Internal combustion engine exhaust gas control apparatus and abnormality determining method thereof

An exhaust gas control apparatus of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a catalyst that is provided in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine and is configured to store oxygen;
• an oxygen sensor that is provided on an exhaust gas downstream side of the catalyst in the exhaust passage and is configured to output a signal indicative of an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas;
• and
• a controller comprising a first estimating portion, a second estimating portion, a third estimating portion, a first measuring portion, a second measuring portion, and a determining portion;
• the first estimating portion being configured to estimate whether an amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is a maximum amount or a minimum amount;
• the first measuring portion being configured to control an amount of oxygen released from the catalyst per unit time to a predetermined amount while forced rich control that forcibly makes an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas that flows into the catalyst richer than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio is being executed, when it is estimated by the estimating portion that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is the maximum amount, and to measure a lean continuation time that is a period of time between a point in time at which the forced rich control starts and a point in time at which the output of the oxygen sensor makes a rich reversal from a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio to a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio;
• the second measuring portion being configured to control an amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst per unit time to a predetermined amount while forced lean control that forcibly makes an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas that flows into the catalyst leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio is being executed, when it is estimated by the estimating portion that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is the minimum amount, and to measure a rich continuation time that is a period of time between a point in time at which the forced lean control starts and a point in time at which the output of the oxygen sensor makes a lean reversal from a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio to a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio;
• the determining portion being configured to determine that there is a response delay abnormality in one of the rich reversal or the lean reversal of the output of the oxygen sensor when a degree of deviation between the lean continuation time measured by the first measuring portion and the rich continuation time measured by the second measuring portion is equal to or greater than a predetermined degree;
• the second estimating portion being configured to perform fuel cut control that stops fuel injection in the internal combustion engine when it is estimated by the first estimating portion that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is the minimum amount, and to estimate a response delay time of a lean reversal of the output of the oxygen sensor based on a period of time between a point in time at which the fuel cut control starts and a point in time at which the output of the oxygen sensor makes a lean reversal;
• and
• the third estimating portion being configured to execute forced lean control that forcibly makes an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas that flows into the catalyst leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio when it is estimated by the first estimating portion that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is the minimum amount, and to estimate an amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst during a period of time between a point in time at which the forced lean control starts and a point in time at which the output of the oxygen sensor makes a lean reversal from a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio to a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, based on the period of time;
• wherein the third estimating portion takes the response delay time of the lean reversal of the output of the oxygen sensor estimated by the fourth estimating portion into account when estimating the oxygen storage amount.

A method for determining an abnormality in an exhaust gas control apparatus of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• utilizing a controller to:
• estimate whether an amount of oxygen stored in a catalyst that is included in an exhaust gas control apparatus of an internal combustion engine, is provided in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine, and is capable of storing oxygen is a maximum amount or a minimum amount according to output of an oxygen sensor that is included in the exhaust gas control apparatus of the internal combustion engine and provided on an exhaust gas downstream side of the catalyst in the exhaust passage;
• execute forced rich control that forcibly makes an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas that flows into the catalyst richer than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, when it is estimated that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is the maximum amount;
• estimate an amount of oxygen released from the catalyst during a period of time between a point in time at which the forced rich control starts and a point in time at which the output of the oxygen sensor makes a rich reversal from a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio to a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, based on the period of time;
• execute forced lean control that forcibly makes an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the catalyst leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, when it is estimated that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is the minimum amount;
• estimate an amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst during a period of time between a point in time at which the forced lean control starts and a point in time at which the output of the oxygen sensor makes a lean reversal from a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio to a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, based on the period of time;
• determine that there is a response delay abnormality in one of the rich reversal or the lean reversal of the output of the oxygen sensor when a degree of deviation between the estimated oxygen release amount and the estimated oxygen storage amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined degree;
• perform fuel cut control that stops fuel injection in the internal combustion engine when it is estimated by the first estimating portion that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is the minimum amount, and to estimate a response delay time of a lean reversal of the output of the oxygen sensor based on a period of time between a point in time at which the fuel cut control starts and a point in time at which the output of the oxygen sensor makes a lean reversal, and
• take the response delay time of the lean reversal of the output of the oxygen sensor into account when estimating the oxygen storage amount.

A method for determining an abnormality in an exhaust gas control apparatus of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• utilizing a controller to:
• estimate whether an amount of oxygen stored in a catalyst that is included in an exhaust gas control apparatus of an internal combustion engine, is provided in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine, and is capable of storing oxygen is a maximum amount or a minimum amount according to output of an oxygen sensor that is included in the exhaust gas control apparatus of the internal combustion engine and provided on an exhaust gas downstream side of the catalyst in the exhaust passage;
• control an amount of oxygen released from the catalyst per unit time to a predetermined amount while forced rich control that forcibly makes an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas that flows into the catalyst richer than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio is being executed, when it is estimated that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is the maximum amount, and measuring a lean continuation time that is a period of time between a point in time at which the forced rich control starts and a point in time at which the output of the oxygen sensor makes a rich reversal from a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio to a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio;
• control an amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst per unit time to a predetermined amount while forced lean control that forcibly makes an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas that flows into the catalyst leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio is being executed, when it is estimated that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is the minimum amount, and measuring a rich continuation time that is a period of time between a point in time at which the forced lean control starts and a point in time at which the output of the oxygen sensor makes a lean reversal from a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio to a value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio that is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio;
• determine that there is a response delay abnormality in one of the rich reversal or the lean reversal of the output of the oxygen sensor when a degree of deviation between the measured lean continuation time and the measured rich continuation time is equal to or greater than a predetermined degree;
• perform fuel cut control that stops fuel injection in the internal combustion engine when it is estimated by the first estimating portion that the amount of oxygen stored in the catalyst is the minimum amount, and to estimate a response delay time of a lean reversal of the output of the oxygen sensor based on a period of time between a point in time at which the fuel cut control starts and a point in time at which the output of the oxygen sensor makes a lean reversal;
• and
• take the response delay time of the lean reversal of the output of the oxygen sensor into account when estimating the oxygen storage amount.