Despite the current boost in the use of electric vehicles to reduce the automotive sector’s footprint, combustion vehicles are and will be present in our cities in both the immediate and long term. In this sense, catalytic converters, which are exhaust gas post-treatment systems for vehicle emission control, are critical for complying with increasingly stringent environmental regulations. This work proposes a systematic review to identify the most relevant knowledge regarding the parameters (materials, geometries, and engine conditions), conditions (cold start, oxygen storage, and deactivation), and mathematical models to consider in the design of catalytic converters. The Scopus database contains 283 records related to this review’s objective. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 65 reports were retrieved for evaluation. A table was created to present the results and prepare this manuscript. The evaluation revealed that the following topics were active: the study of non-noble catalyst materials, as well as new substrate materials and geometries, for designing more compact and cost-effective catalytic converters; the development of strategies to improve conversion during cold starts; and the development of accurate and fast estimation models.

In filling lines equipped with membrane separation devices in the form of filters energy, consumption is only one of the important working parameters, the other being sustainable filter performance in terms of separation efficiency. As the filling line is typically equipped with a valve, intermittent operation of the filter is an important form of its use. Whereas the overall energy consumption of the filtration process is governed by the continuous operation mode, the intermittent mode, characterised by opening/closing of the valve, contributes most to problems of filter failure, i.e., the breakthrough of filtered particles through the membrane. A model for determination of the energy intake of a microfiltration membrane during the opening and closing of a valve is presented in this work. The model is based on computational analysis of the pressure wave signals recorded during the opening/closing of the valve using Fourier transform, and expressed in a nondimensional filter area specific energy intake form. The model is applied to a case of constant pressure dead-end microfiltration with three filter types: a single membrane filter, a stacked filter and a pleated filter with filtration surface areas ranging from 17.7 cm² to 2000 cm². Both clean filters, as well as partially clogged filter cases are taken into account. Second order polynomial models of the energy intake are developed and evaluated based on extensive analysis of the experimental data. The analysis of energy intake results show that the largest energy intake was observed for the clean filter case. When membrane fouling occurs at the constant flow rate values it leads to larger energy intake, however, due to a decreasing specific flow rate during fouling these values do not exceed the clean filter case.

This paper presents a problem-solving procedure regarding brake-drum noise issues performed by engineers within a short time period and additional measures to be taken for avoiding similar issues in the future. Cimos TAM Ai company is a member of Cimos Group, which is a component producer in the automotive industry. We have taken the production of the rear brake-drums during the phase of the car manufacturing (transfer of production). Soon after the instigation of this production, the customer reported squealing issues with the brake-drums. No detailed information was received about the issue except that it occurred on new cars during everyday operation. It was our goal to find the root cause, fix the issue and take some preventive actions. Research was based on comparing the Cimos brake-drum (B) with the brake-drum of previous supplier (A). The research was focused on resonant frequency of the brake-drum as the most likely parameter connected to the squealing. First the natural frequency of drums A and B was determined by impact-hammer test. Then a numerical simulation was carried out with the goal of detecting the most problematic surface of the drum for causing the squealing. A weakness was found in the brake-drum design where no thickness or tolerance was specified at the critical area, and large deviations existed between the finished brake-drums. The problem was solved by changing the machining parameters. Besides solving the noise problem, an in-depth investigation was conducted into the gray cast-iron modulus of elasticity, in order to find a representative value for those small deformations occurring in cases dealing with noise-emission issues. This value proved to be higher than in the case of larger deformations as considered during mechanical and temperature behavior simulations.

Solid waste presents a very large problem in the developed world. Waste plastics, which make up a large part of solid waste, have high energy value, which is discarded if they are not treated properly. Most of the plastic found in solid waste is produced from petrochemical material, so it can be used in resource recovery processes to produce various materials. One promising resource recovery process is the pyrolysis process, from which pyrolytic oil, gas, and solid residue are obtained. Pyrolytic oils have properties that are similar to conventional fossil fuels, and are promising fuels for use in heat engines or heating applications. In the present work, HDPE plastic in the form of plastic bottles caps was collected from solid waste and used in a thermal pyrolysis process for the production of pyrolytic oil. The obtained oil was characterised, and the obtained results were compared to conventional fuels. The obtained oil was used further in an oil burner fuel injection application, in which the spray breakup characteristics were monitored and analysed using VisiSize particle characterisation systems. The obtained results were compared to those of conventional fuel. The results indicate that the difference in fuel properties influences the spray breakup process slightly, but the differences are rather small. This indicates that from a spray development perspective, pyrolytic oil can be used as a substitute for conventional fuels in oil burners.

The rising instability in global energy markets and fuel supply challenges in 2026 have intensified the search for sustainable alternative fuels. Since most plastics originate from petrochemical sources, they represent a valuable feedstock for energy recovery once they become waste. In this study, high-density polyethylene plastic waste was processed via pyrolysis to produce pyrolytic oil, which was characterized and compared with conventional extra-light heating oil. Evaluating the atomization performance of high-density polyethylene pyrolytic oil represents an important technical step toward assessing its potential for more sustainable plastic waste valorization and alternative heating applications. The atomization behavior of both fuels was investigated through a combined experimental and numerical approach. The spray characteristics were measured using the VISISIZE 60N droplet characterization system, enabling detailed analysis of the droplet size distribution. In parallel, CFD simulations were conducted in Ansys FLUENT using the Euler–Lagrange framework. The pressure-swirl atomizer was modeled with a Linear Instability Sheet Atomization model to describe the primary breakup, with emphasis on the influence of the model constants. The results show that the pyrolytic oil exhibits spray characteristics comparable to heating oil, with only minor differences in the droplet size distribution and breakup behavior. The CFD simulations captured the droplet size distribution trends successfully, confirming the predictive capability of the Euler–Lagrange framework. These findings indicate that pyrolytic oil is a viable alternative fuel for pressure-swirl atomization systems, contributing to both waste valorization and mitigation of the current energy challenges.

Microfiltration is an important process in the pharmaceutical industry. Filter selection and validation is a time-consuming and expensive process. Quality by design approach is important for product safety. The article covers the instrumentalization and process control of a laboratory-scale dead-end microfiltration layout. The layout is a downscale model of the actual production line, and the goal is filter validation and analysis of process parameters, which may influence filter operation. Filter size, fluid pressure, valve plunger speed, and timing issues were considered. The focus is on the identification of the most influential process parameters and their influence on the repeatability of pressure oscillations caused by valve opening. The goal was to find the worst-case scenario regarding pressure oscillations and, consequently, filter energy intake. The layout was designed as compact as possible to reduce pressure losses between the filter and valve. Valve-induced pressure oscillations proved to be prevailing over the water hammer effect. Several filters in sizes between 3.5 cm² and 6900 cm² were tested, and some recommendations were suggested for the reduction of energy intake of the filter and to improve the repeatability of the process.