Fuel control for robust detection of catalytic converter oxygen storage capacity

• Main Authors: BELTON DAVID N, MACEWEN IAN J, WESTERN WILLIAM, WANG WENBO, THELEN CHRIS R, HUTMACHER JEFFREY M, GENSLAK ROBERT J, JESS RICHARD B
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.09.2010
• Subjects: BLASTING; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES ORENGINES IN GENERAL; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; STEAM ENGINES; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; WEAPONS

An oxygen storage capacity (OSC) monitoring system for a vehicle having a catalytic converter includes an inlet oxygen sensor that generates an inlet sensor signal (ISS) based on an oxygen content of exhaust flowing into the catalytic converter. A control module receives the ISS, increases a closed loop fuel control gain during a first period and determines a fuel control factor based on the ISS during the first period. The control module determines an OSC when an average value of the fuel control factor is greater than a first value and is less than a second value during the first period.