Development of monolithic catalysts and a modular catalytic reactor
for purification of exhaust gases from stationary diesel power plants
M.A.Kerzhentseva, Z.R.Ismagilova, S R.Khairulina, N.V.Shikinaa, K.D.Dosumovb,
Sh.A.Gilmundinovb, A.V.Dergachevc
a
b
Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, 5, Pr.Akad.Lavrentieva, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia;
Institute of Organic Chemistry and Electrochemistry, 142, Kunaev str. 050010, Almaty, Republic
of Kazakhsta; cNootekhnologia, Novosibirsk,18, ul. Vladimirovskiy spusk, 630003, Russia
The combustion products from internal combustion engines contain poisonous components:
carbon monoxide, organic compounds (unburned hydrocarbons and aldehydes) and nitrogen
oxides. For heavy duty trucks with diesel engines the problem of exhaust gas purification is solved
by installation of catalytic converters with monolithic catalysts. For the purification of exhaust
from large stationary diesel engines (exhaust volume  10000 Nm3/h) at acceptable pressure drop
the diameter of the cross section of monolithic catalysts should be over 600 mm. At the same time,
existing technologies of production of monolithic catalysts usually provide possibility of
fabrication of monoliths with diameters not exceeding 300-500 mm.
For the purification of the exhaust gas from a stationary diesel power plant of 2000 kW
power with a nominal exaust flow rate of 10000 Nm3/h monolithic catalysts and a modualr
catalytic reactor have been developed (Fig. 1).
a
b b
c
Fig. 1. Appearance (a) and cross section views (b, c) of the modular catalytic reactor
for purification of the exhaust from stationary diesel power plants
Reactor contains eight cylindrical catalytic monoliths. The monoliths are installed in common
cylindrical casing in consecutive pairs symmetrically with respect to the reactor cross-section. For
provision of uniform flow of the gas through the monoliths, five gas spreaders in the form of
pyramids are installed: one at the reactor center and four at the reactor wall between adjacent
monoliths.
For the preparation of monolithic catalysts, substrates fabricated from flat-on-corrugated
fechral alloy foil with a thickness 0.05 mm were used. The substrate diameter is 400 mm, and the
channel density is 290 cpsi. The substrates were thermally treated and wascoated with modified
alumina. The thickness of the alumina-based washcoat was 10 .
The active component containing platinum group metals and transition metals was introduced
into the washcoat by proprietary procedures. The deposition of the active component included
impregnation, reduction, drying and thermal treatment steps.
The control of the catalytic activity was performed using smaller catalyst monoliths with a
volume of 5-10 cm3 prepared by the identical procedure. The conditions of the activity tests were:
gas space velocity 110000 h-1, the composition of the gas mixture 1800 ppm CO and 750 ppm of
hydrocarbons (C4H10) in air. The activity of the samples was characterized by CO conversion at
400C, and the tests showed it to be in the range 90-93%.
At present, the developed modular catalytic reactor is fabricated and proceeds tests runs in
the composition of a diesel power plant for emergency electricity supply at a subway construction
company.