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FAST LIGHTOFF CATALYTIC CONVERTER

Award Information
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 11498
Amount: $150,000.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1990
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
25 Science Park
New Haven, CT 06511
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 William Pfefferle
 Principal Investigator
 (203) 786-5215
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

MUCH OF THE TOTAL OPERATIONAL CYCLE EMISSION FROM AUTOMOBILES OCCURS DURING THE INITIAL MINUTES OF ENGINE OPERATION, BEFORE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS BEEN SUFFICIENTLY WARMED BY INLET AIR TO REACH FULL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. PRECISION COMBUSTION, INC. (PCI) WILL DEVELOP ITS FAST THERMAL RESPONSE CATALYTIC METAL MONOLITH TECHNOLOGY TO ACHIEVE RAPID EFFECTIVE COLD STARTING PERFORMANCE OF AUTOMOTIVE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. BUILDING UPON A SUCCESSFUL NASA SBIR PHASE I PROJECT DEVELOPING A LOW TEMPERATURE CATALYTIC GLOW PLUG AND UPON A SUCCESSFUL ARMY SBIR PHASE I PROJECT DEVELOPING A DIESEL SUBZERO STARTING SYSTEM (NOW BEING COMPLETED), PCI BELIEVES THIS ELECTRICALLY-HEATED METAL MONOLITH TECHNOLOGY CAN BE OPERATIONAL WITHIN SECONDS OF ENGINE START-UP AND WILL SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVE HYDROCARBON AND CO EMISSIONS DURING THE PERIOD PRIOR TO WHEN THE CONVENTIONAL CATALYTIC CONVERTER REACHES OPERATING TEMPERATURE. IN ADDITION, PASSIVE EXHAUST HEAT WILL ENABLE THIS NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO SUPPLANT THE CURRENT CONVERTER FOR WARM ENGINE OPERATION. IN PHASE I, PCI WILL DO LABORATORY EXPERIMENTATION TO DEMONSTRATE EFFECTIVENESS, DO PRELIMINARYDURABILITY AND DESIGN WORK, AND BUILD A PROTOTYPE FOR COLD START TESTING BY THE NEW YORK STATE DIVISION OF AIR RESEARCH. IN PHASE II, PCI WILL DEVELOP AND FIELD TEST ADVANCED PROTOTYPES, OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE, CONTROL, DURABILITY AND COSTS.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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