The Design of Automotive Catalyst Supports for Improved Pressure Drop and Conversion Efficiency

The current automotive catalytic converter is highly dependable and provides excellent emissions reduction while at the same time it offers little resistance to the flow of gasses through the exhaust system. As automobile performance requirements increase, and as the allowable tailpipe emissions are tightened, there is a need on the one hand to reduce the back pressure even further, and on the other, to increase the already excellent catalytic performance.

This paper will analyze the substrate factors which influence the pressure drop and conversion efficiency of the catalyst system.

The converter frontal area has the most significant influence on both pressure drop and conversion efficiency, followed in order by part length, cell density, and wall thickness.