AAAR 31st Annual Conference
October 8-12, 2012
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Optimization of the Novel Collector for Diesel Emissions Control
TAEWON HAN, Gediminas Mainelis, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Abstract Number: 442 Working Group: Control Technology
Abstract We recently developed a novel diesel exhaust control device, the Electrostatic Screen Battery for Emissions Control (ESBEC). The prototype ESBEC consists of multiple sets of two screens, where one screen of each set is supplied with high voltage and the other is grounded, producing electrostatic field across the screens. The screens are covered by a hydrophobic coating to wash off the collected particles for continuous use of the Battery. The device features high particle collection efficiency without adding to the exhaust backpressure and there is no need for thermal regeneration of collected particles. In preliminary tests, 95% of diesel exhaust particle mass entering the battery was collected. However, the preliminary data also indicated that commercial ionizers used to charge the incoming particles were unsuitable for a field-applicable instrument due to particle losses and ozone production. Furthermore, the particle deposition across the device was not uniform impeding its long-term applications.
Thus, as part of the further development of this diesel control device into a field deployable unit, we designed and tested a carbon fiber based ionizer. The preliminary tests showed that ESBEC with a carbon fiber ionizer can remove more than 99% of 1.0 micro-meter fluorescent polystyrene latex particles entering the device. To ensure a more uniform diesel exhaust deposition across the battery thus prolonging the time before service, we tested ESBEC with screens of varying porosities and with different distances between the screens. The data indicate that positioning coarser screens closer to the inlet improves uniformity of particle deposition across the device. Once the combination of charger and collector is optimized, the ESBEC will be retooled from a heat tolerant material, such as machinable ceramics (e.g., glass-ceramic and Macor). The performance of ESBEC will then be tested with actual diesel exhaust of different concentrations and for different operation times.