Active hydrocarbon trap for reduction of emissions from internal combustion engines using an electrically-heated catalyst

Abstract

A device for reducing emissions from an internal combustion engine having a close-coupled catalyst including an electrically-heated catalyst and a hydrocarbon trap disposed downstream of the close-coupled catalyst. The device includes a heat exchanger and a liquid water knockout disposed downstream of the close-coupled catalyst. The device includes a valve-less system configured to dynamically adjust a flow path of exhaust from the internal combustion engine through the electrically-heated catalyst and the hydrocarbon trap to reduce emissions. A method for reducing emissions including feeding an exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine to the close-coupled catalyst, producing a catalyzed exhaust gas. The method includes flowing the catalyzed exhaust gas from the close-coupled catalyst to the valve-less system.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.