Abstract: A converter (145) is described comprising: a first input terminal (150) and a second input terminal (155), a first output terminal (165) and a second output terminal (170) connectable to opposite ends of the electrical load (110), a first electric branch (201) adapted to connect the first input terminal (150) with a first intermediate electrical node (202), a second electric branch (203) adapted to connect the first intermediate electrical node (202) with the second input terminal (155), a third electric branch (205) adapted to connect the first output terminal (165) with a second intermediate electrical node (206), a fourth electric branch (207) adapted to connect the second intermediate electrical node (206) with the second output terminal (170), a first active switch (180) placed on the second electric branch (203) and having a first conduction terminal (185) and a resonant circuit (200) sized to reduce the electric voltage and/or electric current applied to said first active switch at least in the moments

Abstract: A method of operating a flyback converter is provided. The flyback converter comprises a transformer having a primary side winding and a secondary side winding, a primary switch at the primary side of the transformer and a secondary switch at the secondary side of the transformer, and a control unit. At the end of a switching cycle, before turning on the primary side switch: the control unit generates a Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS) pulse in the secondary side winding, such that the parasitic capacitor of the primary side switch is discharged. Consequently, the primary side switch is turned on in ZVS or near ZVS conditions.

Abstract: A control apparatus for detecting a variation of a fluid level in a tank is disclosed. The control apparatus includes an Electronic Control Unit connected to the fluid level sensor. The ECU is configured to monitor a signal value representative of a fluid level in the tank; filter the fluid level signal value using a first filter to obtain a first filtered signal and using a second filter to obtain a second filtered signal, the first filter having a time constant (?1) lower than a time constant (?2) of the second filter; calculate an integral value of a difference between the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal; and generate a signal representative of the detection of an increase in the fluid level in the tank when the integral value is greater than a predefined threshold.

Abstract: A method of determining a thermal state or a thermal state transition of a substance based on how much liquid phase is available is disclosed. The method includes: (a) determining a current thermal state of the substance when the internal combustion engine is switched on based on a tank temperature and on a time interval during which the engine is switched off; and (b) calculating a percentage of the liquid phase in case the thermal state is a mixture of solid phase and liquid phase based on a total mass of the substance in the tank, a heat amount supplied to the tank, a heat exchange of the tank with an external environment; and (c) detecting the thermal state transitions based on said tank temperature and its time derivative and on said percentage of the liquid phase.

Abstract: A method for determining a fluid level value in a fluid tank of an internal combustion engine equipped with a discrete level sensor is provided. The discrete level sensor is configured for generating a first electrical signal when a fluid level is above or equal to a first predetermined fluid level threshold value and generating a second electrical signal when the fluid level is above or equal to a second predetermined fluid level threshold value. The second predetermined fluid level threshold value is greater than the first predetermined fluid level threshold value. The method includes monitoring a number of occurrences of the first electrical signal and of the second electrical signal over a time interval. The fluid level in the fluid tank is calculated as a function of the number of occurrences of the first and of the second electrical signals over the time interval.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a discrete substrate element from an ammonia-selective catalyst reduction device configured to treat an exhaust gas feedstream of an internal combustion engine includes monitoring amounts of ammonia that are adsorbed, desorbed, and oxidized and an amount of ammonia that is consumed in reducing NOx in the exhaust gas feedstream from the discrete substrate element. An amount of ammonia consumption for the discrete substrate element is determined based on the amount of ammonia that is oxidized and the amount of ammonia that is consumed in reducing NOx in the exhaust gas feedstream. The amount of ammonia that is adsorbed and the amount of ammonia that is desorbed for the discrete substrate element are compared and the amount of ammonia consumption for the discrete substrate element is adjusted when the amount of ammonia that is adsorbed is less than the amount of ammonia that is desorbed.

Abstract: A control apparatus for detecting a variation of a fluid level in a tank is disclosed. The control apparatus includes an Electronic Control Unit connected to the fluid level sensor. The ECU is configured to monitor a signal value representative of a fluid level in the tank; filter the fluid level signal value using a first filter to obtain a first filtered signal and using a second filter to obtain a second filtered signal, the first filter having a time constant (?1) lower than a time constant (?2) of the second filter; calculate an integral value of a difference between the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal; and generate a signal representative of the detection of an increase in the fluid level in the tank when the integral value is greater than a predefined threshold.

Abstract: A method of determining a thermal state or a thermal state transition of a substance based on how much liquid phase is available is disclosed. The method includes: (a) determining a current thermal state of the substance when the internal combustion engine is switched on based on a tank temperature and on a time interval during which the engine is switched off; and (b) calculating a percentage of the liquid phase in case the thermal state is a mixture of solid phase and liquid phase based on a total mass of the substance in the tank, a heat amount supplied to the tank, a heat exchange of the tank with an external environment; and (c) detecting the thermal state transitions based on said tank temperature and its time derivative and on said percentage of the liquid phase.

Abstract: A method for the estimation of oil viscosity in an internal combustion engine, the engine subjected to fuel post injections to activate Particulate Filter regeneration processes and to fuel hydrocarbons (HC) evaporation events affecting said oil viscosity. The method includes, but is not limited to determining if the particulate filter is subjected to a regeneration process and, in the affirmative case, calculating an oil viscosity decrease during said Particulate Filter regeneration process as a function of an oil dilution rate, and calculating an oil viscosity increase after said regeneration process as a function of an Hydrocarbon (HC) evaporation rate and of a time during which fuel Hydrocarbon evaporation takes place, where said evaporation time is determined as a function of a time spent in evaporating fuel Hydrocarbon from engine oil in a previous fuel hydrocarbons evaporation event.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling injection of Diesel Exhaust Fluid into an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine equipped with a Selective Reduction Catalyst. The method includes, but is not limited to monitoring a value of a control parameter influencing an operation of the Selective Reduction Catalyst, injecting a quantity of Diesel Exhaust Fluid, controlling the quantity of Diesel Exhaust Fluid to be injected employing a closed loop procedure or an open loop procedure, switching between the closed loop procedure and the open loop procedure, when value of the control parameter crosses a first threshold value of the control parameter.

Abstract: A method is provided to estimate NO2 concentration in exhaust gas flowing through an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine. The exhaust pipe has a first section and a second section, and is equipped with an aftertreatment device located between the first section and the second section, and the method includes, but is not limited to determining a parameter related to a NO2 concentration of exhaust gas flowing in the first section, determining an oxidization index expressive of a rate of NO contained in the exhaust gas which oxidizes into NO2 inside the aftertreatment device, and a reduction index expressive of a rate of NO2 contained in the exhaust gas which is reduced into NO inside the aftertreatment device, and calculating a parameter related to a NO2 concentration in the second section as a function of the parameter related to a NO2 concentration in the first section and of the oxidization index and of the reduction index of the aftertreatment device.

Abstract: A method is provided for the determination of a NOx concentration value upstream of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalyst in a Diesel engine, the engine having an exhaust line, a Diesel Particulate Filter and a NOx concentration sensor downstream of the SCR catalyst, the method including, but is not limited to estimating the NOx concentration value upstream of the SCR catalyst as a function of at least two engine parameters, measuring the NOx concentration downstream of the SCR catalyst, calculating the difference Z(x, y) between the estimated NOx concentration value and the measured value and, in case the difference is higher than a predetermined threshold, correcting the estimated NOx concentration value with a NOx concentration correction value. The NOx concentration correction value is calculated using a correction map that correlates the at least two engine parameters and the difference Z(x, y) with the NOx concentration correction value.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a discrete substrate element from an ammonia-selective catalyst reduction device configured to treat an exhaust gas feedstream of an internal combustion engine includes monitoring amounts of ammonia that are adsorbed, desorbed, and oxidized and an amount of ammonia that is consumed in reducing NOx in the exhaust gas feedstream from the discrete substrate element. An amount of ammonia consumption for the discrete substrate element is determined based on the amount of ammonia that is oxidized and the amount of ammonia that is consumed in reducing NOx in the exhaust gas feedstream. The amount of ammonia that is adsorbed and the amount of ammonia that is desorbed for the discrete substrate element are compared and the amount of ammonia consumption for the discrete substrate element is adjusted when the amount of ammonia that is adsorbed is less than the amount of ammonia that is desorbed.

Abstract: A method is provided for estimating an aging index of the catalytic device. There estimation of the aging index includes, but is not limited to determining the catalytic device operating temperature, determining an aging factor as a function of at least the determined operating temperature, determining the time period spent by the catalytic device at the determined operating temperature, calculating a contributing aging coefficient as a function of the aging factor and the time period, and increasing a cumulative aging parameter by adding the contributing aging coefficient.

Abstract: A method and a control system are provided for estimating oxygen concentration downstream a diesel oxidation catalyst within a diesel engine system. The method includes, but is not limited to at least an intake manifold, a combustion chamber, an exhaust manifold, and the diesel oxidation catalyst located in the exhaust line upstream a diesel particulate filter, the method comprising: determining unburned fuel mass flow ejected from the combustion chamber, determining air mass fraction in the exhaust manifold, estimating air mass fraction downstream the diesel oxidation catalyst as a function of said unburned fuel mass flow and said air mass fraction in the exhaust manifold, estimating oxygen concentration downstream the diesel oxidation catalyst as a function of the estimated air mass fraction downstream the diesel oxidation catalyst.

Abstract: A method for determining a fluid level value in a fluid tank of an internal combustion engine equipped with a discrete level sensor is provided. The discrete level sensor is configured for generating a first electrical signal when a fluid level is above or equal to a first predetermined fluid level threshold value and generating a second electrical signal when the fluid level is above or equal to a second predetermined fluid level threshold value. The second predetermined fluid level threshold value is greater than the first predetermined fluid level threshold value. The method includes monitoring a number of occurrences of the first electrical signal and of the second electrical signal over a time interval. The fluid level in the fluid tank is calculated as a function of the number of occurrences of the first and of the second electrical signals over the time interval.

Abstract: A method is provided for the determination of a NOx concentration value upstream of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalyst in a Diesel engine, the engine having an exhaust line, a Diesel Particulate Filter and a NOx concentration sensor downstream of the SCR catalyst, the method including, but is not limited to estimating the NOx concentration value upstream of the SCR catalyst as a function of at least two engine parameters, measuring the NOx concentration downstream of the SCR catalyst, calculating the difference Z(x, y) between the estimated NOx concentration value and the measured value and, in case said difference is higher than a predetermined threshold, correcting the estimated NOx concentration value with a NOx concentration correction value. The NOx concentration correction value is calculated using a correction map that correlates said at least two engine parameters and the difference Z(x, y) with said NOx concentration correction value.

Abstract: A method for the estimation of oil viscosity in an internal combustion engine, the engine subjected to fuel post injections to activate Particulate Filter regeneration processes and to fuel hydrocarbons (HC) evaporation events affecting said oil viscosity. The method includes, but is not limited to determining if the particulate filter is subjected to a regeneration process and, in the affirmative case, calculating an oil viscosity decrease during said Particulate Filter regeneration process as a function of an oil dilution rate, and calculating an oil viscosity increase after said regeneration process as a function of an Hydrocarbon (HC) evaporation rate and of a time during which fuel Hydrocarbon evaporation takes place, where said evaporation time is determined as a function of a time spent in evaporating fuel Hydrocarbon from engine oil in a previous fuel hydrocarbons evaporation event.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling injection of Diesel Exhaust Fluid into an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine equipped with a Selective Reduction Catalyst. The method includes, but is not limited to monitoring a value of a control parameter influencing an operation of the Selective Reduction Catalyst, injecting a quantity of Diesel Exhaust Fluid, controlling the quantity of Diesel Exhaust Fluid to be injected employing a closed loop procedure or an open loop procedure, switching between the closed loop procedure and the open loop procedure, when value of the control parameter crosses a first threshold value of the control parameter.

Abstract: A method is provided to estimate NO2 concentration in exhaust gas flowing through an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine. The exhaust pipe has a first section and a second section, and is equipped with an aftertreatment device located between the first section and the second section, and the method includes, but is not limited to determining a parameter related to a NO2 concentration of exhaust gas flowing in the first section, determining an oxidization index expressive of a rate of NO contained in the exhaust gas which oxidizes into NO2 inside the aftertreatment device, and a reduction index expressive of a rate of NO2 contained in the exhaust gas which is reduced into NO inside the aftertreatment device, and calculating a parameter related to a NO2 concentration in the second section as a function of the parameter related to a NO2 concentration in the first section and of the oxidization index and of the reduction index of the aftertreatment device.