Heat-Up Performance of Catalyst Carriers—A Parameter Study and Thermodynamic Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates geometric parameters of commercially available or recently published models of catalyst substrates for passenger vehicles and provides a numerical evaluation of their influence on heat-up behavior. Parameters considered to have a significant impact on the thermal economy of a monolith are: internal surface area, heat transfer coefficient, and mass of the converter, as well as its heat capacity. During simulation experiments, it could be determined that the primary role is played by the mass of the monolith and its internal surface area, while the heat transfer coefficient only has a secondary role. Furthermore, an optimization loop was implemented, whereby the internal surface area of a commonly used substrate was chosen as a reference. The lengths of the thin wall and high cell density monoliths investigated were adapted consecutively to obtain the reference internal surface area. The results obtained by this optimization process contribute to improving the heat-up performance while simultaneously reducing the valuable installation space required.

Numerical Study of the Thermal and Fluid Behavior of Three-Dimensional Microstructures for Efficient Catalytic Converters

“…The front views in Figure 3 show that the streamlines are distributed better in the octet and P-TPMS structures than in the other structures. The flow is classified as turbulent based on the Reynolds number of 2300 [20]. Thus, the results confirmed that only octet, Kelvin, and P-TPMS structures caused turbulent flow, with the maximum (c,d,g,h) velocity distributions for the different 3D microstructures; (e,f,i,j) front view of fluid flow distributions.…”

“…By utilizing porous penetrating structures such as FCC and SC structures, it is possible to induce an inertial flow and improve the mass transfer [19]. A high geometric surface area and low heat capacity are required in the design of the catalytic carrier to improve the performance of catalytic converter systems [20]. There is a scarcity of reports confirming the substitutability and performance of existing monolithic structures by application of a fine lattice structure to catalytic transducers.…”

Exhaust Gas Temperature Pulsations of a Gasoline Engine and Its Stabilization Using Thermal Energy Storage System to Reduce Emissions

“…The most efficient part of the emission system is the three-way catalyst, which works under optimum conditions with an efficiency of up to 98%. The aim is, therefore, to stabilize the conditions in the exhaust pipe [24].…”