Bob Lutz > writes:

> On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 15:47:55 -0400, Daniel J. Stern wrote:
>
> > f that's the case, how come they've been adopted as the heart of emission
> > control systems worldwide?
>
> It would seem to me, mind you, I don't know my ass from ice cream about
> this sort of thing, but it seems to me that all it would do is dilute the
> emissions, by making them hotter. Less particles of [whatever it is that
> comes out]= lower emission count at the testing station.
>
> I'm probably wrong, though.

Yes, you are. Completely wrong. It doesn't dilute the particles by
making them hotter, it finishes the combustion so the hydrocarbons
aren't particles at all (nor hydrocarbons, for that matter) and the
carbon monoxide is now carbon dioxide. They also break down NOx into
nitrogen and oxygen.
--
Joseph J. Pfeiffer, Jr., Ph.D. Phone -- (505) 646-1605
Department of Computer Science FAX -- (505) 646-1002
New Mexico State University http://www.cs.nmsu.edu/~pfeiffer