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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.

A vehicle investigation programme was initiated to evaluate the influence of diesel fuel sulfur content on the performance of a DeNOx catalyst for NOx control. The programme was conducted with a passive DeNOx catalyst, selected for its good NOx reduction performance and two specially prepared fuels with different sulfur contents. Regulated emissions were measured and analysed during the course of the programme. The NOx conversion efficiency of the DeNOx catalyst increased from 14 to 26% over the new European test cycle when the sulfur content of the diesel fuel was reduced from 49 to 6 wt.-ppm. In addition the number and size of particles produced using 6 wt.-ppm sulfur fuel were measured by two different techniques: mobility diameter by SMPS and aerodynamic diameter by impactor. The influence of the assumed density of the particulate on the apparent diameters measured by the two techniques is discussed.

In the recent years diesel engine developers and manufacturers achieved a great progress in reducing the most important diesel engine pollutants, NOX and particulates. But nevertheless big efforts in diesel engine development are necessary to meet with the more stringent future emission regulations. To improve the knowledge about particle formation and emission an insight in the cylinder is necessary. By using the fast gas sampling technique samples from the cylinder were taken as a function of crank angle and analyzed regarding the soot particle size distribution and the particle mass. The particle size distribution was measured by a conventional SMPS. Under steady state conditions the influence of aromatic and oxygen content in the fuel on in-cylinder particle size distribution and particle mass inside a modern 4V-CR-DI-diesel-engine were determined. After injection and ignition, mainly small soot particles were formed which grow and in the later combustion phase coagulate.

This paper describes research and development activities dealing with a technique which allows the measurement of gaseous and particulate concentrations inside the combustion chamber. This so-called fast-timed gas sampling technique was used for both the observation of the development of gaseous pollutants and soot during combustion and expansion and for getting information about the particle size history. The system has been applied to a modern passenger car DI diesel engine (Volkswagen). The investigation covers the early combustion phase beginning with the start of combustion and throughout the expansion phase until exhaust valve opening. Particles with a size of about 10 nm up to 1 μm were found. Slight variations in the smaller size classes could be observed during the combustion and expansion process.

The demand for fuel-efficient, low-displacement engines for future passenger car applications led to investigations with small DI diesel engines in the advanced engineering department at Mercedes-Benz. Single-cylinder tests were carried out to compare a 2-valve concept with 241 cm3 displacement with a 422 cm3 4-valve design, both operated with a common rail injection system. Mean effective pressures at full load were about 10 % lower with the smaller displacement. With such engines a specific power of 40 kW/I and a specific torque of about 140 Nm/I should be possible. In the current stage of optimization, penalties in fuel economy could be reduced down to values below 3 %. The “4-cylinder DI diesel engine with 1 liter displacement” is an interesting alternative to small 3 cylinder concepts with higher displacement per cylinder. An introduction into series production will not only depend on the potential for further improvement in fuel economy of such small cylinder units.

During the lifetime of an internal combustion engine, deposits are formed at various locations. In diesel engines, deposits in the combustion chamber and at the injection nozzles lead to an increase in the emissions, especially the particulate emissions, and the exhaust gas odor. Additionally, durability problems can also arise. Deposits in the combustion chamber of SI engines can increase the octane requirement, deposits at intake valves can reduce engine efficiency and driveability and increase emissions. A detailed theory on the mechanism of deposit formation, considering the physical effects, is presented. This theory contains a deposit transport mechanism, a mechanism of deposit attachment including an induction phase, a deposit growth phase and a deposit removal mechanism. This complex theory is based on fundamental investigations at different locations in and around internal combustion engines.

Particulate emissions from diesel engines mainly consist of soot and high-boiling hydrocarbons (volatile fraction). To reduce the volatile fraction different precious metals and their combinations are tested in traps and supports especially at low loads. A sufficient catalyst's efficiency at low exhaust-gas temperatures (low load) requires a large active catalyst surface. Due to the soot in the diesel exhaust-gas, the catalyst can be covered by a soot layer reducing the catalyst's efficiency. The accumulated soot in the trap must be oxidized. Nonprecious metal catalysts are able to lower the soot ignition temperature. The reduction in ignition temperature depends on the catalyst material used. The influence of the catalyst's concentration and the use of an additional washcoat are also investigated.

Particulate traps reduce particle emissions through the physical filtration of solid, predominantly carbonaceous particles and decreasing particle-bound hydrocarbon emissions. Catalyst coated and uncoated traps were examined for their ability to reduce particle-bound hydrocarbons. At low exhaust temperatures some volatile hydrocarbons are particle-bound in the trap and are physically retained. These components become gaseous and are purged from the trap with sharp exhaust temperature rises. Oxidation catalysts considerably improve the ability of traps to decrease particle-bound hydrocarbon emissions, particularly PAH at low exhaust temperatures. Precious metal coated traps generate sulfate particles so that especially at high exhaust temperatures the overall filter efficiency can be reduced.