Abstract: An internal combustion engine that selectively switches from a first combustion in which an amount of an exhaust gas recirculation gas within a combustion chamber is more than the amount of the exhaust gas recirculation gas when an amount of soot generated reaches a peak amount to generate substantially no soot, that is, a low temperature combustion, and a second combustion in which the amount of the exhaust gas recirculation gas within the combustion chamber is less than the amount of the exhaust gas recirculation gas when the amount of soot generated reaches the peak amount. The switching is selectively performed, such that, a stable low temperature combustion corresponding to the air fuel ratio is performed by shifting the area for performing the low temperature combustion to the high load side as the air fuel ratio is reduced.

Abstract: A compression ignition type engine, wherein a first combustion where the amount of the recirculated exhaust gas supplied to the combustion chamber is larger than the amount of recirculated exhaust gas where the amount of production of soot peaks and almost no soot is produced and a second combustion where the amount of recirculated exhaust gas supplied to the combustion chamber is smaller than the amount of recirculated exhaust gas where the amount of production of soot peaks are selectively switched between and wherein the air-fuel ratio is temporarily made rich immediately before switching from the first combustion to the second combustion or immediately after switching from the second combustion to the first combustion.

Abstract: A device for purifying the exhaust gas of an engine comprises a NO.sub.X absorbent arranged in the exhaust passage. The NO.sub.X absorbent absorbs NO.sub.X therein when the air-fuel ratio of the inflowing exhaust gas is lean, and releases the absorbed NO.sub.X therefrom when the oxygen concentration in the inflowing exhaust gas becomes lower. The NO.sub.X absorbent also absorbs SO.sub.X therein when the air-fuel ratio of the inflowing exhaust gas is lean, and releases the absorbed SO.sub.X therefrom when the oxygen concentration in the inflowing exhaust gas becomes lower, with the temperature of the NO.sub.X absorbent being higher than a SO.sub.X releasing temperature. The air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing to the NO.sub.X absorbent is made rich temporarily when the temperature of the NO.sub.X absorbent is higher than SO.sub.X releasing temperature and when the flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing through the NO.sub.X absorbent is lower than a predetermined flow rate, to release the absorbed SO.sub.

Abstract: An engine has a plurality of the cylinders. The cylinders are divided into a first cylinder group and a second cylinder group, and each cylinder group is connected, via a corresponding branch exhaust passage, to a common interconnecting exhaust passage. In the interconnecting exhaust passage, an exhaust gas purifying catalyst is arranged. The air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas of the first cylinder group is made lean to feed oxygen to the exhaust gas purifying catalyst, and the air-fuel ratio of the second cylinder group is made rich to feed fuel for heating to the exhaust gas purifying catalyst, so that the oxygen and the fuel for heating react with each other to heat the exhaust gas purifying catalyst to reactivate the exhaust gas purifying catalyst when the reactivation of the exhaust gas purifying catalyst is must be performed. In each branch exhaust passage, a start catalyst is arranged.

Abstract: In the production of a metallic honeycomb body for use as a metallic carrier, for supporting a catalyst, in the purification of an exhaust gas from automobiles or the like, a desired joint site for each layer constituting the metallic honeycomb body is preset, and, when a portion of contact between a metallic corrugated foil and a metallic flat foil for forming the metallic honeycomb body has reached the joint site, a brazing foil which has been cut into a predetermined length is inserted and enfolded in the contact portion.

Abstract: In the power supply control system, an electrically heated catalytic converter (EHC) is connected to an alternator output terminal via a switch SW1, and a battery is connected to the alternator via a switch SW2 in parallel with the EHC. A control unit (ECU) for controlling the operation of the switches SW1 and SW2 is provided. When the engine has started, the ECU turns on the SW1 and turns off the SW2 to supply electric power to the EHC directly from the alternator. After the EHC is heated to the activating temperature and starts its catalytic action, the ECU turns on both the switches SW1 and SW2 to supply electric power to the EHC from the battery to maintain the temperature of the EHC. Since the electric power for raising the temperature of the EHC is supplied in the condition where the battery is disconnected from the alternator, the output voltage can be increased to a value higher than a normal output voltage for charging the battery.

Abstract: In an electrically heated catalyst support, when necessary, reinforcing layers are formed on the inner circumference and the outer circumference of a honeycomb body. On an end surface of the honeycomb body on the downstream side of exhaust gas, there are provided a plurality of insulating ceramic bars on the outer circumferential layer and/or the inner circumferential layer in such a manner that the insulating ceramic bars cross a non-reinforcing layer of the honeycomb body. End portions of the ceramic bars are held on the reinforcing layer by pins or a ring-shaped holding member joined to an external metallic cylinder. Due to the foregoing arrangement, telescoping of the honeycomb body in the direction of gas flow and damage of the metallic foil can be prevented without obstructing the generation of heat when electricity is supplied. Accordingly, durability of the catalyst support can be remarkably enhanced.

Abstract: The electrically heated catalytic converter of the present invention has a substrate, for a catalyst, which is formed as a laminated assembly of corrugated metal sheets and plain metal sheets. The corrugated metal sheet has an insulating coating made of an alumina Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, and the plain metal sheet has no insulating coating. Local conductive connections are formed between the layers of the metal sheets by soldering the metal sheets using strips of zirconium solder foils interposed between the layers of the metal sheets. The strips of solder foils are arranged in such a manner that the strips of solder foil disposed on both sides of the corrugated metal sheet defines a single electric path in the corrugated metal sheet which connects the solder foils on both sides of the corrugated metal sheet.

Abstract: An electrically heated catalyst installed in an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, featuring simple construction, without causing the flow resistance of the exhaust gases to increase, and consuming small amounts of electric power. The electrically heated catalyst has two electrodes of different polarities in a casing through which the exhaust gases flow and has at least one catalyst support that is folded plural times in a zig-zag manner in a direction intersecting the direction of flow of the exhaust gases without coming into contact with itself, the two ends of the catalyst support being connected to these two electrodes. The catalyst support is constituted by a flat foil and a corrugated foil that are joined together, and electric insulators are provided at the folding portions of the catalyst support to stretch and support the catalyst support inside the casing. Owing to the insulators, the catalyst support is held in the casing in a state of receiving tension.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying electric power to heating devices of a vehicle, making it possible to utilize the maximum amount of electric power generated by an alternator when a plurality of electrically heated catalysts mounted on the vehicle are to be supplied with electric power from the alternator only.

Abstract: The present invention aims to produce a metallic carrier which enables a catalyst to be activated in a short time. In mutually joining an insulated heat resisting alloy and a heat resisting alloy having an insulating film, particularly composed mainly of alumina, a joining material of a laminate, formed by laminating a strongly reducing metal, which can thermodynamically reduce alumina, and a brazing material to each other, is disposed so that the strongly reducing metal comes into contact with the insulated heat resisting alloy, and the resultant laminate is heated in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to carry out a brazing treatment. This enables only portions in the honeycomb structure, where electrically conductive paths are to be formed, can be joined, and, at the same time, heat resisting alloys having a surface covered with an insulating oxide film can be firmly joined with the resultant joint having an electrical conductivity.

Abstract: An electrically heating catalytic apparatus that quickly heats catalyst to an activation temperature even when the engine is started at a low temperature below the catalyst activation temperature. The apparatus employs an electrically conductive catalyst carrier that is electrically heated. The carrier is provided with local hot spots to be energized. Since the heat is locally generated, the heat capacity of the catalyst carrier is small to shorten a temperature increasing time.

Abstract: An electrically heating catalytic apparatus that quickly heats catalyst to an activation temperature even when the engine is started at a low temperature below the catalyst activation temperature. The apparatus employs an electrically conductive catalyst carrier that is electrically heated. The carrier is provided with local hot spots to be energized. Since the heat is locally generated, the heat capacity of the catalyst carrier is small to shorten a temperature increasing time.

Abstract: The electrically heated catalytic converter of the present invention includes a catalyst substrate, which is formed as a scroll-like cylindrical laminated assembly. The assembly is formed by laminating a thin corrugated and plain metal sheets and winding the metal sheets together around a center electrode. The outermost layer of the laminated assembly is connected to an outer electrode. The corrugated metal sheet has an insulating coating made of an alumina, and the plain metal sheet is uninsulated. Local conductive connections form between the thin metal sheets by soldering strips of zirconium solder foils between the layers of the thin metal sheets. Since zirconium has a larger reducing capability than aluminum, the alumina in the insulating coating is reduced by zirconium and precipitates at the local conductive connections. Therefore, the plain and corrugated metal sheet are electrically connected to each other at the local conductive connections.

Abstract: An electrical heating type catalytic device having a metallic catalyst carrier constituted by layering metallic foils, surfaces of the metallic foils being coated by an insulation film, adjoining metallic foils being joined conductively in only some regions of the metallic catalyst carrier.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying apparatus mounted in an vehicular engine, which includes a detector for detecting the actuated condition of a catalyst. Injectors for fuel injection are disposed along an air intake passage of the engine and plurality of catalysts are provided along an exhaust gas passage. A catalyst incorporating an electrical heater is disposed at the most upper stream side thereof. A secondary air source can be supplied into the inlet port of the heatable catalyst by means of secondary air supply mechanism. To determine the activated condition of the catalyst, a temperature sensor is provided to the catalyst. An electronic control unit (ECU) controls the injectors, secondary air supply mechanism, and heatable catalyst when the engine is initiated in the cold state. The ECU computes a temperature change rate of the catalyst based upon a value detected by the temperature sensor while secondary air supply is provided into the inlet port of the heatable catalyst.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying the secondary air to a catalyst in an exhaust gas passage is disclosed. An electric heater is fixed to the catalyst to which the secondary air is supplied by an electric air pump. The heater and the air pump are connected with a battery through relay contacts, respectively. During the cold operation of the engine, an electric control unit switches on/off the relay contacts, so as to actuate the air pump prior to the heater and stop the air pump after the heater. The secondary air is supplied to the catalyst when the temperature of catalyst is raised up to the activating point.

Abstract: A catalyst warming up device of an internal combustion engine includes an electrically heated type catalyst disposed in an exhaust gas passage of the engine and a unit for supplying secondary air into the exhaust gas passage at an upstream of the catalyst. The secondary air supply and the catalyst energization are controlled in such a manner that, during an engine warming up condition, in which an air-fuel ratio of a mixture introduced into engine cylinders is controlled to be rich, if the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas is detected as lean or the same as a theoretical air-fuel ratio due to the secondary air, the secondary air is supplied to the exhaust gas passage after the catalyst is energized, and if the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas cannot be controlled to lean or the same as a theoretical air-fuel ratio, an operation of the catalyst energization is stopped.

Abstract: A device for controlling the heating of a catalyst arranged in the exhaust passage of an engine. When the engine is started, the catalyst is rapidly heated by the heater, and the time for which the power is supplied to the heater is increased as the degree of deterioration of the catalyst becomes greater, to thus increase the temperature of the catalyst to the activation temperature thereof when the power supply to the heater is stopped regardless of whether the catalyst is new or has deteriorated.

Abstract: An electrically heatable catalytic converter for converting pollutant materials from an engine, such as carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, etc., to carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water. A catalytic core has a rod center electrode, metal strips, such as corrugated strips and plane strips, and insulation layers spirally wound together about the center electrode to form a spiral electrical path. The central region adjacent to the center electrode and the peripheral region of the catalytic core are wound without intervening of the insulation layer and contact metal to metal. The intermediate region of the core is mainly heated, and there is almost no heat generation in the central and peripheral regions of the catalytic core.