Abstract: In exhaust gas purifying apparatus and method for an internal combustion engine, a degree of a performance deterioration of am NOx trap catalyst is determined on the basis of a detected air-fuel ratio variation time difference, at the performance deterioration determination of the NOx trap catalyst, the degree of the performance deterioration with at least one of correcting factors of a quantity of NOx trapped by means of the NOx trap catalyst, a reducing agent supply quantity by which a reducing agent is supplied to the NOx trap catalyst, and catalyst temperature which is a temperature of the NOx trap catalyst, and at least one of the correcting factors is reflected on the determination of the degree of the performance deterioration of the NOx trap catalyst.

Abstract: An exhaust purifying device is arranged in an exhaust gas passage extending from an internal combustion engine. The exhaust purifying device includes a NOx trapping catalyst that traps NOx in the exhaust gas when an exhaust air/fuel ratio is leaner than stoichiometric and releases the trapped NOx therefrom when the exhaust air/fuel ratio is richer than stoichiometric, and a particulate filter that collects a particulate matter in the exhaust gas. A condition detecting device is arranged to detect a condition of the particulate filter. An exhaust air/fuel ratio control device is arranged to control the exhaust gas from the engine in such a manner that the exhaust gas has a target exhaust air/fuel ratio. When the exhaust air/fuel ratio is changed from a stoichiometric or richer side to a leaner side, the exhaust air/fuel ratio control device varies the exhaust air/fuel ratio under the leaner air/fuel exhaust condition in accordance with the condition of the particulate filter.

Abstract: An intake air control system for an internal combustion engine is provided which comprises an intake throttle valve that controls an intake air quantity of air flowing into the engine, an EGR valve that controls a quantity of exhaust gas recirculated back to a portion of an intake system of the engine downstream of the intake throttle valve, and a control unit that controls the intake throttle valve and the EGR valve in accordance with an operating condition of the engine. The control unit includes a target opening area calculating section that calculates a target opening area of the intake throttle valve based on a target EGR ratio corresponding to the operating condition of the engine, and a control section that controls an opening degree of the intake throttle valve based on the target opening area. An intake air control method is also provided.

Abstract: A thermal head includes a heat insulating layer made up of an electrically-conductive multiple low oxide ceramic layer of low thermal conductivity made of a chemical compound of Si, plural transition metals and oxygen. A first insulating layer made up of an insulated multiple high nitride ceramic layer of low thermal conductivity made of a chemical compound of at least Si, plural transition metals and nitrogen is formed on the heat insulating layer, and a second insulating layer made up of an SiO2 layer of high insulation characteristics or an Al2O3 layer is formed on the first insulating layer.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying system for an internal combustion engine is arranged to determine a recovery execution timing for recovery processing of recovering an exhaust gas purifying device such as a particulate filter and a NOx trap catalyst from a specific content stacked state, to determine a target air/fuel ratio for executing the recovery processing, to determine a first engine controlled variable relating to an air/fuel ratio on the basis of the target air/fuel ratio, and to determine a second engine controlled variable relating to a combustion period at a value different from a value employed during normal processing when the recovery processing is executed.

Abstract: In exhaust gas purifying apparatus and method for an internal combustion engine, an abnormality determination of an NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) removing catalyst is executed on the basis of output values of both of a first exhaust gas atmosphere detecting section and a second exhaust gas atmosphere detecting section (for example, oxygen concentration sensors interposed in an exhaust passage of the engine between inlet and outlet portions of the NOx removing catalyst) from a time at which an output value of the first exhaust gas atmosphere detecting section is varied to a first predetermined value to a time at which the output value of the second exhaust gas atmosphere detecting section is reached to a second predetermined value when an exhaust gas atmosphere varying section (control unit) increases the ratio of a reducing agent in the exhaust gas.

Abstract: A thermal head includes a heat insulating layer made up of an electrically-conductive multiple low oxide ceramic layer of low thermal conductivity made of a chemical compound of Si, plural transition metals and oxygen. A first insulating layer made up of an insulated multiple high nitride ceramic layer of low thermal conductivity made of a chemical compound of at least Si, plural transition metals and nitrogen is formed on the heat insulating layer, and a second insulating layer made up of an SiO2 layer of high insulation characteristics or an Al2O3 layer is formed on the first insulating layer.

Abstract: A HC adsorption type three-way catalytic converter is arranged in an exhaust gas passage of a diesel engine at a position upstream of a diesel particulate filter or a NOx trapping catalytic converter. Upon need of reactivation of the diesel particulate filter or NOx trapping catalytic converter under cold operation of the engine, a control unit carries out lowering an excess air ratio of the exhaust gas of the engine when the temperature of the catalyst bed of the three-way catalytic converter is lower than or equal to a first predetermined temperature (viz., oxidization activation temperature); raising the excess air ratio of the exhaust gas when the temperature of the catalyst bed of the three-way catalytic converter is higher than the first predetermined temperature but lower than or equal to a second predetermined temperature (viz.

Abstract: An engine is provided with a turbocharger which varies a supercharging pressure by an actuator. A controller calculates a first compensation value of a response delay from operation of the actuator to variation of an intake air amount of the engine, and a second compensation value of an operating delay of the actuator with respect to an input of a command signal to the actuator. The command signal to the actuator is calculated by performing a processing based on the first compensation and the second compensation value on an operational target value that was determined based on the running state of the engine, and the response of intake air amount control is thereby enhanced.

Abstract: A diesel particulate filter 14 that traps particulate matters in an exhaust gas and a NOx trap catalyst 13 that traps NOx in the exhaust gas are disposed in an exhaust passage (10) in an internal combustion engine (1). When a regeneration timing of the diesel particulate filter (14) and one of a regeneration timing of SOx and a regeneration timing of NOx are overlapped, the diesel particulate filter regeneration is carried out first and thereafter, the SOx regeneration or the NOx regeneration is carried out.

Abstract: An intake air control system for an internal combustion engine is provided which comprises an intake throttle valve that controls an intake air quantity of air flowing into the engine, an EGR valve that controls a quantity of exhaust gas recirculated back to a portion of an intake system of the engine downstream of the intake throttle valve, and a control unit that controls the intake throttle valve and the EGR valve in accordance with an operating condition of the engine. The control unit includes a target opening area calculating section that calculates a target opening area of the intake throttle valve based on a target EGR ratio corresponding to the operating condition of the engine, and a control section that controls an opening degree of the intake throttle valve based on the target opening area. An intake air control method is also provided.

Abstract: A HC adsorption type three-way catalytic converter is arranged in an exhaust gas passage of a diesel engine at a position upstream of a diesel particulate filter or a NOx trapping catalytic converter. Upon need of reactivation of the diesel particulate filter or NOx trapping catalytic converter under cold operation of the engine, a control unit carries out lowering an excess air ratio of the exhaust gas of the engine when the temperature of the catalyst bed of the three-way catalytic converter is lower than or equal to a first predetermined temperature (viz., oxidization activation temperature); raising the excess air ratio of the exhaust gas when the temperature of the catalyst bed of the three-way catalytic converter is higher than the first predetermined temperature but lower than or equal to a second predetermined temperature (viz.

Abstract: A fresh air amount of an engine (1) is controlled by a variable nozzle (53) of a turbocharger (50). A controller (41) calculates an open loop control value of a drive signal of a variable nozzle (53) based on the running state of the engine (1). A target intake fresh air amount of the engine (1) is calculated based on the running state, and a processing value obtained by smoothing the target intake fresh air amount value is calculated (S132). A feedback control value of the drive signal is calculated so that a real intake fresh air amount coincides with the processing value (S367). The variable nozzle (53) is controlled based on the open loop value and feedback control value. By using the processing value as the target value of the feedback control, unstable factors in feedback control resulting from the time delay from operation of the variable nozzle (53) to change of the intake fresh air amount aspirated by the engine (1), are eliminated.

Abstract: A sensor (55) detects a parameter expressing the oxygen concentration or oxygen amount in gas aspirated into the diesel engine (51). A controller (41) calculates a target parameter during a steady running state of the diesel engine (51) (S4) and calculates a difference between the measured parameter and the target parameter (S212). When the difference is large, following a small amount of pilot fuel injection, a main fuel injection is performed at a timing that makes the combustion of fuel complete before the compression top dead center of the piston (51C). When the difference is small, a larger amount of pilot fuel injection is performed and the main fuel injection is performed after the injected fuel is combusted. By varying the fuel injection pattern in this way, combustion noise and the deterioration of exhaust gas composition in a transient running state of the diesel engine (51) is suppressed.

Abstract: The controller (41) selects premixed combustion or diffusive combustion of the diesel engine (1) based on the running state detected by a sensor (33, 34) (S4, S5). The controller (41) calculates the target oxygen concentration and the target oxygen amount of the intake gas for the selected combustion type. When premixed combustion is selected, the controller (41) preferentially controls the oxygen concentration of the intake gas to the target value. When diffusive combustion is selected, the controller (41) preferentially controls the oxygen amount of the intake gas to the target value. By immediately shifting the target values according to the combustion type without setting transitional target values, increase of noxious substances in the exhaust gas due to the shift of combustion type can be prevented.

Abstract: A diesel engine (1) provided with a NOx catalyst (28A) and a diesel particulate filter (28B) performs lean burn operation during normal running, rich burn operation during regeneration of the NOx catalyst (28A), operation under the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio during desulphating of the NOx catalyst (28A), and operation under a slightly lean air-fuel ratio to regenerate the filter after desulphating of the NOx catalyst (28A). When the lean burn operation is applied, a controller (31) first controls the fuel injection amount, and controls an air supply amount based on the fuel injection amount. When rich burn operation is applied, the controller (31) first controls the air supply amount and controls the fuel injection amount based on the air supply amount. Due to this control, the response of the excess air factor control is enhanced while preventing torque fluctuation accompanying the variation of the target excess air factor.

Abstract: In the present invention, with an aim of providing a thermal head capable of being driven with reduced power requirements by preventing the thermal efficiency from being deteriorated due to thermal diffusion, the first embodiment is characterized in that on top of a substrate, there is formed a heat insulating layer made up of an electrically-conductive multiple low oxide ceramic layer of low thermal conductivity made of a chemical compound of Si, plural transition metals and oxygen; and that there are stacked and formed, on top of the heat insulating layer, a first insulating layer made up of an insulated multiple high nitride ceramic layer of low thermal conductivity made of a chemical compound of at least Si, plural transition metals and nitrogen, and on top of the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer made up of an SiO2 layer of high insulation characteristics or an Al2O3 layer.

Abstract: An engine (1) is provided with a turbocharger (50) which varies a supercharging pressure by an actuator (53, 54, 55, 56). A controller (41) respectively calculates a first compensation value of a response delay from operation of the actuator (54) to variation of an intake air amount of the engine (1), and a second compensation value of an operating delay of the actuator (54) with respect to an input of a command signal to actuator (54). The command signal to the to the actuator (54) is calculated by performing a processing based on the first compensation and the second compensation value on an operational target value that was determined based on the running state of the engine (1), and the response of intake air amount control is thereby enhanced.

Abstract: In a thermal head according to the present invention, a sacrificial layer of transition metal is formed on a top surface of a heat radiation substrate; a bridge layer of cermet or ceramic material is formed on a top surface of a heat insulation layer including the sacrificial layer; a cavity is made between the bridge layer and the heat insulation layer; a plurality of slits are made in the bridge layer overlying the cavity to expose the cavity; a highly adiabatic inorganic heat insulation layer is formed on a top surface of the bridge layer including the slits; and an inorganic protective layer of a material selected from among silicon or aluminum oxide, nitride and carbide is formed on a top surface of the inorganic heat insulation layer, where heating elements are formed between the slits over the inorganic heat insulation layer and the inorganic protective layer

Abstract: The intake air amount of an engine (1) is controlled by a variable nozzle (53) of a turbocharger (50). A controller (41) calculates an open loop control value of a drive signal of the variable nozzle (53) based on a running state of the engine (1), and calculates a feedback correction amount comprising an integral correction value of the drive signal such that the intake air amount coincides with a target intake fresh air amount (S367). It also calculates a learning value based on the integral correction value when the intake air amount coincides with the target intake air amount (S395, S400), and modifies the feedback correction amount such that the sum of the learning value and feedback correction amount is constant (S366). In this way, the response of intake air amount control or supercharging pressure control is enhanced.