Filtering Technology
The Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM) announced on June 9 that its Department of Plasma Engineering developed a diesel particulate filter (DPF) equipped with a plasma burner and the original technology will be tested soon for a Ministry of Environment certification.
A DPF is a device that burns more than 95% of the exhaust gas which is discharged from the exhaust pipe of a diesel car. The temperature of the exhaust gas should be maintained at 300 degrees Celsius or higher for the device to function as intended. However, the temperature is lower than that in urban areas and thus temperature-raising techniques have been required. Some burners have been developed in this regard in the United States and Europe, but the burners are voluminous and their use has been limited to large trucks.
In contrast, the plasma burner the KIMM developed at this time, which employs a small plasma generator, is about one-tenth in size compared to combustors in general. It is capable of exhaust gas combustion even at a low exhaust gas temperature or in poor conditions of engine operation unlike existing equipment. The institute explained that its device can deal with nitrogen oxide emissions as well as exhaust gas.
The KIMM completed a 60,000 km, on-road driving test with the DPF mounted in an ordinary car. It is expected to be found in vehicles in use from next year after the certification procedure is completed.