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General description of catalytic converters
General description of catalytic converters
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Introduction: General Description
A catalytic converter is an exhaust component used in modern automobiles to decrease the emission of toxic gasses. The average catalytic converter is capable of converting around 98% of these harmful emissions into relatively benign byproducts (UC Davis). It does this through the use of a catalyzing agent, that when combined with heat and oxygen produces a chemical reaction that is capable of converting various gasses such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydra carbons (HC), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) into less harmful carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2), and water (H2O) (Wiki).
The catalytic converter was first introduced back in the mid 1970’s, but didn’t see widespread adoption until new emissions regulations mandated the removal of the fuel additive “tetraethyl lead” from gasoline. This was because, the burned of tetraethyl lead in an internal combustion engine produced toxic byproducts capable of neutralizing the catalyzing agents in the catalytic converter rendering it ineffective (Wiki). Catalytic converters are split up into two basic types: two-way and three-way. The two-way catalytic converter only performs the oxidation reaction (the addition of oxygen), converting carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and converting hydro carbons into carbon dioxide and water. In contrast, the three-way catalytic converter not only performs the oxidation reaction but also performs a reduction reaction (the removal of oxygen), converting nitrogen oxides (such as nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric oxide) into nitrogen and oxygen (SmogTips). The two-way catalytic converter was quite common tell about 1981 when the three-way catalytic converter replaced it in most automotive applications (Wiki)....
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Increasing environmental awareness, coupled with a responsible American government and improved technology, have all contributed to the comeback of low-and zero-emissions vehicles in the US. It remains to be seen whether the automakers and oil companies will once again work to halt this progress, or embrace it as the technology of a more responsible future.
However, under normal driving conditions an engine will encounter lean conditions when cruising on the highway (better mileage) and rich conditions when accelerating (better power). The lean condition results in oxide and harmful nitrogen production. Rich conditions result in carbon monoxide production. For this reason, catalytic converters are used on an engine’s exhaust. The catalyst material in a cat is a wire mesh or honeycomb.
“The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich, is a story of two Native American brothers whom share a deep bond and very close relationship before circumstances start falling apart; throughout the story, the reader learns about Henry’s psychological state. As the narrator, Lyman, informs the reader, they owned a car for the first time “We owned it together until his boots filled with water on a windy night and he bought out my share.” (358) is when a magnificent brotherly can be seen connection. But the time passed by, and their link was breaking apart, because a war situation. Although Henry and Lyman are the main characters, Lyman invests most of the time describing how he feels of Henry’s life before and after he went to war and how the relationship was deteriorating.
...ese dangerously harmful gasses would be released into our atmosphere by all combustion engines. Although the catalytic converter when operating at its optimal temperature can break down over 95% percent of the harmful gasses produced by the engine it does not do a well at all when not at high temperatures. It takes about five miles of driving for most vehicles to reach a temperature at which the reactions will reach near completion, before this temperature the catalytic converter does practically nothing to convert these harmful gases. Some catalytic converters now have coils running from the engine to the catalytic converter to heat the catalytic converter to its optimal temperature soon after the engine has started to produce harmful gasses. With this improvement the catalytic converter can effectively reduce almost all of the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide.
Driven in large part by global initiatives and the potential for stringent regulations, the past decade or two has seen a marked increase in the importance of improvements with respect to environmental standards, including emissions and increases in fuel economy. In 2002, Cummins Emissions Solutions was launched after the need was identified for an emission solution that would help engines meet future regulations. In 2006, Cummins pioneered a hybrid diesel-electric bus which reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gasses by more than 30 percent and me...
In the future the automotive industries will need alternative fuel sources, in turn that means they will need alternative engines in their automobiles. The engines found in their cars will have to be changed to fit the new fuels being made. They have many directions in which they can go concerning engine types and fuel types.
The tradeoffs of using gasoline for cars are large emission of carbon dioxide and required large amount of chemical t...
...ns use in their homes, the fewer chemicals that power plants use the fewer that will have to be emitted in to the air. Today there are laws on how much pollution is allowed to be put out in the air these laws have made significant changes. Catalytic converters in cars help reduce emissions. There has been reduction in the amount of acid rain causing pollutant to the air by humans. Eastern Canada set a cap of 2.3 million tons of sulphur dioxide to be met by 1994 and maintained until 2000. In Canada several sulphur dioxide reduction targets for provinces to the east of Manitoba-Saskatchewan to meet this cap. Roughly halve of the sulphur dioxide emissions were intended to be cut by this reduction.
Gasoline fueled cars produce a number of pollutants. The most damaging pollutants that come from gasoline fueled cars are particulate matter. Particulate matter is a sequence of organic materials and inorganic substances. It includes ingredients such as lint and minerals. Nitrogen dioxide, produced when fuel is burned at high temperatures, can cause damage to the lungs and cause chest pains. One might ask, “Why are Americans still driving gasoline cars?” knowing the damage that they are subject to cause. I personally maintain that the government should push people to p...
The idea of front wheel driven cars was not embraced immediately by major car manufacturers, though, since having all the driving mechanisms placed right under or in front of the engine added complexity in production and maintenance that was not worth the extra gas mileage. It was when the gasoline shortage hit America in the early 1980s that the front wheel drive car first became popular. Chevrolet first implemented the system in its "Citation," in 1979, which became an...
Improving the aerodynamics of vehicles reduces drag meaning there is less resistance as an airplane or car passes through the air. Why this is important is because it takes less fuel to make the vehicle accelerate. When you burn gasoline it releases carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and unburned hydrocarbons which all contributes to air pollution. It also produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to climate change. Using less fuel reduces the vapors released into the atmosphere, which helps the environment.
Initial preview: We will learn about the creation of air pollution, the effects of air pollution, and how the companies reduce more air pollution from a catalytic converter.
Many hazardous pollutants escape from the internal combustion of the engine. Conventional gas powered vehicles use irreplaceable fossil fuels to run. When burned, these fossil fuels create numerous toxins like carbon dioxide (Larminie 246). Carbon dioxide is considered the main greenhouse gas that creates the foundation for global warming (hybridcars.com, pollutants). This harmful pollutant may not have a serious effect on people at first, but it does have consequential effects on the environment that in turn put people in danger (Nutramed.com). The major consequence caused by global warming is the rise in average temperature. This results in a domino...
In a world that is quickly becoming ever dependant on technology, people take many things for granted. For example: nearly every day you and I get into our cars to go to work, school, shopping, or anywhere else you can think of. Naturally, car manufacturers are constantly coming up with new technologies to get people to buy their car over the next manufacturers; and a lot of these new inventions seem straight out of a sci-fi movie, or book in this case.
Hybrid cars and trucks are beginning to become very popular in our day of time. The inventor and the founder of the hybrid car was Robert Anderson. Anderson was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He invented the vehicle in 1839. The hybrid vehicles get better gas mileage than most of the older cars and trucks. Most of the new vehicles that are being made today are some sort of hybrid or ecoboost vehicle. Almost all of your car manufacturers today are trying to create new vehicles that conserve gas which is green to the environment. Gas efficient cars are now taking over diesel car and trucks. Diesel cars and trucks usually get pretty bad gas mileage. Most of the big older trucks have a diesel engine in them. Most of the owners of a diesel vehicle usually don’t drive the vehicle much anymore because of horrible gas and diesel prices this day in time.