"REDUCTION OF DIESEL PARTICULATE EMISSIONS BY ELECTROSTATIC AGGLOMERATION, INERTIAL COLLECTION AND REBURNING"

NEW FEDERAL STANDARDS THAT COME INTO EFFECT IN 1988 WILL REQUIRE HEAVY DUTY DIESEL EXHAUST PARTICULATE EMISSION REDUCTIONS OF APPROXIMATELY 60%. IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT APPROXIMATELY 75% OF DIESEL PARTICLES ARE CHANGED DURING COMBUSTION AND COULD BE COLLECTED ON THE SURFACES OF AN ELECTROSTATIC AGGLOMERATOR (ESA). THESE PARTICLES WOULD GROW ON THE SURFACES BY AGGLOMERATION AND BE REENTRAINED INTO THE GAS FLOW. THE AGGLOMERATED PARTICLES CAN BE COLLECTED WITH INERTIAL COLLECTION DEVICES SUCH AS CYCLONES.TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS COMBUSTION CHARGING OF THE PARTICLES IN THE OPERATION OF A "NO CORONA" ESA WOULD ENTAILESSENTIALLY NO PARASITIC POWER DEMANDS. THIS IS IN CONTRASTTO CONVENTIONAL ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS WITH CORONA CHARGING SECTIONS WHERE ELECTRICAL POWER TO SUPPLY THE CORONA CURRENT CAN BE SUBSTANTIAL. THE FOCUS OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO CHARACTERIZE THE OPERATION OF A PROTOTYPE ESA AND TO QUANTIFY THE INCREASE IN PARTICLE SIZE THAT IS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE DEVICE.