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New Method for Reducing NOx in Diesel Exhaust
18 March 2005
Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed a new catalysis process to reduce NOx in diesel engine emissions.
“Reformer-assisted catalysis” has three stages: creation of a “syngas”, using the syngas to create a reductant, and the subsequent catalytic reduction of NOx in emissions.
In this process, a portion of diesel fuel is passed through an on-board reformer to create a syngas. The syngas is then converted to dimethyl-ether (DME). This is a version of the same process used to synthesize DME in quantity as a clean alternative fuel—it just happens on-board a heavy-duty truck and in very small amounts, rather than in a large plant next to natural gas fields.
The DME is then injected into the exhaust, enhancing the performance of certain catalysts that reduce the NOx.
The work on reformer-assisted catalysis (RAC) builds from earlier work at PNNL on a plasma-facilitated catalyst (PFC). The RAC process appears more cost- and energy-efficient.
Researchers plan to test the process on a small engine late this year.
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March 18, 2005 in Diesel, Emissions | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted by: martin tobias | March 18, 2005 at 03:59 PM
In theory, yes. To create a syngas, you use whatever hydrocarbon feedstock you have (coal, biomass, natural gas, petroleum) and convert it into a hydrogen-rich gas. Biodiesel should work just fine.
There doesn’t seem to be much experience with it, though. Last fall, the Construction Engineering Research Lab of the Army Corps of Engineers surveyed the technical literature to identify reformer technology development and application work, and to establish the state-of-the-market for reformer technology that would use canola oil or biodiesel as a feedstock.
They found that most work in this area was being done on a very small scale in the lab, although the body of knowledge is out there that should support more aggressive commercialization—assuming there is a market.
One question to be answered would be the various efficiencies of the reformer when fed petroleum diesel, B100 or a series of different biodiesel blends. Maybe PNNL will get into that when they do the engine testing.
The CERL report is here.
Posted by: Mike | March 18, 2005 at 04:47 PM
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does this process work with Biodiesel?