Claims
- 1. An integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter exhaust treatment apparatus 10 comprising:
a wall flow-type substrate 12 having an exhaust inlet 14, an exhaust outlet 16, and a plurality of parallel exhaust channels 18 extending through said substrate 12; said substrate 12 having a plurality of layers arranged in an alternating fashion comprising a high voltage electrode layer 20; a ground electrode layer 22; and a filter layer 24 disposed between said high voltage electrode layer 20 and said ground electrode layer 22; electrode layer channels 30 extending through said high voltage electrode layers 20 and said ground electrode layers 22 being plugged to prevent exhaust flow therein; and a portion of said parallel channels 18 at exhaust inlet end 14 and exhaust outlet 16 being plugged 26 in an arrangement wherein each channel 18 is plugged only at one end; wherein during operation of said apparatus 10, a plasma is generated in said filter layers 24 and an exhaust stream 28 to be treated enters at said inlet 14, flows through said filter channels 18 and through porous channel walls 19, and exits at said outlet 16 as a treated exhaust stream 50; nitrogen oxides in said exhaust stream 28 being converted in said plasma primarily to NO2; particulate matter in said exhaust stream 28 being captured in said porous channel walls 19; said filter layers 24 being continuously regenerated by said plasma and by said NO2 formed in said plasma; and NO byproduct from said filter generation being converted back into NO2 via plasma at said outlet ends 16 of said exhaust channels 18.
- 2. The apparatus 10 of claim 1, wherein said wall flow substrate 12 is made of cordierite.
- 3. The apparatus 10 of claim 1, wherein alternating channels 26 in said filter layers 24 are plugged to provide a checkered-type pattern of plugged channels 26 and unplugged exhaust channels 18.
- 4. The apparatus 10 of claim 1, wherein said exhaust stream 28 to be treated comprises an exhaust stream from a coal fired furnace, an oil fired furnace, a reciprocating internal combustion engine, a gasoline spark ignition engine, a diesel engine, or a gas turbine engine.
- 5. The apparatus 10 of claim 1, wherein said exhaust stream to be treated 28 comprises a diesel engine exhaust stream.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
high voltage electrode layers 66 and said ground electrode layers 68 comprising dielectric barrier electrode layers 62 to provide an integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter exhaust treatment apparatus 60.
- 7. A combustion exhaust treatment system 44 comprising:
the integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter exhaust treatment apparatus 10 of claim 1, said apparatus 10 being in fluid communication with an exhaust outlet 48 of a combustion device 46; a short pulse power source 42 connected to said integrated nonthermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter apparatus 10 and a catalytic converter 52 having a catalyst for reducing nitrogen oxides in an exhaust stream, said catalytic converter 52 having an inlet 54 connected to said integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter apparatus 10 for receiving a plasma and particulate treated exhaust stream 50 and an outlet 56 for emitting a catalyst treated exhaust stream 58.
- 8. A combustion exhaust treatment system 70 comprising:
the integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter exhaust treatment apparatus 10 of claim 1, having high voltage electrode layers 66 and ground electrode layers 68 comprising dielectric barrier electrode layers 62 to provide an integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter exhaust treatment apparatus 60, said apparatus 60 being in fluid communication with an exhaust outlet 48 of a combustion device 46; an alternating current power source 72 connected to said integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter apparatus 60; and a catalytic converter 52 having a catalyst for reducing nitrogen oxides in an exhaust stream, said catalytic converter 52 having an inlet 54 connected to said integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter apparatus 60 for receiving a plasma and particulate treated exhaust stream 50 and an outlet 56 for emitting a catalyst treated exhaust stream 58.
- 9. A method for treating particulate matter and nitrogen oxides in a combustion exhaust stream 28 comprising:
passing a combustion exhaust stream 28 through an integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter exhaust treatment apparatus 10 comprising: a wall flow-type substrate 12 having an exhaust inlet 14, an exhaust outlet 16, and a plurality of parallel exhaust channels 18 extending through said substrate 12; said substrate 12 having a plurality of layers arranged in an alternating fashion comprising a high voltage electrode layer 20; a ground electrode layer 22; and a filter layer 24 disposed between said high voltage electrode layer 20 and said ground electrode 22; electrode layer channels 34 extending through said high voltage electrode layers 20 and said ground electrode layers 22 being plugged to prevent exhaust flow therein; and a portion of said exhaust channels 18 at said exhaust inlet 14 and said exhaust outlet 16 being plugged in an arrangement wherein each exhaust channel 18 is plugged only at one end; generating a plasma in said filter layers 24 of said apparatus 10 wherein said exhaust stream 28 to be treated enters at said inlet 14, flows through said exhaust channels 18 and through porous channels walls 19, and exits at said outlet 16 as a plasma and particulate treated exhaust stream 50; whereby nitrogen oxides in said exhaust stream 28 are converted in said plasma primarily to NO2; particulate matter in said exhaust stream 28 is captured in said porous channel walls 19; and said filter layers 24 are continuously regenerated by said plasma and by said NO2 formed in said plasma; and NO byproduct from said filter generation are converted back into NO2 via plasma primarily at said outlet ends 16 of said exhaust channels 18.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said wall flow substrate 12 is made of cordierite.
- 11. The method of claim 9, wherein alternating exhaust channels 18 in said filter layers 24 are plugged to provide a checkered-type pattern of plugged channels 26 and unplugged exhaust channels 18.
- 12. The method of claim 9, wherein said exhaust stream 28 to be treated comprises an exhaust stream from a coal fired furnace, an oil fired furnace, a reciprocating internal combustion engine, a gasoline spark ignition engine, a diesel engine, or a gas turbine engine.
- 13. The method of claim 9, wherein said exhaust stream to be treated 28 comprises a diesel engine exhaust stream.
- 14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
further treating said plasma and particulate treated exhaust stream 50 in a catalytic converter 52 having a catalyst for reducing nitrogen oxides in an exhaust stream; said catalytic converter 52 having an inlet 54 connected to said integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter apparatus 10 for receiving said plasma and particulate treated exhaust stream 50 and an outlet 56 for emitting a catalyst treated exhaust stream 56.
- 15. The method of claim 9, wherein said integrated nonthermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter exhaust treatment apparatus 10 comprising is powered by a short pulse power supply 42.
- 16. The method of claim 9, wherein said high voltage electrode layers 66 and said ground electrode layers 65 comprise dielectric barrier electrode layers 62 providing an integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter 60.
- 17. The method of claim 9, wherein said high voltage electrode layers 66 and said ground electrode layers 65 comprise dielectric barrier electrode layers 62 providing an integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter 60; and
wherein said integrated non-thermal plasma reactor-diesel particulate filter exhaust treatment apparatus 60 is powered by an alternating current power supply 72.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/368,403 (Attorney Docket No. DP-305558), of David A. Goulette, et al., filed Mar. 28, 2002, entitled “Non Thermal Plasma Reactor/DPF,” which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60368403 |
Mar 2002 |
US |