• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.61-69
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• 2002

To meet stringent LEV and ULEV emission standards, a considerable amount of development work was necessary to ensure suitable efficiency and durability of catalyst systems. The main challenge is to cut off the engine cold-start emissions. It is known that up to 80% of the total hydrocarbons(THC) are exhausted within the first five minutes in case of US FTP 75 cycle. Close-Coupled Catalyst(CCC) provides fast light-off temperature by utilizing the energy in the exhaust gas. However, if some malfunction occurred at engine operation and the catalyst temperature exceeds 1050$\^{C}$, the catalytic converter is deactivated and shows the poor conversion efficiency. This paper presents effEcts of engine operating conditions on catalytic converter temperature in a SI engine, which are the indications of catalytic deactivation. Exhaust gas temperature and catalyst temperature were measured as a function of air/fuel ratio, ignition timing and misfire rates. Additionally, light-off time was measured to investigate the effect of operating conditions. It was found that ignition retard and misfire can result in the deactivation of the catalytic converter, which eventually leads the drastic thermal aging of the converter. Significant reduction in light-off time can be achieved with proper control of ignition retard and misfire, which can reduce cold-start HC emissions as well.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.837-844
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• 2003

The exhaust gas flow in the inlet collector of close coupled catalyst(CCC) adapted to the exhaust manifold is very complex flow because the exhaust gas is a pulsation flow with several port flow. The distribution of gas flow and temperature in inlet collector effect to the efficiency of catalytic converter. In this study, it measures temperatures on several point in inlet collector with two kind of inlet collector volume. And it analyzes with CFD to exhaust manifold and close coupled catalyst for temperature and flow. Comparing to measured and analyzed result, it find increasing of collector volume effects to catalyst temperature distribution and uniformity of catalytic converter

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.9-16
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• 2004

Close-coupled catalyst (CCC) can reduce the engine cold-start emissions by utilizing the energy in the exhaust gas. However, in case the engine is operated at high engine speed and load condition, the catalytic converter may be damaged and eventually deactivated by thermal aging. Excess fuel is sometimes supplied intentionally to lower the exhaust gas temperature avoiding the thermal aging. This sacrifices the fuel economy and exhaust emissions. This paper describes the results of an exhaust heat exchanger to lower the exhaust gas temperature mainly under high load conditions. The heat exchanger was installed between the exhaust manifold and the inlet of close-coupled catalytic converter. The exhaust heat exchanger successfully decreased the exhaust gas temperature, which eliminated the requirement of fuel enrichment under high load conditions. However, the cooling of the exhaust gas through the heat exchanger may cause the deterioration of exhaust emissions at cold start due to the increment of catalyst light-off time.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.563-573
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• 2007

Optimal design of an automotive catalytic converter for minimization of cold-start emissions is numerically performed using a micro genetic algorithm for two optimization problems: optimal geometry design of the monolith for various operating conditions and optimal axial catalyst distribution. The optimal design process considered in this study consists of three modules: analysis, optimization, and control. The analysis module is used to evaluate the objective functions with a one-dimensional single channel model and the Romberg integration method. It obtains new design variables from the control module, produces the CO cumulative emissions and the integral value of a catalyst distribution function over the monolith volume, and provides objective function values to the control module. The optimal design variables for minimizing the objective functions are determined by the optimization module using a micro genetic algorithm. The control module manages the optimal design process that mainly takes place in both the analysis and optimization modules.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.257-264
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• 2000

An aftertreatment device which reduce exhaust gas of natural gas vehicle(NGV), NGV catalyst has important meaning as to reduce the exhaust emission. In this study, the characteristics of NGV catalyst were investigated and the effect parameters of NGV catalyst were analyzed and were predicted by changing the various parameters such as temperature, and gas concentration. The conversion efficiency of NGV catalyst converter was also predicted by Pd-loading, mass flow rate and gas composition.

• Journal of the korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 1981

This paper describes emission control of hydrocarbon and carbon-monoxide due to oxidizing catalyst. The experiment was performed on a precious metal pelleted catalyst(Pt). The factors of the efficiency for purification due to oxidizing catalyst are space velocity, temperature, composition of exhaust gas and supplementary air. The experiment was carried out to control the factors of efficiency for purification. The results of experimental study show that temperature of catalytic converter, supplementary air and space velocity affected the efficiency for purification of hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.527-534
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• 2006

Modern passenger cars with diesel engines are equipped with DOC(diesel oxidation catalyst) for the purpose of reducing HC and CO in the exhaust stream. Cold start exhaust emissions pose troubles here as on gasoline engine vehicles. As a result, some of the diesel passenger cars roll off todays the assembly lines with WCC(warm-up catalytic converter). Oxidation characteristics of the particulates in WCC is analyzed in this study by EEPS(engine exhaust particulate size spectrometer). The maximum number of PM is found to come out of WCC in sizes near 10nm when an HSDI diesel engine is operated under the conditions of high speed and medium to heavy load. When the temperature of the WCC exceeds $300^{\circ}C$, the number of PM smaller than 30 nm in diameter sharply increases upon passing through the WCC. Total mass of emitted PM gets reduced downstream of the WCC under low speed and light load conditions due to adsorption of PM onto the catalyst. Under conditions of high speed and medium to heavy load, the relatively large PM shrink or break into fine particles during oxidation process within the WCC, which results in more mass fraction of fine particles downstream of the WCC.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.3125-3134
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• 2010

Three-way catalyst durability in the Korea requires 5 years/80,000km in 1988 but require 10 years/120,000km after 2002. Domestic three-way catalyst satisfies exhaust gas conversion efficiency or pressure drop etc. but don't satisfy thermal durability. Three-way catalyst maintains high temperature in interior domain but maintain low temperature on outside surface. This study evaluated thermal durability of three-way catalyst by thermal flow and structure analysis and the procedure is as followings. Thermal flow parameters ranges were determined by vehicle test and basic thermal flow analysis. Response surface for rear catalyst temperature was constructed using the design of experiment (DOE) for thermal flow parameters. Thermal flow parameters for rear catalyst temperature in vehicles examination were predicted by desirability function. Temperature distribution of three-way catalyst was estimated by thermal flow analysis for predicted thermal flow parameters.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.134-142
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• 2012

The competition to deliver ultra-low emitting vehicles at a reasonable cost is driving the automotive industry to invest significant manpower and test laboratory resources in the design optimization of increasingly complex exhaust after-treatment systems. Optimization can no longer be based on traditional approaches, which are intensive in hardware use and laboratory testing. The CFD is in high demand for the analysis and design in order to reduce developing cost and time consuming in experiments. This paper describes the development of a comprehensive practical model based on experiments for simulating the performance of automotive three-way catalytic converters, which are employed to reduce engine exhaust emissions. An experiment is conducted to measure species concentrations before and after catalytic converter for different loads on engine. The model simulates the emission system behavior by using an exhaust system heat conservation and catalyst chemical kinetic sub-model. CFD simulation is used to study the performance of automotive catalytic converter. The substrate is modeled as a porous media in FLUENT and the standard k-e model is used for turbulence. The flow pattern is changed from axial to radial by changing the substrate model inside the catalytic converter and the flow distribution and the conversion efficiency of CO, HC and NOx are achieved first, and the predictions are in good agreement with the experimental measurements. It is found that the conversion from axial to radial flow makes the catalytic converter more efficient. These studies help to understand better the performance of the catalytic converter in order to optimize the converter design.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.140-146
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• 1996

A large portion(above 70%) fo the hydrocorbon and NOx emissions for a typical vehicle occur mainly before the conventional underbody catalyst reaches activation temperature. To meet the stringent regulation as EC stage 2, the emissions produced during this period must be reduced. One of alternative techniques is to place CCC(Close-Coupled Catalyst) near the exhaust manifold. In this study, the characteristics of CCC are observed through EEC mode.