Theoretical and Practical Mechanisms on Lowering Exhaust Emission Levels for Diverse Types of Spark Ignition Engines

The exhaust aftertreatment strategy is one of the most fundamental aspects of spark ignition engine technologies. For various types of engines (e.g., carburetor engine, PFI engine and GDI engine), measuring, purifying, modeling, and control strategies regarding the exhaust aftertreatment systems vary significantly. The primary goal of exhaust aftetreatment systems is to reduce the exhaust emission levels of NOx, HC and CO as well as to lower combustion soot. In general, there is a tradeoff among different engine performance aspects. The exhaust catalytic systems, such as the three way catalyst (TWC) and lean NOx trap (LNT) converters, can be applied together with the development of other engine technologies (e.g., variable valve timing, cold start). With respect to engine soot, some advanced diagnosing techniques are essential to obtain thorough investigation of exhaust emission mechanisms. This article is concerned with some challenging issues on exhaust emission analysis related to all three basic types of spark ignition engines. Theoretical analysis and experimental practice are proposed and investigated. The technologies can be extended and applied to all other potential types of engines, such as diesel engines, natural gas engines and hybrid vehicles.