A diagnostic module for diagnosing a particulate matter sensor in a vehicle includes a sensor mode selection module, a heater power detector, and a protection tube diagnostic module. The sensor mode selection module selects a regeneration mode for the particulate matter sensor from among a plurality of operation modes. The regeneration mode regenerates the particulate matter sensor. The heater power detector determines a voltage output based on a voltage applied to the particulate matter sensor. The voltage output corresponds to operation of the particulate matter sensor in the selected mode. The protection tube diagnostic module performs a diagnostic of the particulate matter sensor. The protection tube diagnostic module selectively diagnoses a fault in the particulate matter sensor based on the voltage output determined during the regeneration mode and a regeneration power threshold.

A control device of an exhaust sensor comprises a cell temperature detecting part detecting a temperature of the electrochemical cell, a heater control part controlling the heater so that a temperature of the electrochemical cell becomes the target temperature, and a judging part judging whether a water repellency of the protective layer is falling. The judging part judges that the water repellency of the protective layer is falling if a condition for judging abnormality is satisfied. The condition for judging abnormality includes a temperature of the electrochemical cell detected by the cell temperature detecting part falling from the target temperature and a speed of fall of the temperature being faster than a speed of fall of the temperature of the electrochemical cell when the heater is turned off.

A system for determining a performance status of an exhaust aftertreatment system may include determining an ammonia-to-nitrogen ratio using a sample ammonia input value and a sample NO.sub.x input value. An actual NO.sub.x input value and an actual ammonia input value can be received. An emission value from may be received from a first sensor. A NO.sub.x emission estimate, an ammonia slip estimate, and an optimal ammonia storage value for a selective catalytic reduction may be determined using an iterative inefficiency calculation based, at least in part, on the actual NO.sub.x input value, the actual ammonia input value, and the ammonia-to-nitrogen ratio; and the NO.sub.x emission estimate, the ammonia slip estimate, and the optimal ammonia storage value may be outputted to a diagnostic system.

A particulate matter sensor detecting particulate matter in exhaust emissions is provided, which is resistant to having sensor surfaces buried by particulate matter residue. Detection electrodes are provided, with alternating polarity, laminated in a laminating direction, separated by insulation. Of the detection electrodes, first detection electrodes of one polarity and second detection electrodes of the other polarity are exposed perpendicular to the laminating direction. In the direction perpendicular to the laminating direction, the particulate matter sensor has target accumulating parts on which the particulate matter is accumulated. In the target accumulating parts, the thickness W1 of the first detection electrodes in the laminating direction is greater than the thickness W2 of the second detection electrodes in the laminating direction.

The objective is to provide an internal-combustion-engine controller that can diagnose, at low cost and in real time, respective combustion states of a subsidiary-chamber-type internal combustion engine. An internal-combustion-engine controller according to the present disclosure controls an internal combustion engine having a main combustion chamber and a subsidiary combustion chamber from which a combustion gas is injected into the main combustion chamber through an orifice provided between the main combustion chamber and the subsidiary combustion chamber to ignite a fuel-air mixture in the main combustion chamber; the internal-combustion-engine controller includes an ion detector that detects an ion in the in the subsidiary combustion chamber and a diagnosis and control device that controls fuel supply to the internal combustion engine and diagnoses a combustion state in the main combustion chamber or in the subsidiary combustion chamber, based on an amount of an ion detected by the ion detector.

A method for diagnosing an exhaust component in an exhaust passage for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle. In the method, operating parameters of the internal combustion engine are monitored and recorded by a control unit while the internal combustion engine is running. If a predefined emission threshold for the exhaust component for compliance with emissions is found to have been exceeded, the current operating parameters of the internal combustion engine are stored in a control unit. The operating state of the internal combustion engine when the predefined emission threshold is exceeded is reproduced on a vehicle test bench using the stored operating parameters. The diagnosis of the exhaust component is carried out based on a comparison between the current measured value from the exhaust component and the current measured value from an emission measuring device and/or the predefined emission threshold.

An exhaust gas analysis system is adapted to include an exhaust gas circulation line through which exhaust gas flows, an exhaust gas collection line adapted to collect the exhaust gas from the exhaust gas circulation line and introduce the collected exhaust gas into an exhaust gas analysis device, a continuous analysis line adapted to, separately from the diluted exhaust gas collection line, collect the exhaust gas from the exhaust gas circulation line for continuous analysis, a continuous analyzer provided in the continuous analysis line, and an information processing unit adapted to, on the basis of an analysis result by the continuous analyzer at the time of the collection into the exhaust gas analysis device, determine whether a measurement result of the exhaust gas introduced into the exhaust gas analysis device falls within a preset range, or determine a measurement range used to measure the exhaust gas introduced into the exhaust gas analysis device.

A connector has a fixing hole in an intermediate portion of a terminal member, and has an engagement portion projecting downward in a thickness direction, at an end portion at a front end side of the fixing hole. Therefore, when the terminal member is attached to a housing, movement of the terminal member toward a rear end side can be restricted by fitting a projection portion of the housing into the fixing hole. Furthermore, since the engagement portion is provided to the terminal member, movement of the terminal member toward the rear end side can be restricted by engaging the engagement portion with a front end surface of a protrusion portion of the housing.

An emissions test apparatus is provided and may include a filter housing having at least one of a first RFID tag and a first bar code identifying the filter housing. A filter media may be selectively disposed within the filter housing and may include at least one of a second RFID tag and a second bar code identifying the filter media. A controller may link the filter housing and the filter media when the filter media is disposed within the filter housing based on information provided by the at least one of the first RFID tag and the first bar code and the at least one of the second RFID tag and the second bar code.

A nitrogen oxide sensor includes a measured gas chamber, a sensor cell, a pump cell, a voltage application circuit, a sensor output detector, a voltage control part, a concentration calculation part, a temperature estimation part, an air-fuel ratio estimation part, and a time calculation part calculating a cumulative value of time periods when the temperature of the pump cell is within a predetermined temperature region and the air-fuel ratio of the measured gas is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio as a first cumulative time period. The concentration calculation part calculates the NOx concentration in the measured gas higher with respect to the output of the sensor cell when the first cumulative time period is relatively long compared with when the first cumulative time period is relatively short.