The sensor includes: a collection part 30L, 30M, 30S in which, a plurality of filter members for collecting particulate matter in exhaust gas are arranged in descending order of porosity from an exhaust upstream side to an exhaust downstream side of the exhaust gas; a pair of electrodes 32, 33 which is arranged to each of the plurality of filter members 30L, 30M, 30S and facing each other with the plurality of filter members interposed therebetween; and estimation means 42 to 44 far estimating a particulate matter amount collected on each of the plurality of filter members having different porosities based on a capacitance change amount between the pair of electrodes 32, 33.

An exhaust-gas purifying device purifies an exhaust gas exhausted from a gasoline engine of a vehicle and flowing in an exhaust pipe, and has a purifying function part disposed in the exhaust pipe and a detector located downstream of the purifying part in the exhaust pipe. The purifying function part has a three-way catalyst that oxidizes and reduces a toxic substance and a filter that collects a particular matter included in the exhaust gas. The detector detects an amount of the particular matter based on electrical conductivity between the electrodes of the detector. The detector is located at a position that is one meter distanced from a downstream end of the purifying function part in a path length of the exhaust pipe or a position at which a temperature of the exhaust gas flowing after a warm-up operation of the gasoline engine is lower than or equal to 450° C.

An exhaust gas treatment device includes a housing having a wall. The wall of the housing defines an interior chamber. A substrate is supported by the housing within the interior chamber of the housing. The substrate extends along a longitudinal axis. The substrate includes a flow through structure that allows the flow of exhaust gas to flow through the substrate. The substrate includes a catalytic composition disposed thereon for reacting with the flow of exhaust gas. The substrate includes a cavity, extending along a cavity axis, which is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the substrate. A sensor is attached to the housing. The sensor includes a probe that at least partially extends into the cavity of the substrate, for sensing a gaseous component in the flow of exhaust gas. The cavity mixes the flow of exhaust gas and directs the exhaust gas toward the probe of the sensor.

A fine particle detector includes: a casing part configured to accommodate an object to be heated; an electromagnetic wave generating part configured to generate electromagnetic waves of different frequencies; at least one power sensor configured to measure powers, from the casing part, of the electromagnetic waves that have entered into the casing part; and a fine particle detection controlling part configured to determine, based on the powers of the electromagnetic waves of the different frequencies measured by the at least one power sensor, whether an accumulated amount of fine particles accumulated in the object to be heated is greater than or equal to a predetermined accumulated amount.

A method includes calculating whether a quantity of the PMs accumulated in a PF is at or above a risk level at which damage to the PF is caused when reproducing the PF, calculating a driving condition index by accumulating a weighting factor for a driving condition under which there is a likelihood of causing the damage to the PF, when the amount of accumulated PMs is at or above the risk level; calculating a temperature index in accordance with a temperature of the PF and a PM index in accordance with the quantity of the accumulated PMs when the quantity of the accumulated PMs is at or above the risk level; calculating a degradation condition index considering the driving condition index, the temperature of the PF, and the quantity of accumulated PMs; and changing a reproduction periodicity of the PF according to the degradation condition index.

A particulate filter having a porous ceramic honeycomb structure with a first end, a second end, and a plurality of walls having wall surfaces defining a plurality of inner channels. Filtration material deposits are disposed on one or more of the wall surfaces of the honeycomb body. The highly porous deposits provide durable high clean filtration efficiency with small impact on pressure drop through the filter.

A system and method for filtering exhaust gases of a vehicle is disclosed, that are based on an exhaust filter assembly includes an enclosure having an inlet coupled with an end of an exhaust pipe to allow exhaust gases of the vehicle into the enclosure, a filter element fitted with the enclosure to adsorb gaseous particles, moisture, and unburned fuel mist particles of the exhaust gases, sensors to sense gaseous particles adsorbed on the filter element, and generate first signals based on the sensed gaseous particles; a control unit; and a communication unit. The control unit includes processors to: receive the generated first signals, and generate second signals based on the received first signals. The communication is configured to transmit the second signals to computing devices of users to notify the users. Thermoelectric generator is adapted to convert heat energy of the exhaust gases into electric power.

A controller for a hybrid electric vehicle including an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes a filter arranged in an exhaust passage collect particulate matter from exhaust gas. The controller executes a first deceleration control process, a second deceleration control process, and a selection process. The first deceleration control process uses a fuel cutoff process when deceleration of the hybrid electric vehicle is required. The second deceleration control process does not use the fuel cutoff process when deceleration of the hybrid electric vehicle is required. The selection process selects execution of the second deceleration control process when a PM deposition amount is greater than or equal to a threshold value and selects execution of the first deceleration control process when the PM deposition amount is less than the threshold value.

A particulate matter sensor includes a shield through which exhaust gases flow in a direction of flow from upstream to downstream. A sensing element with a positive electrode and a negative electrode separated from the positive electrode by an electrode gap is located within the shield. The positive electrode includes a plurality of positive electrode branches each having positive electrode extensions extending downstream and separated from each other by positive electrode slots. A positive electrode extension tip for each has a positive electrode extension tip width. The negative electrode includes negative electrode branches each having negative electrode extensions extending upstream which are each flanked on each side thereof by a plurality of negative electrode slots. A negative electrode extension tip for each has a negative electrode extension tip width. A sum of the positive electrode extension tip widths is greater than a sum of the negative electrode extension tip widths.

A controller for a hybrid electric vehicle including an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes a filter arranged in an exhaust passage collect particulate matter from exhaust gas. The controller executes a first deceleration control process, a second deceleration control process, and a selection process. The first deceleration control process uses a fuel cutoff process when deceleration of the hybrid electric vehicle is required. The second deceleration control process does not use the fuel cutoff process when deceleration of the hybrid electric vehicle is required. The selection process selects execution of the second deceleration control process when a PM deposition amount is greater than or equal to a threshold value and selects execution of the first deceleration control process when the PM deposition amount is less than the threshold value.