A METHOD FOR ESTIMATING THE HEAT EXCHANGE RATE RELATED TO EXOTHERMIC OXIDATION REACTIONS OF A DIESEL OXIDATION CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

摘要

A method for estimating the heat exchange rate related to the exothermic oxidation reactions of a catalytic converter in an internal combustion engine, wherein exhaust gases flow through the catalytic converter, the method comprising the steps of : - providing a thermal model of a catalytic converter wherein no oxidation reactions take place, said thermal model comprising a plurality of equations that take into account the heat exchange rate related to the processes between the exhaust gases, the catalytic converter and an external environment surrounding said catalytic converter; calculating an estimated outlet temperature (Tout,est; Tout,est1) at the outlet of the catalytic converter, based on the thermal model; - measuring an outlet temperature (Tout,meas) at the outlet of the catalytic converter; comparing the estimated outlet temperature with the measured outlet temperature (Tout,meas), thus obtaining a correction factor; - correcting the thermal model by using the correction factor in order to make the estimated outlet temperature (Tout,est; Tout,est1) converge to the measured outlet temperature (Tout,meas); - estimating the heat exchange rate related to the exothermic oxidation reactions as said correction factor.