EP1366278A1

EP1366278A1 - METHOD FOR catalyst temperature control

Info

Publication number: EP1366278A1
Application number: EP02716715A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ekkehard Pott; Michael Zillmer
Original assignee: Volkswagen AG
Current assignee: Volkswagen AG
Priority date: 2001-02-28
Filing date: 2002-02-01
Publication date: 2003-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 2022-02-01
Also published as: CN1489669A; CN1308583C; DE10110500A1; US7051516B2; WO2002077430A1; US20040074228A1; EP1366278B1; DE50200961D1; JP4467886B2; JP2004523688A

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a temperature of a catalyst system (14, 16) located in an exhaust duct (12) of an internal combustion engine (10) in a motor vehicle. Said system comprises at least one primary catalyst (16), in particular an NOX storage catalyst and optionally one or more pre-catalysts (14). According to the invention, at one point during operation, at which the torque desired by the driver is less than an overrun torque of the vehicle (overrun phase tau S), an overrun shut-off can be suppressed by supplying the internal combustion engine (10) with an air-fuel ratio ( lambda ) that is less than or equal to 1.1.

Description

Process for temperature control of a catalyst system

The invention relates to a method for controlling a temperature of a catalyst system with the features mentioned in the preambles of independent claims 1 and 2.

For the aftertreatment of exhaust gases of lean-running internal combustion engines, it is known to pass the exhaust gas over a catalyst system arranged in an exhaust gas duct, in particular a NO _x catalyst system. The NO _x catalytic converter system comprises at least one NO _x storage catalytic converter and usually one or more upstream catalytic converters. The internal combustion engine is operated discontinuously in lean and rich lambda intervals, with nitrogen oxides (NO _x ) of the exhaust gas being stored in the NO _x storage catalytic converter with λ> 1 during the lean operating intervals and released and reduced in the rich operating intervals with λ <1 ( NO _x regeneration). A conversion of other pollutant components such as carbon monoxide (CO) and unburned hydrocarbons (HC) takes place in a known manner on 3-way catalytic components of the pre-catalyst and / or the NO _x storage catalytic converter.

Compared to pure 3-way catalyst systems, NO _x catalyst systems are relatively temperature sensitive. In this way, irreversible damage to the catalyst system can occur even at exhaust gas temperatures upstream of the NO _x storage catalytic converter above 800 ° C., so that the catalyst activity decreases significantly over the life of the vehicle. This concerns both the NO _x storage and regeneration during the lean and rich operating intervals as well as the HC, CO and NO _x conversion behavior with stoichiometric exposure. In order to avoid exceeding a critical temperature limit, exhaust gas cooling measures for lowering the exhaust gas temperature are known. Another known measure for reducing the exhaust gas temperature consists in enriching the air-fuel mixture to λ <1.

A particular problem with regard to the temperature load of the NO _x catalytic converter system is the unavoidable overrun phases during normal driving, which can occur, for example, when the vehicle is decelerating or on gradients, one of which Driver predetermined driving torque is less than an instantaneous thrust torque of the vehicle. During an overrun phase, the fuel supply is usually interrupted and the internal combustion engine is not operated with a fire (overrun cutoff). This means that high oxygen concentrations reach the exhaust gas and the catalyst system, which still contains high HC masses at the beginning of the overrun phase, especially after high or full load operation. As a result of the exothermic conversion reaction of HC with the oxygen, local temperature peaks occur, which lead to an increased oxidation and / or sintering of the catalytic precious metal coatings and thus can permanently damage the catalytic activity. This problem is all the more serious the higher the temperatures of the catalyst system reached during a vehicle propulsion phase preceding the overrun phase, that is to say in particular after a high-load or full-load vehicle operation. The damaging potential of overrun fuel cut-off can be seen in engine test bench tests, in which load cycles consisting of high loads and high exhaust gas temperatures alternating with unfired overrun phases lead to a greater deactivation of the NO _x storage catalyst system than corresponding load cycles without intermediate overrun phases.

In order to reduce the damaging effects of the massive oxygen exposure of the catalysts in overrun phases, it is known to carry out a particularly intensive mixture enrichment in the fired high and full load operation. As a result, the initial level of the catalyst temperature at the beginning of an overrun phase is kept so low that the additional load resulting from the exposure to oxygen does not reach the critical catalyst load capacity. However, this strong mixture enrichment in high-load operation to compensate for the negative effects of the fuel cut-off leads to a significant increase in fuel consumption. In order to keep this low, it is also known to regulate the amount of mixture enrichment as a function of the exhaust gas and / or catalyst temperature. For example, with short high-load accelerations and comparatively low, uncritical catalyst temperatures, a lower mixture enrichment is set than at an identical operating point at which the exhaust gas or catalyst temperature is already close to the critical temperature.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a temperature of a catalyst system which largely avoids damaging temperature peaks in overrun phases, in particular after high or full load operation of the internal combustion engine. The procedure should go beyond that keep fuel consumption as low as possible, do not impair driving comfort and driving safety and can be easily integrated into an engine control concept.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of independent claims 1 and 2. According to the invention, at an operating point at which a driving torque requested by a driver is less than a thrust torque of the vehicle (overrun phase), an overrun cutoff can be suppressed by supplying the internal combustion engine with an air-fuel ratio lambda less than or equal to 1.1 , An application of λ <1.00 has proven to be particularly advantageous.

Thus, if there is an overrun phase due to operational reasons, for example during a braking operation or on a downhill slope, in which an overrun fuel cut-off is carried out in accordance with conventional methods, this can be suppressed according to the invention by operating the internal combustion engine fired by the application of an air / fuel mixture. In this way, with only a small additional consumption compared to the unfired overrun cutoff, a high oxygen exposure to the catalyst system and thus damaging temperature peaks in the overrun are suppressed. A catalyst life can thus be significantly increased. The method is particularly advantageous for NO _x catalyst systems because of the particular temperature sensitivity of NO _x storage catalysts.

According to a first embodiment of the method, the air-fuel ratio during a fired overrun phase is preferably specified in the range from λ = 0.95 to 1.00. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the air-fuel ratio is predetermined during the fired overrun phase as a function of a measured or calculated temperature of the exhaust gas and / or the NO _x catalyst system. If the temperature of at least one component of the catalyst system is already relatively close to a catalyst-specific critical temperature threshold at the beginning of the overrun phase, a relatively low lambda value, i.e. a strong mixture enrichment, is specified for the overrun phase in order to lower the temperature as much as possible. If, on the other hand, the exhaust gas and / or the catalyst system is at a relatively low temperature, a lambda value close to 1 can be specified. It can further be provided that the fuel cut-off is not suppressed, ie the fuel cut-off is released if the temperature of the exhaust gas and / or the NO _x catalyst system does not exceed a predeterminable low temperature threshold. It will usually be useful, depending on a specific one Catalyst quality, in particular of a catalyst coating and / or a catalyst carrier, to specify different temperature thresholds for the preliminary and main or NO _x storage catalyst.

The avoidance of temperature peaks by suppressing the overrun cutoff in overrun phases makes it possible to raise the maximum permissible temperature of the exhaust gas and / or the catalytic converter system in the fired high and / or full load operation of the internal combustion engine (vehicle propulsion) compared to the prior art and thus lower the maximum To achieve mixture enrichment. Here, the term vehicle propulsion is understood to mean an operating phase in which the internal combustion engine does positive work, ie is not in an overrun phase. Especially for NO _x catalyst systems, a maximum exhaust gas and / or catalyst temperature increased by 30 to 150 K, in particular a 50 to 100 K, compared to the prior art has proven itself, which results in an increase in the mixture enrichment to maintain the temperature specification corresponding lambda value in fired operation by Δλ = 0.036 to 0.18, in particular by 0.06 to 0.12. In the specific case, the specification of a maximum permissible temperature of the exhaust gas upstream of the precatalyst in a vehicle propulsion phase of the internal combustion engine is provided from 920 to 1040 ° C., preferably from 950 to 1000 ° C. Accordingly, a maximum permissible temperature of the exhaust gas upstream of the NO _x storage catalytic converter in vehicle propulsion can be set from 830 to 920 ° C., in particular from 850 to 880 ° C. By increasing the maximum permissible temperature in vehicle propulsion, the additional fuel consumption caused by the fired overrun phases can be largely compensated for or even overcompensated. Despite the overall higher temperature level, the temperature of the catalyst system does not reach the critical temperature range due to the suppressed temperature peaks in the overrun phase.

The latter embodiment of the method can particularly advantageously be further developed in such a way that even during the fired overrun phase, the internal combustion engine is acted upon by an air-fuel ratio which is set as a function of the predetermined maximum permissible temperature of the exhaust gas and / or the NO _x catalyst system. The relatively low lambda value resulting from this measure during the overrun phase of usually 0J to 0.95, in particular 0.8 to 0.9, leads to a slight reduction in the consumption advantage achieved compared to the latter embodiment of the method, but still promotes it lower residual oxygen levels in the thrust extend the life of the Catalyst system. Temperature peaks are almost completely eliminated due to the lambda value that is almost the same under load and in thrust.

A problem can arise from the fact that the firing of the overrun phases always generates a certain useful torque, as a result of which the speed reduction expected by the driver in the overrun phase is less than expected. This problem can be alleviated by a further development of the method, in that a useful torque generated in the overrun phase is at least partially compensated for by shifting an ignition point in the "late" direction and thus reducing the engine efficiency. However, since the exhaust gas temperature rises due to the late ignition, this measure is only useful to a limited extent to avoid the useful torque.

The useful torque is particularly undesirable on downhill gradients, since active driving safety can be jeopardized here by extended deceleration distances. Furthermore, the damaging effect of the higher exhaust gas temperature is particularly pronounced here, since a downhill section is often preceded by a full-gas gradient section at which maximum engine speeds and exhaust gas temperatures are reached. According to a particularly preferred method, it is therefore also provided that the suppression of the overrun cutoff and / or the air-fuel ratio during the overrun phase and / or a maximum permissible temperature specification for the exhaust gas and / or the catalyst system during the overrun phase as a function of a deviation an actual vehicle speed and / or an actual vehicle acceleration is controlled by a target vehicle speed and / or target vehicle acceleration to be expected in the plane in accordance with a current engine torque. Accordingly, a slope or slope detection is first carried out, for example, by comparing the actual instantaneous actual vehicle speed with a target vehicle speed, which is determined as a function of the torque given by the internal combustion engine for driving in the plane. This makes it dependent on whether the suppression of the overrun fuel cutoff according to the invention is permitted, and if so, with what air / fuel ratio the internal combustion engine is fired during the overrun phase. Depending on the gradient detected, the generation of the useful torque can thus be completely or partially prevented.

In particular, provision is made to cancel the suppression of the overrun fuel cutoff, that is to say to allow the overrun fuel cutoff if this is based on the deviation of the vehicle speed and / or acceleration from the target vehicle speed and / or acceleration detected gradient exceeds a predetermined limit. In this way, an excessively long braking distance on steep gradients is avoided. Conversely, if the actual vehicle speed and / or acceleration is lower than the target vehicle speed and / or acceleration in the plane, there is an incline and suppression of the overrun cutoff is permissible.

Provision can also be made to vary the air-fuel ratio during the overrun phase and / or the specification of the maximum permissible temperature of the exhaust gas and / or the catalyst system as a function of the detected gradient. In particular, the air-fuel ratio and / or the maximum temperature specification is gradually or continuously increased to λ = 1.00 with increasing gradient before the fuel cut-off is carried out when the predefinable limit value is reached, that is to say lambda is raised to at least almost infinite becomes.

The actual vehicle speed or acceleration required for the gradient detection can be determined in a known manner, for example, via the engine speed and an engaged gear and / or on the basis of a wheel speed measured by wheel speed sensors and a dynamic wheel radius. Different methods for speed detection are also conceivable. The theoretical target vehicle speed or acceleration in the plane is preferably determined as a function of a torque output by the internal combustion engine and determined by the engine control. Alternatively, other engine control variables which approximately describe the engine torque can also be used as a replacement variable, for example an accelerator pedal position, the amount of fuel injected, an air mass meter signal and an exhaust gas lambda signal. The engine torque or the substitute variable is then correlated with a change in speed during vehicle operation in the plane with the aid of a stored map. Further required characteristic values such as vehicle mass, drag coefficient or rolling resistance coefficient can also be stored in the engine control unit as fixed values or as a function of the actual vehicle speed or acceleration determined. The basic principles of the procedure for determining the target vehicle speed or acceleration in the plane are known from the control of shifting processes in automatic transmissions and will not be explained further.

Further preferred embodiments of the invention result from the other features mentioned in the subclaims. The invention is explained in more detail below in exemplary embodiments with reference to the associated drawings. Show it:

Figure 1 schematically shows a structure of an internal combustion engine with a downstream exhaust tract;

Figure 2 temporal courses of an air-fuel ratio

Catalyst temperature and a vehicle speed during an overrun phase with overrun cutoff according to the prior art;

FIG. 3 temporal courses of the quantities according to FIG. 2 according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 temporal courses of the quantities according to FIG. 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 temporal courses of the quantities according to FIG. 2 according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 gradient-dependent curves of the air-fuel ratio and one

Ignition angle during a push and during a vehicle advance according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention and

FIG. 7 gradient-dependent courses of the sizes according to FIG. 6 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an internal combustion engine 10 with an exhaust gas duct 12 connected downstream of it. To clean an exhaust gas coming from the internal combustion engine 10, the exhaust gas duct 12 houses a small-volume pre-catalytic converter 14, typically a 3-way catalytic converter, and a large-volume NO connected downstream of it _x storage catalytic converter 16. The NO _x storage catalytic converter 16 is subjected to discontinuous lean and rich exhaust gas atmospheres, nitrogen oxides NO _{x being} stored in the lean operating phases and NO _x regeneration and conversion in the rich operating phases. The lean-rich cycles and the air-fuel ratio lambda are typically regulated with the aid of a lambda probe 18 arranged downstream of the internal combustion engine 10 and a further gas sensor 20 which is installed downstream of the NO _x storage catalytic converter 16. The gas sensor 20 can also be a lambda sensor or preferably a NO _x sensor. A temperature sensor 22 determines an exhaust gas temperature upstream of the NO _x storage catalytic converter 16. The signals provided by the sensors 18, 20, 22 and various operating parameters of the internal combustion engine 10 are input into an engine control unit 24, which controls the operation of the internal combustion engine 10 on the basis of stored algorithms and maps ,

FIG. 2 illustrates the temperature-damaging catalytic converter damage during the course of various parameters during a fuel cut-off approved according to the prior art. The graph 100 shows the course of a vehicle speed v. The speed v is initially at a constant high level, then decreases continuously in a deceleration phase, for example because the driver withdraws a gas request in order to finally assume a constantly low level. During the deceleration phase, the vehicle is in an overrun phase τ _s , in which the requested driving torque is less than an instantaneous overrun torque generated by the vehicle. The time course of the air-fuel ratio λ is shown with graph 102. During the initial high-load operation, there is a relatively strong mixture enrichment with λ <1. During the overrun phase τ _s , in which the engine does no work and the vehicle speed v is maintained solely by the overrun torque, an overrun shutdown takes place by interrupting a fuel supply. As a result, the air-fuel ratio λ assumes an at least almost infinitely positive value. Because of the high oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas in the overrun cutoff, there are intensive conversion reactions of initially still high amounts of HC on the catalysts 14, 16. Graph 104 shows the course of the local temperature in a coating (washcoat) in the reaction zone of the NO _x storage catalyst 16. This shows that after an initially constant catalyst temperature T in high-load operation, an intense temperature peak occurs at the beginning of the unfired overrun phase τ _s . Depending on the initial temperature before the fuel cut-off, this can reach a critical temperature range (hatched) in which the catalytic converter 16 can be irreversibly damaged.

In order to effectively avoid temperature peaks in overrun phases, the overrun cutoff in overrun phases is suppressed according to the invention under certain conditions by operating the internal combustion engine 10 during the overrun phase τ _s . This principle is shown in its simplest embodiment in FIG. 3 on the basis of the same profile of the vehicle speed v as in FIG. 2 (graph 100). According to this Execution, a constant lambda value, which is preferably between λ = 0.95 and λ = 1.00, is adjusted during the overrun phase τ _s (graph 102 '). During the overrun phase τ _s , the internal combustion engine 10 is accordingly operated with a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or a small excess of fuel, so that the oxygen present is largely consumed during the combustion process. As a result, as can be seen from graph 104 ', the occurrence of temperature peaks in the overrun phase τ _{s can be} almost completely suppressed. For comparison, FIG. 3 also shows the temperature profile 104 when the fuel cut-off according to FIG. 2. The lack of pronounced temperature peaks in Figure 3 allows a significant extension of the life of the catalyst system and the guarantee of sufficient catalytic activity over the life. However, the firing of the propulsion phase caused τ _s a certain fuel consumption with respect to the admission of the fuel cut-off according to FIG 2. In order to minimize the fuel consumption, is therefore expedient provided the suppression of the overrun fuel cutoff of the measured or calculated current temperature of the NO _x catalyst system 14, 16 or make it dependent on the exhaust gas. The suppression of the overrun cut-off is only permitted if the temperature at the beginning of the overrun phase τ _s is already relatively high, in particular 700 ° C., preferably 750 ° C. Furthermore, the lambda specification during the overrun phase τ _s can be _{set in} proportion to the present temperature.

A further development of the principle shown in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 4, again with an identical speed profile 100. In addition to suppressing the overrun cutoff during the overrun phase τ _s , a maximum permissible temperature specification for the exhaust gas and / or the catalyst system is increased by 30 to during high-load operation (non-overrun operation) 150 K, especially around 50 to 100 K, compared to the previous examples. Starting from a customary approved exhaust gas temperature upstream of the NO _x storage catalytic converter of approximately 800 ° C., this corresponds to an exhaust gas temperature upstream of the pre-catalytic converter 14 of 920 to 1040 ° C., in particular 950 to 1000 ° C. The increase in the permissible catalyst temperature leads to an overall elevated temperature level (graph 104 ") compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. Nevertheless, because of the largely suppressed temperature peak in the overrun phase τ _s , the critical temperature range hatched in the illustration is not reached and the catalyst system therefore not significantly more temperature-loaded than the variant explained above. The advantage of this embodiment is the higher lambda value (graph 102 ") which arises as a result of the temperature requirement and is therefore a Compensation or even overcompensation for the additional fuel consumption caused by the overrun fuel being fired.

In a further development of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5 shows the lambda and temperature profiles (102 '"and 104'") if instead of a fixed lambda specification also during the overrun phase τ _s, a function of the maximum temperature specification for the exhaust gas and / or the lambda value setting the NO _x catalyst system 14, 16 is permitted. This measure usually leads to lambda values between 0J and 0.95 during the overrun phase τ _s , in particular from 0.8 to 0.9. This greater mixture enrichment resulting in the overrun phase τ _s leads to a partial loss of fuel savings according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, but because of the lambda value which is almost the same under load and in the overrun, it at least almost completely eliminates temperature peaks in favor of the catalyst service life.

Two further exemplary embodiments take into account the problem of a useful torque generated by the fired thrust on downhill sections. In this case, it is provided to carry out a slope detection by determining a deviation Δv of a calculated target driving speed and / or acceleration in the plane (v _So n) from a current actual driving speed (V | _St ) and / or acceleration. In FIG. 6, graph 106 shows the lambda curve in a thrust phase τ _s , which is regulated as a function of the determined speed deviation Δv. As long as the determined gradient is smaller than a predeterminable critical gradient .DELTA.v _k , the overrun fuel cutoff is suppressed by operating the internal combustion engine 10 with a lambda <1 being fired. At the same time, the air-fuel ratio λ is ignited at a constant ignition timing at a crankshaft angle KWW before top dead center OT (graph 110). If the gradient is greater than Δv _k , the overrun cutoff is permitted, resulting in an almost infinite lambda value in the overrun. In this way, an extension of a deceleration path caused by the useful torque and the resulting dangers or irritations of the driver are avoided. The approval of the overrun fuel cutoff and / or the specification of the critical gradient Δv _k can be controlled as a function of the current exhaust gas or catalyst temperature. Graph 108 shows the slope-dependent lambda curve in the fired vehicle propulsion, i.e. when there is no thrust situation. It is provided here that the maximum permissible exhaust gas and / or catalyst temperature is reduced above the critical gradient Δv _k , which results in a lambda reduction in accordance with the required cooling. The temperature or lambda reduction in vehicle propulsion has the advantage that an overrun cut-off can easily be carried out on a slope above Δv _k , when a thrust phase τ _s begins without the temperature peak resulting from the exposure to oxygen reaching the critical temperature range.

According to a further embodiment of the method shown in FIG. 7, the air-fuel mixture λ is initially raised continuously up to a lambda = 1 during the fired overrun phase with increasing gradient (graph 106 '). At the same time, the ignition timing is shifted according to graph 110 up to a crankshaft angle KWW after top dead center OT in order to reduce combustion efficiency and thus the resulting useful torque. Again, the overrun cutoff is permitted if the predetermined critical gradient Δv _k is exceeded. If, on the other hand, the vehicle is under engine load (non-overrun), the maximum permissible exhaust gas and / or catalytic converter temperature is continuously reduced as the gradient increases, whereupon a decreasing lambda curve occurs according to graph 108 '. The processes shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 lead to an improved catalyst life without significant consumption influences. All processes can also be tailored to the condition of the catalytic converter, in particular the catalytic converter temperature or existing damage. The method shown in FIG. 7 offers the best coordination with regard to driving behavior.

The process embodiments described above can also be applied analogously to catalyst systems on a 3-way basis. Likewise, the use of pre-catalysts is not absolutely necessary.

B E Z U G SZ E I C H E N L I S T E

10 internal combustion engine

12 exhaust duct

14 pre-catalytic converter

16 Main catalytic converter / NO _x storage catalytic converter

18 Lambda sensor 20 NO _x sensor

22 temperature sensor

24 engine control unit

100 time course vehicle speed 102 time lambda course

104 temperature profile over time (catalyst temperature)

106 slope-dependent lambda curve in the thrust

108 slope-dependent lambda curve in vehicle propulsion

110 slope-dependent course of the ignition timing

KWW crankshaft angle λ air-fuel ratio

TDC top dead center t time T catalyst temperature τ _s overrun phase v vehicle speed

V | _St actual vehicle _{speed Sθ} | i theoretical vehicle _speed in the plane (target vehicle _speed ) Δv deviation / gradient

Δv _k critical gradient

Claims

1. A method for controlling a temperature of a catalyst system (14, 16) arranged in an exhaust gas duct (12) of an internal combustion engine (10) of a motor vehicle, consisting of at least one main catalyst (16) and optionally one or more pre-catalysts (14), characterized in that that at an operating point at which a driving request torque requested by a driver is less than a thrust torque of the vehicle (overrun phase τ _s ), an overrun fuel cutoff by loading the internal combustion engine (10) with an air-fuel ratio (λ) less than or equal to 1, 1 can be suppressed.

2. A method for controlling a temperature of a catalyst system (14, 16) arranged in an exhaust gas duct (12) of an internal combustion engine (10) of a motor vehicle, consisting of at least one main catalyst (16) and optionally one or more pre-catalysts (14), characterized in that that

(a) at an operating point at which a driver requested

Desired driving torque is less than an overrun torque of the vehicle (overrun phase, τ _s ), an overrun cutoff can be suppressed by applying an air-fuel ratio (λ) less than or equal to one to the internal combustion engine (10) and

(b) the suppression of the overrun cutoff and / or the air-fuel ratio (λ) during the overrun phase (τ _s ) and / or a maximum permissible temperature specification (T _ma χ) for the exhaust gas and / or the catalyst system (14, 16 ) during the overrun phase depending on a deviation (Δv) of an actual vehicle speed (v, _st ) and / or actual vehicle acceleration from a target vehicle speed (v _So n) to be expected in accordance with a current engine torque in the plane and / or target vehicle acceleration is controlled.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a NO _x storage catalyst is used as the main catalyst (16).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the internal combustion engine (10) during the overrun phase (τ _s ) with an air-fuel ratio (λ) less than or equal to 1, 05, in particular less than or equal to 1, 02, is applied.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the internal combustion engine (10) during the overrun phase (τ _s ) with an air-fuel ratio (λ) of 0.95 to 1, 00 is applied.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the air-fuel ratio (λ) during the overrun phase (τ _s ) as a function of a measured or calculated temperature (T) of the exhaust gas and / or the catalyst system (14, 16) can be specified.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fuel cut-off is not suppressed if the temperature (T) of the exhaust gas and / or the catalyst system (14, 16) does not exceed a predefinable temperature threshold.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in a vehicle propulsion (non-overrun phase) of the internal combustion engine (10) a maximum permissible temperature (T _max ) of the exhaust gas upstream of the pre-catalyst (14) from 920 to 1040 ° C, in particular from 950 to 1000 ° C, and the air-fuel ratio (λ) is adjustable depending on the temperature specification (T _max ).

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that in the vehicle propulsion of the internal combustion engine (10) a maximum permissible temperature (T _max ) of the exhaust gas upstream of the NO _x storage catalytic converter (14) from 830 to 920 ° C, in particular from 850 to 880 ° C, is determined and the air-fuel ratio (λ) can be regulated as a function of the temperature specification (T _max ).

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that during the overrun phase (τ _s ) the internal combustion engine (10) with a depending on the predetermined maximum permissible temperature (T _max ) of the exhaust gas and / or the catalyst system (14, 16th ) setting air-fuel ratio (λ) can be applied.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a useful torque generated by the suppression of the overrun cutoff in the overrun phase is at least partially compensated for by a late shift in an ignition timing.

12. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that in an overrun phase (τ _s ) the air-fuel ratio (λ) and / or a maximum permissible temperature specification (T _max ) for the exhaust gas and / or the catalyst system (14, 16) with a based on the deviation (Δv) of the actual vehicle speed (v, _st ) and / or actual vehicle acceleration from the target vehicle speed (v _So n) and / or target

Vehicle acceleration detected, increasing gradient is gradually or continuously raised.

13. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that in a coasting phase (τ _s ) the suppression of the coasting cutout is canceled when the detected gradient exceeds a predeterminable limit value.

14. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 13, characterized in that in an overrun phase (τ _s ) the ignition timing is gradually or continuously shifted late with increasing gradient.

15. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 14, characterized in that in a vehicle propulsion (non-overrun phase) of the internal combustion engine (10) a maximum permissible temperature specification (T _max ) of the exhaust gas and / or the catalyst system (14, 16) with increasing Slope can be gradually and / or continuously lowered.

16. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 15, characterized in that the theoretical target vehicle speed (v _So n) and / or target vehicle acceleration in the plane depending on a given by the internal combustion engine (10) or a correlating with this Size is determined based on stored characteristic values and / or maps.

17. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 16, characterized in that the actual vehicle speed (v, _st ) and / or actual vehicle acceleration using a

Engine speed and an engaged gear and / or on the basis of a wheel speed measured with wheel speed sensors and a dynamic wheel radius.