Hydrocarbon and Electrical Requirements in the Plasma During Treatment of NOx in Light-Duty Diesel Engine Exhaust

This paper examines the hydrocarbon (C{sub 1}/NO{sub x} ratio) and electrical energy density (ratio of power to exhaust flow rate) requirements in the plasma during plasma-assisted catalytic reduction of NO{sub x}. The requirements for treatment of NO{sub x} in heavy-duty and light-duty diesel engines are compared. It is shown that, for light-duty applications, the plasma can significantly enhance the catalytic reduction of NO{sub x} with little fuel penalty incurred in the plasma process.