Catalytic Abatement of CH4 Emission from CNG Fuelled Vehicle Exhaust

Mr. Shivam Kumar Gautam completed B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering and Technology. He persued his M.Tech in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi. He is research scholar at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. His research focuses on the area of flexible gas sensors.

Natural gas is becoming an attractive alternative fuel for motor vehicles and other IC engines. CNG as a fuel has several advantages over traditional fuels such as: environment friendly, highly efficient, safer, lighter than air, high flammability and economical. 90-95% composition of CNG is CH4. CNG engine exhaust contains some amount of unburned CH4. CH4 is a potent green house gas and a threat to environment due to which emission standard are becoming more stringent. Engine modification, fuel modification, fuel additives and exhaust gas treatment are some routes to decrease the hazardous emissions from vehicles. Catalytic oxidation in exhaust is the most effective route to control pollutant emission from vehicles. Mixed oxides and spinel oxide have been extensively investigated as a potential substitute for costly noble metal based catalysts via different preparation methods and calcination strategies. Thus, goal for present work is to develop an efficient catalyst for the combustion of CH4 within the temperature range of CNG vehicle exhaust.