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Christian Bach


Last Name

Bach

First Name

Christian

ORCID

0000-0001-6204-2327

Organisational unit

01159 - Lehre Maschinenbau und Verfahrenstechnik

Filters

2007 - 200912020 - 20252
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Publications 1 - 3 of 3
  • Trends in Swiss Passenger Vehicles Based on Machine Learning Segmentation
    Item type: Journal Article
    Elser, Miriam; Sigron, Pirmin; Sandoval Guzman, Betsy; et al. (2025)
    Sustainability
    Road transport represents a major contributor to air pollution, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions in Switzerland. In response, stringent emission regulations, penalties for non-compliance, and incentives for electric vehicles have been introduced. This study investigates how these policies, along with shifting consumer preferences and vehicle design advancements, have influenced the composition of the Swiss new passenger car fleet. Using machine learning techniques, we segment passenger vehicles to analyze trends over time. Our findings reveal a decline in micro and small vehicles, alongside an increase in lower- and upper-middle-class vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and alternative powertrains across all segments. Additionally, steady increases in vehicle width, length, and weight are observed in all classes since 1995. While technological advancements led to reductions in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions until 2016, an increase has since been observed, driven by higher engine power, greater vehicle weight, and changes in certification schemes.
  • Mining the atmosphere: A concrete solution to global warming
    Item type: Journal Article
    Lura, Pietro; Lunati, Ivan; Desing, Harald; et al. (2025)
    Resources, Conservation and Recycling
    To neutralize anthropogenic climate impacts, excess carbon dioxide (CO2) – about 400 Gt of carbon – needs to be removed from the atmosphere. After the energy transition is accomplished, we propose that excess renewable energy can be used to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into methane or methanol, which are further processed into polymers, hydrogen, and solid carbon. End-of-life polymers are pyrolysed and part of the carbon is used to produce silicon carbide. Solid carbon and silicon carbide become then aggregates and fillers for concrete and asphalt. At the end of their lifecycle, landfilled construction materials become the final carbon sink. Up to 12 Gt of carbon could be stored per year, mostly as concrete aggregates. The synthesis of carbon-based materials in cycles of increased chemical reduction has multiple advantages, including long-term stability, high storage density of the carbon, decentralized implementation, and replacement of current CO2-emitting materials.
  • Ceramic Foams as Catalyst Substrates: Pre-catalyst Application Homogenising the Exhaust Flow upstream of Aftertreatment Devices
    Item type: Conference Paper
    Dimopoulos, Panayotis; Bach, Christian; Vogt, Ulrich F.; et al. (2007)
    SAE Technical Papers
    Non-homogeneities in the exhaust line regarding flow distribution and mixing of exhaust gases upstream of catalytic converters or particulate filters are a major source of conversion efficiency reduction due to partial volume utilization. Current supports for catalytic converters use a honeycomb monolithic substrate with only a limited potential for increased wall contacts of the gas molecules due to their laminar channel flow profile. Non homogeneities of the flow distribution at the entering cross section of the catalytic converter prevail also inside the converter channels since no momentum exchange is possible perpendicular to the main flow direction. The ceramic based foams developed and patented by Empa are a promising alternative. In the upstream of exhaust aftertreatment devices they ceramic foams redistribute the exhaust gases homogenizing the flow, enhancing turbulence and species mixing, without increasing flow resistance to prohibitive levels. Catalytically coated, they even can initiate, facilitate or even complete oxidation of unburnt HCs and CO and oxidize a substantial fraction of particulates while generating required species for the following aftertreatment step. In this paper we present some material development aspects as well as flow field investigations performed in the up and the downstream of the ceramic foams, demonstrating their potential.
Publications 1 - 3 of 3