Exhaust emission control device for internal combustion engine

An exhaust emission control device for an internal combustion engine which includes a collector that collects particulates (PM) in exhaust gas from the engine, and which burns the particulates deposited on the collector to recondition the collector when the amount of collected PM in the collector is approximately equal to a predetermined amount, the device comprising:

• an inflow estimating device for estimating the amount of inflow of PM into the collector;
• a decrease estimating device for estimating a basic amount of decreased PM that flows into the collector and is burned and decreased;
• an ash estimating device for estimating the amount of ash deposited on the collector;
• a correction device for correcting the basic amount of decreased PM based on the amount of ash estimated by the ash estimating device;
• and
• a PM deposit estimating device for estimating an amount of deposited PM by a history expression based on the amount of inflow of PM estimated by the inflow estimating device and the amount of decreased PM corrected by the correction device;
• wherein the ash estimating device estimates the amount of ash deposited on the collector using a differential pressure expression and a particulate deposit characteristic that correlates an amount of deposited particulates and a differential pressure across the collector, such that the amount of deposited particulates is estimated based on the detected differential pressure,
• wherein the particulate deposit characteristic includes a first region in which the amount of deposited particulates is between zero and a transition point,
• wherein the particulate deposit characteristic includes a second region in which the amount of deposited particulates exceeds the transition point,
• wherein, as the amount of deposited particulates increases, the differential pressure increases less rapidly in the second region than in the first region,
• wherein the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the differential pressure expression just after the collector is reproduced is an amount of deposit just after reproduction by the differential pressure expression,
• wherein the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the differential pressure expression at a time when the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the history expression reaches the transition point is an amount of deposit at the transition point by the differential pressure expression,
• wherein a difference between the amount of deposit just after reproduction by the differential pressure expression and the amount of deposit at the transition point by a differential pressure expression is the amount of increase of PM before transition, and
• wherein the ash estimating device estimates the amount of ash in such a way that as the amount of increase of PM before transition reduces, the amount of deposited ash increases.

An exhaust emission control device for an internal combustion engine which includes a collector that collects particulates (PM) in exhaust gas from the engine, and which burns the particulates deposited on the collector to recondition the collector when the amount of collected PM in the collector is approximately equal to a predetermined amount, the device comprising:

• an inflow estimating device for estimating the amount of inflow of PM into the collector;
• a decrease estimating device for estimating a basic amount of decreased PM that flows into the collector and is burned and decreased;
• an ash estimating device for estimating the amount of ash deposited on the collector;
• a correction device for correcting the basic amount of decreased PM based on the amount of ash estimated by the ash estimating device;
• and
• a PM deposit estimating device for estimating an amount of deposited PM by a history expression based on the amount of inflow of PM estimated by the inflow estimating device and the amount of decreased PM corrected by the correction device;
• wherein the ash estimating device estimates the amount of ash deposited on the collector using a differential pressure expression and a deposit characteristic that correlates an amount of deposited particulates and a differential pressure across the collector, such that the amount of deposited particulates is estimated based on the detected differential pressure,
• wherein the deposit characteristic includes a first region in which the amount of deposited particulates is between zero and a transition point and in which the differential pressure increases as the amount of deposited particulates increases,
• wherein the particulate deposit characteristic includes a second region in which the amount of deposited particulates exceeds the transition point,
• wherein, as the amount of deposited particulates increases, the differential pressure increases less rapidly in the second region than in the first region,
• wherein the estimated amount of deposited of particulates according to the differential pressure expression, at a time when the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the history expression reaches the transition point after the collector is reconditioned, is the amount of deposit at the transition point by a differential pressure expression;
• wherein the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the differential pressure expression, at a time when the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the history expression exceeds the transition point by a predetermined amount, is the amount of deposit at a measurement point after transition by a differential expression,
• wherein a difference between the amount of deposit at a transition point by a differential pressure expression and the amount of deposit at a measurement point after transition by a differential pressure expression is the amount of increase of PM after transition,
• wherein the ash estimating device estimates the amount of ash deposited on the collector on the basis of an ash deposit characteristic to establish correspondence between the amount of increase of PM after transition and the amount of deposited ash using the amount of increase of PM after transition, and
• wherein the ash deposit characteristic is such that, in a region where the amount of deposited ash is between zero and a predetermined amount, the amount of increase of PM after transition decreases as the amount of deposited ash increases, and such that in a region where the amount of deposited ash reaches and exceeds the predetermined value, the amount of increase of PM after transition increases as the amount of deposited ash increases.

A method of estimating an amount of deposited particulates (PM) in a collector of an internal combustion engine, which burns the particulates deposited on the collector to recondition the collector when the amount of collected PM in the collector is approximately equal to a predetermined amount, the method comprising:

• estimating the amount of inflow of PM into the collector;
• estimating a basic amount of decreased PM that flows into the collector and is burned and decreased;
• estimating the amount of ash deposited on the collector;
• correcting the basic amount of decreased PM based on the estimated amount of ash such that the amount of decreased PM decreases as the estimated amount of ash increases;
• and
• estimating an amount of deposited PM by a history expression based on the estimated amount of inflow of PM and the corrected amount of decreased PM.

A method of estimating an amount of deposited particulates (PM) in a collector of an internal combustion engine, which burns the particulates deposited on the collector to recondition the collector when the amount of collected PM in the collector is approximately equal to a predetermined amount, the method comprising:

• estimating the amount of inflow of PM into the collector;
• estimating a basic amount of decreased PM that flows into the collector and is burned and decreased;
• estimating the amount of ash deposited on the collector;
• correcting the basic amount of decreased PM based on the estimated amount of ash;
• and
• estimating an amount of deposited PM by a history expression based on the estimated amount of inflow of PM and the corrected amount of decreased PM;
• wherein estimating the amount of ash comprises estimating the amount of ash deposited on the collector using a differential pressure expression and a particulate deposit characteristic that correlates an amount of deposited particulates and a differential pressure across the collector, such that the amount of deposited particulates is estimated based on the detected differential pressure,
• wherein the particulate deposit characteristic includes a first region in which the amount of deposited particulates is between zero and a transition point,
• wherein the particulate deposit characteristic includes a second region in which the amount of deposited particulates exceeds the transition point,
• wherein, as the amount of deposited particulates increases, the differential pressure increases less rapidly in the second region than in the first region,
• wherein the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the differential pressure expression just after the collector is reproduced is an amount of deposit just after reproduction by the differential pressure expression,
• wherein the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the differential pressure expression at a time when the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the history expression reaches the transition point is an amount of deposit at the transition point by the differential pressure expression,
• wherein a difference between the amount of deposit just after reproduction by the differential pressure expression and the amount of deposit at the transition point by a differential pressure expression is the amount of increase of PM before transition, and
• wherein estimating the amount of ash occurs such that as the amount of increase of PM before transition reduces, the amount of deposited ash increases.

A method of estimating an amount of deposited particulates (PM) in a collector of an internal combustion engine, which burns the particulates deposited on the collector to recondition the collector when the amount of collected PM in the collector is approximately equal to a predetermined amount, the method comprising:

• estimating the amount of inflow of PM into the collector;
• estimating a basic amount of decreased PM that flows into the collector and is burned and decreased;
• estimating the amount of ash deposited on the collector;
• correcting the basic amount of decreased PM based on the estimated amount of ash;
• and
• estimating an amount of deposited PM by a history expression based on the estimated amount of inflow of PM and the corrected amount of decreased PM;
• wherein estimating the amount of ash deposited on the collector comprises using a differential pressure expression and a deposit characteristic that correlates an amount of deposited particulates and a differential pressure across the collector, such that the amount of deposited particulates is estimated based on the detected differential pressure,
• wherein the deposit characteristic includes a first region in which the amount of deposited particulates is between zero and a transition point and in which the differential pressure increases as the amount of deposited particulates increases,
• wherein the particulate deposit characteristic includes a second region in which the amount of deposited particulates exceeds the transition point,
• wherein, as the amount of deposited particulates increases, the differential pressure increases less rapidly in the second region than in the first region,
• wherein the estimated amount of deposited of particulates according to the differential pressure expression, at a time when the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the history expression reaches the transition point after the collector is reconditioned, is the amount of deposit at the transition point by a differential pressure expression;
• wherein the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the differential pressure expression, at a time when the estimated amount of deposited particulates according to the history expression exceeds the transition point by a predetermined amount, is the amount of deposit at a measurement point after transition by a differential expression,
• wherein a difference between the amount of deposit at a transition point by a differential pressure expression and the amount of deposit at a measurement point after transition by a differential pressure expression is the amount of increase of PM after transition,
• wherein estimating the amount of ash deposited on the collector occurs on the basis of an ash deposit characteristic to establish correspondence between the amount of increase of PM after transition and the amount of deposited ash using the amount of increase of PM after transition, and
• wherein the ash deposit characteristic is such that, in a region where the amount of deposited ash is between zero and a predetermined amount, the amount of increase of PM after transition decreases as the amount of deposited ash increases, and such that in a region where the amount of deposited ash reaches and exceeds the predetermined value, the amount of increase of PM after transition increases as the amount of deposited ash increases.