Microwave enhanced exhaust conversion of internal combustion engines

The key to meeting the requirements of ever-tightening emission standards i s improving the efficiency of exhaust conversion during cold-start. In orde r to reach the aim, a new method using microwave-heated catalysts is propos ed in this paper. Preliminary testing results show that the three-way catal ysts can be rapidly and uniformly heated using microwave-adsorbed ceramic f oams as the substrate, and sufficient purification efficiency can be achiev ed with microwave-heated even under the conditions of low temperature of in let gas, oxygen-lean, oxygen-rich and high space velocity. (C) 2001 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.