Project description
Greener diesel engines are healthier for us and the environment
When the temperature of fuel combustion rises, diesel engines can oxidise some of the nitrogen in air to nitric oxides (NOx). NOx compounds contribute significantly to the dark smog that covers some cities, diminishing air quality and affecting health. Typically, NOx contaminants are removed from diesel engine exhaust gases using catalysts to reduce them. However, current catalysts degrade over time as they do not cope well with the small amounts of sulfur dioxide usually found in diesel fuel. The EU-funded CHASS project is using a multi-pronged approach to study the mechanisms leading to catalyst degradation at the molecular level. Knowledge gained should lead to the development of superior materials to minimise the problem.
Objective
We aim at building a scientific network to address the selective catalytic reduction of NOx in exhaust gas of diesel vehicles based on Cu-zeolite catalysts, which is the basis of the current technology implemented in diesel exhaust systems all over the world to meet the emission requirements imposed by law. These catalysts deactivate, i.e. the performance deteriorates with time, due to the high temperatures in the exhaust systems and the impact of the exhaust gas on the structure of the catalyst material. A notorious problem is the sensitivity of Cu-zeolites to the small amounts of SO2 that usually are present in a diesel exhaust gas, which limits their applicability an may also cause malfunction of an exhaust system. The goal of the network is to develop a fundamental molecular-level understanding of the processes that lead to the deterioration of the catalysts in general, with an enhanced focus on the impact of SO2, and to implement this knowledge in the development of improved materials for application in exhaust systems.
We will address the deactivation of Cu-zeolite catalysts by combining four different approaches. First, state-of-the-art computational modeling based on density functional theory (DFT), to develop a detailed insight in the chemical processes leading to deactivation. Second, advanced spectroscopic characterization, including in-situ/operando techniques, to confirm the relevant chemical structures experimentally, and to be able to follow the processes that lead to deactivation. Third, microkinetic analysis to provide the necessary data to describe the deactivation process, and finally, the development of models that describe the deactivation processes with the aim to be implemented in the application for exhaust systems. The required competences and facilities will be made available to 4 early stage researchers (ESRs) in a network including two expert academic research groups, and two industrial units with complementary skills.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsliquid fuels
- natural sciencesmathematicsapplied mathematicsmathematical physics
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencescomputational sciencemultiphysics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopy
- natural sciencesmathematicsapplied mathematicsmathematical model
Keywords
Programme(s)
Coordinator
10124 Torino
Italy