Honeycomb Catalytic Body With Gradient Partition Walls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional honeycomb catalytic bodies face challenges in achieving high purification efficiency while minimizing pressure loss and accommodating limited space, particularly in gasoline engine exhaust gas treatment, due to limitations in cell hydraulic diameter, surface area, and catalyst layer thickness.

Innovation Solution

The honeycomb catalytic body is designed with varying cell hydraulic diameters between inlet and outlet, optimized partition wall permeability, and catalyst distribution, featuring a specific range of cell density and partition wall thickness, along with noble metal catalysts like Pt, Rh, and Pd, to enhance gas permeability and reduce pressure loss.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the cell density is increased to improve purification efficiency, then the transmissibility of components to be removed improves, but the pressure loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepurification efficiencyVSAvoidpressure loss
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The partition walls are designed with non-uniform thickness, being thinner at the inlet side and thicker at the outlet side. This local variation in thickness allows the inlet region to have lower flow resistance for easier gas entry, while the outlet region provides sufficient structural support and catalytic activity, thereby reducing overall pressure loss while maintaining purification efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the geometric parameter of partition wall thickness from a uniform value to a gradient distribution. By controlling the thickness parameter to decrease from outlet to inlet, the system optimizes the balance between surface area for catalysis and flow resistance, achieving both high purification efficiency and low pressure loss

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the cell hydraulic diameter is decreased to improve transmissibility, then the transmissibility of components to be removed improves, but the pressure loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovetransmissibilityVSAvoidpressure loss
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The partition walls have different thicknesses at different locations, creating local variations in cell hydraulic diameter. The thinner inlet-side walls create larger effective cell openings for better component transmissibility, while the thicker outlet-side walls maintain structural integrity and catalytic surface area

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If the catalyst layer thickness is decreased to improve diffusion speed, then the purification efficiency improves, but the surface area of catalyst layers decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediffusion speedVSAvoidcatalyst layer surface area
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The catalyst layer thickness varies locally across the partition wall, being thinner at the inlet side to facilitate rapid diffusion of components to be removed, and thicker at the outlet side to provide sufficient catalytic reaction surface area. This spatial variation in catalyst thickness optimizes both diffusion speed and total catalytic activity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration results in improved purification efficiency with reduced pressure loss and allows for compact mounting, effectively treating exhaust gases from gasoline engines even in limited spaces.

Implementation Method 1

the permeability of partition walls constituting a honeycomb structure can be set to a specific numeric range... the partition walls have a permeability of 1.5 × 10 -12 to 5.0 × 10 -12[m2]

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPermeation: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

a catalytic body having a honeycomb structure (a honeycomb catalytic body) is used... the surfaces of partition walls forming cells carry catalyst layers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCatalysis: Catalysis

Implementation Method 3

the exhaust gas is allowed to flow into the cells of the honeycomb catalytic body from the side of one end face, so that it comes in contact with the catalyst layers on the surfaces of the partition walls

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdvection: Advection

Data Source

PatentEP2070579B1Honeycomb structure, honeycomb catalytic body and manufacturing method of the same
Publication Date: 2017.02.08 NGK INSULATORS LTD
  • EP2070579B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2070579B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2070579B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

There are disclosed a honeycomb structure capable of providing a honeycomb catalytic body which is excellent in purification efficiency with a small pressure loss and which can be mounted even in a limited space, a honeycomb catalytic body which is excellent in purification efficiency with a small pressure loss and which can be mounted even in a limited space, and a manufacturing method of the same. A honeycomb catalytic body 50 of the present invention is a honeycomb catalytic body of a flow-through type through which cells as through channels extend from an inlet to an outlet, both the surfaces of partition walls 4 of a honeycomb structure 1 and the inner surfaces of pores 25 carry a catalyst to form catalyst layers 5, and the catalyst carrying partition walls have a permeability of 1 × 10-12 [m2] or more, preferably 1 × 10-9 [m2] or less.