The present invention in certain embodiments is directed to a catalytic substrate suitable for use in a number of applications, including as a substrate in a catalytic converter or a particulate filter. Another aspect of the present invention is a filtering substrate suitable for use in a number of applications, including as a substrate in a particulate filter, such as a diesel particulate filter (DPF), or diesel particulate trap (DPT). The invention also provides an improved substrate for removing and/or eliminating pollutants from the exhaust of combustion engines. The catalytic substrate and filtering substrate provide, in certain embodiments, improvements in removing pollutants from an exhaust gas. The improvements include one or more of the following: faster light-off period, depth filtration of PM, less backpressure, lower probability of clogging, ability to be placed in multiple locations in the exhaust system including the manifold or the head itself, high probability of catalytic reaction, high conversion ratios of NOx, HC, and CO, a faster burnoff of PM, minimization of catalyst material use, and the like.

Nonwoven composites and related products and methods

A driving/braking force manipulation control input of a k-th wheel, which denotes one or more specific wheels among a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, is determined such that a required condition concerning a relationship among a road surface reaction force that may act from a road surface on the k-th wheel on the basis of the detected values or estimated values of a side slip angle and a friction characteristic of the k-th wheel, a feedback control input related to the driving/braking force of the k-th wheel for bringing a difference between a state amount of the vehicle and a reference state amount close to zero, a driving/braking force feedforward control input based on a drive manipulated variable supplied by a driver of the vehicle, and a k-th wheel driving/braking force manipulation control input is satisfied. This arrangement makes it possible to properly control a motion of an actual vehicle to a desired motion while properly considering the characteristics of a road surface reaction force acting from a road surface on a wheel.

Vehicle Control Device

Disclosed is a method for sharply reducing diurnal breathing loss emissions from automotive evaporative emissions control systems by providing multiple layers, or stages, of adsorbents. On the fuel source-side of an emissions control system canister, high working capacity carbons are preferred in a first canister (adsorb) region. In subsequent canister region(s) on the vent-side, the preferred adsorbent should exhibit a flat or flattened adsorption isotherm on a volumetric basis and relatively lower capacity for high concentration vapors as compared with the fuel source-side adsorbent. Multiple approaches are described for attaining the preferred properties for the vent-side canister region. One approach is to use a filler and/or voidages as a volumetric diluent for flattening an adsorption isotherm. Another approach is to employ an adsorbent with the desired adsorption isotherm properties and to process it into an appropriate shape or form without necessarily requiring any special provision for dilution. The improved combination of high working capacity carbons on the fuel source-side and preferred lower working capacity adsorbent on the vent-side provides substantially lower diurnal breathing emissions without a significant loss in working capacity or increase in flow restriction compared with known adsorbents used in canister configurations for automotive emissions control systems.

Method for reducing emissions from evaporative emissions control systems

An apparatus and method to sense the onset of combustion stability is presented. An electrode is positioned in a turbine combustion chamber such that the electrode is exposed to gases in the combustion chamber. The electrode may be integrated with an igniter. A control module applies a voltage potential to the electrode and detects a combustion ionization signal and determines if there is an oscillation in the combustion ionization signal indicative of the occurrence of combustion stability or the onset of combustion instability. The control module broadcasts a notice if the parameters indicate the combustion process is at the onset of combustion instability or broadcasts an alarm signal if the parameters indicate the combustion process is instable. Combustion parameters are adjusted to drive the combustion process towards stability.

Method and apparatus for detecting combustion instability in continuous combustion systems

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: an abnormal combustion detection unit for detecting an abnormal combustion due to self-ignition occurring; a pre-ignition determination unit for detecting abnormal combustion occurrence timing based on abnormal combustion detection information to determine whether or not the abnormal combustion is the pre-ignition based on comparison between pre-ignition determination timing and the abnormal combustion occurrence timing; a heat-source pre-ignition determination unit for determining whether the pre-ignition is the heat-source pre-ignition or the compression pre-ignition based on comparison between the abnormal combustion occurrence timing set by the pre-ignition determination timing and heat-source pre-ignition determination timing; a first avoidance unit for avoiding the heat-source pre-ignition in a case where the pre-ignition is determined as the heat-source pre-ignition; and a second avoidance unit for avoiding the compression pre-ignition in a case where the pre-ignition is determined as the compression pre-ignition.

Control apparatus for an internal combustion engine

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.

Electrically heated catalytic apparatus

A combustion monitoring apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided which includes a voltage supply circuit, a combustion monitoring circuit, and a control circuit. The voltage supply circuit applies the voltage to plug electrodes of a spark plug mounted in a combustion chamber of the engine. The combustion ion monitoring circuit monitors a variation in amount of combustion ions existing between the plug electrodes to determine a combustion condition of the engine based on the current flowing through the plug electrodes produced by application of the voltage to the electrodes. The control circuit controls an operation of the voltage supply circuit so that the voltage is applied across the plug electrodes prior to a discharge duration of a spark plug mounted in the combustion chamber of the engine for monitoring preignition.

Combustion monitoring apparatus for internal combustion engine

New technology for reducing the power consumption of electrically heated catalysts

A gas ventilation system for an internal combustion engine is provided which includes a downstream intake pipe communicating with cylinders of the engine, an upstream intake pipe communicating with the downstream intake pipe through a throttle valve, and a gas ventilation pipe for recirculating a given gas to the engine. The system also has an inner hollow cylinder connected to the upstream intake pipe, disposed within the downstream intake pipe to define a gas passage between the periphery of the inner cylinder and an inner wall of the downstream intake pipe. The gas passage communicates with the gas ventilation pipe and serves as an isolating member for isolating flow of the gas entering the downstream intake pipe through the gas ventilation pipe from swirls produced by intake air flowing downstream of the throttle valve from the upstream intake pipe.

Gas ventilation system for internal combustion engine

An evaporative emission control system which may be used in automotive vehicles is disclosed. The evaporative emission control system includes a canister, an inlet passage, a fuel vapor passage, an outlet valve, and an inlet valve. The air inlet passage is exposed at an end to the atmosphere and connected at the other end to the canister for drawing fresh air into the canister. The fuel vapor passage communicates between the canister and a fuel tank. When a pressure in the fuel tank is increased above a given level so that a difference in internal pressure between the fuel tank and the canister reaches a first value, the outlet valve establishes communication between the fuel tank and the canister to allow fuel vapor evaporated within the fuel tank to be drawn into the canister through the fuel vapor passage. Alternatively, when the pressure in the fuel tank is decreased below a given level so that a difference in internal pressure between the fuel tank and the canister reaches a second value, the inlet valve establishes communication between the fuel tank and the canister to allow the air to be drawn into the canister through the air inlet passage. The second value is so determined as to prevent the amount of fuel vapor generated within the fuel tank from being increased above a given value.

Tohru Yoshinaga

Papers

Electrically heated catalytic apparatus

Combustion monitoring apparatus for internal combustion engine

New technology for reducing the power consumption of electrically heated catalysts

Gas ventilation system for internal combustion engine

Evaporative emission control system for automotive vehicle