Ultrafine Inorganic Particle Formation in Plasma-Assisted Combustion

大气中的颗粒物导致空气质量下降，造成健康问题，并使气候预测复杂化。在全球范围内，化石燃料燃烧对大气中颗粒物的贡献高达85%。等离子体辅助燃烧技术是一种可以减少排放、提高燃烧效率、强化低温燃料燃烧的很有前途的技术。然而，等离子体辅助燃烧中颗粒物的形成还没有得到详细的研究。这项研究计划检查常见的等离子体辅助燃烧系统中的颗粒形成。将使用一套新的颗粒表征仪器和建模方法来研究颗粒的性质，重点是尺寸从1到100 nm的颗粒。该项目的成功完成将通过发展新的知识来了解这种新的化石燃料燃烧技术中的颗粒形成，从而造福社会。通过学生教育、培训和公众宣传，将进一步造福社会。STEM培训将通过将研究成果整合到课程模块中、研究人员参加K-12夏季科学夏令营以及与罗拉、密歇根大学公共图书馆合作向公众传播项目成果来加强。有限的研究表明，等离子体可能会由于动力学、热学、流体力学或这些效应的组合而减少粒子的形成，但每种效应的详细机制或相对重要性尚未阐明。这些研究留下了几个基本问题没有得到解答：等离子体辅助燃烧中超细颗粒的形成机制与传统燃烧有何不同？我们如何解开燃烧过程中等离子体对颗粒形成的热、动力学和流体动力学影响？我们如何准确地模拟等离子体辅助燃烧中超细颗粒的形成，以预测排放特性？该项目建议通过部署一系列最新开发的气溶胶仪器和建模工具来探测尺度为1纳米的粒子动力学，以回答这些问题。这项工作有可能对等离子体辅助燃烧中颗粒的形成产生革命性的理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Particulate matter in the atmosphere leads to reduced air quality, poses health issues, and complicates climate prediction. On a global scale, fossil fuel combustion contributes to as much as 85% of the particulate matter in the atmosphere. Plasma-assisted combustion is a promising technology that may reduce emissions, improve combustion efficiency, and enhance low-temperature fuel combustion. However, the formation of particulate matter in plasma-assisted combustion has not been studied in detail. This research plans to examine particle formation in common plasma-assisted combustion systems. The properties of particles will be studied using a suite of novel particle characterization instruments and modeling methods focusing on particles with sizes ranging from 1 to 100 nm. The successful completion of this project will benefit society through the development of new knowledge to understand particle formation in this novel fossil fuel combustion technique. Further benefits to society will be achieved through student education, training, and public outreach. STEM training will be enhanced through integration of research findings into course modules, participation of researchers in K-12 summer science camps, and a partnership with the Rolla, MO Public Library to disseminate the project findings to the public.Limited studies have shown that plasma could potentially reduce particle formation due to kinetic, thermal, hydrodynamic, or a combination of these effects, but detailed mechanisms or relative importance of each effect have not been deconvoluted. These studies left several fundamental questions unanswered: How do ultrafine particle formation mechanisms in plasma-assisted combustion differ from conventional combustion? How do we deconvolute the thermal, kinetic, and hydrodynamic effects of plasma on particle formation during combustion? How can we accurately model ultrafine particle formation in plasma-assisted combustion to predict emission characteristics? This project proposes to answer these questions by deploying a series of recently developed aerosol instruments and modeling tools to probe particle dynamics with scales down to 1 nm. This work has the potential to produce a transformative understanding of particle formation in plasma-assisted combustion.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.