New Nitrogen Oxide Catalytic Converter, Denox, Works without Additives

×

The new nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter is based on materials for high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). By making changes to a cathode material, the scientists at the Jülich Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-1) want to create a NO_X storage adsorber, or trap, that can be used to break down nitrogen oxides in a circulatory system.

All functionalities of the Denox catalytic converter are to be bundled in one space, instead of being arranged one behind the other as has been the case up to now. As a first step, the nitrogen oxides are stored in the catalytic converter. The new catalyst materials help convert these into ammonia at the achieved maximum level by a brief change to the engine timing. This, too, is stored in order to be subsequently converted into harmless nitrogen during normal driving.

Denox could be ready for series production in three years

“We are still at the very beginning with our research. But if all goes well, within three years we will complete a prototype that can be directly adopted by the industrial partners involved for integrating it into new vehicle models”, explains Dr. Jürgen Dornseiffer of the Forschungszentrum Jülich. The researchers are working together with RWTH Aachen University and the industrial partners Ford, Deutz, Sasol, FEV, Umicore and Clariant on the Denox project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).