Method for purifying the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine having a catalytic converter
AssigneeUmicore AG & Co. KG
InventorsRoman Moeller, Martin Votsmeier, Christopher Onder, Juergen Gieshoff, Lino Guzzella
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for purifying the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine having a catalytic converter which comprises oxygen storage components. The invention is concerned particularly with the restoration of the optimum filling degree of the oxygen storage components for regulated stoichiometric operation after the engine has been operated under lean conditions for a relatively short or relatively long period of time.
Claims15
A method for purifying the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine having a catalytic converter which comprises an oxygen storage composed of oxygen storage components, with the engine being equipped with an electronic engine controller and being operated with a regulated, stoichiometric air/fuel mixture over the greater part of the operating duration thereof, with temporary lean operating phases also occurring as a function of the driving situations,
- wherein, after a temporary lean operating phase of the engine, which is associated with a substantial filling of the oxygen store, and before the resumption of regulated engine operation, the filling degree of the oxygen storage is returned to an optimum level for stoichiometric operation by virtue of the engine being supplied with a rich pulse followed by a lean pulse, with the quantity of oxidative components supplied to the catalytic converter by means of the lean pulse being lower than would be required for fully compensating the quantity of rich exhaust-gas components supplied by means of the rich pulse.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.