Patent ID: 8171779

Claim:
A method for monitoring the operation of an ozone-oxygen conversion means, especially for monitoring of the installation site of a heat exchanger and/or a temperature sensor (DOR sensor) of an ozone-oxygen conversion means, for vehicles, the ozone-oxygen conversion means having at least one catalytically coated heat exchanger through or around which air flows and through which a heat exchange medium flows, with at least one temperature sensor (DOR sensor) located on or in the heat exchanger for detecting the heat exchanger temperature, for detecting the surface temperature of the heat exchanger, for a defined time interval the temperature characteristics (tka, tprem) at the heat exchanger outlet and on the DOR sensor being determined and thus set into a relation to one another and/or to given comparison quantities and/or values such that evaluation of the operation of the ozone-oxygen conversion means and/or of the installation site of the catalytically coated heat exchanger and/or of the DOR sensor is carried out, comprising a) detecting the temperature (tka) of the heat exchange medium at the outlet from the heat exchanger using a temperature sensor as a first time-referenced characteristic curve, b) detecting the temperature (tprem) of the DOR sensor as a second time-referenced characteristic curve, c) bringing the detected temperature (tka) of the heat exchange medium into a given relation with the detected temperature (tprem) of the DOR sensor to one another, this given relation corresponding to the formation of the time-referenced area difference (Adiff) between the first and second characteristic curves, and d) determining the time-referenced area value (Atka) below the first time-referenced characteristic curve, e) comparing the determined area value (Atka) to one of a defined and definable first setpoint range, and f) generating a validity signal or invalidity signal depending on this such comparison, and g) determining when the area value (Atka) is invalid, branching to the start of the process (S 1 ) and h) determining if the area value (Atka) is valid, a relation between the area difference (Adiff) of the two detected characteristic curves and the first area value is formed in order to detect a system fault or to generate a validity signal.