Multipoint barrier discharge process for removal of NO/sub x/ from diesel engine exhaust

We investigated the application of the dielectric barrier discharge process to the removal of NO/sub x/ from exhaust gas of a 20-kVA diesel engine generator. A multipoint-to-plane geometry was used as an electrode for low-voltage operation. A pyrex glass plate with a 2-mm thickness was put on the plane electrode as the dielectric barrier. The reactor consists of six discharge cells, with each cell consisting of five stacked multipoint-to-plane electrodes where the exhaust gas flows with a high flow rate. The exhaust gas was successfully treated at a flow rate of 1.2 m/sup 3//min, In order to produce repetitive high-voltage pulse, we made two switching electronic devices, an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), and a pulse transformer. This pulse modulator supplied the voltage with peak value of 10 kV and repetition rate of 2.5 kp/s (pulses per second) to the reactor. The energy transfer efficiency of the pulse modulator is 65% at 300 W of the power consumed in the reactor, The NO/sub x/ (NO+NO/sub 2/) in the exhaust gas was reduced by 35 ppm with an electrical efficiency of 32 g/kWh.