Modeling of diesel oxidation catalysts for calibration and control purpose

An approach to the analysis of the performance of the diesel oxidation catalysts is presented in this article. A modeling methodology is proposed, whose main characteristics are the usage of a limited set of input data for the execution of the simulations, the minimal effort required for the preliminary calibration of the models and the reduced computational time. The developed diesel oxidation catalyst model structure is described, and its predictive capability is shown by means of a comparison with experimental measurements. The model is based on quasi-zero-dimensional and quasi-steady-state approaches, which ensure a reasonable compromise between practicality of usage (including faster than real-time computational time) and quality of the results. Thanks to the quick execution and the accuracy of the results, the proposed modeling approach can be used not only for the development of the diesel powertrains but also for the optimization of the related control and calibration strategies. This process is particularly effective when the models for the aftertreatment systems are coupled with models for the prediction of the engine-out quantities and with software tools for the virtual calibration of the main engine and exhaust system control parameters. A specific example of the effectiveness of this kind of analysis is also given in this article, with focus on the assessment of the system robustness.