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In view of limited crude oil resources, alternative fuels for internal combustion engines are currently being intensively researched. Synthetic fuels from natural gas offer a promising interim option before the development of CO2-neutral fuels. Up to a certain degree, these fuels can be tailored to the demands of modern engines, thus allowing a concurrent optimization of both the engine and the fuel. This paper summarizes investigations of a Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) diesel fuel in a modern, post-EURO 4 compliant diesel engine. The focus of the investigations was on power output, emissions performance and fuel economy, as well as acoustic performance, in comparison to a commercial EU diesel fuel. The engine investigations were accompanied by injection laboratory studies in order to assist in the performance analyses.

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) offers the advantage to excite and dissociate molecules in the exhaust gas stream. Those dissociated and excited species are oxidizing or reducing harmful exhaust gas components. The advantage of a plasma chemical system in comparison to a catalytic measure for exhaust gas treatment is the instantaneous activity at ambient temperature from the starting of the engine. The investigations reviewed in this paper are dealing with the plasma chemical oxidation of hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas stream during cold start conditions. The article concerns the design and development of a plasma-system in order to decrease the hydrocarbon emissions from engine start till catalyst light off. Vehicle results in the New European Driving Cycle show a hydrocarbon conversion of more than 42% in the first 11 seconds from engine start. In this period nearly all types of hydrocarbon were reduced.

An improved plasma reactor has been designed, built and evaluated. It is characterized by a reduced power per area ratio, relative to previous designs, and includes several improvements to run the whole system safely in a car. The new reactor design includes a concentric inner high voltage electrode, a grounded outer electrode, a shielded high-voltage and high temperature resistant electrical connection. A generator controller has been developed for better control of operating conditions as required during the engine cold start phase. The new generator/reactor system was installed in the exhaust pipe of a gasoline direct injection engine. HC emissions could be reduced up to 30 % in the first 40 seconds of a cold start test. In addition to HC treatment the dielectric barrier discharge has also been investigated as a method for regenerating a diesel particulate trap.

Dielectric barrier discharges offer the advantage to excite molecules to reaction processes on a low temperature level in an O2 containing exhaust gas of gasoline or diesel engines. With the aim of a flexible coaxial reactor and a compact and efficient generator the influence of geometric and electric parameters on the reduction of exhaust gas components was determined. Geometric parameters studied were gap width, length, contour of the reactor. Electric parameters were: voltage curve, voltage height, frequency and electric power. Using the advantage of low temperature reactions it was possible to reduce the HC emission of a gasoline engine by about 35% within an electric power of 1000 W.

A comparison of two different types of NOx reducing catalysts will be worked out. The potential of two De-NOx catalysts using engine out hydrocarbon emissions for NOx conversion will be shown by variation of different engine parameters. An analysis of the hydrocarbon species upstream and downstream catalyst will demonstrate, which components are responsible for the NOx reduction in the exhaust gas of a lean burn engine. By variation of different parameters during adsorbtion and regeneration phases of the adsorber catalyst the efficiency in NOx reduction will be optimized. An assessment of the suitability for lean burn engines will consider the emission reduction efficiency as well as the influence on engine fuel consumption.

The regulated and non-regulated emissions of a current diesel passenger car and two light-duty diesel trucks with catalysts and particulate traps were measured to better understand the effects of aftertreatment devises on the environment. The passenger car, a 1.8 L IDI TC Sierra, was tested both with and without three different diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC) and with two fuel sulfur levels, 0 and 0.05 wt%. One light-duty truck, a 2.5 L DI NA Transit, was tested on one fuel, 0.05 wt% sulfur, with and without three different particulate trap/regeneration systems and with and without a urea lean NOx catalyst (LNC) system. A second similar Transit was tested on the 0.05 wt% sulfur fuel with an electrically regenerated trap system. The results are compared to each other, regulated emission standards, and to emissions from gasoline vehicles.

This paper describes the performance of a new, catalytically acting cerium-based fuel additive in relation to particulate trap regeneration quality, trap filtration efficiency, particle size distribution and fate of additive under steady-state engine operation conditions. The impact of the cerium fuel additive is compared to ferrocene respectively copper based fuel additives. The cerium-based fuel additive DPX6 lower the ignition temperature down to 200 °C. Frequent, so-called quasi-continuous, and smooth regenerations are induced by the cerium fuel additive in that temperature range. Thus, the regeneration quality is quite different to the stochastic and rapid oxidation known from ferrocene and copper. Out of this, the thermal stress with cerium fuel additive will be lower even when regenerations start at comparable high trap loading.

Regulated and non-regulated emissions from five current European diesel passenger cars and one light-duty diesel truck were measured to assess the environmental impact of diesel vehicles and to help determine the emission characteristics of the two types of combustion systems: indirect injection (IDI) and high speed direct injection (HSDI). The vehicle emissions were measured using the European Motor Vehicle Emissions Group (MVEG) cycle and the U.S. Federal (FTP 75) test procedures. Measured emissions included HC, CO, NOx and particulate mass (PM), C1 to C12 hydrocarbon species (here called light hydrocarbon or LHC), aldehydes, particulate composition and particle size distribution. The particulate composition measurements included soluble organic fraction (SOF), its oil and fuel sub-fractions, and the sulfate fraction. All passenger cars and the light-duty commercial vehicle tested complied with the current European Emissions Directive 91/441/EEC.

Passenger cars with diesel engines have better fuel economy than cars with gasoline engines. Also diesel engines typically have lower HC and CO emissions than all but the very best, state-of-the-art gasoline engines. On the other hand, diesel NOx and particulate emissions are higher, but recent developments have significantly reduced diesel particulate emissions. While the regulated emissions from both engines are well known, there are relatively few data on the non-regulated emissions for modern diesel engines.

Fuel additives can contribute to maintaining the performance of diesel engines in a variety of ways. This holds true for current and future engine technology. Fouling of indirect injection engines (IDI) has been studied at length. Fouling of direct injection engines (Dl) is less known and less well understood. Problems associated with Dl fouling and a proposed mechanism for it are discussed. Additive effectiveness in preventing injector fouling is confirmed. Injector hole corrosion/erosion, as experienced in the Cummins N14 engine, can be avoided by the appropriate additive chemistry. Particulate traps can also benefit from ashless additive technology aimed at increasing the time between regeneration steps, hence improving effective trap life.

Using known approaches to describe the reaction kinetics of soot, simple models are formulated to calculate regeneration limits and describe the interaction between engine and filter. - Insulation of exhaust ports and manifold reduces the lower limit of automatic filter regeneration by approx. 0.5 bar bmep. - Intake throttling extends the range of automatic regeneration to within medium load. - The combination of intake throttling with a small constant output burner enables regeneration for all engine operating conditions. - Fuel additives can lower the limit for filter regeneration through lowering the activation energy to within the lower part load without additional measures.

Monolithic ceramic filters, suitable for reducing particulate emissions to within the 0,2 g/mile emissions limit, are intermittantly loaded and regenerated. A mathematical model was developed in order to describe the processes which take place in the filter during regeneration. The basis of the calculation model, such as reaction kinetics, heat and mass transfer, energy and mass balance, and flow performance are explained. Filter temperature, soot oxidation and exhaust flow behavior are described over the length of a filter channel. A calculated and measured regeneration sequence for an engine operating point near engine full load are illustrated and compared. The results show that due to the prevailing higher temperatures, an intensified soot oxidation occurs at the rear of the channel.