Patent ID: 9551263
Date: 2017-01-24
CPC Classifications: B01D,F01N,F02D,Y02T

Claim:
1. A method for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and injection valves assigned to the cylinders for the purpose of metering fuel, and having an exhaust gas tract in which an exhaust gas catalytic converter is disposed, the method comprising: (a) determining a value of an oxygen storage capacity variable that indicates an oxygen storage capacity of the exhaust gas catalytic converter using an exhaust gas probe disposed downstream of the exhaust gas catalytic converter in the exhaust gas tract, wherein the current value of the oxygen storage capacity variable indicates operational readiness of the exhaust gas catalytic converter; (b) determining whether the value of the oxygen storage capacity variable indicates the exhaust gas catalytic converter has reached full operational readiness after startup, (c) adjusting an exhaust temperature by adjusting the operation of the internal combustion engine by subjecting a predetermined air/fuel ratio to a forced stimulation having an amplitude dependent on a time elapsed since a starting of the internal combustion engine, to provide increased heat to the exhaust gas catalytic converter to achieve full operational readiness, and repeating steps (a) through (c) until it is determined at step (b) that the value of the oxygen storage capacity variable indicates the exhaust gas catalytic converter has reached full operational readiness after startup, after which time the exhaust temperature adjustment is no longer performed.