Aftertreatment R&D Section

The Aftertreatment R&D Section in the Engine, Emissions and Vehicle Research Division is principally involved with projects related to the advanced control of exhaust emissions for a range of engine types and sizes. Studies may include the effects of fuels (gasoline, diesel, and alternatives) and/or lubricants on catalyst performance, durability effects on catalyst performance , development of catalyst formulations for standard and novel applications, and much more. Catalyst testing experience includes oxidation, partial oxidation and three-way catalysts for gasoline engines, and oxidation catalysts, diesel particulate filters (DPFs), lean oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) catalysts, lean NO_x traps, and SCR catalysts for diesels .

Project topics range widely from accelerated aging of catalysts using bench engines or the FOCAS® rig, diesel particulate filter and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler performance and durability, and catalyst performance evaluation using synthetic gas reactors such as SwRI's USGR® (universal synthetic gas reactor system), bench engines, or vehicles on chassis dynamometers.

Phillip Weber, Manager

Technical strengths in the section include:

• Aftertreatment technology design, development, testing and integration
   
• Catalyst aging, durability and performance evaluations
   
• Catalyst R&D, all engine and fuel applications
   
• Synthetic gas reactor and non-thermal plasma studies
  • Universal Synthetic Gas Reactor® (USGR®) – syntheticgas.swri.org
     
• Diesel particulate filter (DPF) R&D
  • Filtration efficiency measurement
  • PM mass and soluble organic fraction measurement
  • Total and solid particle number and size distribution measurement
  • cDPF catalyst formulation evaluation
  • cDPF balance point determination
  • Automated PM loading and regeneration
  • Ash accumulation and analysis
  • Regeneration survivability tests
  • On-vehicle performance and durability testing
  • DPF plugging investigations and cleaning strategies
     
• Heavy-duty DPF durability test procedure development
  • On-vehicle exhaust system environment measurement
  • Accelerated test development
  • Durability test validation
     
• SCR catalyst system evaluations
  • NO_x reduction performance
  • Urea dosing technology
  • Durability testing
     
• LNT system evaluations
  • NO_x reduction performance
  • Regeneration and desulfurization strategy development
  • Durability testing
  • System integration
     
• EGR cooler and system evaluations
  • Thermal cycling
  • PM fouling
  • Accelerated corrosion testing
  • Vibration durability
  • Metallurgical analysis
  • PM deposition rate determination
     
• Lubricating oil effects on diesel aftertreatment and sensors
  • DPFs, cDPFs, DOCs, LNTs, SCRs, NO_x sensors
  • Catalyst deactivation
  • Poisoning mechanisms
  • Ash exposure

Division Publications

Engine and Vehicle R&D
Engine, Emissions and Vehicle Research Division
SwRI Technical Divisions SwRI Home

July 18, 2008