A method for determining a reference value of a presence of at least one substance (NO.sub.x) occurring in an exhaust gas stream of an internal combustion engine (101), wherein the at least one substance is subjected to exhaust treatment, the exhaust treatment being carried out in dependence on the reference value (Em.sub.ref; Em.sub.ref,1; Em.sub.ref,2) When the internal combustion engine (101) is started: accumulating the occurrence (Em.sub.ACC,1; Em.sub.ACC,2) of the at least one substance (NO.sub.x) downstream from the exhaust treatment during a first period, and determining whether to redetermine the reference value (Em.sub.ref; Em.sub.ref,1; Em.sub.ref,2) based on the accumulated occurrence (Em.sub.ACC,1; Em.sub.ACC,2) of the at least one substance (NO.sub.x).

In a method and device for controlling and/or monitoring the function of a secondary air supply in an emission control system of an internal combustion engine, the emission control system includes at least two catalytic converters situated in succession in an exhaust duct, it being possible for the second catalytic converter to be implemented as a combination of catalytic converter and particulate filter. For a secondary air diagnosis and for secondary air control, a two-point lambda probe is situated, with respect to a direction of flow of exhaust gas, downstream of the first catalytic converter. Measures are applied for compensating tolerance and aging effects of the two-point lambda probe. This results in particular in cost advantages in emission control systems for fulfilling stricter emission requirements. In particular, this makes it possible to operate the particulate filter in optimized fashion.

A control device of an internal combustion engine comprises a heater control part configured to set a target temperature of the electrochemical cell and control the heater so that a temperature of the electrochemical cell becomes the target temperature. The heater control part sets the target temperature to a first temperature when water injection by the water injection device is not being demanded after a predetermined time elapses from startup of the internal combustion engine, and sets the target temperature to a second temperature when an operating state of the internal combustion engine is in a water outflow state where water injected by the water injection device reaches the exhaust passage without going through combustion of air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. The second temperature is higher than the first temperature.

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.

A particulate sensor can reduce the amount of floating ions discharged from the interior of a gas introduction pipe to the outside through a gas discharge opening, without providing an auxiliary electrode member which applies to the floating ions a repulsive force toward the gas introduction pipe to thereby assist the collection of the floating ions by the gas introduction pipe. The particulate sensor has an collection member which is connected to a gas introduction pipe to thereby be maintained at a collection potential and is disposed in the interior of the gas introduction pipe to be located between a forward end of the discharge electrode member and a gas discharge opening such that the forward end of the discharge electrode member cannot be visually recognized from the outside of the gas introduction pipe through the gas discharge opening.

Various embodiments include a method for monitoring the tank content of a storage tank comprising: metering a fluid from the tank into the exhaust gas tract, wherein the fluid has a concentration with respect to a reducing agent; acquiring a current concentration value for the reducing agent; calculating a change in concentration of the reducing agent on the basis of the current concentration value in comparison with a stored concentration value; determining a current operating state of the vehicle to identify an operating state in which refueling cannot be carried out; and carrying out a plausibility check of the calculated change in concentration if the calculated change in concentration exceeds a predetermined threshold value and the operating state is identified. The plausibility check includes acquiring the current tank filling level of the fluid.

A control device of a nitrogen oxide sensor comprises a voltage control part configured to control voltage applied to the pump cell, and a temperature estimation part configured to estimate a temperature of the pump cell. The voltage control part is configured to make the voltage applied to the pump cell a voltage of a starting voltage of decomposition of water or more when the estimated temperature of the pump cell estimated by the temperature estimation part is within a predetermined temperature region of less than an activation temperature of the pump cell as control suppressing evaporation.

A heating system includes at least one electric heater disposed within the fluid flow system. A control device includes a microprocessor and is configured to determine a temperature of the at least one electric heater based on a model and at least one input from the fluid flow system. The control device is configured to provide power to the at least one electric heater based on the temperature of the at least one electric heater.

An electrically heated catalyst device has a catalyst that purifies exhaust gas from an engine, and is configured to heat the catalyst with electric power that is supplied from an electric storage device. A current sensor detects a current that is supplied to the electrically heated catalyst device. A current sensor detects an input/output current of the electric storage device. A controller executes failure determination control to determine whether the current sensor has a failure. In the failure determination control, the controller estimates a current that is supplied to the electrically heated catalyst device using a detection value of the current sensor and compares the estimated current with a detection value of the current sensor to determine whether the current sensor has a failure.

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.