Diesel Oxidation Catalyst Control of Hydrocarbon Aerosols From Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition Combustion

Author(s):  
Vitaly Y. Prikhodko ◽  
Scott J. Curran ◽  
Teresa L. Barone ◽  
Samuel A. Lewis ◽  
John M. Storey ◽  
...  

Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) is a novel combustion process that utilizes two fuels with different reactivity to stage and control combustion and enable homogeneous combustion. The technique has been proven experimentally in previous work with diesel and gasoline fuels; low NOx emissions and high efficiencies were observed from RCCI in comparison to conventional combustion. In previous studies on a multi-cylinder engine, particulate matter (PM) emission measurements from RCCI suggested that hydrocarbons were a major component of the PM mass. Further studies were conducted on this multi-cylinder engine platform to characterize the PM emissions in more detail and understand the effect of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) on the hydrocarbon-dominated PM emissions. Results from the study show that the DOC can effectively reduce the hydrocarbon emissions as well as the overall PM from RCCI combustion. The bimodal size distribution of PM from RCCI is altered by the DOC which reduces the smaller mode 10 nm size particles.

Author(s):  
R Murugan ◽  
D Ganesh ◽  
G Nagarajan

Previous studies on reactivity controlled compression ignition combustion indicated that, reducing the hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions at low load conditions still remains a challenge because of lower in-cylinder temperatures due to lower global reactivity gradient and reduced oxidation process. Research in this direction has not been reported so far and with this motivation, an attempt has been made to increase the global reactivity gradient and oxidation of fuel–air mixture by converting the low reactivity fuel methanol into medium reactivity fuel. This is achieved by mixing high octane oxygenated fuel, methanol (Octane Number: 110), with an oxygenated better cetane and volatility fuels like polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether (Cetane Number: 78) and isobutanol (Cetane Number: 15). The medium reactivity fuel with multiple direct injection of diesel fuel timed the combustion of dual fuel–air mixture to avoid too late or too advanced combustion which are the prime factors in controlling the unburnt emissions in a low temperature combustion process. Four medium reactivity fuel samples, M80IB20, M60IB40, M90P10, and M80P20, on percentage volume basis have been prepared and tested on the modified on-road three-cylinder turbocharged common rail direct injection diesel engine to demonstrate higher indicated thermal efficiency and potential reduction in unburnt and oxides of nitrogen/particulate matter emissions from reactivity controlled compression ignition combustion. Experimental results show that, use of medium reactivity fuel with optimized diesel injection strategy resulted in 66% decrease in hydrocarbon emission and 74% decrease in carbon monoxide emission by enhancing the oxidation of fuel–air mixture at lower temperatures which is evidently noticed in the combustion characteristics. Further reduction in hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emission of about 90% has been achieved by integrating the diesel oxidation catalyst with the engine.


Author(s):  
Steven G. Fritz ◽  
John C. Hedrick ◽  
Tom Weidemann

This paper describes the development of a low emissions upgrade kit for EMD GP20D and GP15D locomotives. These locomotives were originally manufactured in 2001, and met EPA Tier 1 locomotive emission regulations. The 1,491 kW (2,000 HP) EMD GP20D locomotives are powered by Caterpillar 3516B engines, and the 1,119 kW (1,500 HP) EMD GP15D locomotives are powered by Caterpillar 3512B engines. CIT Rail owns a fleet of 50 of these locomotives that are approaching their mid-life before first overhaul. Baseline exhaust emissions testing was followed by a low emissions retrofit development focusing on fuel injection timing, crankcase ventilation filtration, and application of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), and then later a diesel particulate filter (DPF). The result was a EPA Tier 0+ certification of the low emissions upgrade kit, with emission levels below EPA Line-Haul Tier 3 NOx, and Tier 4 HC, CO, and PM levels.


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