Session: 05-04: Methane Emissions Control

Paper Number: 119254

119254 - Hydrothermally Durable, Low-Temperature Methane Oxidation Catalysts for Lean-Burn Natural Gas Engines in Hard-to-Electrify Industries 

Internal combustion engines are still a primary choice for hard-to-electrify sectors with lean-burn natural gas (NG) engines being preferred. The lean and ultra-lean conditions allow the engines to operate in an optimized condition balancing efficiency and lower NOx emissions but also reducing exhaust temperatures. New greenhouse gas regulations are pushing these industries to also address methane emissions. One focus area of the ARPA-E REMEDY (Reducing Emissions of Methane Every Day of the Year) Program is focused on finding solutions for this industry sector. Addressing methane emissions using an aftertreatment control solution provides a minimally invasive approach for new engines and offer easy retrofitting to those already in-use in the field. Current methane oxidation catalyst (MOC) formulations require high-temperature operation and are prone to deactivation by the high-water content in lean NG exhaust. For an aftertreatment solution to be effective, new MOC formulations that are active at low exhaust temperature and high-water concentrations and hydrothermally durable are required. New alumina-based MOC formulations which lower T90 conversion temperatures under relevant, lean-burn engine exhaust (including NO, CO and H₂O) below the 450°C project target before and after hydrothermal aging (HTA) will be presented. Catalytic performance before and after HTA will be shown under light-off and steady state application.

Presenting Author: Melanie Moses-Debusk Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Presenting Author Biography: Melanie Moses-DeBusk is chemist with over 18 years of experience in the field of catalysis. She has worked on a variety of emission related projects at ORNL ranging from on engine/vehicle emission sampling to catalyst synthesis and testing.