Real-world performance of catalytic converters

This paper investigates experimentally the performance of a three-way catalytic (TWC) converter for real-world passenger car driving in the United Kingdom. A systematic approach is followed for the analysis using a Euro-IV vehicle coupled with a TWC converter. The analysis shows that the real-world performance of TWC converters is significantly different from the performance established on legislative test cycles. It is identified that a light-duty passenger vehicle certified for Euro-IV emissions reaches the gross polluting threshold limits during real-world driving conditions. This result is shown to have implications for overall emission levels and the use of remote emissions sensing and on-board diagnostics (OBD) systems.