Lean-burn nitrogen oxides

Examples of multi-disciplinary innovation can also be found in the field of environmental catalysis such as a newly developed catalyst system for exhaust emission control in lean burn automobiles. Japanese workers [17] have successfully merged the disciplines of catalysis, adsorption and process control to develop a so-called NOx-Storage-Reduction (NSR) lean burn emission control system. This NSR catalyst employs barium oxide as an adsorbent which stores NOx as a nitrate under lean burn conditions. The adsorbent is regenerated in a very short fuel rich cycle during which the released NOx is reduced to nitrogen over a conventional three-way catalyst. A process control system ensures for the correct cycle times and minimizes the effect on motor performance. 

It is believed that SCR by hydrocarbons is an important way for elimination of nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel and lean-burn engines. Gerlach etal. [115] studied by infrared in batch condition the mechanism of the reaction between nitrogen dioxide and propene over acidic mordenites. The aim of their work was to elucidate the relevance of adsorbed N-containing species for the F>cNOx reaction to propose a mechanism. Infrared experiments showed that nitrosonium ions (NO+) are formed upon reaction between NO, NOz and the Brpnsted acid sites of H—MOR and that this species is highly reactive towards propene, forming propenal oxime at 120°C. At temperatures above 170°C, the propenal oxime is dehydrated to acrylonitrile. A mechanism is proposed to explain the acrylonitrile formation. The nitrile can further be hydrolysed to yield... 

Nitrogen oxide emissions from hydrogen ICEs are around 90% lower than for a gasoline ICE, because the engine can operate in lean-burn mode with an excess of air, which leads to lower engine temperatures and less NO production. 

Another method that has been introduced to reduce the amount of pollutants is that of the lean burn engine. Although this type of engine reduces the amounts of carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen produced, it actually increases the amount of hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases. 

This mechanism of NO formation is believed to be basic for burning lean mixtures, when the Fenimore mechanism is already inefficient because of absence of CH radicals. Reaction (88), being termolecular, notably accelerates at high pressures and is considered to be limiting in this case. Relatively low activation energies of reactions (88) and (89) make this mechanism responsible for nitrogen oxides formation at low temperatures and pressure of several MPa, when the thermal nitrogen oxides are not virtually formed. Since coal is burnt, as a rule, at the pressure close to atmospheric, this mechanism may not be considered below. 

A gold catalyst with low temperature activity towards carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon oxidation could be suitable to combat cold start-up emission problems and removal of nitrogen oxides from lean-burn gasoline... 

Nitrogen oxides (NOX) are generated in combustion processes as a function of temperature, pressure, and time. Emissions are small compared with conventional fuels. The generation and emission of NOX peaks at excess air ratios of about 1, but is steeply reduced by applying a lean Hi, low-temperature burning process. 

The relative importance of these three mechanisms in NO formation and the total amount of prompt NO formed depend on conditions in the combustor. Acceleration of NO formation by nonequilibrium radical concentrations appears to be more important in non-premixed flames, in stirred reactors for lean conditions, and in low-pressure premixed flames, accounting for up to 80% of the total NO formation. Prompt NO formation by the hydrocarbon radical-molecular nitrogen mechanism is dominant in fuel-rich premixed hydrocarbon combustion and in hydrocarbon diffusion flames, accounting for greater than 50% of the total NO formation. Nitric oxide formation by the N20 mechanism increases in importance as the fuel-air ratio decreases, as the burned gas temperature decreases, or as pressure increases. The N20 mechanism is most important under conditions where the total NO formation rate is relatively low [1],... 

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