Problems with TWC Technology

Considering the harsh environment in which it operates, and the stringent demands placed on it, the TWC is a triumph of catalytic chemistry coupled 

The first set of problems will relate to any aftertreatment system placed in a vehicle exhaust and relate to deactivation through attritional wear and tear, loss of active species through dissolution in the support, sintering or even evaporation from the catalyst [13]. 

Setting combustion mixtures at A/F ratios higher than 14.7 (fuel lean conditions) ensures that significantly more fuel is combusted to CO within the combustion chamber, and therefore the energy released is used to drive the vehicle. This results in greater fuel economy and decreased CO emissions. 

The components of PM as well as currently methodologies for controlling their emission are discussed in Section 1.4 while our work in combining one particular PM combustion strategy with a lean NOx removal strategy is described in Section 1.5. 

---