SBIR Phase I: Airborne Soot Sensor for Improving Fuel Efficiency and Reducing Pollutants

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I research project will test the feasibility of increasing diesel fuel economy while reducing soot to below EPA emissions standards for diesel exhaust by adjusting fuel injection timing using feedback from an inexpensive soot sensor that can be placed in the exhaust path and replace the currently employed expensive and fuel inefficient soot filtering devices. It is proposed to reduce fuel consumption 2-5% by replacing the current expensive (~$3000) diesel soot filter system with an inexpensive (<$150) sensor & feedback system that will keep soot levels below EPA standards and increase fuel economy by adjusting fuel injection timing. The proposal will determine if the measurements from this sensor can be used to adjust fuel injection timing to reduce soot levels to below EPA standards while increasing engine performance, both of which are theoretically possible. In addition to increasing fuel efficiency and decreasing diesel powered vehicle costs, the EPA will require the use of such sensors on all diesel vehicles starting in 2012. This sensor will be usable on all diesel engines, thus greatly reducing a major cause of pollutants in all major cities. In fact, the EPA estimates that 60,000 people die in the US each from airborne particulate matter pollutants. Finally, a fuel economy savings of 2-4% on diesel engines could have a significant economic impact.