An Advanced CFD Simulation Strategy for Exhaust Manifolds with Close-Coupled Catalytic Converters

A strategy for performing transient computational fluid dynamics simulations of systems consisting of exhaust manifolds and close-coupled catalytic converters is described. The motivation for performing such a simulation is discussed, with reference to the literature, and a description of the modelling approach is given. The differences between steady-state and transient figures of merit for catalyst utilization and sensor positioning are discussed, including the development of a novel figure of merit for sensor positioning which is suitable for implementation in a transient simulation. A comparison between steady-state and transient simulation results for a typical simulation case is shown. Other simulation features for future development are discussed briefly.