Effect of Hydrocarbons on Plasma Treatment of NOx

Abstract

This paper examines how hydrocarbons affect the non-thermal plasma treatment of NOx in lean-burn engine exhausts. We have found that the NO is mainly oxidized to NO2 by NO + HO2 --> NO2 + OH, NO + RO2 --> NO2 + RO where R is a hydrocarbon radical. The O and OH radicals produced by electron-impact dissociation are consumed mainly by reactions with the hydrocarbons rather than with NO. The hydrocarbons lower the energy cost for the oxidation of NO by converting 0 and OH to HO2; the OH radical is then reproduced when NO is oxidized by HO2. This cyclic process leads to a very efficient utilization of the plasma-produced radicals for the selective partial oxidation of NO to NO2. This result suggests that gas-phase reactions in the plasma alone cannot lead to the chemical reduction of NOx. Any reduction of NOx to N2 can only be accomplished through heterogeneous reactions of NO2 with surfaces or particulates

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA363447

Entities

People

  • B. M. Penetrante
  • B. T. Merritt
  • G. E. Vogtlin
  • M. C. Hsiao
  • W. J. Pitz

Organizations

  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atoms
  • Chemistry
  • Conversion
  • Diesel Engines
  • Dissociation
  • Electric Power
  • Electrons
  • Energy
  • Engines
  • Flow
  • Ground State
  • High Temperature
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Information Operations
  • Kinetic Energy
  • Mixtures
  • United States Government

Readers

  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Snow Cover Descriptors for Reptiles and Their Illustrations.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics