| 摘要 |
Exhaust gas catalyst aging monitoring, using a catalyst temperature sensor (3) and a downstream exhaust component sensor (7) to determine the catalyst activation time, is new. A process for monitoring of exhaust gas catalyst aging and for registration of the times of greatest internal combustion engine pollutant emission comprises: (a) using a temperature sensor (3), after starting the engine, to detect the catalyst activation temperature as that temperature at which an O2, CO2, H2O or combustible substance sensor (7), downstream of the catalyst (5), indicates activation by a signal change resulting from abrupt change of the concentration of the sensed substances; and (b) measuring the activation time from engine starting to sensor-indicated activation of the catalyst (5). An Independent claim is also included for equipment for carrying out the above process, comprising an external or on-board processing unit (8, 14) which is connected to the signal lines (9, 10) of a catalyst temperature sensor (3) and a downstream O2, CO2, H2O or combustible substance sensor (7) and to an electrical lead (11) transmitting an engine start signal, the processing unit information being read by an external monitoring unit and/or directly displayed by an on-board instrument. Preferred Features: The substance sensor (7) is an oxygen sensor with a measuring probe having a smaller catalytic activity than conventional lambda probes and having, at the operating temperature, a lower sensitivity for fuel gas than for oxygen. The sensor (7) also exhibits a time from engine starting and simultaneous sensor heating initiation to achievement of the operating temperature which is shorter than the catalyst activation time. The temperature sensor (3), the substance sensor (7) and the processing unit (8) may be individual parts for fitting into various vehicles or may comprise a fixed fitting in a vehicle. |
