Method for diagnosing a diesel oxidation catalyst

1. A method for diagnosing a diesel oxidation catalyst that is located in an exhaust line within a diesel engine system, comprising:

providing an unburned fuel mass flow through the diesel oxidation catalyst;

determining an oxidation heat release rate related to exothermic oxidation reactions of an unburned fuel into the diesel oxidation catalyst;

integrating the oxidation heat release rate on a time interval;

integrating the unburned fuel mass flow on the time interval; and

dividing an integrated value of oxidation heat release rate by an integrated value of unburned fuel mass flow for determining an efficiency index of the diesel oxidation catalyst.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising comparing the efficiency index with a preset threshold beneath which the diesel oxidation catalyst is considered faulty.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a diesel particulate filter is located in the exhaust line downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst, and the method further comprising providing the unburned fuel mass flow as post-injected fuel during a diesel particulate filter regeneration.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a lower limit of the time interval is a first time at which exhaust gas downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst reaches a first temperature, and an upper limit of the time interval is a second time at which exhaust gas downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst reaches a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first temperature is between 250° C. and 350° C. and the second temperature is between 450° C. and 550° C.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining the oxidation heat release rate comprises:

measuring a plurality of engine operating parameters;

measuring the exhaust gas temperature downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst;

providing a thermal model of a diesel oxidation catalyst for estimating the exhaust gas temperature downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst based at least in part on a plurality of engine operating parameters; and

implementing a thermal model of the diesel oxidation catalyst in a closed loop mechanism,

wherein an error between the measured exhaust gas temperature and the estimated exhaust gas temperature downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst is used for estimating the oxidation heat release rate.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of engine operating parameters comprises the exhaust gas mass flow rate upstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst and the exhaust gas temperature upstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst.

8. A control system for a diesel engine system comprising:

an exhaust line;

a diesel oxidation catalyst located in the exhaust line;

a fuel injector configured to provide an unburned fuel flow through the diesel oxidation catalyst; and

a controller configured to:

provide an unburned fuel mass flow through the diesel oxidation catalyst;

determine an oxidation heat release rate that is related to exothermic oxidation reactions of an unburned fuel into the diesel oxidation catalyst;

integrate the oxidation heat release rate on a time interval;

integrate the unburned fuel mass flow on the time interval; and

divide an integrated value of oxidation heat release rate by an integrated value of unburned fuel mass flow for determining an efficiency index of the diesel oxidation catalyst.

9. The control system according to claim 8 , further comprising a sensor configured to measure the exhaust gas temperature downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst.

10. The control system according to claim 8 , further comprising a sensor configured to measure the exhaust gas temperature upstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst.

11. The control system according to claim 8 , further comprising a sensor configured to measure the exhaust gas mass flow upstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst.

12. The control system according to claim 8 , the controller further configured to compare the efficiency index with a preset threshold beneath which the diesel oxidation catalyst is considered faulty.

13. The control system according to claim 8 , wherein a diesel particulate filter is located in the exhaust line downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst, and the controller is further configured to provide the unburned fuel mass flow as post-injected fuel during a diesel particulate filter regeneration.

14. The control system according to claim 8 , wherein a lower limit of the time interval is a first time at which exhaust gas downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst reaches a first temperature, and an upper limit of the time interval is a second time at which exhaust gas downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst reaches a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature.

15. The control system according to claim 14 , wherein the first temperature is between 250° C. and 350° C. and the second temperature is between 450° C. and 550° C.

16. The control system according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the oxidation heat release rate by:

measuring a plurality of engine operating parameters;

measuring the exhaust gas temperature downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst;

providing a thermal model of a diesel oxidation catalyst for estimating the exhaust gas temperature downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst based at least in part on a plurality of engine operating parameters; and

implementing a thermal model of the diesel oxidation catalyst in a closed loop mechanism,

wherein an error between the measured exhaust gas temperature and the estimated exhaust gas temperature downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst is used for estimating the oxidation heat release rate.

17. The control system according to claim 16 , wherein the plurality of engine operating parameters comprises the exhaust gas mass flow rate upstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst and the exhaust gas temperature upstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst.