Search Results (21)

Ammonia is increasingly recognised as a promising carbon-free fuel and hydrogen carrier due to its high hydrogen content, ease of liquefaction, and existing global infrastructure. However, its direct utilisation in combustion systems poses significant challenges, including low flame speed, high ignition temperature, and the formation of nitrogen oxides (NO_X). This review explores catalytic ammonia cracking as a viable method to enhance combustion through in situ hydrogen production. It evaluates traditional catalytic burner designs originally developed for hydrocarbon fuels and assesses their adaptability for ammonia-based applications. Special attention is given to ruthenium- and nickel-based catalysts supported on various oxides and nanostructured materials, evaluating their ammonia conversion efficiency, resistance to sintering, and thermal stability. The impact of the main operational parameters, including reaction temperature and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), is also discussed. Strategies for combining partial ammonia cracking with stable combustion are studied, with practical issues such as catalyst degradation, NO_X regulation, and system scalability. The analysis highlights recent advancements in structural catalyst support, which have potential for industrial-scale application. This review aims to provide future development of low-emission, high-efficiency catalytic burner systems and advance ammonia’s role in next-generation hydrogen energy technologies. Full article

Many cities are still struggling to comply with current air quality regulations. Road transport is usually a significant source of NOx emissions, especially in urban areas. Therefore, NOx from road vehicles needs to be further reduced below current standards to ultra-low or even zero-impact levels. In a novel, holistic powertrain design approach, this paper presents powertrain solutions to achieve zero-impact NOx emissions with an N1 class III diesel light commercial vehicle. The design is based on a compliance test matrix consisting of six real-world scenarios that are critical for emissions and air quality. As a design baseline, a vehicle concept meeting the emission requirements as set out in the European Commission’s 2022 Euro 7 regulation proposal is used. The baseline vehicle concept can achieve zero-impact NOx emissions in 67% of these scenarios. To achieve zero-impact NOx emissions in all scenarios, further advanced emission solutions are mandatory. In congested urban areas, the use of an exhaust gas aftertreatment system preheating device with at least 20 kW of power for 1 min is required. In high-traffic highway situations, an underfloor SCR unit with a minimum volume of 12 l or the restriction of the maximum vehicle speed at 130 km/h is required. Full article

The alumina, in the form of α-Al₂O₃ tabular balls, considered in this study is a high-purity form of aluminum oxide that has been fired at high temperatures (well above 1900 °C), virtually removing porosity. However, the purity and inertness of the surface of the Al₂O₃ tabular balls minimize the catalytic activity, which is why lithium doping was tried. Thus, the target of this study was the effect of doping with lithium ions in some tabular balls of Al₂O₃ (the crystalline structure is corundum) on the improvement of the catalytic properties of alumina. This study examined the impact of a lithium catalyst on the combustion of various fuels within a porous inert medium (PIM) burner. This study specifically compared low calorific gaseous fuel (e.g., biogas) combustion in a PIM burner with and without the lithium catalyst. The experimental setup comprised a gas preparation unit for mixing CNG and CO₂ to simulate biogas and a PIM burner. The PIM burner comprised Al₂O₃ spheres (13 mm diameter, 45% porosity) in a random packing configuration. Three fuels, varying in composition and lower heating value (LHV ranging from 20.771 to 27.695 MJ/m³), were combusted at air ratios ranging from 1.67 to 1.79. The results indicated that the catalyst increased peak combustion temperatures by 23.2 °C to 51.4 °C, depending on the fuel type and air ratio. Significantly higher carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations were observed without the catalyst, particularly with fuel type F1, while nitrous oxide (NOx) levels remained consistently low. Upstream flame propagation was observed in the presence of the catalyst. These findings demonstrate the potential of lithium catalysts to enhance combustion stability and reduce emissions in porous media combustion burners. Following these studies, it can be stated that Li(I) has the role of promoter of the catalytic process. Full article

This study proposes a platinum catalytic plate burner with a clover-shaped microchannel design to reduce the maximum temperature difference (ΔT_max) and improve long-term hydrogen production (HP) performance in an autothermal methanol steam reforming (ATMSR) microreactor. The burner integrates with a plate reformer within a cylindrical adiabatic container. By optimizing catalyst arrangement and incorporating a parallel clover-type microchannel design, thermal gradients inside the burner are minimized, enabling better operation conditions for the plate reformer. Three Pt catalyst gradients (50/50, 40/60, and 30/70) reduce ΔT_max from 48.2 °C and 38.3 °C to 25.8 °C. Additionally, the startup time to 250 °C is reduced from 35, 25, and 14 min, respectively. The integration of the plate burner and reformer with the 30/70 catalyst type shows a higher methanol conversion rate (98%), better hydrogen yield, and lower CO selectivity compared to the 50/50 type. Long-term testing for 30 h shows a low catalyst degradation rate, making it suitable for sustained operation. Full article

Individual road mobility comes with two major challenges: greenhouse gas emissions related to global warming and chemical pollution. For the pollution reduction in the spark ignition engine vehicle, the standard and reliable aftertreatment technology is the three-way catalytic converter (TWC). However, the TWC starts to convert once an optimal temperature, usually known as the light-off temperature, is reached. There are many methods to reduce the warm-up period of the TWC, among which is using a burner. The initial question underlying this study was to see if the use of a relatively straightforward extra-combustion device mounted upstream the TWC, without complex elements, was able to serve the purpose of reducing the light-off time. Consequently, an original burner was designed and investigated numerically via the CFD method and experimentally via measurements of the temperature evolution within a TWC, along with the emissions specific to the burner’s operation. The main findings of this study are: (1) the CFD-based examination is a good way to decide on how to achieve the so-called fit-for-purpose internal aerodynamics of the burner (i.e., to obtain a homogeneous mixture) and (2) to reach the light-off temperature, conventionally taken as 500 K, the burner was operated for 5.2 s, i.e., 3.6 g of gasoline injected, 2.7 g of CO₂ and 1.351 g of CO, respectively, emitted. Moreover, this study identified measures for improving the burner’s design as well as an enhanced procedure for the burner’s operating control both aiming to produce a cleaner combustion during the TWC pre-heating. Full article

The DOC (diesel oxidation catalyst), DPF (diesel particulate filter), SCR (selective catalytic reduction), and ASC (ammonia slip catalyst) are widely used in diesel exhaust after-treatment systems. The thermal management of after-treatment systems using DOC, DPF, SCR, and ASC were investigated to improve the efficiency of these devices. This paper aims to identify the challenges of this topic and seek novel methods to control the temperature. Insulation methods and catalysts decrease the energy required for thermal management, which improves the efficiency of thermal management. Thermal insulation decreases the heat loss of the exhaust gas, which can reduce the after-treatment light-off time. The DOC light-off time was reduced by 75% under adiabatic conditions. A 400 W microwave can heat the DPF to the soot oxidation temperature of 873 K at a regeneration time of 150 s. An SCR burner can decrease NOx emissions by 93.5%. Electrically heated catalysts can decrease CO, HC, and NOx emissions by 80%, 80%, and 66%, respectively. Phase-change materials can control the SCR temperature with a two-thirds reduction in NOx emissions. Pt-Pd application in the catalyst can decrease the CO light-off temperature to 113 °C. Approaches of catalysts can enhance the efficiency of the after-treatment systems and reduce the energy consumption of thermal management. Full article

NO_x has become one of the main culprits causing the global greenhouse effect, and excessive emissions of NO_x can also cause some common diseases in humans. The denitrification of power plant boilers has been 100% popularized, and their denitrification efficiency has reached national and local environmental requirements (such as Selective Catalytic Reduction, SCR). However, small gas boilers, due to their use of relatively clean fuels, have relatively low NO_x emissions. But, local environmental protection departments have weak supervision of small clean fuel boilers, and these equipment generally lack specialized denitrification equipment, resulting in NO_x emissions still not meeting standards. In addition, there are many small gas boilers, resulting in high total emissions. The fully premixed burner of a small gas boiler has the effect of suppressing NO_x production during combustion. This study designed a surface porous burner with different combustion intensities at different positions. The experimental results and numerical calculations show that for horizontal combustion, the burner has different intake rates at different axial positions, enabling uniform combustion throughout the entire furnace, with NO_x emissions below 30 mg/Nm³. The numerical simulation results show that the NO_x emissions are 26.6 mg/m³. The calculated results are in good agreement with the actual situation. The generation of NO_x is mainly thermal, with a maximum error of 15.4% between the calculated and experimental values. The difference between the calculated value of O and the experimental one is 5.1%. It can be seen that numerical simulation has considerable accuracy. Full article

Due to the high operating temperature of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), the system efficiency depends on efficient thermal integration and the effective construction of system configuration. In this study, nine configurations of system integration design were investigated to evaluate the possible improvement of system efficiency with energy separation devices. The models were developed under the Matlab/Simulink^® platform with Thermolib^® module. The reference layout of the simulation included an SOFC stack, a compressor, an external reformer with a burner, a three-way valve, a heat exchanger, and a water pump. From the reference case, eight cases extended layouts for the capability of thermal energy utilization with a catalytic converter, SOFC hybridization, and an energy separation device. Since the energy separation device was beneficial to thermal energy utilization via a boost to the gas temperature, electric efficiency, and combined heat and power (CHP) efficiency was improved with the thermal integration of the energy separation device with a turbo generator. Full article

The various concepts involved in the mathematical modeling of the fluid–solid interactions (FSIs) of catalytic combustion processes occurring within a porous burner are presented and discussed in this paper. The following aspects of them are addressed: (a) the relevant physical and chemical phenomena appearing at the interface between the gas and the catalytic surface; (b) a comparison of mathematical models; (c) a proposal of a hybrid two/three-field model, (d) an estimation of the interphase transfer coefficients; (e) a discussion of the proper constitutive equations and the closure relations; and (f) a generalization of the Terzaghi concept of stresses. Selected examples of application of the models are then presented and described. Finally, a numerical verification example is presented and discussed to demonstrate the application of the proposed model. Full article

To meet more and more stringent emission standards, the combined technologies must be used to purify the emission pollutants of vehicle exhaust. Among them, the aftertreatment devices, including DOC, SCR, DPF, and so on, are the most efficient methods. However, after long-term running, the performance of the aftertreatment devices will inevitably degrade. There are several mechanisms that can be used to explain the aging phenomena. For the catalytic devices, such as DOC and SCR, thermal aging and poisoning aging are the most important reasons for their performance deterioration. As for DPF, ash clogging is a key problem for its stable working. To develop and test aftertreatment devices better and faster, the accelerated aging methods must be researched and applied. The small-sample aging method enables accelerated aging of catalyst samples at a very low cost, but its aging accuracy may not be good enough. Although the results of the whole-vehicle aging method and bench engine aging method are more in accord with the real using course, they take too much time and are too expensive to be used widely. Burner aging is a promising way to simulate the long-term running of the catalysts. Full article

The ammonia oxidation reaction on solid platinum–rhodium gauze is a critical step in nitric acid production. As the global demand for food and fertilisers keeps steadily growing, this remains an essential reaction in the chemical industry. However, harsh conditions inside ammonia burners lead to the degradation of catalytic meshes, severely hindering this process. This manuscript is focused on two issues. The first is the influence of catalyst gauze geometry and process parameters on the efficiency of ammonia oxidation on platinum–rhodium gauze. The second investigated problem is the influence of geometry on catalyst fibre degradation and the movement and deposition of entrained platinum particles. Computational Fluid Dynamics was utilised in this work for calculations. Different catalyst gauze geometries were chosen to examine the relationship between wire geometry and heat and mass transfer by analysing temperature and flow fields. Significantly, the analysis of the temperature gradient on the catalyst surface allowed us to estimate the spots of highest wire degradation and to track lifted platinum particles. The Discrete Phase Model was used to calculate entrained platinum particle trajectories and their deposition’s localisation and efficiency. Full article

With the acceleration of urban construction, the pollutant emission of non-road mobile machinery such as construction machinery is becoming more and more prominent. In this paper, a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) tested the emissions of eight different types of construction machinery under actual operating conditions and was used for idling, walking, and working under the different emission reduction techniques. The results showed that the pollutant emission of construction machinery is affected by the pollutant contribution of working conditions. According to different emission reduction techniques, the diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) can reduce carbon monoxide (CO) by 41.6–94.8% and hydrocarbon (HC) by 92.7–95.1%, catalytic diesel particulate filter (CDPF) can reduce particulate matter (PM) by 87.1–99.5%, and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) using urea as a reducing agent can reduce nitrogen oxides (NO_x) by 60.3% to 80.5%. Copper-based SCR is better than vanadium-based SCR in NO_x reduction. In addition, the study found that when the enhanced 3DOC + CDPF emission reduction technique is used on forklifts, DOC has a “low-temperature saturation effect”, which will reduce the emission reduction effect of CO and THC. The use of Burner + DOC + CDPF emission reduction techniques and fuel injection heating process will increase CO’s emission factors by 3.2–3.5 and 4.4–6.7 times compared with the actual operating conditions. Full article

The problem of environmental pollution by the combustion of fossil fuels in diesel engines, to which NOx emission is a dominant culprit, has accelerated global environmental pollution and global and local health problems such as lung disease, cancer, and acid rain. Among various De-NOx technologies, SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) systems are known to be the most effective technology for actively responding to environmental regulations set by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) in marine diesel applications. The ammonia mixes with the exhaust gas and reacts with the NOx molecules on the catalyst surface to form harmless N₂ and H₂O. However, since the denitrification efficiency of NOx can be rapidly changed depending on the operating temperature from 250 °C to 350 °C at 0.1% sur contents of the catalyst used in the SCR, a device capable of controlling the exhaust gas temperature is essential for the normal operation of the catalyst. In addition, when the catalyst is exposed to SOx in a low exhaust gas temperature environment, the catalyst is unable to reduce the oxidation reaction of the catalyst, thereby remarkably lowering the De-NOx efficiency. However, if the exhaust gas temperature is set to a high temperature of 360–410 °C, the poisoned catalyst can be regenerated through a reduction process, so that a burner capable of producing a high temperature condition is essential. In this study, a plasma burner system was applied to control the exhaust gas temperature, improving the De-NOx efficiency from the engine and regenerating catalysts from PM (Particulate Matter), SOOT and ABS (ammonia bisulfate), i.e., catalyst poisoning. Through the burner system, the optimum De-NOx performance was experimentally investigated by controlling the temperature to the operating region of the catalyst, and it was shown that the regeneration efficiency in each high temperature (360/410 °C) environment was about 95% or more as compared with the initial performance. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that this technology can positively contribute to the enhancement of catalyst durability and De-NOx performance. Full article

A complete fuel cell-based auxiliary power unit in the 7.5 kW_e power class utilizing diesel fuel was developed in accordance with the power density and start-up targets defined by the U.S. Department of Energy. The system includes a highly-integrated fuel processor with multifunctional reactors to facilitate autothermal reforming, the water-gas shift reaction, and catalytic combustion. It was designed with the help of process analyses, on the basis of which two commercial, high-temperature PEFC stacks and balance of plant components were selected. The complete system was packaged, which resulted in a volume of 187.5 l. After achieving a stable and reproducible stack performance based on a modified break-in procedure, a maximum power of 3.3 kW_e was demonstrated in a single stack. Despite the strong deviation from design points resulting from a malfunctioning stack, all system functions could be validated. By scaling-up the performance of the functioning stack to the level of two stacks, a power density of 35 W_e l⁻¹ could be estimated, which is close to the 40 W_e l⁻¹ target. Furthermore, the start-up time could be reduced to less than 22 min, which exceeds the 30 min target. These results may bring diesel-based fuel cell auxiliary power units a step closer to use in real applications, which is supported by the demonstrated indicators. Full article

Spatial heating and cooking account for a significant fraction of global domestic energy consumption. It is therefore likely that hydrogen combustion will form part of a hydrogen-based energy economy. Catalytic hydrogen combustion (CHC) is considered a promising technology for this purpose. CHC is an exothermic reaction, with water as the only by-product. Compared to direct flame-based hydrogen combustion, CHC is relatively safe as it foregoes CO_x, CH₄, and under certain conditions NO_x formation. More so, the risk of blow-off (flame extinguished due to the high fuel flow speed required for H₂ combustion) is adverted. CHC is, however, perplexed by the occurrence of hotspots, which are defined as areas where the localized surface temperature is higher than the average surface temperature over the catalyst surface. Hotspots may result in hydrogen’s autoignition and accelerated catalyst degradation. In this review, catalyst materials along with the hydrogen technologies investigated for CHC applications were discussed. We showed that although significant research has been dedicated to CHC, relatively limited commercial applications have been identified up to date. We further showed the effect of catalyst support selection on the performance and durability of CHC catalysts, as well as a holistic summary of existing catalysts used for various CHC applications and catalytic burners. Lastly, the relevance of CHC applications for safety purposes was demonstrated. Full article