Journal of Modern Mechanical Engineering and Technology

Articles

Vol. 12 (2025)

Thermal Fluid and Chemical Analysis of Ionized Air Test Injection for Cold Start Emission Mitigation

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31875/2409-9848.2025.12.07
Submitted
November 16, 2025
Published
2025-12-27

Abstract

The cold start period of an internal combustion engine (ICE) is a dominant source of hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions. This paper analyzes an innovative ejector system for distributing ionized air directly into the exhaust system to accelerate pollutant oxidation. Analytical results demonstrate that the system achieves an ejection ratio ω = 0.187 at an exhaust temperature of 450 K, while a 180 W heater provides the necessary thermal compensation to maintain the mixture temperature above the 380 K activation threshold. Experimental validation confirmed that ionized air initiates low-temperature oxidation (afterburning), evidenced by a 5.0% vol. increase in CO2 concentration. This synergistic fluid-thermal and chemical strategy reduces the catalyst’s critical inactivity period from 120 s to 85 s, offering highly efficient method for meeting stringent emission regulations.

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