Size distributions and number concentrations of particles from the DOC and CDPF

Particulate matters (PM) from diesel combustion comprise the major portion of harmful components of air in urban areas. In this study, the effects of DOC and/or CDPF on the size distributions and catalytic reactions of these nano-sized particles were investigated to clarify the exhaust mechanism and to minimize the emission of the nano-sized PM. Parameters of interest in the investigation included sulfur content of the fuels used, air-fuel equivalence ratio, fuel injection pressure, and the engine speed. The number concentration of the particles in diluted exhaust gas was measured by a SMPS in the diametric range of 10–385 nm. The number of nanometer-sized particles increased when the engine was operated at high equivalence ratio with diesel fuel that contained 500 ppm of sulfur. As the sulfur concentration in the fuel increased, the number of the particles smaller than 30 nm increased upon passing DOC and CDPF in the exhaust system of the common-rail diesel engine.