Ultrafine Inorganic Particle Formation in Plasma-Assisted Combustion

Particulate matter in the atmosphere leads to reduced air quality, poses health issues, and complicates climate prediction. On a global scale, fossil fuel combustion contributes to as much as 85% of the particulate matter in the atmosphere. Plasma-assisted combustion is a promising technology that may reduce emissions, improve combustion efficiency, and enhance low-temperature fuel combustion.

However, the formation of particulate matter in plasma-assisted combustion has not been studied in detail. This research plans to examine particle formation in common plasma-assisted combustion systems. The properties of particles will be studied using a suite of novel particle characterization instruments and modeling methods focusing on particles with sizes ranging from 1 to 100 nm.

The successful completion of this project will benefit society through the development of new knowledge to understand particle formation in this novel fossil fuel combustion technique. Further benefits to society will be achieved through student education, training, and public outreach. STEM training will be enhanced through integration of research findings into course modules, participation of researchers in K-12 summer science camps, and a partnership with the Rolla, MO Public Library to disseminate the project findings to the public.

Limited studies have shown that plasma could potentially reduce particle formation due to kinetic, thermal, hydrodynamic, or a combination of these effects, but detailed mechanisms or relative importance of each effect have not been deconvoluted. These studies left several fundamental questions unanswered: How do ultrafine particle formation mechanisms in plasma-assisted combustion differ from conventional combustion?

How do we deconvolute the thermal, kinetic, and hydrodynamic effects of plasma on particle formation during combustion? How can we accurately model ultrafine particle formation in plasma-assisted combustion to predict emission characteristics? This project proposes to answer these questions by deploying a series of recently developed aerosol instruments and modeling tools to probe particle dynamics with scales down to 1 nm.

This work has the potential to produce a transformative understanding of particle formation in plasma-assisted combustion.

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.