A Study Of Pulse Optimization For The Treatment Of Diesel Emissions Using Transient Plasma

Application of plasma remediation of diesel exhaust has been investigated for several decades. Current limitations include ultimate efficiency and high power required to drive the plasma chemistry. In this paper, energy required for maximum pollutant removal is optimized and presented as a percentage of the engine power required for producing the energy. The efficiency is investigated using unipolar pulses of nanosecond duration produced with magnetic pulse compression. Effects of different rise times and different pulse widths have also been investigated. Experiments on a 5kW Kubota diesel engine at no load show promising reduction efficiency for NOx and successful removal of PM from the exhaust has also been achieved. Results have been extrapolated to apply the technology to higher kW diesel engines.