SBIR Phase I: A Non-thermal Plasma Reactor System for Destruction of Particulate Matter in High-Temperature Diesel Exhaust

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是消除95%以上的颗粒排放（即，碳烟灰），同时减少燃料使用、二氧化碳产生和车辆维护。 柴油颗粒污染物与呼吸系统和心脏病直接相关。 目前，这是解决与柴油颗粒过滤器（DPF），设备，捕获颗粒，并不破坏他们。此外，DPF易于堵塞，导致浪费燃料和昂贵的发动机维护。该项目提出了一种非热等离子体（NTP）解决方案，通过将柴油颗粒转化为无害化合物来破坏柴油颗粒。NTP技术也有可能更广泛地应用于发电厂烟囱和其他颗粒物排放源。 拟议的解决方案将开发一种NTP设备，用于改造柴油车队，如公共汽车，垃圾运输车和公用事业卡车，提高发动机性能并降低运营成本。该SBIR第一阶段项目研究用于非热等离子体（NTP）反应器的新型材料和组件，该反应器能够承受柴油发动机主排气流中的恶劣条件（例如，650 ℃温度和高排气流量）。第一代NTP反应器能够在低温排气中运行（例如，150 ℃）已经被开发和销售用于柴油机废气再循环（EGR）系统;然而，只有约30%至50%的总柴油机废气流过EGR。本研究的目的是证明NTP技术用于主要废气流以处理100%颗粒物排放的可行性。该研究计划将准确描述主柴油机排气系统的工作环境，并确定潜在的设计和零件/材料，创建混合动力或全新的组件。有希望的候选组件将组装成原型反应堆，并按照加速计划进行评估，以衡量代表6个月典型运行的性能。该系统将在热、化学、电气和机械性能方面进行优化。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to eliminate more than 95% of particulate emissions (i.e., carbon soot) from diesel exhaust while reducing fuel usage, carbon dioxide production, and vehicle maintenance. Diesel particulate pollutants are directly related to respiratory and heart disease. Curently this is addressed with diesel particulate filters (DPF), devices that trap particulates and do not destroy them. Furthermore DPFs are prone to clogging, resulting in wasted fuel and costly engine maintenance. This project advances a non-thermal plasma (NTP) solution to destroy diesel particulates by converting them into non-hazardous compounds. NTP technology also has potential to be applied more broadly to power plant smoke stacks and other sources of particulate emissions. The proposed solution will develop a NTP device for retrofitting diesel fleets, such as buses, waste haulers and utility trucks, improving engine performance and reducing operating costs. This SBIR Phase I project researches novel materials and components for use in a non-thermal plasma (NTP) reactor capable of withstanding the harsh conditions within the main exhaust stream of a diesel engine (e.g., 650 C temperatures and high exhaust flow). First generation NTP reactors capable of operating in low-temperature exhaust (e.g., 150 C) have already been developed and sold for use in diesel exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems; however, only about 30% to 50% of total diesel exhaust flows through EGR. The objective of this research is to demonstrate feasibility of NTP technology for use in the main exhaust stream to treat 100% of particulate emissions. The research plan will accurately characterize the working environment of the main diesel exhaust system and identify potential designs and parts/materials, creating hybrid or completely new components. Promising candidate components will be assembled into a prototype reactor and evaluated on an accelerated schedule to measure performance representing 6 months of typical operation. The system will be optimized for thermal, chemical, electrical, and mechanical performance.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.