Stabilizing Excessive EGR With an Oxidation Catalyst on a Modern Diesel Engine

For diesel engines (CIDI) the excessive use of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) can reduce in-cylinder oxides of nitrogen (NOx) generation dramatically, but engine operation can also approach zones with high instabilities, usually accompanied with high cycle-to-cycle variations and deteriorated emissions of total hydrocarbon (THC), carbon monoxide (CO), and soot. A new approach has been proposed and tested to eliminate the influences of recycled combustibles on such instabilities, by applying an oxidation catalyst in the high-pressure EGR loop of a turbocharged diesel engine. The testing was directed to identifying the thresholds of stable operation at high rates of EGR without causing cycle-to-cycle variations associated with untreated recycled combustibles. The elimination of recycled combustibles using the oxidation catalyst showed significant influences on stabilizing the cyclic variations, so that the EGR applicable limits are effectively extended. The attainability of low NOx emissions with the catalytically oxidized EGR is also evaluated.