Design and Installation of 28 Catalytic Systems for Diesel Engine Exhaust Emission Control

Initial Situation

The client’s engine test facility included diesel engines of various sizes and operating characteristics. Some of the engines and associated infrastructure had been in service for decades, including equipment over 50 years old, originally designed at a time when emission control systems were not required under today’s environmental standards.

As regulatory requirements evolved and the need to reduce air pollutant emissions increased, the test cells had to be adapted to accommodate advanced emission control technologies.

The primary challenge was to implement these treatment systems without replacing the existing engines or compromising their performance or testing capabilities.

The Challenge

The project presented several significant engineering and operational challenges:

• Wide variation in engine characteristics
  The test cells accommodated engines of different sizes, operating under varying loads and RPM ranges. Consequently, exhaust gas flow rates, temperatures, and pollutant loads varied between test cells and even during the operation of individual engines.
• Integrating emission control systems into aging equipment
  Some engines and infrastructure were not originally designed to accommodate exhaust gas treatment systems. An engineering solution was required to integrate advanced technologies into the existing facilities while accounting for infrastructure limitations and original operating characteristics.
• Backpressure limitations
  The older engines allowed only exceptionally low exhaust backpressure. The design therefore required filters and catalytic substrates with low flow resistance to avoid compromising engine performance.
• Preventing clogging and maintaining operational continuity
  Operating engines under varying loads required measures to address particulate accumulation and maintain proper exhaust gas flow. Automatic cleaning mechanisms were therefore needed for the filters and treatment components.
• Maintaining appropriate operating temperatures
  Varying operating conditions required a solution that would enable the catalytic systems to reach their required operating temperatures, even when the engine exhaust gas temperature was insufficient.

The Solution

ABP Chemical Engineering and Ventilation Ltd.’s engineering teams designed 28 dedicated catalytic exhaust gas treatment systems, each combining three main exhaust gas treatment stages with electric heating. Every system was individually tailored to the characteristics of its test cell and engine, including exhaust gas flow rates, pollutant concentrations, load ranges, operating temperatures, and backpressure limitations.

The systems incorporated the following components:

• Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF): A filtration system designed to reduce soot, black smoke, and particulate emissions from diesel engines.
• Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC): A catalytic system for reducing carbon monoxide and organic compounds emitted during combustion.
• Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) System: A system designed to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions through selective catalytic reduction.
• Electric Heater: A heating component that brings the exhaust gases to the temperature required for effective operation of the catalytic treatment components.

In addition to integrating these treatment technologies, particular emphasis was placed on designing low-flow-resistance components and incorporating automatic cleaning mechanisms to minimize the risk of soot accumulation and exhaust flow blockage.

The design enabled the systems to accommodate significant variations in operating conditions while accounting for the limitations of the existing engines.

Project Scope and Technologies

• Detailed process and mechanical engineering design of 28 catalytic systems, customized to the characteristics of each engine test cell.
• Local manufacturing of the systems at ABP Chemical Engineering and Ventilation Ltd.’s facilities.
• Integration of DPF systems to reduce particulate matter and black smoke emissions.
• Integration of DOC oxidation catalysts to reduce carbon monoxide and organic compound emissions.
• Integration of SCR systems to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
• Integration of electric heating systems to adjust exhaust gas temperatures to the required operating conditions.
• Design of filters and catalytic substrates with low flow resistance.
• Integration of automatic cleaning mechanisms to minimize the risk of clogging.
• Installation, electrical wiring, and commissioning performed by ABP’s teams of technicians and engineers.

Environmental Benefits

• Reduced pollutant emissions: Integration of DPF, DOC, and SCR technologies to treat particulate matter, black smoke, carbon monoxide, organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides emitted by diesel engines.
• Adaptation to current environmental requirements: Integration of advanced emission control systems into older engines, some of which have been operating for decades, to support compliance with the environmental regulations applicable to the facility.
• Integrated exhaust gas treatment: Reduction of multiple pollutants through a single system tailored to engine characteristics and varying operating conditions.

Project Results

• 28 customized catalytic systems: Design, manufacturing, installation, and commissioning of dedicated exhaust gas treatment systems tailored to each test cell’s engine characteristics and operating conditions.
• Preservation of existing engines and infrastructure: Integration of advanced emission control technologies into an aging engine fleet without the need to replace the engines themselves.
• Maintained engine performance: Design of systems with exceptionally low flow resistance to accommodate the backpressure limitations of the existing engines.
• Adaptability to varying operating conditions: Systems designed to accommodate a wide range of engine loads, exhaust gas flow rates, and operating temperatures.
• Operational reliability: Integration of automatic cleaning mechanisms to minimize particulate accumulation and prevent clogging of filters and treatment components.
• Successful execution of a large-scale engineering project: Combining ABP’s design, engineering, local manufacturing, installation, and commissioning capabilities in a project involving 28 exhaust gas treatment systems.