Catalytic converters for automotive exhaust applications: Flow dynamics, mass transfer and optimization

Different aspects of catalytic converters, in order to reduce emissions from vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine, were discussed. The 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of catalytic converters can provide substantial information about the flow dynamics, which affects catalytic converter performance in terms of pressure drop and durability. The extension of the CFD-code include heterogeneous catalytic reactions, done by adding sub-models to the CFD main program, provides the possibility to study how a specific catalytic converter design affects overall reactor performance on a macroscopic level. An increased turbulence in front of monolith substrate increased the pressure drop in the entrance region of catalytic converter.