US 11,873,745 B2
Method and device for determining the icing status of a component of the exhaust gas system of a motor vehicle that is not arranged directly in the exhaust gas mass flow
Gernot Schlintl, Parsberg (DE); and Alexander Zimmerer, Rottenburg (DE)
Assigned to Vitesco Technologies GmbH, Regensburg (DE)
Filed by Vitesco Technologies GmbH, Regensburg (DE)
Filed on Mar. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/656,641.
Application 17/656,641 is a continuation of application No. PCT/EP2020/074573, filed on Sep. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2019 214 766 (DE), filed on Sep. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0213830 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. F01N 11/00 (2006.01); F01N 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC F01N 11/002 (2013.01) [F01N 9/005 (2013.01); F01N 2260/024 (2013.01); F01N 2560/08 (2013.01); F01N 2900/1406 (2013.01); F01N 2900/1628 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining an icing condition of a sensor of an exhaust-gas system of a motor vehicle that is not arranged directly in an exhaust-gas mass flow, and/or of a feed line of the sensor, the method comprising:
determining, at an engine control unit of the motor vehicle, a water quantity actually present in the sensor and in the feed line thereof and a state of aggregation of the water quantity;
determining, at the engine control unit, an energy quantity required for deicing and for volatilizing the water quantity actually present in the sensor and in the feed line thereof;
determining, at the engine control unit, an energy quantity supplied for deicing and for volatilizing the water quantity actually present in the sensor and in the feed line thereof by radiated heat from components arranged directly in the exhaust-gas mass flow of the exhaust-gas system of the motor vehicle to surroundings;
determining, at the engine control unit, the icing condition of the sensor by comparing the energy quantity supplied for deicing and for volatilization with the energy quantity required for deicing and for volatilization;
controlling, at the engine control unit, based on the determination of the icing condition of the sensor, the operation state of the motor vehicle, wherein controlling the operation state of the motor vehicle further includes suppressing, an output of erroneous control signals based on the icing condition of the sensor, where the erroneous control signals are indicative of icing of the sensor.