SBIR-STTR Award

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is opening a new, low-temperature range of Diesel emission control currently unavailable, while providing further flexibility in Diesel vehicle performance significant for commercial vehicles particularly those in stop-and-go operations (city-type duty cycles). Its environmental and societal impacts consist of markedly-reduced Diesel emissions and greenhouse gases, emission control system downsizing and cost savings, reduced warranty costs to Diesel vehicle manufacturers and reduced Diesel fuel use. Impacts further include reduced emission of respiratory irritants from and increased fuel economy in Diesel vehicles. The technical objectives in this Phase I research project are proof of concept, computer simulation of the underlying complex thermo-chemistry mechanisms and prototyping. The innovation potentially resolves a major obstacle in reducing oxides of nitrogen in very low temperature Diesel exhaust, where traditionally injection of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF; urea water solution) has not been feasible due to risks of urea crystallization; crystallization itself has been a major warranty challenge in the Diesel vehicle industry particularly in heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses operating in city-mode driving conditions. It is anticipated that the proposed novel mixer will minimize urea crystallization risks, accelerate rates of thermolysis and hydrolysis reactions in the Diesel exhaust and enable the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalyst reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) at temperatures well below the current limit of 200 °C. By removing these barriers, the technology developed in this project will enable low temperature reduction of Diesel exhaust NOx, known to both harm human health and increase greenhouse gases. The proposed innovation will likely also provide economic value consisting of vehicle component cost savings, major warranty cost reduction and reduced fuel consumption.

The broader impact/ commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project includes reducing emission of Diesel engines' toxic nitrogen oxides (NOx) in challengingly low temperature exhaust operations, while eliminating damaging urea deposits saving warranty costs for vehicle manufacturers, saving fuel, reducing greenhouse gases CO2 and N2O as well as particulate matter, while potentially enabling downsizing the complex and costly diesel emission control systems. The novel technology developed in this SBIR project may be configured for retrofitting existing diesel platforms. Nitrogen oxides pose risks to human respiratory and pulmonary systems, are associated with forming ground level ozone, photochemical oxidants, acid rain and fine particles, amongst a variety of their detriments, and their emission is therefore regulated. Our concept, when successful, will therefore make available a broad value proposition to the society, the environment and to the mobility industry. Finally, the insights developed into its gas phase reactions may have applications in other branches of science and technology.This SBIR Phase II project proposes to resolve a currently unmet need in mitigating emission of toxic nitrogen oxides (NOx) from diesel engines, especially in low exhaust temperatures such as when the vehicle operates in stop-and-go, in local delivery or when idles its engine. The goal of this project is to develop a low cost, easy-to-fit and simple-to-integrate novel technology enabling low temperature Diesel NOx reduction. Continuing our successful Phase I research results, in this Phase II project more advanced prototypes will be developed and tested in low-temperature exhaust conditions, demonstrating rapid reduction of NOx on a commercially-available Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalyst, while evaluating the impact on lowering greenhouse gases CO2 and N2O. High fidelity computer simulations will be heavily utilized to further our understanding of underlying mechanisms such as the gas-phase reactions as well as to accelerate the development path. The project outcome is expected to alleviate a remaining challenge in Diesel emission control and to be rapidly welcome by the Diesel engine and vehicle industry.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.