Interview with Rick Breunesse: Selective Catalytic Reduction - Part 1

Selective Catalytic Reduction is currently a hot topic as manufacturers look for cost-effective ways to reduce emissions in order to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations. Rick Breunesse of TASS International discussed the topic with Automotive IQ in an in-depth three part interview. Compact SCR is the focus of part one.

Full Interview PDF Part 1

"A more compact system is easier to integrate and less substrate is attractive
from a cost perspective."


Automotive IQ: What are your specific functions and interests at TASS International? Where have you been throughout the company in terms of dealing with industry as opposed to regulators?

Rick Breunesse: We are basically looking at it from an industry perspective. We talk to engine and vehicle manufacturers but not that much with government and legislators. Although, we closely follow the regulations and we know what direction they're heading.


Automotive IQ: It's definitely an interesting area.

R.B.: Yes, I still enjoy it after several years. Once you start digging into it, there is no end to it.

Automotive IQ: And you've been at TNO and TASS for the last several years?

R.B.: Yes, I've been working for TNO for five years and the last two years for TASS International. TASS International is a private company wholly owned by TNO. Through TASS International TNO has worldwide presence with local offices in all regions of the world. I moved to TASS International because a growing number of our customers are in this region, the United States and Brazil.


Automotive IQ: One of the topics currently of interest is compact SCR where you combine the particulate filter and the catalyst. I understand there are some challenges with this. Could you go into what some of these challenges are? What are some of the advantages?

R.B.: The background of this technology consists of cost and packaging reasons. A more compact system is easier to integrate and less substrate is attractive from a cost perspective. Secondly it can be attractive to reach quick conversions of NOx at cold start as the filter substrate is located closer to the engine. In that case, a larger SCR catalyst is applied downstream...

This is part 1 of a 3 part interview on Selective Catalytic Reduction. Click Here for Part 2

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