Shigeki Sugiura

A Multi-Dimensional Numerical Method for Predicting Warm-Up Characteristic of Automobile Catalytic Converter Systems

A multi-dimensional numerical method for predicting the warm-up characteristic of automobile catalytic converter systems was developed to effectively design catalytic converter systems which achieve low tail pipe emissions with satisfactory package ability. The features of the method are: (1) consideration of the governing phenomena such as gas flow, heat transfer, and chemical reactions and (2) capability of predicting warm-up characteristic for not only the catalytic converters but also the system as a whole during emission test modes such as the USA LA-4 mode. The description of the method is presented. The experimental verifications of the method were conducted to assure the accuracy of it. The effect of design parameters such as electrically heated catalyst (EHC), high loading of noble metal and thin honeycomb wall on warm-up characteristic of the catalyst are analyzed in the paper.

Numerical Simulation Using Near Wall K-.EPSILON. Turbulence Model for Flow in Intake Port of Automotive Engine.

The near wall K-e turbulence model of Chien is applied to simulate the flow in the intake port of an automotive engine. In order to investigate the improvement in prediction accuracy due to incorporation of this model, the effects of changes in port curvature on the mass flow rate were computed, and the predictions were compared to our computational results without turbulence model and test results. It is demonstrated that Chiens K-e model has the potential for improving the prediction accuracy of the flow in an intake port.