Non-isothermal computational fluid dynamics analysis of electrically assisted heating system for faster catalyst activation

Suni R.T.; Gutierrez J.A.Y.; Vidal Y.L.S.; Calcina D.F.M.; Arapa C.A.D. · Advances in Science and Technology Research Journal (2026) · DOI: 10.12913/22998624/225588

Resumen

Cold start in internal combustion engines represents a critical phase in emissions control, because the catalytic converter has not yet reached its activation temperature (light-off), resulting in elevated emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ). In this study, a non-isothermal 3D CFD Model is developed to evaluate a novel Active Hybrid Thermal Strategy for a three-way catalytic converter. The proposed strategy introduces a dual-stage heating approach that combines external and internal heat generation with the objective of reducing light-off time, achieving a uniform temperature distribution and reducing the emission of NOₓ. The proposed approach was benchmarked against several heating configurations to demonstrate its improved thermal performance. The results show that electrical heating significantly reduces the light-off time by 71.3% compared to the baseline. Under cold-start conditions, the hybrid system limits NOₓ emissions to 47.47 mg/km, meeting the Euro 7 regulatory limit of 60 mg/km. These findings confirm that hybrid EHC technology is a promising alternative for meeting stringent upcoming emission regulations. These results demonstrate the potential of hybrid electrically assisted heating strategies to improve catalytic converter performance during cold-start operation.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa