Particulate Mass Accumulation and Release in Practical Diesel Engine Exhaust Systems under Cold Start Conditions

The accumulation and release of particulate matter within the exhaust system of a modern light-duty diesel engine was studied during a step cold start to three steady state load conditions, idle, 10 and 15kW. Changes in particulate mass concentration through the various components of the exhaust system were dependent on the previous short-term history of the engine operation, and on the engine speed reached during cold start. Particulate matter was deposited within the oxidation catalyst when cold and in the downstream exhaust silencer at idle and low power conditions. Particulate matter was released from the first silencer at all three test conditions and this release exceeded the deposition in the downstream silencer and resulted in a net exhaust system particulate blowout, at all three test conditions. This was a large fraction of the tailpipe emissions at all three test conditions. This also resulted in the particulate matter emerging from the tailpipe being different from that leaving the catalyst under cold start low power conditions.