Implications of Advanced Combustion Strategies on Emission Control System Design

Cary  Henry, Southwest Research Institute

Recent legislation has been enacted requiring unprecedented reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and thus improved fuel efficiency, from internal combustion engines.  The aggressive rate of improvement in fuel consumption mandated by this legislation has resulted in the proposal of more exotic combustion strategies than have previously been considered for serial production.  The new combustion strategies that are being considered for near term applications can result in substantially different operating environments and thus the required performance of the emission control system.  To deliver the most efficient engine system for each application, the impact of the combustion strategy on emission control system requirements must be taken into account when selecting the combustion strategy for production to ensure the benefits of the combustion strategy are not offset by penalties associated with treating exhaust emissions.  This discussion will present data on the impact of novel combustion strategies on the operating environment for the emissions control system.