Method for heating an exhaust system

A method for heating an exhaust system downstream of an internal combustion engine using an electric heating device, comprising the following steps:

• ascertaining a current temperature in the exhaust system;
• ascertaining a current temperature of the electrical heating device and a fluid mass flow flowing through the electrical heating device;
• ascertaining a heating requirement based on the ascertained current temperature in the exhaust system and a target temperature,
• calculating a required amount of heat depending on the heating requirement and an amount of energy required for heating the electrical heating device, taking into account a heat input into the fluid mass flow to be expected at the ascertained current temperature of the electrical heating device;
• and
• controlling the electric heating device to generate the calculated amount of heat.

A computing unit configured to heat an exhaust system downstream of an internal combustion engine using an electric heating device, the computing unit configured to:

• ascertain a current temperature in the exhaust system;
• ascertain a current temperature of the electrical heating device and a fluid mass flow flowing through the electrical heating device;
• ascertain a heating requirement based on the ascertained current temperature in the exhaust system and a target temperature,
• calculate a required amount of heat depending on the heating requirement and an amount of energy required for heating the electrical heating device, taking into account a heat input into the fluid mass flow to be expected at the ascertained current temperature of the electrical heating device;
• and
• control the electric heating device to generate the calculated amount of heat.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for heating an exhaust system downstream of an internal combustion engine using an electric heating device, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:

• ascertaining a current temperature in the exhaust system;
• ascertaining a current temperature of the electrical heating device and a fluid mass flow flowing through the electrical heating device;
• ascertaining a heating requirement based on the ascertained current temperature in the exhaust system and a target temperature,
• calculating a required amount of heat depending on the heating requirement and an amount of energy required for heating the electrical heating device, taking into account a heat input into the fluid mass flow to be expected at the ascertained current temperature of the electrical heating device;
• and
• controlling the electric heating device to generate the calculated amount of heat.