Patent ID: 7841168

Claim:
A method for estimating the temperature (Tcat) of an exhaust gas catalytic converter for an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: calculating a temperature ({tilde over (T)}cat) of the exhaust gas catalytic converter by using at least the exhaust gas throughput (M) of the catalytic converter and a parameter (λ) characterizing the composition of the exhaust gas; tracking a quantity (SI) of a reactand stored in the exhaust gas catalytic converter; calculating the temperature (Tcat) of the exhaust gas catalytic converter by taking into account the reaction heat being released during the conversion of the stored reactand in the event of a change in composition of the exhaust gas allowing a conversion of the stored reactand; predetermining a limit temperature (T c ); regulating a mixture supplied to the internal combustion engine such that the temperature (Tcat) remains below the predetermined limit temperature; and calculating a future catalytic converter temperature under an assumption that the mixture is regulated according to a present wish of a driver, and the mixture is regulated deviating from the driver's wish if the future catalytic converter temperature is greater than the limit temperature (T c ).