A method for detecting a replacement of a differential pressure sensor arranged for measuring a differential pressure across a filter of an aftertreatment system of a vehicle. The method includes determining a sensor offset value being an offset from a sensor value measured with a differential pressure sensor; adding an adaption value to the measured sensor value to compensate for the offset value to centre the sensor value around a predetermined level; if a sum of a subsequently measured sensor value and the adaption value exceeds a limit value, concluding that the differential pressure sensor has been replaced.

Various embodiments of the teachings herein include methods for determining the sulfur content in an exhaust tract of a motor vehicle. The method may include: determining a change in the nitrogen oxide abatement efficiency of a coated particulate filter arranged in the exhaust tract and/or a determined ammonia storage capacity change of a coated particulate filter arranged in the exhaust tract; comparing the determined change to a threshold value; identifying an excessive sulfur content if the comparison shows that the determined change exceeds the threshold value; and undertaking one or more corrective actions in response to identifying an excessive sulfur content.

Various embodiments include a method for regenerating a coated particulate filter arranged in an exhaust-gas duct of a motor vehicle. The method may include: detecting a need for particulate filter regeneration; determining a first diagnosis value before initiating particulate filter regeneration; after determining the first diagnosis value, carrying out particulate filter regeneration; determining a second diagnosis value after particulate filter regeneration; determining a difference between the first determined diagnosis value and the second determined diagnosis value; comparing the determined difference with a threshold value; and identifying a particulate filter defect if the determined difference exceeds the threshold value.

A PM sensor is arranged downstream of a one-side blocked filter that collects a particulate matter in exhaust gas of an engine, and first and second sensor abnormality diagnoses are executed based on output of the PM sensor. In the first sensor abnormality diagnosis, a filter-outflow PM amount (an amount of the PM flowing out from the one-side blocked filter) is estimated based on a working condition of the engine and a PM collection rate of the one-side blocked filter, and an occurrence of output abnormality of the PM sensor is determined by comparing a sensor-detection PM amount (an amount of the PM detected based on the output of the PM sensor) with the filter-outflow PM amount. In the second sensor abnormality diagnosis, an engine discharging PM amount (an amount of the PM discharged from the engine) is estimated based on a working condition of the engine, and an occurrence of output abnormality of the PM sensor is determined by comparing an increasing rate of the output of the PM sensor with an increasing rate of the engine discharging PM amount.

A method for determining a soot load on a particle filter provided with a selective catalytic coating is disclosed. The method includes determining a nitric oxide conversion on the particle filter and determining a soot load on the particle filter from the determined nitric oxide conversion.

A particulate matter detection sensor has an accumulation section for accumulating a part of particulate matter particles contained in exhaust gas emitted from an internal combustion engine, and a pair of a first detection electrode and a second detection electrode formed on the accumulation section. The second detection electrode is formed separated from the first detection electrode. The first detection electrode has projecting parts which project toward the second detection electrode. Because a separation between the first and second detection electrodes is locally reduced at the projecting parts, the projecting parts attract and accumulate more particulate matter, and this structure makes it possible to allow the particulate matter detection sensor to have improved detection sensitivity.

Methods and systems are provided for a soot sensor. In one example, a method diverting exhaust gas from a main exhaust passage to a second exhaust passage comprising a soot sensor with a rotatable component configurable to capture soot.

A control unit (6) estimates an output value of a PM sensor (S2) located at a downstream side of a DPF used as a reference filter, and detects whether the estimated output value exceeds a predetermined value (S3). When the estimated output value exceeds the predetermined value (YES in S3), the control unit detects an output value of the PM sensor (S4), and a heater heats the PM sensor (S5). The control unit detects an output value of the PM sensor (S6) after the PM sensor is heated, and calculates a change ratio of the output values of the PM sensor before and after heating (S7). The control unit estimates an average particle size of PM based on the calculated change ratio (S8), and detects whether the DPF has failed based on a comparison result of a corrected output value of the PM sensor with a threshold value.

The present invention provides a novel combination of devices to measure and transmit to an electronic controller data pertaining to differential pressures, temperatures, regeneration status, exhaust content, accumulated gas consumption and substitute fuel consumption. The electronic controller compares the data to thresholds; when the controller receives signals indicating these thresholds or limits are met, the controller causes the gas substitution rate to be diminished or set to zero until after-treatments elements are fully regenerated thereby facilitating integration of a mixed fuel system with an application internal combustion engine.

A particulate matter sensor is provided. The particulate matter sensor includes a particulate matter detection unit that has first and second electrodes separately disposed on a substrate and configured to generate capacitance to correspond to a quantity of a particulate matter accumulated between the first and second electrodes. A signal generator is configured to generate a frequency signal that determines a resonant frequency by the capacitance. A detection result processor is configured to detect a signal magnitude of a predetermined reference frequency in the frequency signal and distinguishes an exhaust level of the particulate matter based on a change of the signal magnitude.