Southwest Research Institute

Scott T Eakle

Cary A Henry

Cynthia Chaffin Webb

Robert Henderson

Phillip Anthony Weber

Bryan Zavala

A burner-based exhaust replication system that includes mechanisms for rapidly exchanging exhaust aftertreatment devices for testing. The exhaust replication system has a test leg for delivering exhaust to an exhaust aftertreatment device and a bypass leg for bypassing exhaust around the test leg. The test leg is equipped with a rotating drum that holds a number of exhaust aftertreatment devices. The drum is rotatable to selectively align the aftertreatment devices with the test leg and is moveable laterally in a direction parallel to the test leg to aid in sealing the test leg to the aftertreatment device.

Burner-based exhaust replication system with rapid exchange of exhaust aftertreatment devices

Technologies for producing an exhaust gas stream with controlled hydrocarbon species are disclosed. In some embodiments the technologies include an apparatus for producing an exhaust gas stream. The apparatus may include a burner for combusting primary fuel and produce an exhaust gas stream, and an exhaust pipe coupled to the burner to receive the exhaust gas stream. One or more supplemental fuel inlets may be coupled to the exhaust gas pipe for the addition of supplemental fuel to the exhaust gas stream. In embodiments, the speciation and total concentration of hydrocarbon compounds in the exhaust gas stream may be adjusted by controlling the relative amount of supplemental fuel added to the exhaust gas stream. Methods for producing an exhaust gas stream are also disclosed.

Technologies for producing exhaust gas with controlled hydrocarbon speciation

The systems and methods described herein beneficially provide an exit gas having a third, relatively low, NO/NOratio that closely approximates the NO/NOratio found in the exhaust of various internal combustion engines. The systems and methods described herein receive a feed gas having a first, relatively high NO/NOratio. The feed gas is apportioned into a first feed gas portion that is passed through a non-thermal plasma generation system to provide an intermediate gas having a second, relatively very low, NO/NOratio and a second feed gas portion having the first NO/NOratio. The intermediate gas and the second feed gas portion are combined to provide the exist gas having the third, relatively low, NO/NOratio. The systems and methods described herein beneficially provide an exit gas having a variable NO/NOratio to simulate exhaust from a variety of internal combustion engines.

NO/NOratio adjustment using non-thermal plasma

A method of detecting urea-derived deposits in the exhaust line of an internal combustion engine having an SCR (selective catalyst reduction) aftertreatment system. A radio frequency (RF) transmitter is placed upstream of the SCR system's urea injector, and an RF receiver is placed downstream of the mixer. The transmitter and receiver are used to acquire baseline RF data representing a clean condition exhaust line without deposits. During subsequent operation of the engine, the transmitter and receiver are used to acquire subsequent RF data, which is compared to the baseline data after being corrected for temperature differences. If the comparison indicates the presence of one or more deposits, an alert signal is generated.

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San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Scott T Eakle