System for determining the effectiveness of a catalytic coating on a catalytic converter in a motor vehicle

A motor vehicle having an engine, a cooling circuit connected to the engine provided with a heat exchanger, a catalytic converter located downstream from said heat exchanger, wherein the catalytic converter is arranged to be heated by an air flow passing through the catalytic converter, wherein the catalytic converter is at least partially coated with catalytic material for conversion of environmentally harmful substances in ambient air, wherein the motor vehicle further comprises:

• a control unit;
• and
• a detecting means connected to said control unit, said detecting means connected to said control unit for determining a degree of conversion of one or more environmentally harmful substances by the catalytic coating of the catalytic converter,
• wherein said detecting means is configured to measure the concentration of the one or more environmentally harmful substances and determines a degree of conversion of the one or more environmentally harmful substances.

A motor vehicle having an engine, a cooling circuit connected to the engine provided with a heat exchanger, a catalytic converter located downstream from said heat exchanger, wherein the catalytic converter is arranged to be heated by an air flow passing through the catalytic converter, wherein the catalytic converter is at least partially coated with catalytic material for conversion of environmentally harmful substances in ambient air, wherein the motor vehicle further comprises:

• a control unit;
• and
• a detecting means connected to said control unit, said detecting means connected to said control unit for determining a degree of conversion of one or more environmentally harmful substances by the catalytic coating of the catalytic converter,
• wherein said detecting means comprises a first temperature sensor configured to provide a first output signal dependent on the temperature of coolant in the cooling circuit and said control unit is configured to determine a degree of conversion based on said first output signal.

A motor vehicle having an engine, a cooling circuit connected to the engine provided with a heat exchanger, a catalytic converter located downstream from said heat exchanger, wherein the catalytic converter is arranged to be heated by an air flow passing through the catalytic converter, wherein the catalytic converter is at least partially coated with catalytic material for conversion of environmentally harmful substances in ambient air, wherein the motor vehicle further comprises:

• a control unit;
• and
• a detecting means connected to said control unit, said detecting means connected to said control unit for determining a degree of conversion of one or more environmentally harmful substances by the catalytic coating of the catalytic converter,
• wherein said detecting means comprises a first sensor configured to measure the content of the environmentally harmful substances downstream from the heat exchanging member.

A motor vehicle having an engine, a cooling circuit connected to the engine provided with a heat exchanger, a catalytic converter located downstream from said heat exchanger, wherein the catalytic converter is arranged to be heated by an air flow passing through the catalytic converter, wherein the catalytic converter is at least partially coated with catalytic material for conversion of environmentally harmful substances in ambient air, wherein the motor vehicle further comprises:

• a control unit;
• and
• a detecting means connected to said control unit, said detecting means connected to said control unit for determining a degree of conversion of one or more environmentally harmful substances by the catalytic coating of the catalytic converter,
• wherein said detecting means comprises a pressure sensor providing a first output signal dependent on static pressure downstream from the heat exchanger and thereby on the air flow through the heat exchanger, wherein said control unit is configured to determine a degree of conversion based on said first output signal.

A motor vehicle having an engine, a cooling circuit connected to the engine provided with a heat exchanger, a catalytic converter located downstream from said heat exchanger, wherein the catalytic converter is arranged to be heated by an air flow passing through the catalytic converter, wherein the catalytic converter is at least partially coated with catalytic material for conversion of environmentally harmful substances in ambient air, wherein the motor vehicle further comprises:

• a control unit;
• and
• a detecting means connected to said control unit, said detecting means connected to said control unit for determining a degree of conversion of one or more environmentally harmful substances by the catalytic coating of the catalytic converter,
• wherein said detecting means comprises a differential pressure sensor providing a first output signal dependent on the pressure drop across the heat exchanger and thereby on the air flow through the heat exchanger, wherein said control unit is configured to determine a degree of conversion based on said first output signal.

A motor vehicle having an engine, a cooling circuit connected to the engine provided with a heat exchanger, a catalytic converter located downstream from said heat exchanger, wherein the catalytic converter is arranged to be heated by an air flow passing through the catalytic converter, wherein the catalytic converter is at least partially coated with catalytic material for conversion of environmentally harmful substances in ambient air, wherein the motor vehicle further comprises:

• a control unit;
• and
• a detecting means connected to said control unit, said detecting means connected to said control unit for determining a degree of conversion of one or more environmentally harmful substances by the catalytic coating of the catalytic converter,
• wherein said detecting means comprises a flow sensor providing a first output signal dependent on the air flow through the heat exchanger, wherein said control unit is configured to estimate a degree of conversion based on said first output signal.

A motor vehicle having an engine, a cooling circuit connected to the engine provided with a heat exchanger, a catalytic converter located downstream from said heat exchanger, wherein the catalytic converter is arranged to be heated by an air flow passing through the catalytic converter, wherein the catalytic converter is at least partially coated with catalytic material for conversion of environmentally harmful substances in ambient air, wherein the motor vehicle further comprises:

• a control unit;
• and
• a detecting means connected to said control unit, said detecting means connected to said control unit for determining a degree of conversion of one or more environmentally harmful substances by the catalytic coating of the catalytic converter,
• wherein said detecting means comprises a test cell coated with a catalytic coating exhibiting electrical or optical properties which change with wear and/or fouling and wherein said control unit is configured to estimate the degree of conversion of the heat exchanger with the catalytic coating from an output signal generated by said test cell.