Non-thermal plasma reactor use in marine diesel engine exhaust system

Large seagoing vessels are one of the largest pollution sources in the sea environment world. Marine engines operate with extremely low quality fuels contaminated by sulphur and aromatic compounds. Vessels are responsible for an estimated 14 percent total nitrogen oxide emission and 16 percent sulphur oxide, respectively. Nitrogen oxides emissions cause serious problems including acid rain in local areas such as harbours' vicinity. All diesel engine manufacturers have been working on reducing on NOx from ships. This paper describes one of the experimental methods - using non-thermal plasma reactor. NTP reactor was built as the after-treatment module in exhaust gas system in marine diesel engine. Emission measurements were carried out on the engine with and without demonstrator NTP module. The main aim was to analyze exhaust gas compounds during real engine operation, in accordance with test cycles procedureD-2 and E-2 (ISO-8178 rules). The experiment test bench gives the innovative role in the development exhaust gas after-treatment technology for marine systems. One of the most promising methods to decrease the number of toxic compounds from exhaust gas is implementing of NTP reactor as after main treatment module. As the next steps a two-stage plasma-chemical process for the control of harmful compounds: non-thermal plasma reactor and catalyst is proposed. This combination should be more effective and probably gives reduction with more efficiency of harmful exhaust gas compounds.