THE SCIENCE BEHIND CATALYST PERFORMANCE TESTING

Reactor performance testing is one of many analytical tools used to evaluate a catalyst. MIRATECH also uses sophisticated laboratory instruments to examine the physical and chemical properties of a catalyst microscopically, down to the atomic level. These forensic methods reveal root causes for changes in catalyst behavior, such as contamination and over-temperature operation.

HOW WE USE OUR CATALYST TEST REACTORS

As an OEM catalyst developer and manufacturer, we use catalyst test reactors for a variety of functions:

• Developing new products
• Comparing the effects of substrates, coatings and precious metals on catalytic performance
• Characterizing the performance of a catalyst as a function of operating variables such as flow rate, temperature, hydrocarbon type, air-to-fuel ratio, inlet concentration of CO or VOCs, etc.
• Evaluating changes to a catalyst that has been in service and possibly contaminated or overheated
• Measuring catalyst performance before and after chemical washing and regeneration

OUR ADVANCED TEST REACTORS REPRODUCE REAL-WORLD CONDITIONS

All of MIRATECH’s reactors have:

• The capability to perform non-destructive tests on full-size catalyst elements of all shapes and sizes—round, rectangle, octagon, with saddles, etc. (no need to cut and remove a “core” sample from the catalyst element for testing)
• The capability to fully and independently vary flow rate, temperature and gas composition to reproduce real-world conditions
• Fully automated PLC-controls with data acquisition
• FTIR-based continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) with data recording, trending and reporting

MIRATECH’s reactor test systems reproduce real world conditions to measure how your catalyst element will perform in your engine:

• The exhaust gas composition, flow rate and temperature are independently dialed in to reproduce any engine from a rich or learn burn reciprocating engine, to a combustion turbine, to a fired industrial boiler.
• Concentrations of oxygen, nitrogen, CO₂, water vapor, NOx, CO, hydrocarbons and SO₂ are representative of actual engines.
• Three-way catalysts are tested under rich air-to-fuel ratio conditions. The MIRATECH reactor system accurately quantifies catalyst performance on NOx, CO and hydrocarbons over a range of air-to-fuel ratios (including dithering conditions), a range of operating temperatures and a range of flow rates—just like real rich burn engine operation. That’s real world performance data.
• Oxidation catalysts are tested under lean air-to-fuel ratio conditions accurately quantifying the oxidation of CO, hydrocarbons and formaldehyde, and the oxidation of NO to NO₂ and SO₂ to SO₃, over a range of temperatures and flow rates—just like the operating conditions of real lean burn recips and combustion turbines.