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

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是消除柴油废气中95%以上的颗粒排放（即碳烟），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和心脏疾病直接相关。目前，柴油微粒过滤器（DPF）解决了这个问题，这种装置可以捕获颗粒而不破坏它们。此外，dpf容易堵塞，导致燃料浪费和昂贵的发动机维护费用。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它们。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。提出的解决方案将开发一个NTP设备，用于改造柴油车队，如公共汽车、废物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一期项目研究用于非热等离子体（NTP）反应堆的新型材料和部件，该反应堆能够承受柴油发动机主排气流中的恶劣条件（例如，650℃的温度和高排气流）。能够在低温废气（例如150℃）中运行的第一代NTP反应堆已经开发并销售，用于柴油废气再循环（EGR）系统；然而，只有大约30%到50%的柴油废气通过EGR。本研究的目的是证明NTP技术在主要废气流中使用的可行性，以处理100%的颗粒排放。该研究计划将准确地描述主柴油排气系统的工作环境，并确定潜在的设计和零件/材料，创造混合动力或全新的组件。有希望的候选组件将被组装到一个原型反应堆中，并在一个加速的时间表上进行评估，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。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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.