Patent ID: 8020376

Claim:
A method for controlling regeneration of a particulate filter belonging to an exhaust line of an internal combustion engine, comprising: determining particulate filter operating data including at least a temperature T(t) representative of the temperature inside the filter at a time t; regenerating the filter, including raising the temperature of the filter above a first temperature threshold for combustion of soot contained in the filter; calculating a parameter d inst (t) that can vary over time and is representative of an amount of energy produced at a time t by the regenerating of the filter; and calculating a weighted parameter D inst wt (t) at least partly defined by the function d inst (t)×Gtemp (t), in which Gtemp (t) is a variable in time (t) as a function of the representative temperature T(t), wherein d inst (t) is obtained by formula: d inst ⁡ ( t ) = m soot ⁡ ( t ) β × k 0 × exp ⁡ ( E a RT ⁡ ( t ) ) × P o ⁢ ⁢ 2 α ⁡ ( t ) Q m ⁡ ( t ) in which: m soot (t) is an estimate of mass of soot contained in the filter at a time t; β is a partial order of reaction for soot combustion; k 0 is a constant frequency factor; E a is an activation energy dependent on catalytic activity of the filter, the activation energy representing sensitivity to temperature of the soot combustion reaction in the filter; R is a perfect gas constant; P o2 (t) is an oxygen partial pressure at the time t expressed as a mass percentage of oxygen in the gas contained in the filter at the time t; and α is a partial order of reaction for oxygen.