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West Virginia University

Influence of fuel sulfur content on emissions from diesel engines equipped with oxidation catalysts

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) are a viable exhaust aftertreatment alternative for alleviating regulated exhaust emissions of hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM) from diesel-fueled heavy-duty engines. This study was a part of the Diesel Emissions Control-Sulfur Effects (DECSE) program that was aimed at determining the impact of diesel fuel sulfur levels on diesel oxidation catalysts that were designed to lower brake-specific PM, HC, and CO emissions from on-highway trucks and buses in the 2002--2004 model years. The research focused on high-temperature DOCs installed on a Cummins ISM370 ESP engine, and low-temperature DOCs installed on a Navistar T444E engine to determine how the DOCs affect the various emissions, how fuel sulfur affects emissions, and how fuel sulfur poisons the catalysts over time.;The DOCs were found to affect the brake-specific PM, HC, and CO emissions. The PM emissions were not significantly affected by the DOCs when lower sulfur fuels (3 ppm and 30 ppm) were used. Brake-specific PM emissions were dramatically increased with the higher sulfur fuel (350 ppm) due to the formation of sulfates and the associated sulfate bound water. Hence, fuel sulfur affected the brake-specific PM, HC, and CO emissions from DOC equipped heavy-duty diesel engines.;Brake-specific HC emissions were eliminated by nearly 100% by the use of the DOCs. The DOCs had various reduction efficiencies ranging from 90% to 100% for CO emissions from the Navistar engine and 24% to 79% for the Cummins engine.;The DOCs were only evaluated for only 250 aging hours, which is a relatively short duration. Over this short amount of time, there was no significant evidence of the fuel sulfur poisoning the diesel oxidation catalysts.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
MS
Level thesis:degree_level
Thesis
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Year dc:date.available
2000

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Evans, Jason Carter
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Mridul Gautam.

Subjects

dc:subject × 2

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-2073

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
West Virginia University
Base URL
researchrepository.wvu.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Evans, Jason Carter. Influence of fuel sulfur content on emissions from diesel engines equipped with oxidation catalysts. Thesis thesis, 2000. https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.1070