Title: Correlation of light-off activity for full size and cored catalyst samples

Authors: Luke Blades; Roy Douglas; Geoffrey McCullough; Andrew Woods

Addresses: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, UK ' School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, UK ' School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, UK ' Catagen Limited, 5 Elmbank Channel, Commercial Park, Queen's Road, Titanic Quarter, Belfast, BT3 9DT, UK

Abstract: This study identifies, and analyses, the correlation that exists in the CO light-off performance of full size canned catalytic converters and cored samples taken from the front and rear sections of the same catalyst brick. Testing was conducted under laboratory conditions, with full size samples tested using the Catagen Labcat, and testing of cored samples conducted using the Horiba SIGU 2000. From experimental tests alone, there was no clear correlation between the CO light-off activities of full size and cored catalyst samples. However, by performing simulations using the QUB global catalyst model, which accounts for the variation of precious metal dispersion and differences in the heat transfer characteristics of the test rigs, correlation was shown to be good.

Keywords: catalyst ageing; catalyst correlation; catalyst light-off; catalyst modelling; catalyst performance; catalytic converters; simulation; precious metal dispersion; heat transfer.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPT.2016.076567

International Journal of Powertrains, 2016 Vol.5 No.2, pp.148 - 166

Accepted: 30 Oct 2015
Published online: 13 May 2016 *

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