Importance

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Abstract

In an apparatus for detecting a saturation gas amount absorbed by a catalytic converter disposed in an exhaust system of an engine, an air-to-fuel ratio detecting device is disposed in a region of the engine exhaust system downstream of the catalytic converter for monitoring exhaust gas, which has passed through the catalytic converter, to detect an air-to-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture causing the exhaust gas. An air-to-fuel ratio changing device serves to change an air-to-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture fed to the engine by a correction quantity in a given direction, and serves to maintain changing the air-to-fuel ratio during a correction time. A change increasing device serves to increase the correction quantity and/or the correction time by the air-to-fuel ratio changing device to execute an air-to-fuel ratio changing process again in cases where the air-to-fuel ratio detected by the air-to-fuel ratio detecting device does not vary even when the air-to-fuel ratio changing device executes changing the air-to-fuel ratio. A saturation gas amount calculating device serves to calculate a saturation gas amount absorbed by the catalytic converter on the basis of the correction quantity and the correction time in cases where the air-to-fuel ratio detected by the air-to-fuel ratio detecting device varies when the air-to-fuel ratio changing device executes changing the air-to-fuel ratio.

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First Claim