Emission Control Off-Road SI Equipment

Technology Emission Control Technologies for Off-Road SI Equipment

Overview >>
Catalytic Converters
Autos, SUVs & Trucks >>

Trucks & Buses >>

 Three-Way Catalysts: A three-way catalyst system (TWC) utilizes a precious-metal base
Off-Road Diesel Equipment >>
Off-Road SI Equipment >>
Alternative Fuel / Advanced
Technology Vehicles >>
Technologies to Reduce GHG
Emissions >>
converter, similar in design to the three-way catalytic converters used on cars and trucks
reduce NOx, unburned HC, and CO. These systems are currently applied to IC engines
rich ignition systems. For proper operation, the combustion process must occur with an a
ratio slightly fuel-rich of stoichiometry. In the presence of the catalyst under this condition
reduced by the CO, resulting in nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Typical NOx conversion ran
80 to 95 percent with corresponding decreases in CO and HC. In the case of installing re
technologies on uncontrolled engines one must also incorporate an engine control unit to
the lowest possible emissions. The ECU is normally supplied by the retrofit device manu

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Figure. TWC
  Non-Selective Catalytic Reduction System: A non-selective catalytic reduction system (N
utilizes a precious-metal based catalytic converter, similar in design to the three-way cata
converters used on cars and trucks, to reduce NOx, unburned HC, and CO. NSCR syste
currently applied to IC engines with fuel-rich ignition systems. For proper operation of a N
system, the combustion process must occur with an air/fuel ratio slightly fuel-rich of stoic
In the presence of the catalyst under this condition, NOx is reduced by the CO, resulting
nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Typical NOx conversion ranges from 80 to 95 percent with
corresponding decreases in CO and HC.

Sensor Technologies

 Temperature Sensor: Temperature sensors are used for two purposes: The first is as a w
system, typically on obsolete oxidation-only catalytic converters. The function of the sens
warn of temperature excursions above the safe operating temperature of the catalytic co
However, modern catalytic converters are not as susceptible to temperature damage. Ma
modern three-way Platinum-based converters are able to handle temperatures of 900 de
sustained, while many modern three-way Palladium-based converters are able to handle
temperatures of 925 degrees C sustained. Temperature sensors are also used to monito
temperature rise over the catalytic converter core.
 Oxygen Sensor: Oxygen sensors are part of the closed loop fuel feedback control system
associated with modern three-way catalyst emission control systems on gasoline engine
closed loop fuel feedback control system is responsible for controlling the air/fuel ratio of
catalytic converter feed gas. During the closed loop operation, the electronic control mod
keeps the air/fuel ratio adjusted to around the ideal 14.7 to 1 ratio. Signal from the oxyge
is used to determine the exact concentration of oxygen in the exhaust stream. From this
ECM determines whether the mixture is richer or leaner than the ideal 14.7 to 1 air/fuel ra
air/fuel ratio deviates from its preprogrammed swings, catalyst efficiency decreases dram
especially for NOx reduction. The oxygen sensor informs the ECM of needed adjustmen
injector duration based on exhaust conditions. After adjustments are made, the oxygen s
monitors the correction accuracy and informs the ECM of additional adjustments. The ox
sensor is also an integral part of the onboard diagnostic (OBD) system which monitors th
functioning of the emission control system of the vehicle. If the sensor detects oxygen co
the exhaust that is outside the specified range of the engine calibration, it will trigger the
light to come on in the instrument cluster.

Thermal Management Strategies

The majority of emissions from today's gasoline and diesel engines occur during cold start before
catalyst can achieve optimum operating temperatures. Exhaust system manufacturers have been
together with catalyst companies to develop ways to heat up the catalyst as quickly as possible. T
greatest impact came from the introduction of close coupled catalysts (CCC) to supplement the ex
underfloor systems in the mid-1990. This positioned a smaller catalytic converter close to the exha
manifold to allow rapid oxidation of CO and hydrocarbons. The exothermic heat generated in the C
these reactions facilitates the rapid heat up of the down stream, larger, underfloor, TWC. In later
developments, the CCC was sometimes formulated to be a fully functional TWC with the underflo
serving as a clean-up catalyst to convert the final 10-20% of the pollutants.

The beneficial impact on reducing cold start emissions via thermal management has led to numer
improvements to the exhaust system components up stream of the converter in order to retain as
heat as possible in the exhaust gases. Manufacturers have developed ways to insulate the exhau
manifold and exhaust pipe. Attaching the CCC to a double walled, stainless steel exhaust pipe co
an air gap within the tube walls is probably the most common thermal management strategy used
meet the tightest SULEV and PZEV regulations required attention to the temperature distribution a
of the CCC. This led to new inlet cone designs and modification to the shape of the space in front
close coupled substrate.

Engine/Fuel Management

Achieving near-zero exhaust emission targets requires a systems approach. Engine manufacturer
focusing on ways to control engine operation to reduce engine out emissions as low as possible a
the burden on the catalysts.

Approaches aimed at reducing cold start emissions involve retarding the ignition timing so as to a
hydrocarbons to pass through in the exhaust and light off the catalyst sooner. Variable valve timin
being used to introduce some fraction of exhaust gas into the combustion process and reduce HC
emissions. On clean diesel engines, Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is used to dilute intake air
fraction of exhaust gas to lower the combustion temperatures resulting in lower engine out NOx e

Figure. Low-pressure EGR + DPF

Direct injection of fuel into the cylinders rather than port injection has allowed better control of the
ratio during combustion and resulted in better fuel utilization. Improved turbulence and mixing in th
port of some low emission engines have resulted in a 24% fuel savings.

Evaporative Emission Controls

The purpose of evaporative emissions systems is to reduce or eliminate the release of vaporized
the atmosphere. The HC vapors, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), react in the atmosp
nitrogen oxides (NOx) and contribute to the formation of ground level ozone and photochemical sm
Ground-level ozone is an air pollutant with harmful effects to plants, human respiratory systems, a
irritant to our eyes.

The major source of evaporative emissions is from the fuel system and, therefore, it is not surprisi
fuel injection technology provides significant evaporative emissions benefits. The second major so
evaporative emissions comes from the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system. PCV systems
and consume fuel that is pushed by the piston rings during the compression and power strokes in
(4-cycle) engine. These systems have been used on automobiles since the 1960s in the form of P
valves. Evaporative emissions regulations have been in effect for automobiles since 1970 in Califo
injection systems effectively eliminated the vaporization of fuel from open carburetors. Evaporativ
control systems on cars have increased in complexity over the years to achieve the extremely low
evaporative emissions (0.054g/day) from the fuel system as required by California's Partial Zero E
Vehicle (PZEV) "zero" evaporative emission limits. Other significant sources of evaporative emiss
the fuel system include permeation of the fuel tank and fuel delivery hoses.

Types of evaporative emissions are classified into five categories:

 Diurnal: This represents gasoline that evaporates due to the rise in ambient temperature
 Running losses: Represent gasoline that vaporizes due to the heat of the engine and exh
system during normal operation.
 Resting losses: Natural permeation that occurs from the fuel delivery system while not op
under ambient conditions.
 Hot Soak: Vaporization of fuel due to the retained heat of the engine after the engine is t
 Refueling: Represents the fuel vapors that escape from the tank by the displacement of l

Evaporative emissions are measured using a sealed housing for evaporative determination (SHED
apparatus over the course of a multi-day Federal Test Procedure (FTP) to quantify all of the vario
of evaporative emissions. This testing is generally most effective in determining diurnal and hot so
emissions.

In addition to low permeation hoses, fuel tanks, and seals, evaporative emission controls consists
canisters connected to the fuel system to capture and recycle HC vapors back to the intake of the
be consumed as fuel. The carbon is a high-surface area, pelletized material that adsorbs fuel vap
loose chemical bonds and releases them in a controlled fashion via a purge solenoid. The purge s
activated by the on-board control module when the engine's control system is operating in "closed
control. Carbon materials or other materials that adsorb vapor phase hydrocarbons such as zeolit
also be displayed in the engine's air intake system to control evaporative emissions associated wi
leakage from fuel injectors when the engine is not running (see Figure below).
 Figure. Air intake hydrocarbon adsorber coated on metal monolith and incorporated into air intak

Metal fuel tanks exhibit no permeation; however, the need for lighter weight and complex shapes
the development of low permeation plastic tanks. In this case, gas tanks are made of layered poly
blends that reduce tank permeation by 95% compared to traditional plastic fuel tanks. Similar type
thermo-polymers are molded as thin (0.1 mm) layers in the inside of fuel lines to achieve similar fu
permeation reductions. A vented fuel cap serves to allow air to enter as fuel is depleted while ven
expanded vapors in the fuel tank into the carbon canister.

The combination of carbon canisters, the use of low permeable polymers, and fuel injection system
been demonstrated as a very effective evaporative emissions control strategy. Regulatory agencie
the world are continuing to apply evaporative emission limits to a broad range of on-road and off-r
vehicles and engines including motorcycles, small garden equipment, and marine applications.

In the figure below, carbon canisters come in many shapes and sizes, from advanced multi-stage
units (A), to canisters designed for marine (B), to motorcycle and small engine applications (C). (D
integrated device to be added to a LEV II evap system/canister vent port to make it a PZEV evap
system/canister.

Figure. Various types of carbon canisters

Enhanced Combustion Technologies

Understanding and controlling the combustion process is the first step in reducing engine out emis
reducing the burden on the emission control systems within the exhaust. Engine design is an impo
of controlling and facilitating the combustion process.

The most dramatic approach that has been used in recent years on spark-ignited engines is the
development of gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines. Early fuel injected engines used a port inje
approach where fuel was injected into a port to allow it to evaporate and mix uniformly with the air
provides little control over the air and fuel mixture entering the cylinder. GDI engines inject the fue
into the combustion chamber allowing varying injection strategies depending on engine load. At h
fuel is injected into the engine early during the induction stroke giving a stoichiometric or rich air/fu
GDI engine can also operate in an ultra lean combustion mode during cruising situations when litt
acceleration is required. In this case the fuel is injected in the latter stages of the compression stro
prior to ignition. This allows a small amount of fuel to be placed near the spark plug. The effective
ratio is very lean resulting in significant fuel savings. The reason that partial lean burn GDI engine
reached broad application in the market is the difficulty in meeting NOx emissions regulation durin
periods of lean operation. GDI engines can also be designed for stoichiometric operation and mak
three-way catalysts for lowering exhaust emissions.

Some common approaches to enhance air turbulence and improve fuel distribution within the cylin
include improvements to the design of fuel injectors, combustion chambers and injection ports. So
engine manufacturers have been able to achieve improvements to the combustion during cold sta
making modifications to the design of intake air control valves resulting in a 40-50% reduction in H
emissions and injection ports among others.

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