Abstract: A control system for an engine including a limiting current sensor, the control system includes an ECU configured to: execute a sweep process for gradually reducing a voltage that is applied to the sensor from a first voltage a second voltage; acquire an extreme value of an output current of the sensor during execution of the sweep process from output currents of the sensor while a voltage included in a specific voltage range is applied to the sensor, the extreme value being predicted to be output; and detect the concentration of SOx in exhaust gas based on the extreme value and a reference value, the reference value being a value of limiting current of the sensor, the value of limiting current of the sensor corresponding to the concentration of oxygen having the constant value.

Abstract: The energization control apparatus can select a supercharging mode in which the energization control apparatus controls energization to an electric compressor so as to rotate the electric compressor to supercharge an intake air and an electric power consumption mode in which the energization control apparatus controls the energization to the electric compressor so as to deteriorate efficiency of a motor of the electric compressor than the supercharging mode to increase electric power consumption of the electric compressor. The energization control apparatus supplies regenerated electric power to the electric compressor and control the energization to the electric compressor with the electric power consumption mode when regenerative braking is performed by a generator and regenerated electric power for obtaining demand regenerative braking force is more than an input limiting level of a battery.

Abstract: The control apparatus closes the throttle, opens the bypass valve and supplies electric power to the electric compressor in a case where the remaining battery power of the battery is larger than the reference level when regenerative braking is performed with the first motor generator. The electric compressor is provided on the intake passage upstream of the throttle. The bypass valve is provided on the bypass passage that bypasses the electric compressor. According to the hybrid vehicle configured as above, regenerative braking force to be required can be obtained by performing electric power regeneration using the generator even when there is a constraint on regenerated electric power that the battery can accept.

Abstract: In a limited-current type gas sensor which detects oxygen-containing gas contained in an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, the decomposition current value of water (H2O) may be detected, and existence of an abnormality of output characteristics of the sensor may be diagnosed based on its deviation from a reference decomposition current value of water corresponding to the concentration of water contained in the exhaust gas. A NOx sensor and a SOx sensor can also diagnose remarkable and minute abnormalities of output characteristics. In addition, the reference decomposition current value of water may be acquired based on the concentration of water detected by a separate humidity sensor or the decomposition current value of oxygen detected by the limited-current type gas sensor. The reference decomposition current value of water may be corrected based on a decomposition current value of oxygen detected during a fuel cut.

Abstract: The internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust purification catalyst 20, a downstream side sensor 41, an air-fuel ratio control unit, and an oxygen storage amount calculating unit for calculating the oxygen excess/deficiency of the inflowing exhaust gas in an air-fuel ratio maintenance time period and cumulatively adding the calculated oxygen excess/deficiency to calculate a maximum oxygen storage amount of the exhaust purification catalyst. The oxygen storage amount calculating unit uses a point of time that an absolute value of an output slope of the downstream side sensor finally becomes less than a threshold value in the air-fuel ratio maintenance time period as an end point of cumulative addition of the oxygen excess/deficiency. The threshold value is made larger when a maximum value of the absolute value of the output slope in the air-fuel ratio maintenance time period is relatively large compared to when the maximum value is relatively small.

Abstract: The control apparatus closes the throttle, opens the bypass valve and supplies electric power to the electric compressor in a case where the remaining battery power of the battery is larger than the reference level when regenerative braking is performed with the first motor generator. The electric compressor is provided on the intake passage upstream of the throttle. The bypass valve is provided on the bypass passage that bypasses the electric compressor. According to the hybrid vehicle configured as above, regenerative braking force to be required can be obtained by performing electric power regeneration using the generator even when there is a constraint on regenerated electric power that the battery can accept.

Abstract: The energization control apparatus can select a supercharging mode in which the energization control apparatus controls energization to an electric compressor so as to rotate the electric compressor to supercharge an intake air and an electric power consumption mode in which the energization control apparatus controls the energization to the electric compressor so as to deteriorate efficiency of a motor of the electric compressor than the supercharging mode to increase electric power consumption of the electric compressor. The energization control apparatus supplies regenerated electric power to the electric compressor and control the energization to the electric compressor with the electric power consumption mode when regenerative braking is performed by a generator and regenerated electric power for obtaining demand regenerative braking force is more than an input limiting level of a battery.

Abstract: A control system for an engine includes a limiting current gas sensor includes a pumping cell arranged in the exhaust passage of the engine and an ECU. The ECU is configured to: execute step-up operation for increasing a voltage applied between a pair of electrodes of the pumping cell from a first voltage to a second voltage, then, execute step-down operation for reducing the applied voltage from the second voltage to a third voltage within a second period; acquire an air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas multiple times within a first period from a start of the step-up operation to a start of the step-down operation; acquire a first waveform characteristic value indicating a characteristic of a waveform of current within the second period; and estimate an actual concentration of sulfur in fuel by using the first waveform characteristic value and the acquired air-fuel ratios.

Abstract: The present teaching rekates to providing a NOx decomposition agent having an excellent NOx decomposition rate. The NOx decomposition agent containing a perovskite oxide represented by ABx-1MxO3, wherein A represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of La, Sr, Mg, Ca and Ba, B represents Mn, M represents a combination of one or more first metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W and Ce, and one or two second metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ca and Mg, and x represents a number greater than or equal to 0 and less than 1.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having a limiting current sensor includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: (i) calculate a parameter relating to SOx contained in a detection subject gas using an output current of the sensor obtained when voltage reduction control is implemented to reduce an applied voltage applied to the sensor from a parameter calculation voltage; and (ii) implement the voltage reduction control when an oxygen concentration of the detection subject gas is less than a predetermined concentration or a low oxygen concentration condition, according to which an oxygen concentration of the detection subject gas is predicted to be less than a predetermined concentration, is established.

Abstract: A control device calculates an SOx concentration in exhaust gas on the basis of a sensor output current when a voltage applied to a limiting current sensor is stepped down from a predetermined voltage value. The control device is configured to step up the voltage applied to the limiting current sensor to the predetermined voltage value when the temperature of the limiting current sensor is equal to or lower than a first predetermined temperature or when a condition in which the temperature of the limiting current sensor is predicted to be equal to or lower than the first predetermined temperature is established.

Abstract: A gas concentration detecting device includes a gas concentration detecting element and an electronic control unit. The gas concentration detecting element includes a first electrochemical cell and a second electrochemical cell. The electronic control unit is configured to detect the concentration of the sulfur oxide contained in the test gas based on a first detected value correlated with a current flowing through the first electrochemical cell acquired when a first removing voltage is applied to the second electrochemical cell and a measuring voltage is applied to the first electrochemical cell.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to detect a concentration of a SOx included in an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine easily and accurately by a limiting current type sensor. The invention relates to a SOx concentration detection device of the engine having a limiting current type sensor. The device of the invention comprises a detecting part for detecting the concentration of the SOx included in the exhaust gas by using an output current of the sensor while lowering a voltage applied to the sensor from a predetermined voltage.

Abstract: The internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust purification catalyst 20, a downstream side sensor 41, an air-fuel ratio control unit, and an oxygen storage amount calculating unit for calculating the oxygen excess/deficiency of the inflowing exhaust gas in an air-fuel ratio maintenance time period and cumulatively adding the calculated oxygen excess/deficiency to calculate a maximum oxygen storage amount of the exhaust purification catalyst. The oxygen storage amount calculating unit uses a point of time that an absolute value of an output slope of the downstream side sensor finally becomes less than a threshold value in the air-fuel ratio maintenance time period as an end point of cumulative addition of the oxygen excess/deficiency. The threshold value is made larger when a maximum value of the absolute value of the output slope in the air-fuel ratio maintenance time period is relatively large compared to when the maximum value is relatively small.

Abstract: A control system for an engine includes a limiting current gas sensor includes a pumping cell arranged in the exhaust passage of the engine and an ECU. The ECU is configured to: execute step-up operation for increasing a voltage applied between a pair of electrodes of the pumping cell from a first voltage to a second voltage, then, execute step-down operation for reducing the applied voltage from the second voltage to a third voltage within a second period; acquire an air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas multiple times within a first period from a start of the step-up operation to a start of the step-down operation; acquire a first waveform characteristic value indicating a characteristic of a waveform of current within the second period; and estimate an actual concentration of sulfur in fuel by using the first waveform characteristic value and the acquired air-fuel ratios.

Abstract: A particulate matter sensor comprises an insulating body and a pair of electrodes disposed apart form each other on a main surface of the insulating body. The insulating body includes an insulating portion being equal to or higher than the height of the pair of the electrodes in a direction perpendicular to the main surface, formed on the part where the pair of the electrodes are. In one of the methods for manufacturing the particulate matter sensor, first, an electrode pattern composed of a material for the pair of the electrodes is formed on a body material composing the insulating body, and a mask, having identical pattern of the electrode pattern and composed of material which vaporizes at a temperature equal to or lower than a temperature that the electrode pattern is sintered, is formed on the electrode pattern. A thin film of the material composing the insulating portion is formed, and the electrode pattern and the thin film is sintered to form the electrodes and the insulating portion.

Abstract: A control system for an engine including a limiting current sensor, the control system includes an ECU configured to: execute a sweep process for gradually reducing a voltage that is applied to the sensor from a first voltage to a second voltage; acquire an extreme value of an output current of the sensor during execution of the sweep process from output currents of the sensor while a voltage included in a specific voltage range is applied to the sensor, the extreme value being predicted to be output; and detect the concentration of SOx in exhaust gas based on the extreme value and a reference value, the reference value being a value of limiting current of the sensor, the value of limiting current of the sensor corresponding to the concentration of oxygen having the constant value.

Abstract: In a limited-current type gas sensor which detects oxygen-containing gas contained in an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, the decomposition current value of water (H2O) may be detected, and existence of an abnormality of output characteristics of the sensor may be diagnosed based on its deviation from a reference decomposition current value of water corresponding to the concentration of water contained in the exhaust gas. A NOx sensor and a SOx sensor can also diagnose remarkable and minute abnormalities of output characteristics. In addition, the reference decomposition current value of water may be acquired based on the concentration of water detected by a separate humidity sensor or the decomposition current value of oxygen detected by the limited-current type gas sensor. The reference decomposition current value of water may be corrected based on a decomposition current value of oxygen detected during a fuel cut.

Abstract: According to the invention, a particulate matter sensor is installed in an exhaust passage of an internal-combustion engine. A control unit for this internal-combustion engine detects a particulate amount in an exhaust gas through the exhaust passage in response to an output from the particulate matter sensor. Further, the control unit for the internal-combustion engine forms a particulate layer on electrode surfaces of the particulate matter sensor by applying a particulate capturing voltage between the electrodes during a first period. Further, the control unit maintains the formed particulate layer during a second period. It is noted here that the phrase “maintain the formed particulate layer” includes the meanings “maintaining the formed particulate layer as it is” and “inhibiting control to remove the particulate layer”.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having a limiting current sensor includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: (i) calculate a parameter relating to SOx contained in a detection subject gas using an output current of the sensor obtained when voltage reduction control is implemented to reduce an applied voltage applied to the sensor from a parameter calculation voltage; and (ii) implement the voltage reduction control when an oxygen concentration of the detection subject gas is less than a predetermined concentration or a low oxygen concentration condition, according to which an oxygen concentration of the detection subject gas is predicted to be less than a predetermined concentration, is established.