Patent ID: 6059057
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: B60K,B60L,B60W,B60Y,F01N,F02D,F02M,Y02A,Y02T

Abstract:
A catalyst temperature control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having a motor connected to a drive shaft, which drives wheels, for rotating said drive shaft; an engine for generating energy required for driving said hybrid vehicle; and a catalyst disposed in an exhaust conduit of said engine for converting gaseous exhausts, said catalyst temperature control apparatus comprising:an intake valve arranged at an intake opening for introducing the air from an intake conduit of said engine into a cylinder;an exhaust valve arranged at an exhaust opening for discharging said gaseous exhausts from said cylinder to said exhaust conduit;intake and exhaust driving valves means for turning on and off said intake valve and said exhaust valve and varying an overlap period, in which said intake valve and said exhaust valve are opened simultaneously;exhaust temperature detection means for measuring a temperature of either one of said gaseous exhausts and said catalyst; andintake and exhaust valves control means for, when the temperature measured by said exhaust temperature detection means is not higher than a predetermined value, controlling said intake and exhaust driving valves means, in order to lengthen the overlap period of said intake valve and said exhaust valve, wherein said exhaust temperature detection means comprises one of a temperature estimation means for estimating the temperature of either one of said gaseous exhausts and said catalyst based on a driving state of the engine; and temperature detection means for directly measuring the temperature of either one of said gaseous exhausts and said catalyst and outputting the measurement as an observed temperature and temperature estimation means for estimating the temperature of either one of said gaseous exhausts and said catalyst based on a driving state of the engine and outputting the estimation as an estimated temperature, when a difference between the observed temperature by the temperature detection means and the estimated temperature by the temperature estimation means is not less than a predetermined level, the estimated temperature being output as the temperature of either one of said gaseous exhausts and said catalyst.