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Feasibility of wall-flow diesel exhaust filter trap particulate aftertreatment emission control systems to meet the U.S. Federal, CARB, and EC passenger car standards for 1997/2003 and beyond for the 1360 kg (3000 lb.) EAO (Ford European Automotive Operations) 1.8 liter Sierra Turbo-Diesel passenger car is investigated. Plain and Pd catalyzed monolith wall flow diesel particulate traps are examined using Phillips No. 2 diesel fuel (Reference Standard), low sulfur (0.05% S) diesel fuel and an ultra-low sulfur (0.001% S) diesel fuel. Comparisons are made with baseline FTP75 and Highway exhaust emissions and Federal and CARB mandated particulate standards for 1997 and 2003. Effectiveness of catalyzed traps, plain traps, copper octoate trap regeneration fuel additive, and fuel sulfur content on the particulate emissions is determined.

An extremely tough alumina based ceramic coating produced by a modified anodizing process developed at Moscow Aviation Institute has been evaluated for light weight, wear resistant component applications in automotive powertrain. The process details and test results from comparative evaluation of friction and wear properties for cylinder bore application, referenced to cast iron baseline, are presented and discussed.

Advanced techniques for regenerating diesel particulate traps are described. A bypassable trap system minimized regeneration thermal energy requirements. Thermal regeneration systems with burners or electric resistance heaters were evaluated. Regeneration emissions and fuel consumption penalties were measured. Catalytic fuel additives consisting of octoate based compounds of copper and nickel, and copper and cerium provided reductions of up to 410°F in trap regeneration temperature. Durability tests confirmed frequent self regeneration with fuel additives. Over 95% of the fuel additive was collected by the trap. The useful life of the trap having a volume equal to engine displacement was estimated to be 30,000 miles.

Thermal and catalytic techniques for regenerating particulate traps were assessed. The thermal technique used a burner which heated engine exhaust to the ignition temperature of the particulates to achieve over 90% regeneration effectiveness. HC, CO and particulate emissions resulting from combustion of particulates and burner exhaust were 25 to 50% of the allowable vehicle emissions for one CVS cycle. The fuel consumed by the burner was 9% of the fuel consumed by a vehicle over one CVS cycle. Problems with burner nozzle clogging, ignition reliability, trap durability and control system requirements were identified. In the catalytic technique, Diesel fuel containing .5 gm/gal lead and .25 gm/gal copper lowered the ignition temperature of the particulates by 425°F so that periodic regeneration occurred. The trap collected nearly all of the lead and copper resulting in limited trap life, and deposits on the engine fuel nozzles tended to increase HC emissions.