ScienceDaily Magazine -- MIT's Plasmatron For Cutting Car Pollutants Is =
Significant Step Closer To Road Tests
-----Original Message-----
From: dwenbert <dwenbert@spacey.net>
To: dwenbert <dwenbert@spacey.net>
Date: Tuesday, November 23, 1999 4:42 PM
Subject: ScienceDaily Magazine -- MIT's Plasmatron For Cutting Car =
Pollutants Is Signifi
QUICK LINKS=20
Search site
Free updates
Email page
Fit for printer=20
=20
=20
=20
Welcome!=20
Home page=20
About this site=20
Awards, reviews=20
Privacy policy=20
News Pages=20
Summaries=20
Headlines=20
News by topic=20
Top stories=20
Discussion=20
Newsgroups=20
Opinion polls=20
Your letters=20
Web Links=20
Site of the day=20
Site categories=20
Top sites=20
Image Gallery=20
Pic of the day=20
Image categories=20
Top images=20
Contribute=20
Register free=20
Post release=20
Edit profile=20
Review hits=20
Advertise=20
Media kit=20
Traffic stats=20
Contact us=20
Need Help?=20
Searching=20
Emailing=20
Printing =20
=20
=20
Click on the banner above to visit one of our advertisers.
=20
=20
RELATED: Stories Newsgroups Sites Books < PREVIOUS NEXT >=20
=20
Source: Massachusetts Institute Of Technology =
(http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/www/)=20
=20
=20
Date: Posted 11/17/99=20
MIT's Plasmatron For Cutting Car Pollutants Is Significant Step =
Closer To Road Tests=20
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - An MIT device that could drastically cut =
smog-producing emissions from cars and other vehicles is a significant =
step closer to moving from the lab to the road. The device, known as a =
plasmatron, is expected to be inexpensive and readily compatible with =
present engine technology.=20
Recently the plasmatron was installed in a commercial car engine =
for the first time. It operated reliably over two weeks, and met its =
inventors' expectations for reducing emissions of pollutants, =
particularly nitrogen oxides (NOx). NOx emissions were reduced by two =
orders of magnitude compared to the normal emissions of an engine =
running on gasoline.=20
"This is a major milestone in showing the feasibility of a =
plasma-boosted fuel reformer for reducing vehicle pollution," said =
Daniel R. Cohn, head of the Plasma Technology Division at the Plasma =
Science and Fusion Center (PSFC). Dr. Cohn will be presenting the work =
November 18 at a meeting of the American Physical Society.=20
Now that the researchers have successfully coupled the plasmatron =
to an engine, the next step is to install the device in an actual =
vehicle. "We're ready to take the show on the road," Dr. Cohn said.=20
Dr. Cohn's colleagues on the current work are PSFC principal =
research engineer Leslie Bromberg, PSFC research engineer Alexander =
Rabinovich, PSFC visiting scientist Nikolai Alexeev, and five engineers =
from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where the engine tests were =
conducted.=20
HOW IT WORKS=20
Essentially the plasmatron, which is about the size of a wine =
bottle, works as an onboard "oil refinery." It converts a variety of =
fuels into high-quality hydrogen-rich gas. Adding only a small amount of =
such gas to the fossil fuel powering a car is known to significantly =
decrease emissions of pollutants like NOx.=20
Fuel injected into the plasmatron is exposed to an electric =
discharge that turns the fuel and surrounding air into an electrically =
charged gas, or plasma. The plasma accelerates reaction rates allowing =
the production of hydrogen-rich gas.=20
Plasmatrons have traditionally been used to produce hydrogen-rich =
gas for industrial applications like metallurgical processing. They are =
usually quite large--about the size of a car engine--and require large =
amounts of electrical power. "To our knowledge we're the first to =
develop a plasma-boosted fuel reformer that's this small and that =
operates at low power (less than one kilowatt)," said Dr. Cohn.=20
CURRENT RESULTS=20
"The real achievement of the recent tests was our ability to run =
our new plasmatron connected to an engine for long periods of time," Dr. =
Rabinovich said. "We ran it reliably for four to six hours a day over =
two weeks, with no traces of deterioration."=20
In addition, the researchers found that emissions of key =
pollutants were significantly reduced. For example, NOx was reduced from =
an average 2,700 parts per million without the plasmatron to 20 ppm with =
the device.=20
"This is the first time anyone's been able to integrate a compact =
plasma-boosted fuel reformer with an auto engine and show a large =
reduction in pollutants," Dr. Cohn said. In an actual vehicle these =
reductions will not be as dramatic (due to help from the catalytic =
converter), but the researchers still expect to reduce NOx emissions by =
a factor of 10.=20
The researchers believe that the plasmatron used in the current =
tests has the basic features needed for commercial attractiveness. For =
example, they estimate that the entire plasmatron system could cost no =
more than two to three hundred dollars. Moreover, the only component =
that may need to be replaced-an electrode-is very inexpensive and can be =
changed as easily as a spark plug.=20
The next step in the work-placing the plasmatron in an actual =
vehicle-will require integrating the system to the vehicle's onboard =
computer. Dr. Rabinovich also notes that "the plasmatron will require =
some additional room, but there's no need for a major redesign of the =
vehicle." The team hopes to put the device in a bus within a year.=20
VARIETY OF FUELS=20
The recent engine tests were conducted using gasoline. However, =
laboratory tests with the plasmatron alone have shown that the device =
can also process diesel and biocrude fuels.=20
Although in principle the device could process all of the fuel for =
a vehicle, the researchers say that it's most cost-effective to convert =
only a fraction of the fuel into hydrogen-rich gas. That's because even =
though such gas increases the efficiency of an engine, the plasmatron =
itself consumes energy. The best results in the recent tests were =
achieved by converting 25 percent of the gasoline into hydrogen-rich =
gas.=20
The plasmatron grew out of work conducted over 15 years ago by Dr. =
Rabinovich, who was then an engineer in the former Soviet Union. Dr. =
Alexeev, a colleague of Dr. Rabinovich's at the time, came to MIT this =
year to join his friend on the team (he has since returned to Russia). =
The plasmatron also owes a debt to basic research at MIT on fusion =
power, which uses plasmas.=20
The researchers have five patents related to the plasmatron. The =
work is supported by the DOE Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies.=20
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-
=20
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by =
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology for journalists and other members =
of the public. If you wish to quote from any part of this story, please =
credit Massachusetts Institute Of Technology as the original source. You =
may also wish to include the following link in any citation:=20
MIT's =Plasmatron For=20 Cutting Car Pollutants Is Significant Step Closer To Road Tests=20
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - An MIT device that could =drastically cut=20 smog-producing emissions from cars and other vehicles is a =significant=20 step closer to moving from the lab to the road. The device, known =as a=20 plasmatron, is expected to be inexpensive and readily compatible =with=20 present engine technology.=20
Recently the plasmatron was installed in a commercial car =engine for=20 the first time. It operated reliably over two weeks, and met its=20 inventors' expectations for reducing emissions of pollutants, =particularly=20 nitrogen oxides (NOx). NOx emissions were reduced by two orders of = magnitude compared to the normal emissions of an engine running on = gasoline.=20
"This is a major milestone in showing the feasibility of a=20 plasma-boosted fuel reformer for reducing vehicle pollution," said =Daniel=20 R. Cohn, head of the Plasma Technology Division at the Plasma =Science and=20 Fusion Center (PSFC). Dr. Cohn will be presenting the work =November 18 at=20 a meeting of the American Physical Society.=20
Now that the researchers have successfully coupled the =plasmatron to an=20 engine, the next step is to install the device in an actual =vehicle.=20 "We're ready to take the show on the road," Dr. Cohn said.=20
Dr. Cohn's colleagues on the current work are PSFC principal =research=20 engineer Leslie Bromberg, PSFC research engineer Alexander =Rabinovich,=20 PSFC visiting scientist Nikolai Alexeev, and five engineers from =Oak Ridge=20 National Laboratory, where the engine tests were conducted.=20
HOW IT WORKS=20
Essentially the plasmatron, which is about the size of a wine =bottle,=20 works as an onboard "oil refinery." It converts a variety of fuels =into=20 high-quality hydrogen-rich gas. Adding only a small amount of such =gas to=20 the fossil fuel powering a car is known to significantly decrease=20 emissions of pollutants like NOx.=20
Fuel injected into the plasmatron is exposed to an electric =discharge=20 that turns the fuel and surrounding air into an electrically =charged gas,=20 or plasma. The plasma accelerates reaction rates allowing the =production=20 of hydrogen-rich gas.=20
Plasmatrons have traditionally been used to produce =hydrogen-rich gas=20 for industrial applications like metallurgical processing. They =are=20 usually quite large--about the size of a car engine--and require =large=20 amounts of electrical power. "To our knowledge we're the first to =develop=20 a plasma-boosted fuel reformer that's this small and that operates =at low=20 power (less than one kilowatt)," said Dr. Cohn.=20
CURRENT RESULTS=20
"The real achievement of the recent tests was our ability to =run our=20 new plasmatron connected to an engine for long periods of time," =Dr.=20 Rabinovich said. "We ran it reliably for four to six hours a day =over two=20 weeks, with no traces of deterioration."=20
In addition, the researchers found that emissions of key =pollutants=20 were significantly reduced. For example, NOx was reduced from an =average=20 2,700 parts per million without the plasmatron to 20 ppm with the =device.=20
"This is the first time anyone's been able to integrate a =compact=20 plasma-boosted fuel reformer with an auto engine and show a large=20 reduction in pollutants," Dr. Cohn said. In an actual vehicle =these=20 reductions will not be as dramatic (due to help from the catalytic = converter), but the researchers still expect to reduce NOx =emissions by a=20 factor of 10.=20
The researchers believe that the plasmatron used in the current =tests=20 has the basic features needed for commercial attractiveness. For =example,=20 they estimate that the entire plasmatron system could cost no more =than=20 two to three hundred dollars. Moreover, the only component that =may need=20 to be replaced-an electrode-is very inexpensive and can be changed =as=20 easily as a spark plug.=20
The next step in the work-placing the plasmatron in an actual=20 vehicle-will require integrating the system to the vehicle's =onboard=20 computer. Dr. Rabinovich also notes that "the plasmatron will =require some=20 additional room, but there's no need for a major redesign of the =vehicle."=20 The team hopes to put the device in a bus within a year.=20
VARIETY OF FUELS=20
The recent engine tests were conducted using gasoline. However, = laboratory tests with the plasmatron alone have shown that the =device can=20 also process diesel and biocrude fuels.=20
Although in principle the device could process all of the fuel =for a=20 vehicle, the researchers say that it's most cost-effective to =convert only=20 a fraction of the fuel into hydrogen-rich gas. That's because even =though=20 such gas increases the efficiency of an engine, the plasmatron =itself=20 consumes energy. The best results in the recent tests were =achieved by=20 converting 25 percent of the gasoline into hydrogen-rich gas.=20
The plasmatron grew out of work conducted over 15 years ago by =Dr.=20 Rabinovich, who was then an engineer in the former Soviet Union. =Dr.=20 Alexeev, a colleague of Dr. Rabinovich's at the time, came to MIT =this=20 year to join his friend on the team (he has since returned to =Russia). The=20 plasmatron also owes a debt to basic research at MIT on fusion =power,=20 which uses plasmas.=20
The researchers have five patents related to the plasmatron. =The work=20 is supported by the DOE Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies.=20
Editor's Note: The original news release can be found at =http://web=..mit.edu/newsoffice/nr/1999/plasmatron.html=20
Note: =This story has=20 been adapted from a news release issued by Massachusetts Institute =Of=20 Technology for journalists and other members of the public. If you =wish to=20 quote from any part of this story, please credit Massachusetts =Institute=20 Of Technology as the original source. You may also wish to include =the=20 following link in any citation:
Best viewed with =Internet=20 Explorer or Netscape Navigator (version 3.0 or=20 higher)
------=_NextPart_000_0037_01BF35EC.03B041A0-- ------------------------------------------------------------- To leave this list, email with the body text: leave Interact list archives and on line subscription forms are at http://keelynet.com/interact/ -------------------------------------------------------------
Free 
