Designing a System to More Effectively Remove Soot from Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs)

School Name

Spring Valley High School

Grade Level

11th Grade

Presentation Topic

Engineering

Presentation Type

Non-Mentored

Abstract

Diesel engines are known for their efficiency in fuel consumption, stable operation, and durability, but also for their high amount of dangerous emissions. Diesel particulate filters (DPF), as well as other filters, made to combat this issue come with their own problem with soot and particulate matter (PM) loading, which is when PM fills up the filter. Regeneration is a technique that uses heat to oxidize the soot, however the continuous output required makes it far from feasible. The purpose of this study was to develop an efficient method in removing the soot from the DPF. Using a partial honeycomb design with a circuit setup, a 9 V power source in order to run 0.018 A of current through each piece of steel wool. The design would be tested by adding 15 g of carbon black in a single column of the honeycomb design of the DPF and running an attracting charge to the carbon black for 20 seconds, for a charge of 0.36 C, and a repelling charge for 40 seconds, for a charge -0.72 C. This setup resulted in no difference and impact upon the carbon black mass in the design. This shows one of two possible conclusions: carbon black is unable to obtain a charge that is strong enough to create a repulsive charge with another charge or that the design needs to have more surface area coverage of the charge in order to create a more significant impact on the carbon black.

Location

BS 302

Start Date

3-25-2023 9:00 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 25th, 9:00 AM

Designing a System to More Effectively Remove Soot from Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs)

BS 302

Diesel engines are known for their efficiency in fuel consumption, stable operation, and durability, but also for their high amount of dangerous emissions. Diesel particulate filters (DPF), as well as other filters, made to combat this issue come with their own problem with soot and particulate matter (PM) loading, which is when PM fills up the filter. Regeneration is a technique that uses heat to oxidize the soot, however the continuous output required makes it far from feasible. The purpose of this study was to develop an efficient method in removing the soot from the DPF. Using a partial honeycomb design with a circuit setup, a 9 V power source in order to run 0.018 A of current through each piece of steel wool. The design would be tested by adding 15 g of carbon black in a single column of the honeycomb design of the DPF and running an attracting charge to the carbon black for 20 seconds, for a charge of 0.36 C, and a repelling charge for 40 seconds, for a charge -0.72 C. This setup resulted in no difference and impact upon the carbon black mass in the design. This shows one of two possible conclusions: carbon black is unable to obtain a charge that is strong enough to create a repulsive charge with another charge or that the design needs to have more surface area coverage of the charge in order to create a more significant impact on the carbon black.