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Affordable, efficient and durable catalytic converters for the two and three wheeler industry in developing countries are required to reduce vehicle emissions and to maintain them at a low level; and therefore to participate in a cleaner and healthier environment. The LS-Design™(Longitudinal Structure) metallic substrates with LS foils have been proved to be capable of improving conversion behavior, even with smaller catalyst size. Specially this developed foil structure, which transforms a laminar exhaust gas flow into a turbulent one, significantly improves exhaust gas mixing behaviour in the catalyst. In this special period of time where BS4 applications will start appearing in the Indian market in the near future, this publication will deal with the experimental results achieved with different metallic substrate foil structures on one leading “state of the art” BS3 four stroke motorcycle technology, developed for the Indian market.

Two and Three Wheeler industry in the Asian region is growing at a rapid pace, as commuting by these vehicles is more affordable and efficient, specially in the developing nations. However, tightening of emission legislations, aimed at creating a cleaner and healthier environment, has led to increasingly demanding efforts required in making more efficient engines / vehicles and also focus on effective after-treatment systems. Catalytic converters, being the most preferred option for after-treatment solutions, play an important role in achieving the desired end results. Over the past several years, monolithic catalytic converters with laminar flow profile were being used by automotive industry. These catalytic converters though create some turbulence at the inlet, make the majority of the rest of the flow laminar, thereby reducing the mass transfer of the exhaust gas components to the effective catalytic sites.

Year 2000 emission norms for Indian passenger cars, which have been notified requires major changes in the existing technologies being used in the passenger car vehicles on roads. Electronic fuel injection systems and catalytic converters are being used extensively abroad to meet stringent emission regulations. Even in India, major joint ventures in passenger car segment have introduced vehicles with single-point / multi-point fuel injection systems. It has become difficult to meet the mandated emission regulations with the conventional mechanical carburetted vehicles. Automotive Research Association of India alongwith M/s UCAL Fuel Systems has developed an electronic feedback carburettor system to use alongwith catalytic converter for a passenger car to meet the year 2000 emission norms. A closed loop system has been designed and developed which takes the input from a λ-sensor output and controls the additional air added in the intake manifold of the engine through a stepper motor.