Title
Impact of Chemical Poisoning and Hydrothermal Aging on a Production Diesel AT System
Abstract:
Diesel aftertreatment (AT) systems are critical for controlling emissions of CO, HC, NOx, and PM in the on-road transportation sector. Ensuring compliance with regulatory standards throughout the AT system's lifespan requires precise prediction of various degradation mechanisms under real-world operating conditions and mitigating their impact through proper catalyst sizing and advanced controls. In the SwRI A2CAT-II consortium, a medium-duty diesel engine production aftertreatment system was subjected to full useful life aging, involving chemical poisoning with phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) species, along with hydrothermal aging following the DAAAC protocol. This study was aimed to model and predict the aging trajectory of this production AT system thereby capturing changes in system dynamics under both steady-state and transient conditions. The system, designed to meet the 0.2 g/bhp-hr standard, comprised a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC), Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), and Ammonia Slip Catalyst (ASC). It was aged to 6,000 hours, equivalent to the DAAAC, and tested across a series of steady-state and regulatory cycles (HFTP, RMC, and LLC) at degreened, 33%, 66%, and 100% aging points. A linear decrease in system NOx conversion was observed between 0% to 66% aging, followed by a nonlinear drop from 66% to 100%. The cumulative decline in NOx conversion was 0.8%, which could significantly impact systems designed to meet a 0.05 g/bhp-hr target.