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A new metal foam material for diesel particulate filtration, trademarked as INCOFOAM® HighTemp, was recently presented. Extensive tests showed the potential of achieving filtration efficiencies of the order of 85% or more at low pressure drop using a radial flow design concept with graded foam porosity. By applying a catalytic washcoat, the foam exhibits enhanced gas mixing and thus higher conversion efficiencies at high space velocities. In addition, due to an excellent soot-catalyst contact, the washcoated foam exhibited high catalytic regeneration rates. The present paper focuses on a novel “cross-flow” design concept for a better filtration/pressure drop trade-off as well as application of the foam as an oxidation catalyst substrate. The experimental testing starts from small-scale reactors and proceeds to real exhaust testing on the engine bench as well as vehicle tests on the chassis dynamometer and on-road testing.

This paper presents experimental and modeling results related to the application of a novel material as a diesel particulate filter substrate. The material, trademarked as INCOFOAM® HighTemp, is a Ni-based superalloy foam. The material can be produced in sheet form with a large range of microstructure parameters. Thanks to the mechanical properties of the sheets, they can be flexibly shaped in various forms. The foam can be washcoated with active catalytic material to promote regeneration. The experimental testing covers flow and pressure drop behavior with air and exhaust gas, filtration efficiency measurements as function of particle size and regeneration rate measurements. The testing starts from mini-scale reactors and proceeds to real exhaust testing on the engine bench as well as vehicle tests with legislated driving cycles. Special emphasis is given to the characterization of the foam as a catalyst substrate.