Novel Emission Control Honeycomb Substrates for Significantly Reducing PGM Loading and Downsizing
An innovative emission control honeycomb concept was researched in this Phase-I project due to its potentials for reducing expensive platinum group metals (PGM) in emission control honeycombs and for honeycomb downsizing. The concept allows replacing the diffusive transport of species to catalyst sites due to concentration gradients, with a far-stronger convective-diffusive transport; this enables honeycomb downsizing and reduces precious metal use. The concept works especially well when internal mass transfer (pore diffusion) and site kinetics are fast, such as in higher temperatures observed in Three-Way Catalysts (TWC) on gasoline engine and coated honeycombs alike. Utilizing first principles of fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer and reaction kinetics, a computational model was developed to capture, quantify and compare underlying mechanisms both in a conventional honeycomb (the baseline) and in novel concept honeycomb. Coated with the same TWC washcoat and precious metal loading, the novel honeycomb provides marked reduction in volume and precious metal loadings, while yielding equivalent conversion efficiency and backpressure, also faster light-off, lowered CO2 and cold-start fuel savings. Additional honeycomb downsizing and precious metal reduction is possible via synergizing further with faster pore diffusion and supplementary geometry modification, which will be investigated in Phase II. Attempts are underway to explore similar savings in Gasoline Particulate Filter and Diesel Oxidation Catalyst honeycombs. Downsizing flexibility makes the novel honeycomb an ideal candidate for marked PGM savings, also for faster light-off, reduced fuel use and lowered CO2 in engine cold-start and lowered bag-1 emissions (the most polluting phase in engine operations), particularly in TWCs. Downsizing also enables reduced packaging cost and weight, yielding additional fuel savings. Conservative, directional estimates indicate savings in PGM, washcoat, ceramic materials and packaging cost alone to amount to tens of dollars in light passenger cars and to hundreds of dollars in class 6 -7 Diesel vehicles, and higher for emission control systems on larger engines. Considering its further impacts on cold-start, lessening vehicle weight, CO2 and fuel use, our novel honeycomb’s collective value proposition spans beyond cost savings and includes environmental and societal benefits across reduced greenhouse gases and energy savings.
- Research Organization:
- Emissol LLC, Mill Creek, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0015946
- OSTI ID:
- 1415136
- Type / Phase:
- SBIR (Phase I)
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-EMISSOL-15946
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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