Development and Demonstration of a New Filter System to Control Emissions During Jet Engine Testing
Abstract
Measurable quantities of NOx, CO and small particulates are produced and are emitted into the atmosphere during the testing of aircraft engines in jet engine test cells (JETCs). These emissions have been and are a concern to the Air Force and to others who test aircraft engines. The large quantities of exhaust gases that are generated, the wide range of testing conditions that are normally employed, and the sensitivity of engines to back pressures make control difficult and the use of conventional control technologies impractical. A need exists for a simple, low-cost method to control the emissions. In a Phase I SBIR project, Sorbent Technologies Corporation (Sorbtech) explored the ability of vermiculite to reduce or capture contaminants in exhaust gas streams. During the Phase II SBIR project described in this report, Sorbtech investigated how vermiculite might be employed in a commercial system to control emissions from JETCs and how chemical additions to vermiculite might enhance its NOx-removal abilities. The objectives of the Phase II project were to develop and to demonstrate a suitable filter design involving vermiculite that will control NOx, CO, and small-particulate emissions during jet-engine testing. This report traces the development of a new control technology through the laboratory, bench-scale, slipstream, and prototype stages of testing and demonstration. The result of this work is a simple filter design that was recently evaluated at Tyndall AFB. The new filter design consists of two thin panel beds that capture contaminants as gas passes through them at the end of the exhaust-gas chimney. The filters consist of a primary bed of vermiculite/MgO and a secondary bed of virgin vermiculite or activated carbon. The secondary bed is placed in front of the primary bed. The filters were found to remove 40 to 83 percent of the NOx, more than 50 percent of the particulates by mass, and significant amounts of CO.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 15, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA261203
Entities
People
- B. W. Nelson
- D. A. Van Stone
- S. G. Nelson