| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a particulate matter detection system capable of accurately detecting degradation or performance deterioration of a PM sensor.SOLUTION: A particulate matter detection system comprises: a sensor element (40) which is installed in an exhaust passage (6b) of an internal combustion engine (2), has insulator adhesion sections (44) with a pair of electrodes formed thereon and outputs, when the pair of electrodes are electrically conducted with more than predetermined amount of particulate matters adhered to the adhesion sections, a value according to the amount of particulate matters adhered to the adhesion sections; a detection section (46) which detects the value output by the sensor element; a heater (43) which removes the particulate matters adhered to the adhesion sections by heating the same; heater energization control sections (45 and 49) which perform conduction control of the heater; and a degradation level estimation calculation section (49) which performs estimation calculation with respect to a degradation level of the heater on the basis of the detection value of the detection section when the heater is energized. |
