An alternative to the suppression of diesel vehicles? Innovation “in the pipes”.
posted on Apr 24 2018 by LYNC
A promising technology developed by two scientists at Loughborough University could eliminate almost 100% of the toxic NOx (NO and NO2) emissions generated by diesel combustion.
Long-term exposure to NOx and fine particulate emissions being the cause of premature deaths and illnesses (about 52,000 deaths on the UK according to Government report from 2015) has become a substantial public health concern and has led the car industry to strive to achieve lower engine emissions for the vehicles to comply to increasingly rigorous regulations.
This is where the Ammonia Creation and Conversion Technology (ACCT) would come in the picture as a complementary technology to current AdBlueTM fuel additive. With AdBlue, the chemical reaction only becomes effective when the tailpipe reaches 250°C, which is unlikely to happen on short journeys. To tackle this problem ACCT comes as an enhancer which not only enables AdBlue to be efficient at low exhaust temperatures (significantly below 190°C) but also helps reducing particulate filter obstruction.
Engineered by Jonathan Wilson and his PhD supervisor Professor Graham Hargrave, this innovative technology which had won the Technological Innovation of the Year award in 2017 could make it to the market in two years on the condition that the team receives “the right support”.
Anticipating the demand of potential investors, the commercialisation activity is already “in the pipes” !