Electrically heated catalyst

Technical overview and market demand

Diesel engines are still a more fuel-efficient option today, when compared with equivalent gasoline engines and OEMs and suppliers must sell enough powertrain units to achieve returns on R&D investment. Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), along with a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and closed-coupled Lean-NOx Trap (LNT) with improved catalyst formulations, has been the choice of exhaust aftertreatment since the time of Euro 4 implementation for NOx reduction. In long operation cycles, NOx conversion efficiencies of more than 98% has been recorded for heavy commercial trucks. Although for passenger vehicles under GVW of 3-tons, the collective load involves long proportions of low-speed driving. Current regulations dictate emission compliance in testing environment, inclusive of cold start, at 20°C; which may further fall to lower value when the norm is Euro 7. With consideration of these boundary conditions and for an efficient function, the need to provide additional heat and minimize heat losses is vital.