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The reduction of emission levels for low (LEV) and ultra low (ULEV) emissions vehicles requires catalyst with rapid thermal response for quick light-off while providing stable high temperature performance under highway driving conditions. The design of substrates which carry the three-way catalyst formulations are key to meeting the complex dual performance requirements. Enhanced mass transfer and reduced thermal mass can be accomplished while maintaining acceptable back pressure. The design principles and selection of substrate properties are described as is their effect on the emissions from the Federal Test Procedure. Transient driving performance simulations allow for selection of optimum advanced substrate designs.

The heat and mass transfer characteristics of a monolith reactor influence both its light-off performance and the steady-state temperature and concentration profiles. The transient behavior of an adiabatic monolith reactor is bounded by two limiting channel geometries: (a) cylindrical passages and (b) slits confined between parallel plates. These geometries represent extremes in heat/mass transfer characteristics for monolith channels and, therefore, allow the analysis of light-off behavior for the practical range of geometries and process conditions in automobile exhausts. Also, these two geometries allow an analytical solution for the velocity, concentration and temperature profiles in the gas phase. This study analyzes the light-off performance of monolith reactors with comparable voidage and surface area using automotive exhaust oxidation kinetics. The energy balance for the solid walls includes all three modes of heat transport: convection, conduction and radiation.