On-board thermochemical energy recovery technology for low carbon clean gasoline direct injection engine powered vehicles

Exhaust gas fuel reforming is a catalytic process that reclaims exhaust energy from the high temperature engine exhaust stream to drive catalytic endothermic fuel reforming reactions; these convert hydrocarbon fuel to higher enthalpy hydrogen-rich gas known as reformate. This technique has the poten...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part D, Journal of automobile engineering Journal of automobile engineering, 2018-07, Vol.232 (8), p.1079-1091
Main Authors: Fennell, Daniel, Herreros Arellano, Jose Martin, Tsolakis, Athanasios, Wyszynski, Miroslaw, Cockle, Kirsty, Pignon, John, Millington, Paul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Catalytic converters
Clean energy
Dilution
Efficiency
Endothermic reactions
Energy conversion efficiency
Energy recovery
Engine cylinders
Enthalpy
Exhaust gases
Fuels
Gasoline
Hydrogen storage
Internal combustion engines
Nitrogen oxides
Particulate emissions
Power efficiency
Reforming
Superchargers
Thermodynamic efficiency
Trucks
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Exhaust gas fuel reforming is a catalytic process that reclaims exhaust energy from the high temperature engine exhaust stream to drive catalytic endothermic fuel reforming reactions; these convert hydrocarbon fuel to higher enthalpy hydrogen-rich gas known as reformate. This technique has the potential to improve the thermal efficiency of internal combustion engines, as well as to simultaneously reduce gaseous and particulate emissions. This study demonstrates a novel, prototype exhaust gas fuel reformer integrated with a modern, turbocharged, 4-cylinder gasoline direct injection engine and analyses the effects on engine performance, combustion characteristics and emissions. The results suggest that exhaust gas fuel reforming raises the engine fuel efficiency through a combination of: exhaust energy recovery; improved engine thermal efficiency; and enhanced combustion at highly dilute operation, which considerably reduces NOx emissions by up to 91% and improves engine fuel consumption by up to 8%. The presence of hydrogen and exhaust gas diluents in the combustion charge also reduces particle formation for lower total particulate matter emissions (up to 78% and 84% for number and mass, respectively).
ISSN:0954-4070
2041-2991
DOI:10.1177/0954407017726701