DeNOx study in diesel engine exhaust using barrier discharge corona assisted by V2O5/TiO2 catalyst

A plasma-assisted catalytic reactor was used to remove nitrogen oxides (NOx) from diesel engine exhaust operated under different load conditions. Initial studies were focused on plasma reactor (a dielectric barrier discharge reactor) treatment of diesel exhaust at various temperatures. The nitric oxide (NO) removal efficiency was lowered when high temperature exhaust was treated using plasma reactor. Also, NO removal efficiency decreased when 45% load exhaust was treated. Studies were then made with plasma reactor combined with a catalytic reactor consisting of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst, V2O5/TiO2. Ammonia was used as a reducing agent for SCR process in a ratio of 1:1 to NOx. The studies were focused on temperatures of the SCR catalytic reactor below 200 degree C. The plasma-assisted catalytic reactor was operated well to remove NOx under no-load and load conditions. For an energy input of 96 J/1, the NOx removal efficiencies obtained under no-load and load conditions were 90% and 72% respectively at an exhaust temperature of 100 degree C. (authors)