Patent ID: 6640540
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: F01N,Y02T

Abstract:
An adsorbent state determining apparatus for determining a state of an adsorbent arranged in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine for adsorbing hydrocarbons within exhaust gases, said apparatus comprising:an upstream temperature sensor and a downstream temperature sensor positioned at locations upstream and downstream of said adsorbent in said exhaust system for detecting temperatures of exhaust gases upstream and downstream of said adsorbent, respectively; operating state detecting means for detecting an operating state of said internal combustion engine; downstream temperature estimating means for estimating the temperature of exhaust gases which should be detected at the location downstream of said adsorbent during adsorption of said adsorbent based on a detected upstream temperature detected by said upstream temperature sensor and the operating state of said internal combustion engine detected by said operating state detecting means; and adsorption state determining means for determining an adsorption state of said adsorbent by comparing the estimated downstream temperature estimated by said downstream temperature estimating means with the detected downstream temperature detected by said downstream temperature sensor during the adsorption of said adsorbent.