Design of an Efficient Catalytic Converter with Increased Flow Rate and Minimum Pressure Drop Using CFD Techniques

Undergraduate #120
Discipline: Technology and Engineering
Subcategory: Civil/Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering

Ayele Tegegne - Tennessee State University
Co-Author(s): Muhammad Akbar

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This study presents design of an efficient catalytic converter with increased flow rate and minimum pressure drop using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques. Automobile engines produce undesirable emission during the combustion process such as NOx, CO, and unburned Hydrocarbons. In addition to these harmful gases particulate matter is also created such as lead and soot. As countermeasure automobiles are equipped with catalytic converters which are designed to play a vital role in eradicating emission. However, due to the catalyst and filler materials found inside the converters increase in back pressure occurs which leads to more fuel consumption. In this paper a parametric study of the fluid flow will be conducted utilizing CFD techniques to determine the optimum parameters that would allow for low pressure drop while maintaining a high chemical reaction rate. The gas must pass through a low porosity substrate to increase the reaction rate. The present study is done using ANSYS FLUENT R16.2, which is commercial CFD code. Preprocessing and meshing of the catalytic converter was accomplished through ANSYS Design Modeler. The catalytic converter is divided into five domains inlet pipe, inlet cone substrate, outlet cone and outlet to facilitate with the parametric study. The important variables associated with the study are flow velocity, porosity, dimension of the porous substrate, inlet and outlet geometry, etc. From a series of simulation results, an optimum design of the catalytic converter will be suggested that minimizes the pressure drop and increases flow rate, while maintaining low porosity. References: Balakrishna, B. (2014). Design Optimization of Catalytic Converter to reduce Particulate Matter and Achieve Limited Back Pressure in Diesel Engine by CFD.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): This study was supported by a HBCU-UP Research Initiative Award grant from NSF to Dr. Muhammad Akbar, Assistant Professor, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd Nashville, TN 37209. HBCU -UP Research Initiative Award grant from NSF.

Faculty Advisor: Muhammad Akbar,