Avgasmängden som bensindrivna fordon tillåts släppa ut minskas hela tiden. Ett sätt att möta framtida krav, är att förbättra katalysatorns effektivitet. För att göra detta kan luft-bränsle-förhållandet regleras med avseende på syrelagringen i katalysatorn, istället för som idag, reglera mot stökiometriskt blandningsförhållande. Eftersom syrelagringen inte går att mäta med en givare behövs en modell som beskriver katalysatorns dynamiska egenskaper. Tre sådana modeller har undersökts, utvärderats och jämförts. Två av modellerna har implementerats i Matlab/Simulink och anpassats till mätningar från en experimentuppställning. För att kunna observera syrelagringen online valdes slutligen en av modellerna ut, och implementerades i ett Extended Kalman filter. Ytterligare arbete behöver läggas ner på den mest lovande modellen, och detsamma gäller för Kalmanfiltret, men på sikt förväntas resultaten kunna bli bra. / The legal amount of emissions that vehicles with spark ignited engines are allowed to produce are steadily reduced over time. To meet future emission requirements it is desirable to make the catalytic converter work in a more efficient way. One way to do this is to control the air-fuel-ratio according to the oxygen storage level in the converter, instead of, as is done today, always trying to keep it close to stoichiometric. The oxygen storage level cannot be measured by a sensor. Hence, a model describing the dynamic behaviors of the converter is needed to observe this level. Three such models have been examined, validated, and compared. Two of these models have been implemented in Matlab/Simulink and adapted to measurements from an experimental setup. Finally, one of the models was chosen to be incorporated in an extended Kalman filter (EKF), in order to make it possible to observe the oxygen storage level online. The model that shows best potential needs further work, and the EKF is working with flaws, but overall the results are promising.

The increase of new and ever more stringent emission legislation has brought about with it a surge in the demand for more sustainable automotive solutions. This has particularly been the case for automobiles, including heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses, with internal combustion engines, which now require the design and manufacturing of more durable and reliable components. An important component of internal combustion engine automobiles, which helps achieve this target, is the exhaust after-treatment system. Exhaust after-treatment systems are usually equipped with some type of catalytic converter, treating the combustion gases from the engine exhaust manifold to reduce the concentration of pollutants. The catalytic converter assembly usually consists of an assembly of an outer metallic canning, an inner substrate and a packaging mat in between the two. The packaging mat, commonly known as the support mat, is an important component in the assembly, protecting the ceramic substrate from road induced and thermal loads, thereby preventing any damage to the latter. This thesis involves further development of a finite element model for the support mat that could be used in catalytic converter simulations with a reasonable degree of accuracy and reliability. In line with this objective, the characteristic mechanical response of the mat is first studied through a series of material tests: namely compression, friction, and shear tests. Different non-linear material models like hyperfoam, hyperelastic and viscoelastic models, are then created in ABAQUS to simulate the mat behaviour in the tests. The material model correlating most closely with the test is then implemented in the simulation of the assembly process, canning of a catalytic converter. This report includes the material tests conducted on the mats in new and aged condition, findings of the characteristic response of the mats in these tests as well as the constitutive material modelling and finite element simulations carried out for correlation with test data from the new mats. The most appropriate material model was also implemented in a canning assembly simulation to evaluate the efficacy of the material model in predicting the mat pressure, gap bulk density, and push-in force.

Letecká doprava jako všechny ostatní dopravy podílí na produkci emisí skleníkových plynů, což je hlavní důvod změn klimatu. Disertační práce je zaměřena na možnost využití alternativního zdroje energie (paliva, motor) v letectví, aby se snížily emise produkované letadel. Oblast,na která již pracuje je všeobecné letectví, zejména letadel kategorie LSA a VLA. Tři možnosti, alternativní zdroj energie, budou diskutovány. První používá LPG palivo, další je elektrické motory, a poslední přidání katalyzátoru a výfukového systému. U každého z nich bude uvedeno výhody a nevýhody, hlavní změnu pohon letadla nebo výfukového systému a různé výkonnosti letadla v důsledku těchto změn.

L’hybridation électrique de la chaîne de traction automobile est l’une des solutions adoptées pour respecter les règlementations futures sur ses émissions. La stratégie de supervision de la chaîne de traction hybride répartit la puissance produite par le moteur à combustion interne et la machine électrique. Elle répond habituellement à un problème d’optimisation où l’objectif est de réduire la consommation de carburant mais nécessite à présent d’y ajouter les émissions polluantes. La chaîne de dépollution, placée à l’échappement du moteur, permet de diminuer la quantité de polluants émise dans l’atmosphère. Cependant, elle n’est efficace qu’à partir d’un seuil de température, et dépend de la chaleur apportée par les gaz d’échappement du moteur thermique. La première partie de ce travail est donc consacrée à la modélisation de la consommation énergétique et des émissions polluantes de la chaine de traction hybride. La modélisation de l’efficacité de la chaîne de dépollution est réalisée selon deux contextes. Le modèle zéro-dimensionnel est adapté aux contraintes de calcul de la commande optimale. Le modèle unidimensionnel associé à un estimateur d’état permet d’être embarqué et calculé en temps réel. À partir de ces travaux, la seconde partie de cette thèse déduit des stratégies de supervision à l’aide de la théorie de la commande optimale. Dans un premier cas, le principe de Bellman permet de calculer la commande optimale d’un véhicule hybride Diesel selon des critères de supervision ayant plus ou moins connaissance de l’efficacité de la chaîne de dépollution des émissions de NOX. Dans un second cas, une stratégie issue du Principe du Minimum de Pontryagin, embarquée sur un véhicule hybride essence, fonctionnant en temps réel et calibrée selon deux paramètres est proposée. L’ensemble de ces travaux est validé expérimentalement au banc moteur et montre une réduction significative des émissions polluantes pour une faible pénalité de carburant. / Powertrain hybridization is a solution that has been adopted in order to conform to future standards for emissions regulations. The supervisory strategy of the hybrid powertrain divides the power emitted between the internal combustion engine and the electric machine. In past studies, this strategy has typically responded to an optimization problem with the objective of reducing consumption. However, in addition to this, it is now necessary to take pollutant emissions into account as well. The after-treatment system, placed in the exhaust of the engine, is able to reduce pollutants emitted into the atmosphere. It is efficient from a certain temperature threshold, and the temperature of the system is dependent on the heat brought by the exhaust gas of the engine. The first part of this dissertation is aimed at modelling the energy consumption and pollutant emissions of the hybrid powertrain. The efficiency model of the after-treatment system is adapted for use in two different contexts. The zero-dimensional model conforms to the constraints of the optimal control calculation. The one-dimensional model associated with a state estimator can be embedded in a vehicle and calculated in real time. From this work, the second part of this dissertation deduces supervisory strategies from the optimal control theory. On the one hand, Bellman’s principle is used to calculate the optimal control of a Diesel hybrid vehicle using different supervisory criteria, each having more or less information about the after-treatment system efficiency over NOX emissions. On the other hand, a strategy from Pontryagin’s minimum principle, embedded in a gasoline hybrid vehicle, running in real time and calibrated with two parameters, is proposed. The whole of this work is validated experimentally on an engine test bed and shows a significant reduction in pollutant emissions for a slight fuel consumption penalty.