Development of the Unburned Exhaust Gas Ignition (UEGI) Technology to Achieve Fast Light-Off of Catalysts and Emissions Reduction

UEGI(Unburned Exhaust Gas Ignition) is expected to help faster warm-up of a close-coupled catalytic converter (CCC) by igniting the unburned exhaust mixture using two glow plugs installed upstream of the catalyst. In this study, a control module and an algorithm for the UEGI technology was developed. In addition, a hydrocarbon adsorber was tested with the UEGI system for more effective reduction of HC emission during the cold start. The control module changes I/O signals of the ECU, to control ignition on/off, glow plug on/off, and A/F ratios during cold start. Because the system is designed to be applicable to conventional vehicles, its repeatability, stability, and precision of control were tested and analyzed on an engine test bench and vehicle test. Experimental results show that the CCC reaches the light-off temperature faster compared with the baseline exhaust system. Therefore HC and CO emissions are reduced significantly during the cold start. The UEGI control module proved its effectiveness in precise control of the UEGI system.