Systems and methods for determining the quantity of a combustion product in a vehicle exhaust

Abstract

Exhaust after treatment systems for internal combustion engine powered vehicles are provided. One system includes logic in the form of one or more routines implemented by one or more of the system's components for determining the quantity of certain combustion products present in the exhaust that exits an oxidation catalyst, such as a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), without the use of a specific sensor for each combustion product. Results from such a determination may then be used to estimate the amount of soot present in the particulate filter. This estimated value of soot present in the particulate filter can then be subsequently used to determine when the particulate filter should be actively regenerated.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A system for determining an amount of a combustion product exiting an oxidation catalyst of an exhaust after treatment system, comprising:
 a space velocity generator configured to generate the space velocity of the oxidation catalyst;   a combustion product equilibrium generator configured to generate a value indicative of the combustion product equilibrium of the exhaust;   a combustion product equilibrium fraction generator configured to obtain a combustion product equilibrium fraction based on the generated space velocity; and   a combustion product exit generator configured to generate a value indicating the quantity of the combustion product exiting the oxidation catalyst based on the value indicative of the combustion product equilibrium of the exhaust and the combustion product equilibrium fraction.