Characteristics of treatment of diesel flue gas by irradiation of pulsed, intense relativistic electron beam

Diesel flue gas in a chamber spatially isolated from electron-beam source has been successfully treated by pulsed, intense relativistic electron beam (PIREB). A flue gas treatment chamber, 1.6-m isolated from the PIREB source, is filled up with the diesel flue gas at the pressure of 200 kPa, and is irradiated by the PIREB [2 MV, 0.1 kA, 65 ns (full-width at half-maximum)]. We have obtained that 85%-97% of nitrogen oxide (NO/sub x/) is removed by firing 10 shots of the PIREB irradiation. The net energy efficiency of NO/sub x/ removal has been found to be 210 g/kWh. It is found that the rapid reduction of NO/sub x/ at the first shot of the PIREB irradiation is caused by the effect of water vapor in the diesel flue gas. The treatment of sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) by the PIREB irradiation depends strongly on the initial concentration of SO/sub 2/ in the diesel flue gas.