Papers by Keyword: Automotive Exhaust

Abstract: In the current context of fossil energy scarcity, car manufacturers have to optimize vehicles energy efficiency. This and continuous improvement includes a change of the exhaust manifold design. Usually in cast iron, exhaust manifolds tend to be mechanically welded in order to fit new constraints such as lightness, durability, efficiency and small size. To achieve such requirements, ferritic stainless steels with high chromium content (19%) and molybdenum (2%) are developed. For the welding, the use of existing filler wire does not satisfy fully the application requirements. This leads to oxidation problems and / or thermal fatigue strength that drastically reduces assembly lifetime. New flux cored wires are developed in the context of this study in order to provide molten zone characteristics close to those of the base metal. Different chemical compositions are tested in order to highlight the influence of stabilizing element on microstructure. Welding tests revealed the major influence of titanium on the grain refinement in the molten zone. A minimum Ti content of 0.45 weight % in the filler wire is required to be efficient as grain refiner.

Abstract: The inside corrosion of failed automotive mufflers collected in China was investigated and the composition of the automotive exhaust gas condensate collected from HONGQI automobile was analyzed. According to the analyzed result of collected condensate’s composition, the corrosion resistance of a new designed high Cr stainless steel (B439M) bearing Nb and Ti and a low Cr T409L stainless steel were studied with a condensate corrosion test method which simulates the inside corrosion of automotive mufflers. The life of the two materials was estimated by extreme value analysis of the maximum corrosion depth obtained by the dip dry test (DDT). The life of type B439M steel was 1.6 times as long as that of type T409L steel. To clarify the corrosive process of the simulated condensate test, the electron work function (EWF) on the two stainless steels’ surface was evaluated. It was demonstrated that the surface of new designed stainless steel exhibited markedly improved resistances to corrosion during a simulated condensate test cycle and the corrosive process of simulated condensate test was evaluated and discussed.

Abstract: Ceria-zirconia solid solution is one of the most important components of three way catalyst (TWC) for cleaning automotive exhaust. Ceria-zirconia solid solution has a function as an oxygen storage material, which keeps air to fuel ratio (A/F) at the surface of TWC on a stoichiometric composition. The dissolved zirconia into ceria lattice makes cerium ions to be reduced easier and enhances especially bulk oxygen to release. However, there is a large difference of oxygen storage capacity (OSC) between a theoretical value and that of the prior ceria zirconia solid solutions. The cause of the large difference of OSC might be come from the inhomogeneous dispersion of Zr ions in ceria lattice. Atmospheric pressure solvothermal (APS) process was applied to ceria-zirconia solid solutions in this study. The APS ceria-zirconia showed excellent OSC. The excellent OSC performance was presumed to come from further uniformity of zirconium ions in the ceria lattice.

Abstract: Thermal fatigue is a complex phenomenon encountered in materials exposed to cyclically varying temperatures in the presence or absence of external load. Continually increasing working temperature and growing need for greater efficiency and reliability of automotive exhaust require immediate investigation into the thermal fatigue properties especially of high temperature stainless steels. In this study, thermal fatigue properties of 304 and 429EM stainless steels have been evaluated in the temperature ranges of 200-800oC and 200-900oC. Systematic methods for control of temperatures within the predetermined range and measurement of load applied to specimens as a function of temperature during thermal cycles have been established. Thermal fatigue tests were conducted under fully constrained condition, where both ends of specimens were completely fixed. Thermal fatigue property of STS 304 was superior to that of STS 429EM. Load relaxation behavior at the temperatures of thermal cycle was closely related with the thermal fatigue property.