formed betweem the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer and at least one opening is formed in the first electrode layer and in the insulation layer, wherein the opening of the first electrode layer and the opening of the insulation layer are arranged one over the other at least in some segments in such a way that at least one passage to the second electrode layer is formed.

Methods and systems are provided for a battery supplying power to an exhaust oxygen sensor heater. In one example, a method may include estimating a power delivered to the heater during heating of the sensor and in response to a power delivered from a battery being lower than a threshold, adjusting a battery charging strategy prior to an immediately subsequent engine start.

The invention relates to a method for exhaust aftertreatment of an internal combustion engine with at least one combustion chamber and an outlet that is connected to an exhaust system, wherein at least one catalytic converter is arranged in the exhaust system. Furthermore, a secondary-air system is provided with which secondary air can be introduced into an exhaust duct of the exhaust system at an intake point downstream from the outlet of the internal combustion engine and upstream from the catalytic converter, and a first lambda sensor is arranged in the exhaust duct downstream from the intake point and upstream from the catalytic converter. The internal combustion engine is operated immediately after start-up with a substoichiometric combustion air ratio ( E<1), and secondary air is introduced into the exhaust duct of the exhaust system downstream from an outlet of the internal combustion engine and upstream from the first lambda sensor. An exhaust-gas lambda is determined by the first lambda sensor and a stoichiometric exhaust-gas lambda ( m=1) set, with the quantity of secondary air being maintained constant and the quantity of fuel being adjusted such that the stoichiometric exhaust-gas lambda ( m=1) is achieved.

A gas sensor element comprising a long plate-like element body and a porous protective layer protecting a surface of the element body, wherein the element body has a gas detection part at an end thereof on one end face side in a longitudinal direction, and the protective layer includes an end face part covering the one end face in laminate, side face parts covering side faces connected to the one end face in laminate, and corner parts where two adjacent ones of the end face part and the side face parts meet. An outer surface of one or more of the end face part and the side face parts has a concave shape that is smoothly continuous with the corner parts and configured such that a layer thickness increases toward the corner parts.

A gas detection device includes a temperature control part configured to control an amount of energization to a heater so that an impedance of an element part matches a target impedance, to thereby control a temperature of the heater. The temperature control part is configured to set a first target impedance as the target impedance while performing application voltage control for air-fuel ratio detection, and set a second target impedance as the target impedance while performing application voltage control for SOx detection.

A hybrid vehicle may include an engine controller that determines an activation state of an oxygen sensor when the engine controller is requested to operate an engine and controls a voltage applied to the oxygen sensor depending on whether or not the oxygen sensor is in an activated state, and a vehicle controller that controls a voltage of a battery of the hybrid vehicle and applies the voltage of the battery to the engine controller. The engine controller outputs an activation demand signal for the oxygen sensor to be activated to the vehicle controller when it is determined that the oxygen sensor is not in the activated state.

The present disclosure relates to a device and a method for removing a carbon from an oxygen sensor. The device may include an oxygen sensor installed in a gas exhaust line of a vehicle to measure an oxygen content in an exhaust gas, a valve for transferring a high-pressure air flow to the oxygen sensor, a valve actuator for driving the valve, and a controller for controlling the valve actuator to open the valve when an abnormality occurs in the oxygen sensor. When the abnormality has occurred in the oxygen sensor, the valve for transferring the high-pressure air flow is opened, and a temperature of zirconia provided in the oxygen sensor is raised to remove a carbon deposited on the oxygen sensor.

A particulate matter detecting device includes: an element unit on which particulate matter contained in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine is deposited; a heater that heats the element unit; a detecting unit that detects the amount of particulate matter on the basis of electrical characteristics of the element unit; and a control unit that controls the operation of the heater. For a predetermined period that does not include a period in which the particulate matter is deposited on the element unit, the control unit operates the heater using a predetermined amount of control set in advance such that the temperature of the element unit is higher than the temperature of the exhaust gas and lower than a predetermined temperature at which the element unit is thermally degraded.

Failure detection apparatus for a particulate filter includes: a sensor having a particulate matter detection unit that outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of accumulated PM, and a heater unit that heats the particulate matter detection unit; a regeneration control unit that causes the heater unit to heat the particulate matter detection unit to a regeneration temperature allowing the particulate matter to be burned off; a start detection unit that determines the start of the internal combustion engine; failure determination unit that determines whether exhaust gas contains water droplets while the engine is in operation; a heating control unit that causes the heater unit to heat the particulate matter detection unit to a first temperature allowing the accumulated particulate matter to remain and the moisture included in the particulate matter to be removed; and failure determination unit that determines whether the filter has failure based on a sensor output value.