Regeneration of diesel particulate filter using sliding discharge
Diesel particulate filter (DPF) is widely used to trap fine soot particles emitted from diesel engines. It can collect particles as small as submicron but it is necessary to oxidize accumulated particles by heating the filter. Temperatures of 600 degree C or higher is required to oxidize the soot but it is difficult to maintain stable reaction because this is exoergic reaction. The filter is sometimes damaged due to thermal runaway of the reaction. To address this trade-off problem, we have studied low temperature regeneration of DPF using sliding discharge, which can be generated on the surface of DPF and produces oxidative species at room temperature. Diesel soot collected by DPF was used. Simulated air consisting of N2 and O2 and not including CO2 or CO was used and CO and CO2 concentration was monitored by real time FTIR to estimate the soot oxidation. All the experiment was carried out at temperatures between 100 and 190 degree C to simulate exhaust temperature under low load. Experimental results show that soot was oxidized by generating sliding discharge on the DPF. No thermal damage of the DPF was found. Energy efficiency, denoted by the amount of oxidized soot per electric energy dissipated in the sliding discharge, increased with increasing the temperature as well as oxygen concentration in the test gas. Small amount of Ag2O supported by the DPF significantly increase the energy efficiency of soot oxidation. On the contrary, excessive amount of Ag2O resulted in energy efficiency lower than that of DPF without Ag2O probably because the sliding discharge was not generated favorably due to high conductivity resulted from metal Ag. These results suggest that sliding discharge can induce soot oxidation and that Ag2O possibly catalyzes soot oxidation.
Sliding Discharge Inside Glass Capillaries
The generation of stable and homogenous plasma inside an automobile honeycomb catalyst is very difficult. This paper presents a technique to create plasma inside the thin channels of the honeycomb monolith by using a sliding discharge. The electrical and optical properties of the discharge are described.
A dual-use of DBD plasma for simultaneous NO(x) and SO(2) removal from coal-combustion flue gas.
Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) was investigated for the simultaneous removal of NO(x) and SO(2) from flue gas in a coal-combustion power plant. The DBD equipment was used in either a mode where flue gas was directed through the discharge zone (direct oxidation), or a mode where produced ozonized air was injected in the flue gas stream (indirect oxidation). Removal efficiencies of SO(2) and NO for both methods were measured and compared. Oxidation of NO is more efficient in the indirect oxidation, while oxidation of SO(2) is more efficient in the direct oxidation. Addition of NH(3), has lead to efficient removal of SO(2), due to thermal reaction, and has also enhanced NO removal due to heterogeneous reactions on the surface of ammonium salt aerosols. In the direct oxidation, concentration of CO increased significantly, while it maintained its level in the indirect oxidation.