Numerical Analysis of Thermal and Flow Characteristics for an Optimum Design of Automotive Catalytic Converter

자동차용 촉매변환기의 최적설계를 위한 열 및 유동특성에 대한 수치적 연구

In the present work, the effect of a flow maldistribution on the thermal and conversion response of 8 monolith catalytic converter is Investigated. To achieve this goal, a combined chemical reaction and multi-dimensional fluid dynamic mathematical model has been developed. The present results show that flow uniformity within the monolith brick has 8 great impact on light-off performance of the catalytic converter. In the case of lower flow uniformity, large portions of the monolith remain cold due to locally concentrated high velocities and CO, HC are unconverted during warm-up period, which loads to retardation of light-off. It has been also found that the heat-up pattern of the monolith ill similar to the flow distribution profile, In the early stage of the reaction. It may be concluded that flow maldistribution can cause a significant retardation of the light-off and hence can eventually worsen tho conversion efficiency of automotive catalytic converter.