Browse Topic: Diesel exhaust emissions
Fe/zeolite selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts are commercially used for NOx emissions reduction from diesel engines. In comparison to Cu/zeolite, these catalysts are widely reported to form less N2O as a byproduct of the SCR reactions. However, Fe/zeolite SCR is less active than Cu/zeolite for low temperature NOx conversion under standard SCR conditions. In this study, a state-of-the-art Fe/zeolite SCR catalyst is probed with a combination of N2 physisorption, SEM/EDX, reactor-based performance and active site quantification. Measurements investigate the impact of degreening, mild and extreme hydrothermal aging. In a degreened condition, the impact of water vapor on standard and fast SCR and isothermal desorption of NH3 is assessed. The Fe/zeolite catalyst’s hydrothermal durability is studied following hydrothermal aging at temperatures from 550°C up to 950°C. NH3 adsorption and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and NO2 adsorption and TPD experiments are used to quantify the surface acidity and active Fe sites of the catalysts, respectively. Kinetic analysis of the standard SCR data is conducted to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for SCR activity loss upon hydrothermal aging. The authors believe the results presented herein can support the industry wide efforts to continue to improve diesel emissions control.
After the implementation of BS-VI emission standards, effective exhaust after-treatment has become critical in minimizing harmful emissions from diesel engines. One significant challenge is the accumulation of hydrocarbons (HC) in the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC). Certain hydrocarbons may adsorb onto the catalyst surface yet remain unreactive, leading to potential operational inefficiencies. This phenomenon necessitates the desorption of unreactive hydrocarbons to allow space for more reactive species, thereby enhancing oxidation efficiency and overall catalyst performance. The process of desorption (DeSorb) is vital to maintaining the balance of reactive hydrocarbons within the DOC. When a vehicle is idling, unburnt fuel produces hydrocarbons that accumulate in the DOC. Upon acceleration, these hydrocarbons can lead to an uncontrolled rise in temperature, resulting in DOC push-out, catalyst damage, and downstream impacts on the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). To mitigate these risks, a dedicated software solution has been implemented to monitor HC levels and trigger a HC desorb mode. This proactive approach initiates regeneration before hardware failure occurs, ensuring the longevity of the DOC and maintaining compliance with emission regulations. This innovative approach not only addresses immediate operational concerns but also contributes to the broader goal of sustainable automotive engineering.
In the pursuit of achieving stringent BS VI emission standards, maintaining the efficiency of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems is paramount, especially in vehicles operating under low duty cycles. A significant concern in such scenarios is the accumulation of urea deposits within the SCR, which can lead to detrimental push-out effects and compromised catalyst performance. This issue is particularly prevalent during low-temperature operations, where the conditions are less favorable for the effective conversion of nitrogen oxides (NOx). To address this challenge, an innovative software control system has been developed to monitor operating conditions and detect potential urea deposit faults. The software continuously evaluates parameters such as temperature and vehicle duty cycle, identifying conditions that may lead to urea crystallization within the SCR system. When unfavorable conditions are detected, the software triggers a fault alert that activates a regeneration process aimed at dissolving the accumulated urea deposits. This proactive approach not only prevents the adverse effects of urea buildup but also ensures the continued efficiency of the SCR system in reducing NOx emissions. By facilitating timely regeneration, the software enhances the operational reliability of the SCR catalyst, thereby supporting compliance with regulatory standards.
The study emphasizes on development of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) dosing system specifically used in Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) of diesel engine for emission control, where a low pressure pumpless DEF dosing system is developed, utilizing compressed air for pressurizing the DEF tank and discharging DEF through air assisted DEF injection nozzle. SCR systems utilize Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) to convert harmful NOx emissions from diesel engines into harmless nitrogen and water vapor. Factors such as improper storage, handling, or refilling practices can lead to DEF contamination which pose significant operational challenges for SCR systems. Traditional piston-type, diaphragm-type, or gear-type pumps in DEF dosing systems are prone to mechanical failures leading to frequent maintenance, repairs, and costly downtimes for vehicles. To overcome the existing challenges and to create a more reliable and simple DEF delivery mechanism the pumpless DEF Dosing system is developed. The system includes a completely sealed DEF tank, pressurized to a calibrated system pressure, by connecting the tank entry line to compressed air. Signal from the Engine Control Unit is provided to the metering valve positioned in the delivery line which controls the quantity to be dosed. Pressure reducing valve, quick relief valve and pressure sensor for feedback are integrated, with the tank and the metering valve to develop a completely reliable DEF dosing system. The system has been modelled in MATLAB and tested for different operating pressure, height and volume of the tank and by varying the signals provided to the metering unit. Overall, we can conclude that the pumpless DEF dosing system is a simplified version among the existing DEF dosing practices. When implemented it provides significant reduction in cost, complexity, repair and maintenance of the system eliminating the challenges and failures posed by the existing pump-based dosing systems.
In Diesel engine exhaust after treatment system (ATS), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emissions control is achieved via Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) in which AdBlue or Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) plays vital role. But AdBlue freezes below -11°C due to which in cold climate conditions system performance becomes critical as it affects efficiency as well as overall performance leading to safety and compliance with emission standards issue. So, it is essential to have a probabilistic thermal model which can predict the AdBlue temperature as per ambient temperature conditions. The present paper focuses on developing Bayesian Network (BN) based algorithm for AdBlue system by modelling probability of key factors influencing on its performance including AdBlue temperature, Ambient temperature, Coolant temperature, Coolant flow, Vehicle operating conditions etc. The BN Model predicts and ensures continuous learning and improvement of the system, based on operational data. Methodology proposed in the paper aims to demonstrate a probabilistic model that captures the interactions affecting the AdBlue system's thermal behavior.
This paper investigates heated and cold Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) sprays with the aim of establishing the effect of temperature on the resulting spray characteristics. The work is motivated by the need to optimize active Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems to meet more stringent nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission regulations for internal combustion engines. Pre-heating DEF has the potential to improve evaporation of the injected fluid, increasing the NOx conversion efficiency of the SCR at low exhaust temperatures. Experiments are carried out using the MAHLE SmartHeat fluid heater and mounted atop a DEF injector, with an incorporated thermocouple for fluid temperature. The fluid temperature established by the heater in this configuration was about 130 °C. The fluid is injected into an atmospheric environment and Schlieren imaging is used to visualize the spray evolution. CFD simulations are also carried out to validate the experimental observations and further shed light on the associated velocity field. With respect to the spray characteristics, the results show that the most significant difference between cold and heated DEF sprays occurs when the heated fluid experiences flash boiling prior to injection. This flash boiling is thought to arise from occasional overheating near the heating surfaces. Under conditions of normal hot liquid DEF injection, only a slight improvement in the atomization pattern is observed. The merit of the heating is expected to be more pronounced in the subsequent evaporation of the droplets. With respect to the simulations, it was found that the predicted penetration depths agree with the experimental observations. The observed pronounced differences between the characteristics of the cold and hot spray with flash boiling as well as the limited improvements of the hot liquid spray characteristics are explainable by considering their Reynolds and Weber numbers.
Cu/zeolite selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts are used globally to reduce NOx emissions from diesel engines. These catalysts can achieve high NOx conversion efficiency, and they are hydrothermally durable under real world diesel exhaust environments. However, Cu/zeolite catalysts are susceptible to sulfur poisoning and require some type of sulfur management even when used with ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD). In the present study, the authors seek to better illuminate the chemical processes responsible for ammonium sulfate formation and decomposition occurring in Cu/zeolite SCR catalysts. Reactor-based experiments are first conducted with a real-world concentration of SO2 (0.5 ppmv) and a typical diesel exhaust water vapor concentration (7 vol.%) to quantify progressive effects of ammonium sulfate formation. A second group of experiments probe the chemical decomposition of ammonium sulfate via NO titration. The “movement” of sulfate species during this process is monitored with temperature programmed desorption experiments. Finally, the effect of NO2 on ammonium sulfate is investigated via either co-feeding during ammonium sulfate formation or post-feeding following ammonium sulfate formation, since it is expected that NH3, SO2, and NO2 will all be present at the catalyst surface during real-world operation. The authors believe the results presented herein can support the broad research effort to continue to improve low temperature NOx conversion which is notably degraded by the formation of ammonium sulfate species.
Upcoming, stricter diesel exhaust emissions standards will likely require aftertreatment architectures with multiple diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) introduction locations. Managing NH3 slip with technologies such as an ammonia slip catalyst (ASC) will continue to be critical in these future aftertreatment systems. In this study, we evaluate the impact of SO2 exposure on a state-of-the-art commercially available ASC. SO2 is co-fed at 0.5 or 3 ppmv to either approximate or accelerate a real-world exhaust SO2 impact. ASC performance during sulfur co-feeding is measured under a wide variety of simulated real-world conditions. Results indicate that the loss of NO conversion during SCR is dependent on the cumulative SO2 exposure, regardless of the inlet SO2 concentration. Meanwhile, N2O formation under SCR conditions is nonlinearly affected by SO2 exposure, with formation increasing during 0.5 ppmv SO2 exposure but decreasing in the presence of 3 ppmv SO2. TPO experiments reveal the formation of ammonium sulfate species, but only after prolonged SO2 exposure at 0.5ppmv or accelerated SO2 exposure at 3 ppmv. Reactivation at 550°C is sufficient to recover ASC reactivity following multiple SO2 exposure tests in all cases. These findings are especially relevant for the development of diesel exhaust aftertreatment accelerated aging protocols.
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) coolers are widely used on diesel engines to reduce in-cylinder NOx formation. A common problem is the accumulation of a fouling layer inside the heat exchanger, mainly due to thermophoresis that leads to deposition of particulate matter (PM), and condensation of hydrocarbons (HC) from the diesel exhaust. From a recent investigation of deposits from field samples of EGR coolers, it was confirmed that the densities of their deposits were much higher than reported in previous studies. In this study, the experiments were conducted in order to verify hypotheses about deposit growth, especially densification. An experimental set up which included a custom-made shell and tube type heat exchanger with six surrogate tubes was designed to control flow rate independently, and was installed on a 1.9 L L-4 common rail turbo diesel engine. The test cycle and conditions were higher PM/ lower HC with 75°C coolant temperature for 1.5h, then lower PM/ higher HC with 75°C or 35°C coolant temperature for 0.5h, which was repeated 3 times. Deposits from a tube were collected every cycle for a total of 6h. In the analysis, the deposit surface was observed with a scanning electron microscope, thickness was measured by an optical microscope, and the volatile content was analyzed by a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The results of this study showed that including the cold coolant condition cycle could keep higher heat exchanger effectiveness compared to the hot coolant condition, even though total deposit weight was almost the same. In addition, growth of the deposit thickness was not seen with the cold coolant condition, which was confirmed via the measurements of deposit densification. These data indicate that there is possibly a correlation between repeated hydration of the deposit by condensed water and drying.
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