skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Three Way Catalyst-Selective Catalytic Reduction Aftertreatment System Evaluation for a Lean Burn Gasoline Engine Operating in Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition, Spark-Assisted Compression Ignition, and Spark-Ignited Combustion Modes

Journal Article · · Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4039424· OSTI ID:1613975
 [1];  [1]
  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 e-mail: 

Low temperature and dilute homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) and spark-assisted compression ignition (SACI) can improve fuel efficiency and reduce engine-out NOx emissions, especially during lean operation. However, under lean operation, these combustion modes are unable to achieve Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 3 emissions standards without the use of lean aftertreatment. The three way catalyst (TWC)-SCR lean aftertreatment concept investigated in this work uses periodic-rich operation to produce NH3 over a TWC to be stored on a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst for NOx conversion during subsequent lean operation. Experiments were performed with a modified 2.0 L gasoline engine that was cycled between lean HCCI and rich SACI operation and between lean and rich spark-ignited (SI) combustion to evaluate NOx conversion and fuel efficiency benefits. Different lambda values during rich operation and different times held in rich operation were investigated. Results are compared to a baseline case in which the engine is always operated at stoichiometric conditions. SCR system calculations are also presented to allow for comparisons of system performance for different levels of stored NH3. With the configuration used in this study, lean/rich HCCI/SACI operation resulted in a maximum NOx conversion efficiency of only 10%, while lean/rich SI operation resulted in a maximum NOx conversion efficiency of 60%. If the low conversion efficiency of HCCI/SACI operation could be improved through higher brick temperatures or additional SCR bricks, calculations indicate that TWC-SCR aftertreatment has the potential to provide attractive fuel efficiency benefits and near-zero tailpipe NOx. Calculated potential fuel efficiency improvement relative to stoichiometric SI is 7–17% for lean/rich HCCI/SACI with zero tailpipe NOx and -1 to 5% for lean/rich SI with zero tailpipe NOx emissions. Although the previous work indicated that the use of HCCI/SACI increases the time for NH3 to start forming over the TWC during rich operation, reduces NH3 production over the TWC per fuel amount, and increases NH3 slip over the SCR catalyst, if NOx conversion efficiency could be enhanced, improvements in fuel efficiency could be realized while meeting stringent tailpipe NOx standards.

Research Organization:
Robert Bosch LLC, Farmington Hills, MI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
DOE Contract Number:
EE0003533
OSTI ID:
1613975
Journal Information:
Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, Vol. 140, Issue 12; ISSN 0742-4795
Publisher:
ASME
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (16)

The Effects of CO, H 2 , and C 3 H 6 on the SCR Reactions of an Fe Zeolite SCR Catalyst conference April 2013
Influence of HCCI and SACI Combustion Modes on NH 3 Generation and Subsequent Storage across a TWC-SCR System conference April 2016
Hydrocarbon Poisoning of Cu-Zeolite SCR Catalysts conference April 2012
The Effect of Swirl on Spark Assisted Compression Ignition (SACI) conference July 2007
Experimental Study of NO x Reduction by Passive Ammonia-SCR for Stoichiometric SIDI Engines conference April 2011
Selective Catalytic Reduction for Treating the NOx Emissions from Lean-Burn Gasoline Engines: Durability Assessment journal April 2008
Three-Way Catalyst Design for Urealess Passive Ammonia SCR: Lean-Burn SIDI Aftertreatment System conference April 2011
A comparative study of the role of the support on the behaviour of iron based ammonia SCR catalysts journal August 2007
Passive Ammonia SCR System for Lean-burn SIDI Engines journal April 2010
Three-way catalyst-induced formation of ammonia—velocity- and acceleration-dependent emission factors journal October 2006
Bridging the Gap between HCCI and SI: Spark-Assisted Compression Ignition conference April 2011
Compression-Ignited Homogeneous Charge Combustion conference February 1983
Ammonia Generation over TWC for Passive SCR NO X Control for Lean Gasoline Engines journal April 2014
Load Expansion of Stoichiometric HCCI Using Spark Assist and Hydraulic Valve Actuation journal August 2010
Thermodynamic sweet spot for high-efficiency, dilute, boosted gasoline engines journal August 2012
Kinetics of ammonia consumption during the selective catalytic reduction of NO x over an iron zeolite catalyst journal January 2015

Related Subjects