Catalytic Converters
Making our world a little greener
With over a million vehicles on the road in the United States, there is concern over the growing amount of air pollution. Particularly in large cities, the air pollution produced by all the cars combined can cause big problems.
To counter these issues, many states have issued clean-air laws that restrict the amount of pollution produced by any individual car. To keep up with these laws, auto manufacturers have strived to upgrade their engines and fuel systems to reduce emissions. This is where catalytic converters come into play.
How a catalytic converter works
A catalytic converter is basically an exhaust filter. It treats the emissions before they leave the car to remove much of the pollution. Most contemporary cars contain a three-way catalytic converter - this means it regulates three types of emissions: carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide molecules. The converter uses two types of catalysts:
- Reduction catalyst - This is the first stage in the catalytic converter, which uses rhodium or platinum to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. When the combustion molecules come in contact with the catalyst, it strips them of their nitrogen atoms, leaving only oxygen molecules.
- Oxidation catalyst - The oxidation catalyst is the second stage in the catalytic converter. It reduces the amount of unburned carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons by burning them over a palladium and platinum catalyst. The remaining molecules then react with oxygen to form carbon dioxide.
- Control system - This is the final stage. The control system monitors the exhaust stream to control the fuel injection system. There is an oxygen sensor that measures how much oxygen is in the exhaust. The engine computer can then adjust the levels of oxygen in the emissions by changing the air-to-fuel ratio. This ensures that there is enough oxygen in the exhaust to enable the oxidation catalyst.
Improving the performance of your catalytic converter
The catalytic converter does an excellent job of reducing pollution - but only at high temperatures. When your car is cold, the catalytic converter does almost nothing. A simple solution for increased performance is to move the catalytic converter closer to the engine. The warmth of the running engine will allow the converter to heat up faster. However, the extremely hot temperature may also shorten the life of the converter. Most car manufacturers install the converter under the front passenger seat so that it is far enough from the engine to prevent heat damage, yet not so far back that it is too cold to perform its job properly. Hybrid vehicles have high-voltage batteries that will heat up the converter very quickly.
If you want a converter that does more than just clean exhaust, try a high performance or high-flow catalytic converter. They will boost both horsepower and torque, while still reducing emission toxins. Performance converters feature a low restriction element that cleans emissions without slowing down gas flow - more power, more torque.
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It used to be we could depend on the reputation and reliability of North American cars to meet our standards - but could it be the times are changing? Here in the U.S., overseas models are continuing to rise in popularity. Find out why!
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