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An experimental investigation was carried out to highlight the impact of different catalytic exhaust systems of a typical European two-stroke engine for small scooters on exhaust emissions and on engine performances. In particular different chemical compositions of the active coating materials and different precious metal loads were tested, and several geometries of the monolith in the exhaust system were analyzed. The influence of different carburetor settings on the efficiency of the catalyst and on engine performance was also evaluated. Finally, durability tests were performed, by monitoring the efficiency of the catalyst during a 12000 km aging test.

The application of computational methods for the development of a tuned exhaust system for a small two stroke scooter engine has here been evaluated. A single dimension fluid dynamic code has been employed, in order to simulate engine performances at full load with a prototype exhaust system, and data predicted from computer simulation have been compared with experimental results, obtained using a test rig and a data acquisition system specifically designed for small two-stroke engines. In this way the accuracy of the computer model has been assessed not only as far as gross engine performance parameters are concerned, but also concerning the prediction of pressure values in several locations inside the engine and the exhaust system. Finally, computer simulation techniques have been applied to the development of the prototype exhaust system, and have been proved to be powerful and effective techniques to identify the modifications required to obtain the engine performance targets.