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A laboratory study was performed to assess the potential of using selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with NH3 to treat the NOx emissions from lean-burn gasoline engines. A primary concern was the potential for hot rich exhaust conditions on the vehicle, as such conditions could degrade the zeolite-based SCR catalysts being developed for automotive applications. Samples of an iron/zeolite formulation were aged for 34 hours behind samples of a three-way catalyst (TWC) on a pulse-flame combustion reactor using different A/F ratio schedules that exposed the catalysts to either continuously lean operation, mostly stoichiometric operation, or mostly rich operation. For each A/F ratio schedule, separate SCR samples were aged with inlet temperatures of 750°C, 800°C, or 850°C. The aged SCR samples were evaluated for NOx conversion at 25K hr-1 during lean temperature ramps with 500 ppm NO and NH3.

A laboratory study was performed to assess the effectiveness of LNT+SCR systems for NOx control in lean exhaust. The effects of the catalyst system length and the spatial configuration of the LNT & SCR catalysts were evaluated for their effects on the NOx conversion, NH₃ yield, N₂O yield, and HC conversion. It was found that multi-zone catalyst architectures with four or eight alternating LNT and SCR catalyst zones had equivalent gross NOx conversion, lower NH₃ and N₂O yield, and significantly higher net conversion of NOx to N₂ than an all-LNT design or a standard LNT+SCR configuration, where all of the SCR volume is placed downstream of the LNT. The lower NH₃ emissions of the two multi-zone designs relative to the standard LNT+SCR design were attributed to the improved balance of NOx and NH₃ in the SCR zones.

It is anticipated that future gasoline engines will have improved mechanical efficiency and consequently lower exhaust temperatures at low load conditions, although the exhaust temperatures at high load conditions are expected to remain the same or even increase due to the increasing use of downsized turbocharged engines. In 2014, a collaborative project was initiated at Ford Motor Company, Oak Ridge National Lab, and the University of Michigan to develop three-way catalysts with improved performance at low temperatures while maintaining the durability of current TWCs. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and is intended to show progress toward the USDRIVE target of 90% conversion of hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) at 150 °C after high mileage aging. The testing protocols specified by the USDRIVE ACEC team for stoichiometric S-GDI engines were utilized during the evaluation of experimental catalysts at all three facilities.

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with NH3 provides an attractive alternative to lean NOx traps for controlling the NOx emissions from lean-burn gasoline engines. This paper summarizes a laboratory study to assess the effects of temperature, space velocity, and the concentrations of NO, NH3, and O2 on the NOx conversion of an iron/zeolite SCR catalyst. A fresh sample was evaluated on slow temperature ramps with 5% O2 and 250, 500, or 1000 ppm of NO and NH3. The NOx conversion at low temperatures decreased with increasing NO and NH3 concentrations due to kinetic limitations. Conversely, the conversion at high temperatures increased with increasing NO and NH3 concentrations because the portion of NH3 oxidized by O2 decreased with increasing NO concentration.

Model low temperature NOx adsorbers (LTNA) consisting of Pd on a ceria/zirconia washcoat on monoliths were evaluated for low temperature NOx storage under lean conditions to assess their potential for adsorbing the cold-start NOx emissions on a diesel engine during the period before the urea/SCR system becomes operational. A reactor-based transient test was performed with and without C2H4, CO/H2, and H2O to assess the effects of these species on the NOx storage performance. In the absence of C2H4 or CO/H2, H2O severely suppressed the NOx storage of these model LTNAs at temperatures below 100°C, presumably by blocking the storage sites. When C2H4 was included in the feedgas, H2O still suppressed the NOx storage below 100°C. However, the C2H4 significantly increased the NOx storage efficiency above 100°C, attributable to the formation of alkyl nitrites or alkyl nitrates on the catalyst.

In anticipation that future gasoline engines will have improved fuel efficiency and therefore lower exhaust temperatures during low load operation, a project was initiated in 2014 to develop three-way catalysts (TWC) with improved activity at lower temperatures while maintaining the durability of current TWCs. This project is a collaboration between Ford Motor Company, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the University of Michigan and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The ultimate goal is to show progress towards the USDRIVE goal of 90% conversion of hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) at 150°C after high mileage aging. A reactor was set up at Ford to follow the catalyst testing protocols established by the USDRIVE ACEC tech team for evaluating catalysts for stoichiometric gasoline direct-injection (S-GDI) engines; this protocol specifies a stoichiometric blend of CO/H2, NO, C3H6, C2H4, C3H8, O2, H2O, and CO2 for the evaluations.