Catalyst Multiplication™

Catalytic materials are used in catalytic converters in order to reduce or convert the NOx present in an engine's exhaust back into Nitrogen and Oxygen gas. This chemical process is achieved by reacting the NOx with residual hydrocarbons or carbon monoxide gases. Under normal conditions this process only occurs at temperatures well above those found in typical exhaust gases. This is why catalytic material is added. Catalytic material artificially lowers the temperature at which this reaction can occur when the chemicals are in contact with the catalytic material. Typical exhaust temperatures are enough to activate the catalyst while an engine is hot, but are typically not enough to activate the catalyst while the engine is idling or cold. The rate of the reaction, and thus the amount of catalytic material required to achieve a certain NOx reduction, depends on the concentration of the various gases. Since the combustion process in a typical engines yields roughly the same concentrations of exhaust gases and the quantity of such gases depend on the power being generated, the quantity of the catalytic materials depends mostly on the engine's power.

Purify Solutions places the catalyst in between the engine and its turbocharger, where the exhaust is still at a substantial pressure. The higher pressure increases the effective concentration of gases, causing the exhaust gases to impact the catalytic materials more frequently and making the catalyst more effective. The ratio of this increased effectiveness, the catalyst multiplier, is roughly equivalent to the ratio of exhaust pressure prior to the turbocharger as compared to the pressure usually experienced by a catalytic converter.

This multiplication effect yields the following key advantages:

• The same amount of catalyst can achieve a much greater emissions reduction. Purify Solutions uses this multiplication advantage in order to produce an emission control systems that achieves both a greater emissions reduction and a reduced system cost. Catalytic materials is a major driver of emission control systems cost, because the catalyst is made of precious metals such as Platinum, Palladium and Rhodium. Purify Solutions' Catalyst Multiplication™ results in a larger price savings for its customers.
• Since exhaust temperatures are significantly hotter prior to the turbocharger, Purify Solutions' catalysts are always activated even under idle conditions. In fact, idle performance is typically the same as during loaded conditions.
• Catalysts release a significant amount of heat resulting from the burning of any hydrocarbons or carbon monoxide remaining in the exhaust. Since this heat is released prior to the turbocharger, the turbocharger can use this energy to further compress intake air and make the engine more efficient.

The problem with putting a catalyst prior to a turbocharger is that the exhaust at that point is significantly hotter than typically experienced by a catalytic converter. This elevated temperature can be high enough to damage catalytic material, a problem that would rule out such an arrangement under normal conditions. Purify Solutions uses its Temperature Ladder™ technology to control these temperatures and solve this problem, which would plague any other emissions control system using this arrangement.