Influence of non-thermal plasma after-treatment technology on diesel engine particulate matter composition and NOx concentration

• Published in: International journal of environmental science and technology (Tehran) Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 221 - 230
• Main Authors: Babaie, M, Kishi, T, Arai, M, Zama, Y, Furuhata, T, Ristovski, Z, Rahimzadeh, H, Brown, R. J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Center for Environment and Energy Research and Studies (CEERS) 01-01-2016; Springer Berlin Heidelberg
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Dielectric barrier discharge; Diesel emission reduction; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Science and Engineering; Nitrogen oxides; Non-thermal plasma; Original Paper; Particulate matter; Soil Science & Conservation; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Nitrogen oxides; Non-thermal plasma; Dielectric barrier discharge; Diesel emission reduction; Particulate matter
• ISSN: 1735-1472; 1735-2630
• DOI: 10.1007/s13762-015-0865-3

The effect of non-thermal plasma technology for particulate matter
removal and nitrogen oxide emission reduction from diesel exhaust has
been investigated. A sample of exhaust was cooled to the ambient
temperature and passed through a dielectric barrier discharge reactor.
This reactor was employed for producing plasma inside the diesel
exhaust. A range of discharge powers by varying the applied voltage
from 7.5 to 13.5 kV (peak-peak) at a frequency of 50 Hz has been
evaluated during the experiments. Regarding the NOx emission
concentration, the maximum removal efficiency has been achieved at
energy density of 27 J/L. Soot, soluble organic fraction and sulphate
components of diesel particulate matter have been analysed separately,
and the consequence of plasma exposure on particle size distribution on
both the nucleation and accumulation modes has been studied. Plasma was
found to be very effective for soot removal, and it could approach
complete removal efficiency for accumulation mode particles. However,
when applied voltage approached 12 kV, the total number of nucleation
mode particles increased by a factor of 50 times higher than the total
particle numbers at the reactor inlet. This increase in nucleation mode
particles increased even more when applied voltage was set at 13.5 kV.