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

Abstract

Global regulations for emission reduction are continually becoming stricter, and conventional catalytic converters may be efficient in the future because of their low conversion efficiencies at cold-start. In this study, to overcome the performance limitations of conventional catalytic converters, a three-dimensional (3D) microstructured catalytic substrate was designed, and simulations of the fluid flow, heat transfer, and chemical reaction for the proposed catalytic substrates were performed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The effect of the pressure drop on the catalytic conversion efficiency of various 3D microarchitectures was investigated. Due to the three-dimensional microstructure, the fluid flow changed and fluid pressure increased, which led to energy loss. It was confirmed that the abrupt change in flow increased the heat transfer. The findings showed that the fluid flow changed due to the existence of a complex periodic microlattice structure instead of the existing monolithic structure, which promoted the conversion of harmful substances. Based on the CFD analysis of the thermal and fluid properties, it was confirmed that 3D microarchitectures can provide alternatives to conventional catalytic supports structures for efficient catalytic converters.

Achieving Fast Oxygen Reduction on Oxide Electrodes by Creating 3D Multiscale Micro-Nano Structures for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

“…Figure d shows the surface area, volume, and surface area to volume ratio (SAV) of three different 3D microstructures. Generally, SAV influences the mechanical, thermal, chemical, and optical properties of 3D microstructures, ,− thereby allowing for the optimization and customization of microstructures for a wide range of applications. However, in the case of 3D microstructures deposited with thin films, the interface between the 3D microstructure and the film plays a critical role in determining the electrochemical reaction at the film surface since the electrode area exposed to an ambient atmosphere is equivalent to the interfacial area.…”