Low Temperature Soot Incineration of Diesel Particulate Filter Using Honeycomb Nonthermal Plasma

Abstract

The regulation for the automotive diesel engine emission becomes severe every year, and more effective post-processing technology is desired especially on particulate matter (PM), such as carbon soots. Although the use of ceramic diesel particulate filter (DPF) is now a leading technology for PM removal, the problem exists on the soot incineration or regeneration at low temperature, especially at the cold start. In the present study, a regeneration of DPF was investigated using the low temperature atmospheric pressure nonthermal plasma. The method is to use the NO2 and radicals induced by the plasma reactor to burn carbon soots deposited on DPF. First, three types of DPF plasma reactors were constructed and the performance on the conversion of NO to NO2 was evaluated on various conditions. Regeneration experiment was further carried out using a DPF honeycomb nonthermal plasma reactor. As a result, it was confirmed that the pressure drop decreased only when the plasma was turned on and the regeneration temperature of DPF was less than 200°C.