Patent ID: 6450018
Filing Date: 2002-09-17
Classification: F01N,Y02T

Abstract:
A process for monitoring aging of a catalytic converter (5) in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine and for storing of times of largest emission of pollutants of the internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:establishing a start-up time of the engine; determining a light-off temperature of the catalytic converter (5) using a temperature sensor (3) in or on the catalytic converter (5), the light-off temperature being the temperature at which a sensor (7) for oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor or combustible materials located in the exhaust system after the catalytic converter (5), indicates the light-off of the catalytic converter (5) by a sudden change of concentration of a material or material mixture for which the sensor (7) is sensitive, and measuring an elapsed time from the start-up of the internal combustion engine to the sensor-indicated light-off of the catalytic converter (5).