SBIR Phase I: Reactive Cyclic Induction Marine Diesel Emissions Reduction Monitoring and Delivery System Project

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The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the potential reduction of toxic nitrogen oxides (NOx) and harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from marine diesel engines. There are approximately 4 million diesel-powered craft in use globally, emitting approximately one billion tons of CO2 and 100 million tons of NOx annually. This project seeks to remove at least 80% of the NOx and 30% of the CO2 from marine diesel exhaust, contributing to a reduction in both greenhouse gas emissions and in air pollution that creates health hazards in coastal cities. There is no alternative, commercially-viable product that reduces CO2 and NOx emissions from marine diesel engines. The proposed concept seeks to overcome the disadvantages of competing technologies that are unworkable due to heat and space restraints in a confined boat engine room. The project may enable boat manufacturers to meet new international maritime regulations on engine emissions and may contribute new knowledge related to the engineering of monitoring and delivery systems for marine and land/vehicle emissions reduction systems. In addition to environmental benefits, the technology meets a global commercial demand and creates good paying jobs for an export-oriented US industry.The goal of this project is to develop a low thermal electro-emulsification solution to reduce emissions in marine diesel exhaust, specifically nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 80% to meet the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations and carbon dioxide (CO2) by 30%. The technology will be incorporated into a fuel processing system that can be integrated into existing diesel engines on marine boats. This system will precisely inject reaction-altering chemicals at the proper time in the combustion cycle to reach the desired reduction of CO2 and NOx. The system will also monitor the exhaust stream to ensure no harmful byproducts are discharged into the marine environment. This work will further develop the understanding of diesel emissions reduction and may be transferable to other vehicle and land-based applications.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.