Benefits of LS-Design™, a Structured Metal Foil for Two and Three Wheelers Catalyst Substrates, to Minimize Catalyst Volumes, PGM Loads and the Route Towards Low NOx Emissions 2011-28-0042

More efficient and durable catalytic converters for the two- and three-wheeler industry in developing countries are required at an affordable cost to reduce vehicle emissions, to maintain them at a low level and therefore to participate in a cleaner and healthier environment. This particularly is true nowadays, because the demand and prices of Platinum Group Metal (PGM) for catalyst are continuously increasing due to i) the worldwide progressive implementation of motorcycles emission legislations similar to Euro 3 Stage requiring catalysts, ii) the need for non-road diesel vehicles to be equipped now with catalyst systems, and iii) the constant increase of the worldwide automobile market. A new generation of metallic substrates with structured foils for catalytic converters is proven to be capable of improving conversion behavior, even with smaller catalyst size. Specially developed foil structures, which transform a laminar exhaust gas flow into a turbulent one, significantly improve exhaust gas mixing behavior in the catalyst.

This publication deals with the impact of turbulent substrate foil structure LS-Design™ on catalyst volume and PGM load compared to standard foils. Aged catalysts have been tested on engine test bench and vehicle roller bench, with a leading "state of the art" four-stroke 150 cc motorcycle technologies developed for the Asian market. In comparison to the new proposed European motorcycle emission legislation stages EU 4, EU 5 and EU 6, an outlook about possible future Indian emission legislation stage after Bharat Stage III and possible consequences for the motorcycle technology is given. It is supported by results from an investigation, whose goal was to reduce further the NOx emissions of this "state of the art" motorcycle.