Title of Invention

DEVICE FOR THE PURIFICATION OF DIESEL EXHAUST GASES

Abstract The invention relates to a special device for the purification of diesel exhaust gases, which device comprises, in the flow direction of the exhaust gas, an oxidation catalyst, a diesel particle filter with catalytically active coating, and, downstream of a device for introducing a reducing agent from an external reducing agent source, an SCR catalyst. The oxidation catalyst and the catalytically active coating of the diesel particle filter contain palladium and platinum. The ratio of the noble metals platinum and palladium in the overall system and on the individual components, oxidation catalyst and catalytically coated diesel particle filter, are coordinated with one another in such a way as to obtain firstly an optimum NO/NO2 ratio in the exhaust gas upstream of the downstream SCR catalyst, and secondly optimum heating and HC conversion behaviour during an active particle filter regeneration.
Full Text Device for the purification of diesel exhaust gases
Description
The invention relates to a special device for the
purification of diesel exhaust gases, which device
comprises, in the flow direction of the exhaust gas, an
oxidation catalyst, a diesel particle filter with
catalytically active coating, and, downstream of a
device for introducing a reducing agent from an
external reducing agent source, an SCR catalyst.
The untreated exhaust gas of diesel engines contains,
in addition to carbon monoxide CO, hydrocarbons HC and
nitrogen oxides NOX, a relatively high oxygen content
of up to 15% by volume. Said untreated exhaust gas also
contains particle emissions which are composed
predominantly of soot residues and possible organic
agglomerates and which arise from partially incomplete
fuel combustion in the cylinder.
Adhering to future legal exhaust-gas limits for diesel
vehicles in Europe, North America and Japan,
necessitates the simultaneous removal of particles and
nitrogen oxides from the exhaust gas. The harmful gases
carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from the relatively
lean exhaust gas can easily be made harmless by
oxidation at a suitable oxidation catalyst. Diesel
particle filters with and without an additional
catalytically active coating are suitable units for the
removal of the particle emissions. On account of the
high oxygen content, the reduction of the nitrogen
oxides to form nitrogen ("denitrogenization" of the
exhaust gas) is more difficult. A known method is
selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of the nitrogen
oxides at a suitable catalyst, SCR catalyst for short.
Said method is presently the preferred option for the
denitrogenization of diesel engine exhaust gases. The
reduction of the nitrogen oxides contained in the
exhaust gas takes place in the SCR method with the aid
of a reducing agent which is introduced into the
exhaust strand in a dosed fashion from an external
source. As reducing agent, use is preferably made of
ammonia or of a compound which releases ammonia, such
as for example urea or ammonium carbamate. The ammonia,
which is possibly generated in situ from the precursor
compound, reacts at the SCR catalyst with the nitrogen
oxides from the exhaust gas in a comproportionation
reaction to form nitrogen and water.
At present, in order to satisfy the upcoming legal
standards, a combination of the different exhaust-gas
purification units is inevitable. A device for the
purification of diesel engine exhaust gases must
comprise at least one oxidationally active catalytic
converter and, for denitrogenization, an SCR catalyst
with an upstream device for introducing reducing agent
(preferably ammonia or urea solution) and an external
reducing agent source (for example an auxiliary tank
with urea solution or an ammonia store) . If it is not
possible by optimizing the combustion within the engine
to keep the particle emissions sufficiently low that
they can be removed by means of the oxidation catalyst
by direct oxidation with oxygen, the use of a particle
filter is additionally necessary.
Corresponding exhaust-gas purification systems have
already been described; some are presently at the
practical testing stage.
For example, EP-B-1 054 722 describes a system for the
treatment of NOx and particle-containing exhaust gases,
in which system an oxidation catalyst is connected
upstream of a particle filter. Arranged at the outflow
side of the particle filter are a reducing agent source
and a dosing device for the reducing agent, and an SCR
catalyst. In the method described here, the NO2
proportion in the exhaust gas and therefore the NO2/NOx
ratio is increased by means of the at least partial
oxidation of NO at the oxidation catalyst, with the
NO/NO2 ratio preferably "being set to a predetermined
level which is an optimum for the SCR catalyst".
Said NO/NO2 ratio which is an optimum for the SCR
catalyst is 1 for all presently known SCR catalysts. If
the NOX contained in the exhaust gas is composed only
of NO and NO2, then the optimum NO2/NOX ratio is between
0.3 and 0.7, preferably between 0.4 and 0.6 and is
particularly preferably 0.5. Whether said ratio is
attained upstream of the SCR catalyst in a system
according to EP-B-1 054 722 is dependent on the
exhaust-gas temperature and therefore on the operating
state of the engine, on the activity of the oxidation
catalyst and on the design and soot loading of the
diesel particle filter which is connected downstream of
the oxidation catalyst.
The untreated exhaust gas of conventional diesel
engines contains only a very low proportion of NO2 in
the NOx. The main proportion of the nitrogen oxides is
nitrogen monoxide NO. As said untreated gas passes over
the oxidation catalyst, NO is at least partially
oxidized to form NO2. The rate of NO2 formation is
dependent on the activity of the oxidation catalyst and
on the exhaust-gas temperature. If a significant
quantity of soot is deposited on the diesel particle
filter which is arranged at the outflow side, then the
NO2 proportion present in the NOx downstream of the
oxidation catalyst is, with sufficient exhaust-gas
temperature, further reduced. Since NO is predominantly
formed from the NO2 during the oxidation of soot with
NO2, however, no denitrogenization of the exhaust gas
takes place as a result. Said denitrogenization must
take place by means of the downstream SCR catalyst, for
which purpose the NO2/NOx ratio must be set to an
optimum value over the entirety of oxidation catalyst
and diesel particle filter. EP-B-1 054 722 however does
not provide any technical teaching as to how said
setting of the NO2/NOx ratio in the exhaust gas upstream
of the SCR catalyst can be realized over the entirety
of the oxidation catalyst and filter.
It is an important object of the present invention to
provide technical teaching for setting as optimum an
NO2/NOx ratio as possible in the exhaust gas upstream of
the SCR catalyst in an exhaust-gas purification system
of EP-B-1 054 722.
A further problem which is not discussed in EP-B-1 054
722 but which occurs in practice is that the "passive"
particle filter regeneration which takes place in said
system, that is to say the burning of soot, which takes
place in situ, by oxidation with NO2 generated by means
of the oxidation catalyst, is generally not sufficient
on its own to prevent the particle filter from becoming
clogged with soot, and a resulting rise in the exhaust-
gas back pressure to unacceptable values. Applied
auxiliary measures are necessary, which may be carried
out by means of the for example additional "active"
diesel particle filter regenerations when the exhaust-
gas back pressure across the particle filter exceeds a
critical threshold value.
Said auxiliary measures include the additional
injection of fuel into the exhaust strand upstream of
the oxidation catalyst or into the cylinders of the
combustion chamber during the exhaust piston stroke.
The unburned fuel which passes into the exhaust gas
from time to time by means of said device is burned
across the oxidation catalyst with the release of heat;
the oxidation catalyst is used as a "heating catalyst"
in order to heat the downstream diesel particle filter
to temperatures which lie considerably above the soot
ignition temperature in the oxygen-containing
atmosphere, that is to say in the range from 500 to
650°C. As a result of the temperature rise which is
obtained in this way, the soot particles are "burned
off" with the oxygen contained in the exhaust gas.
In order that the oxidation catalyst can operate as a
"heating catalyst" in the "active" diesel particle
filter regeneration, said oxidation catalyst must meet
some demands with regard to conversion behaviour and
ageing stability. Said oxidation catalyst must be able
to convert high quantities of unburned hydrocarbons by
oxidation in a short time without the oxidation
reaction thereby being "flooded" and thus ceasing.
Here, the conversion of the unburned hydrocarbons must
be as complete as possible, since the breakthrough of
unburned hydrocarbons through the oxidation catalyst
can, at the latest at the SCR catalyst which is
arranged further downstream, lead to the latter being
contaminated. A breakthrough of unburned hydrocarbons
at the end of the exhaust system may also have the
result that the legal limits are not adhered to. The
more fuel can be burned completely across the oxidation
catalyst, the more flexible can be the strategy for
active regeneration. Furthermore, it is an important
requirement that the oxidation catalyst "ignites" even
at low exhaust-gas temperatures (180 to 250°C).
In summary, an oxidation catalyst which is also ideally
suitable as a heating catalyst must therefore provide
very high HC conversion rates even at extremely low
exhaust-gas temperatures, wherein the HC conversion
should increase as abruptly as possible to maximum
values once the "ignition temperature" (light-off
temperature) is reached. Furthermore, the catalyst must
be sufficiently stable with regard to ageing that its
activity is not impaired to too great an extent as a
result of the exothermic energy generated during the
combustion of the hydrocarbons. Said performance
demands are referred to below in summary as "heat-up
performance".
It is a further important object of the present
invention to provide an exhaust-gas purification system
having the basic design described in EP-B-1 054 722, in
which the oxidation catalyst exhibits the best possible
"heat-up performance" in the case of an "active"
particle filter regeneration.
The two stated objects are achieved by a device for the
purification of diesel exhaust gases, which device
comprises, in the flow direction of the exhaust gas, an
oxidation catalyst, a diesel particle filter with
catalytically active coating, a device for introducing
a reducing agent from an external reducing agent
source, and an SCR catalyst, wherein the oxidation
catalyst and the catalytically active coating of the
diesel particle filter contain palladium and platinum.
The device is characterized in that the ratio of the
total quantity of palladium to the total quantity of
platinum is between 8 : 1 and 1 : 15, with the ratio of
platinum : palladium in the oxidation catalyst at the
same time being no greater than 6 : 1, while the ratio
of platinum : palladium in the catalytically active
coating of the diesel particle filter is no lower than
10 : 1.
With the device according to the invention, it is
firstly ensured that as optimum an NO2/NOx ratio as
possible prevails in the vast majority of operating
states, which are typical for diesel vehicles, in which
significant nitrogen oxide contents are present in the
exhaust gas to be purified. Secondly, it is ensured
that the oxidation catalyst has a sufficiently good
"heat-up performance" in order to permit an "active"
diesel filter regeneration at important operating
points.
The invention is based on the following knowledge:
It is known that oxidation catalyst with high levels of
platinum content cause high conversion rates in diesel
exhaust gases in the oxidation of NO to form NO2. It is
also known that oxidation catalysts which have a large
amount of palladium can provide extremely complete
conversion of high quantities of unburned hydrocarbons
in the diesel exhaust gas even at low temperatures.
Unfortunately, catalysts with high levels of platinum
content have the tendency to "go out" in the event of
high prevailing levels of hydrocarbon content, while
palladium does not have a sufficient level of NO
oxidation activity. There is a conflict of aims here
between firstly the demanded NO conversion performance
of a catalytic converter and secondly its "heat-up
performance". For cost reasons alone, said conflict
cannot be resolved by means of a simple "addition" of
the two noble metals palladium and platinum in the
oxidation catalyst.
The inventors have now established that it is
advantageous if the significant contribution to the
formation of NO2 takes place as the exhaust-gas flow is
conducted across the diesel particle filter. This is
surprising in that it has hitherto been assumed that a
sufficient degree of "passive" filter regeneration can
be obtained only by means of high rates of NO2
formation across the oxidation catalytic converter in
order to keep the number of supplementary "active"
diesel particle filter regenerations as low as
possible. The work of the inventors however suggests
that an excess expenditure in "active" particle filter
regenerations can be avoided with targeted distribution
of the noble metals platinum and palladium over the
oxidation catalyst and particle filter, and a good
"heat-up performance" of the oxidation catalyst can be
ensured while simultaneously setting an optimized
NO2/NOX ratio in the exhaust gas upstream of the SCR
catalyst.
It has surprisingly been found that the overall
quantity of noble metal in the device according to the
invention has a secondary influence on the NO2/NOX ratio
which can be obtained downstream of the particle
filter. In contrast, the platinum : palladium ratio and
the distribution of the noble metals platinum and
palladium over the exhaust-gas purification units
oxidation catalyst and particle filter are of
significance for the NO2 formation properties.
In contrast, it has been found that the "heat-up
performance" of the oxidation catalyst is improved with
increasing noble metal content of the oxidation
catalyst, assuming that the ratio of platinum :
palladium in the oxidation catalyst does not exceed a
value of 6 : 1. The ratio of platinum : palladium in
the oxidation catalyst is preferably between 0.5 : 1
and 3 : 1, particularly preferably between 1 : 1 and
2.5 : 1. In order to simultaneously obtain an NO2/NOX
ratio downstream of the diesel particle filter which is
as optimum as possible for the downstream SCR catalyst,
it is necessary for the ratio of platinum : palladium
in the catalytically active coating of the diesel
particle filter to be no lower than 10 : 1. The ratio
of platinum to palladium in the catalytically active
coating of the diesel particle filter is between 12 : 1
and 14 : 1 in preferred embodiments.
If said boundary conditions are adhered to, the ratio
of the overall quantity of palladium to the overall
quantity of platinum in the device may be varied over a
very wide range, specifically between 8 : 1 and 1 : 15,
preferably between 2 : 1 and 1 : 10 and particularly
preferably between 1 : 1 and 1 : 7, as a result of
which it is possible to provide cost-optimized exhaust
systems for practically all diesel vehicles which are
presently in use and at the testing stage and for may
future diesel vehicles.
The oxidation catalyst and diesel particle filter are
typically present in the form of two separate
components. Said components may possibly be
accommodated in one housing, for example if only a
small amount of installation space is available in the
exhaust system of a diesel passenger motor vehicle. It
is likewise possible for said components to be
positioned in two different housings at different
positions (close to the engine and/or on the underbody
of the vehicle).
The oxidation catalyst conventionally consists of a
platinum- and palladium-containing catalytically active
coating which is applied to a ceramic or metallic
throughflow honeycomb body. Use is preferably made of
ceramic throughflow honeycomb bodies which have cell
densities of 15 to 150 cells per square centimetre,
particularly preferably 60 to 100 cells per square
centimetre. The duct wall thickness of preferred
substrates is preferably between 0.05 and 0.25
millimetres, particularly preferably between 0.07 and
0.17 millimetres.
The diesel particle filter consists of a platinum- and
palladium-containing catalytically active coating and a
filter body. Metallic and ceramic filter bodies, for
example metallic fabric and knitted bodies, are
suitable as filter bodies. Wall-flow filter substrates
composed of ceramic material or silicon carbide are
preferably used. The platinum- and palladium-containing
catalytically active coating is particularly preferably
formed into the wall of such a wall-flow filter
substrate composed of ceramic material or silicon
carbide.
In the device according to the invention, an oxidation
catalyst consisting of a platinum- and palladium-
containing catalytically active coating on a ceramic or
metallic throughflow honeycomb body, and a diesel
particle filter consisting of a platinum- and
palladium-containing catalytically active coating and a
filter body, are suitably selected such that the volume
ratio of throughflow honeycomb body to filter body is
between 1 : 1.5 and 1 : 5. The volume ratio of the
throughflow honeycomb body to filter body is preferably
between 1 : 2 and 1:4.
In a device according to the invention platinum and
palladium are contained in a catalytically active
coating both in the oxidation catalyst and also in the
diesel particle filter. The noble metals platinum and
palladium are preferably provided on one or more oxidic
support materials. They may be applied separately to,
if appropriate, different support materials, or may be
provided together on one or more support materials.
Here, the support materials are selected from the group
consisting of aluminium oxide, lanthanum-oxide-
stabilized aluminium oxide, aluminosilicate, silicon
dioxide, titanium dioxide, cerium oxide, cerium-
zirconium mixed oxides, rare-earth-metal sesquioxide,
zeolite and mixtures thereof. Aluminium oxide,
lanthanum-oxide-stabilized aluminium oxide,
aluminosilicate, titanium dioxide and zeolite are
preferably used as support materials.
In the preferred embodiments of the oxidation catalyst,
platinum and/or palladium are provided so as to be
applied to aluminium oxide and/or aluminosilicate as
support material. In the preferred embodiments of the
diesel particle filter, platinum and/or palladium are
provided so as to be applied to lanthanum-stabilized
aluminium oxide. The catalytically active coating of
the oxidation catalyst also preferably contains
zeolite. Whether zeolite should also be present in the
catalytically active coating of the diesel particle
filter is dependent substantially on the field of
application of the device according to the invention.
If the device is to be used for the purification of
diesel exhaust gases in passenger motor vehicles, then
diesel particle filters which contain zeolite in the
catalytically active coating are preferable. In utility
vehicles, however, an effective zeolite proportion in
the catalytically active coating of the diesel particle
filter often leads to undesired disadvantages with
regard to the dynamic pressure behaviour, for which
reason zeolite-free diesel particle filters are often
more suitable here.
The application of the noble metals to the stated,
preferred support materials takes place using the
conventional methods, which are known to a person
skilled in the art, of injection, precipitation, the
working process referred to as "incipient wetness" and
other techniques known from literature. Which of the
prior art methods is preferable in each case is
dependent not least on the noble metal particle size
which can be obtained using said methods and the target
application.
It was observed that particularly high yields can be
obtained in the NO oxidation on platinum-rich noble
metal particles with a mean particle size of 5 to 10
nanometres. In order to generate such large, platinum-
rich noble metal particles on the support material, it
is for example possible to select a conventional
precipitation-injection process using a noble metal
precursor compound which sorbs only moderately on the
support material. If a coating suspension produced in
this way is formed into the wall of a wall-flow filter
substrate, a catalytically activated diesel particle
filter is generated which has an extremely high NO
oxidation capacity in the newly-produced state. A
component of said type is particularly suitable, in an
exhaust-gas purification device according to the
invention in combination with an oxidation catalyst
which has a platinum : palladium ratio of no greater
than 6 : 1, for the purification of diesel exhaust
gases in applications with a very low operating
temperature of the filter (mean temperature in NEDC
For high-temperature applications or for the
purification of heavily particle-loaded exhaust gases,
when frequent "active" diesel particle filter
regenerations are necessary, it is in contrast of
relatively great importance that the exhaust-gas
purification device and therefore the exhaust-gas
purification units have a high level of ageing
stability. The noble-metal-containing components
preferred for such an application may for example be
generated in that the usually oxidic support material
is moistened with a suitable aqueous solution of a
noble metal precursor compound, such that the pores of
said support material are filled but it remains free-
flowing. The noble metal is then thermally fixed in the
pores in a subsequent fast calcination process. The
noble-metal containing powder components which result
from such a process may be processed to form a coating
suspension, and applied to or formed into a throughflow
honeycomb body and/or filter body.
The application of the catalytically active coating to
the throughflow honeycomb body and to the filter body,
or the formation of said catalytically active coating
into the wall of the wall-flow filter substrate takes
place using the conventional dip coating process or
pumping and suction coating process with subsequent
thermal aftertreatment (calcination and, if
appropriate, reduction with forming gas or hydrogen),
which are sufficiently well-known from the prior art
for these exhaust-gas purification units.
All previously known SCR catalysts may be used in the
device according to the invention. Particularly
suitable are vanadium-oxide-based SCR catalysts and
iron-exchanged and/or copper-exchanged zeolite
compounds, which are known from the prior art and are
commercially available. Also suitable are transition-
metal-oxide-based SCR catalytic converter technologies
which contain for example cerium oxides or cerium-
transition-metal mixed oxides and/or tungsten oxide.
The device is suitable for the purification of diesel
exhaust gases and may preferably be used in motor
vehicles. As the diesel exhaust gases are conducted
through the device according to the invention under the
conditions typical for this application, all the
emissions contained in the diesel exhaust gas are
reduced.
The invention is explained in more detail below on the
basis of some examples and figures, in which:
Figure 1 shows the NO conversion in the model gas as a
function of the temperature upstream of the
catalyst as a typical measurement result in
the determination of the mean NO2/NOX ratio
for the temperature range 200 to 400°C; the
mean NO2/NOX ratio is obtained from this by
determining the area under the curve
(integration) and dividing by it the sum of
the same and the corresponding integral value
above the curve (up to 100%) in the limits
200 - 400°C.
Figure 2 shows the mean NO2/NOX ratio 200 - 400°C in
the model exhaust gas downstream of the
diesel particle filter in the systems SYS_1,
SYS_2, SYS_3 and SYS_4 according to the
invention and in the comparative systems
VSYS_1, VSYS_2 and VSYS_3.
Figure 3 shows the profile of the HC concentration
downstream of the diesel particle filter as a
function of the measurement time in a "heat-
up experiment" in the model exhaust gas; the
start of the n-dodecane dosing at t = 900 s;
temperature in the reactor = const. = 250'C;
end of test at t = 1800 s; for the assessment
of the "heat-up performance", the magnitude
of the HC breakthrough after the settling
period (in the example shown, t = 1500 -
1750 s) is specified.
Figure 4 shows the HC breakthrough [ Vppm] in the
"heat-up experiment" downstream of the diesel
particle filter in the systems SYS_1, SYS_2,
SYS_3 and SYS_4 according to the invention
and in the comparative systems VSYS_1, VSYS_2
and VSYS_3.
Figure 5 shows the summarized result of the model gas
tests - HC conversion [ %] obtained over the
entire system in the "heat-up experiment" and
mean NO2/NOX ratio in [ % NO2 in the NOx] for
the temperature range 200 to 400 'C in the
systems SYS_l, SYS_2, SYS_3 and SYS_4
according to the invention and in the
comparative systems VSYS_1, VSYS_2 and
VSYS_3.
Tests in the model exhaust gas:
For tests in the model exhaust gas, various oxidation
catalysts and diesel particle filters were produced.
Noble metal quantities and ratios were selected so as
to result in the same noble metal costs for all the
devices comprising an oxidation catalyst and diesel
particle filter.
To produce oxidation catalysts according to the
invention and comparative catalysts, homogeneous
silicon-aluminium mixed oxide (5% by weight SiO2 in
relation to the overall mass of the mixed oxide; BET
surface area: 150 m2/g) was moistened with an aqueous
solution of tetraamineplatinum acetate and
tetraaminepalladium nitrate such that the pores of said
homogeneous silicon-aluminium mixed oxide were filled,
with the powder remaining free-flowing. Here, the noble
metal content of the solution and the noble metal ratio
were selected corresponding to the target quantities
and ratio (cf. table below) to be obtained in the
catalysts to be produced. To fix the noble metal, the
moist powder was calcined for a duration of 4 hours at
300oC. The catalytically activated powder obtained in
this way was suspended in water, milled and applied, in
a conventional dip coating process, to a cylindrical
throughflow honeycomb body with a diameter of 118
millimetres and a length of 61 millimetres. The
throughflow honeycomb body had 62 cells per square
centimetre and a cell wall thickness of 0.17
millimetres. The resulting catalysts were calcined for
a duration of 4 hours at 300°C and subsequently treated
with forming gas at 500°C for a duration of 2 hours.
The oxidation catalysts produced in this way are
summarized in the following table:
Remarks:
• The total noble metal content in grams is in relation to
the volume of the catalyst.
• Catalytc converter identities with the prefix "DOC" denote
catalysts according to the invention. Catalytic converter identities
with the prefix "VDOC" denote comparative catalysts.
To produce the catalytically coated diesel particle
filter required for the systems, a lanthanum-oxide-
stabilized aluminium oxide (4% by weight La2O3 in
relation to the total mass of the mixed oxide; BET
surface area: 180 m2/g) was moistened with an aqueous
solution of tetraamineplatinum acetate and
tetraaminepalladium nitrate such that the pores of said
homogeneous silicon-aluminium mixed oxide were filled,
with the powder remaining free-flowing. Here, the noble
metal content of the solution and the noble metal ratio
were selected corresponding to the target quantities
and ratio (cf. table below) to be obtained in the
coated catalysts to be produced. To fix the noble
metal, the moist powder was calcined for a duration of
4 hours at 300°C. The catalytically activated powder
obtained in this way was suspended in water, milled and
formed, in a conventional dip coating process, into the
walls a cylindrical, ceramic wall-flow filter substrate
(DURATRAP CO 200/12) with a diameter of 144 millimetres
and a length of 152.4 millimetres. Here, a coating
guantity to be applied was selected as 15 grams per
litre in relation to the substrate volume. The wall-
flow filter substrate had 31 alternately closed-off
cells per square centimetre and a cell wall thickness
of 0.3 millimetres. The resulting catalytically
activated diesel particle filters were calcined for a
duration of 4 hours at 300oC and subsequently treated
with forming gas at 500°C for a duration of 2 hours.
The following table shows which diesel particle filters
were produced in which way:

Remarks:
• The total noble metal content in grams is in relation to
the volume of the diesel particle filter.
• Catalytic converter identities with the prefix "DPF"
denote diesel particle filters according to the invention. Catalytic
converter identities with the prefix "VDPF" denote comparative parts.
The oxidation catalysts and diesel particle filters
obtained in this way were subjected to a synthetic
ageing process before being characterized. For this
purpose, the parts were subjected, in a furnace at
750°C for a duration of 16 hours, to an atmosphere
composed of 10% by volume water vapour and 10% by
volume oxygen in nitrogen.
For subsequent tests in the model gas, drilling cores
with a diameter of 25.4 millimetres were taken from the
oxidation catalysts and diesel particle filters treated
in this way. The test specimens obtained in this way
were combined to form the systems listed in the table
below, and tested:

Remarks:
• The total noble metal content in grams is in relation to
the volume of the exhaust-gas purification units.
• System identities with the prefix "SYS" denote system
configurations according to the invention. System identities with the
prefix "VSYS" denote comparative systems.
The oxidation catalyst and diesel particle filter were
installed into the reactor of a laboratory model gas
system, wherein the oxidation catalyst was arranged at
the inflow side and the diesel particle filter was
arranged at the outflow side. First, the mean NO2/NOX
obtainable downstream of the diesel particle filter was
determined. For this purpose, the following test
conditions were set:
From the determination of the nitrogen oxide content
and the NO or NO2 content in the gas upstream of the
inlet into the oxidation catalyst (dosing values) and
downstream of the outlet out of the diesel particle
filter (measured values), the NO conversion across the
entire system (oxidation catalyst and diesel particle
filter) was firstly determined as a function of the
temperature. Figure 1 shows a typical result by way of
example. To determine the mean NO2/NOX ratio set
downstream of the diesel particle filter over the
temperature range 200 to 400°C, the mean NO2 proportion
in the gas was determined, by integrating the NO
conversion curve from 200oC to 400°C, and placed in
relation to the sum of itself and the area above the
curve (up to 100%) in the same temperature range.
Figure 2 shows the NO2/NOX ratio obtained in this way,
which is obtained as an average over the tested systems
in the temperature range from 200 to 400oC.
In a device according to Claim 1, in which a device for
introducing a reducing agent from an external reducing
agent source and an SCR catalyst for removing nitrogen
oxides are arranged at the outflow side of the diesel
particle filter, it is necessary, in order to ensure a
continuously sufficient denitrogenization action of the
downstream SCR catalyst, to obtain a NO2/NOX ratio of
between 0.3 and 0.7. A NO2/NOX ratio of 0.5 is optimum.
Figure 2 shows that, in the comparative systems, the
minimum ratio of 0.3 is attained only in the system
VSYS_3. In contrast, all of the tested systems
according to the invention attain the minimum NO2/NOX
ratio. The best results are obtained with the system
SYS_2. In said system, the total Pd : Pt ratio is
1 : 9.2. The ratio Pt : Pd in the oxidation catalyst is
6 : 1. The ratio Pt : Pd in the catalytically active
coating of the diesel particle filter is 12 : 1.
Furthermore, a so-called "heat-up experiment" was
carried out with the systems. In a "heat-up experiment"
of said type, it is tested how well the system composed
of oxidation catalyst and diesel particle filter can
convert a sudden, very high concentration of long-chain
hydrocarbon compounds in the exhaust gas. For this
purpose, at a defined time in an otherwise steady
state, n-dodecane is dosed into the exhaust strand
upstream of the oxidation catalyst, and it is measured
how many hydrocarbons break through downstream of the
diesel particle filter. The quotient of [ dosing
concentration - end breakthrough value] and dosing
concentration also gives a steady-state conversion
value for the long-chain hydrocarbons, from which it is
possible to derive the intensity with which the HC
oxidation reaction proceeds under said aggravated
conditions. If the reaction ceases (the oxidation
catalyst "goes out"), said conversion end value is
below 10%.
The table below summarizes the test conditions set in
the "heat-up experiment":

Figure 3 shows a typical result of such a measurement
by way of example.
Figure 4 shows the results obtained for the tested
systems, with the HC breakthrough end values being
specified in [ Vppm] . It can be clearly seen that the
comparative system VSYS_3, which has the best mean
NO2/NOX ratio downstream of the diesel particle filter
(see Figure 2), also has, at 2350 Vppm, the highest HC
breakthrough and therefore the poorest "heat-up
performance". Unfortunately, a corresponding situation
also applies tendentially to the system SYS_2 according
to the invention. However, a cost-equivalent
redistribution of the noble metal from the particle
filter to the upstream oxidation catalyst while
maintaining the noble metal ratios (-+ SYS_1) has the
result, in such a system according to the invention,
that the HC breakthrough can be lowered to far below
1000 Vppm (in this case: 190 Vppm) without the NO2/NOX
ratio thereby falling below the value of 0.3. Excellent
"heat-up performance" is also obtained in the systems
SYS_3 and SYS_4 according to the invention while
maintaining good NO2/NOX rates.
Figure 5 summarizes all the model gas results obtained.
The figure illustrates the HC conversion [ %] obtained
over the entire system in the "heat-up experiment", and
for the mean NO2/NOX ratio for the temperature range 200
to 400oC, corresponding values as a percentile NO2
proportion in the NOx. The detailed illustration shows
that the conflict of aims between "heat-up performance"
and sufficient NOx conversion under the given
experimental boundary conditions can be best resolved
using the systems SYS_3 and SYS_4 according to the
invention.
In summary, it can be stated that all the objects
stated in the introduction can be satisfactorily
achieved by means of a system according to Claim 1.
While adhering to the specified platinum : palladium
ratios in the oxidation catalyst, diesel particle
filter and overall system, it is possible, at all
relevant operating points, to ensure a mean NO2/NOX
ratio downstream of the diesel particle filter and
upstream of the SCR catalyst of at least 0.3 while
simultaneously ensuring sufficiently good "heat-up
performance" of the oxidation catalyst, which is
arranged at the inflow side, during an "active"
particle filter regeneration.
Patent Claims
1. Device for the purification of diesel exhaust
gases, which device comprises, in the flow
direction of the exhaust gas, an oxidation
catalyst, a diesel particle filter with
catalytically active coating, a device for
introducing a reducing agent from an external
reducing agent source, and an SCR catalyst,
wherein the oxidation catalyst and the
catalytically active coating of the diesel
particle filter contain palladium and platinum,
characterized
in that the ratio of the total quantity of
palladium to the total quantity of platinum is
between 8 : 1 and 1 : 15, with the ratio of
platinum : palladium in the oxidation catalyst at
the same time being no greater than 6 : 1, while
the ratio of platinum : palladium in the
catalytically active coating of the diesel
particle filter is no lower than 10 : 1.
2. Device according to Claim 1,
characterized
in that the oxidation catalyst consists of a
platinum- and palladium-containing catalytically
active coating on a ceramic or metal throughflow
honeycomb body, the diesel particle filter
consists of a platinum- and palladium-containing
catalytically active coating and a filter body,
and the volume ratio of the throughflow honeycomb
body to filter body is between 1 : 1.5 and 1:5.
3. Device according to Claim 2,
characterized
in that the filter body is selected from the group
of wall-flow filter substrates composed of ceramic
material or silicon carbide.
4. Device according to Claim 3,
characterized
in that platinum is applied to one or more oxidic
support materials selected from the group
consisting of aluminium oxide, lanthanum-oxide-
stabilized aluminium oxide, aluminosilicate,
silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, cerium oxide,
cerium-zirconium mixed oxides, rare-earth-metal
sesquioxide, zeolite and mixtures thereof.
5. Device according to Claim 3,
characterized
in that palladium is applied to one or more oxidic
support materials selected from the group
consisting of aluminium oxide, lanthanum-oxide-
stabilized aluminium oxide, aluminosilicate,
silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, cerium oxide,
cerium-zirconium mixed oxides, rare-earth-metal
sesquioxide, zeolite and mixtures thereof.
6. Device according to Claim 3,
characterized
in that platinum and palladium are applied to one
or more oxidic support materials selected from the
group consisting of aluminium oxide, lanthanum-
oxide-stabilized aluminium oxide, aluminosilicate,
silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, cerium oxide,
cerium-zirconium mixed oxides, rare-earth-metal
sesquioxide, zeolite and mixtures thereof.
7. Method for the purification of diesel exhaust
gases,
characterized
in that the diesel exhaust gases which are to be
purified are conducted through a device according
to one of the preceding claims.



The invention relates to a special device for the
purification of diesel exhaust gases, which device
comprises, in the flow direction of the exhaust gas, an
oxidation catalyst, a diesel particle filter with
catalytically active coating, and, downstream of a
device for introducing a reducing agent from an
external reducing agent source, an SCR catalyst. The
oxidation catalyst and the catalytically active coating
of the diesel particle filter contain palladium and
platinum. The ratio of the noble metals platinum and
palladium in the overall system and on the individual
components, oxidation catalyst and catalytically coated
diesel particle filter, are coordinated with one
another in such a way as to obtain firstly an optimum
NO/NO2 ratio in the exhaust gas upstream of the
downstream SCR catalyst, and secondly optimum heating
and HC conversion behaviour during an active particle
filter regeneration.

Documents:

http://ipindiaonline.gov.in/patentsearch/GrantedSearch/viewdoc.aspx?id=BhvTNYM+JzdkAGVRRlcLtA==&loc=wDBSZCsAt7zoiVrqcFJsRw==


Patent Number 279094
Indian Patent Application Number 3422/KOLNP/2010
PG Journal Number 02/2017
Publication Date 13-Jan-2017
Grant Date 11-Jan-2017
Date of Filing 16-Sep-2010
Name of Patentee UMICORE AG & CO. KG
Applicant Address RODENBACHER CHAUSSEE 4, 63457 HANAU-WOLFGANG GERMANY
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 SCHIFFER, MICHAEL LEIPZIGER STRASSE 21A, 63505 LANGENSELBOLD GERMANY
2 PFEIFER, MARCUS WITTKULLER STRASSE 154A, 42719 SOLINGEN GERMANY
3 SCHNEIDER, WOLFGANG EICHENWEG 1, 63517 RODENBACH GERMANY
4 MUSSMANN, LOTHAR ROBERT-KOCH-STRASSE 10, 63069 OFFENBACH GERMANY
5 JESKE, GERALD GOETHESTRASSE 41, 63543 NEUBERG GERMANY
PCT International Classification Number B01D 53/94
PCT International Application Number PCT/EP2008/008995
PCT International Filing date 2008-10-23
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 08009493.1 2008-05-23 EUROPEAN UNION