Metal Supported Flow-Through Particulate Trap; a Non-Blocking Solution

Abstract

In 2000 about one third of all newly registered vehicles in Germany were equipped with a diesel engine. By tradition, this share is even higher in countries such as France and Austria. The sharp increase in the number of diesel vehicles on the one hand is due to the low fuel consumption applicable in particular to engines with direct injection in conjunction with relatively favourable diesel fuel prices, but is on the other hand related to the “fun factor” also. Today’s diesel vehicles with their performance, impressive torque characteristics and comfort can hardly be told apart from comparable spark ignition engine vehicles.It is above all the lower specific fuel consumption (Fig. 1) and consequently the emission of the supposed greenhouse gas CO2 – currently a hotly debated political issue, which evoke the interest of the automobile industry for the diesel engine. In view of the stronger appearance of diesel vehicles on the market, there is the possibility to come a great deal closer to the average fleet consumption values agreed in the “voluntary restriction on the part of the German automobile industry” for the year 2008. This results in a fleet average of 140 g of CO2 in the new European test cycle. Fig. 1: Specific fuel consumption of several powertrain concepts