Heating an automotive catalyst

摘要

A method of conditioning an automotive catalyst by (a) electrolysing water on-board the vehicle to derive and store separate quantities of hydrogen and oxygen; (b) immediately upon initiation of engine starting, rapidly transferring stoichiometric proportions of the separated and stored hydrogen and oxygen to a front face location of a catalyst substrate to heat the catalyst substrate by spontaneous catalytic recombination of the hydrogen and oxygen and thereby raise the temperature of the catalyst substrate rapidly to a temperature at which certain emissions can be catalytically converted; (c) complete cranking of the engine to admit emissions laden with CO and HC to the catalyst substrate while continuing to transfer stoichiometric proportions of the hydrogen and oxygen to said front face location for raising the substrate temperature to about 300 DEG C; and (d) ceasing introduction of the hydrogen and oxygen when the catalyst substrate has reached a full operational temperature for optimum emission conversion Apparatus for pre-heating an automotive catalyst is also disclosed. <IMAGE>