Performance and analysis of a retrofit electrostatic precipitator before a diesel particulate filter to reduce particulate matter in diesel exhaust system

In this work, an electrostatic precipitator is used in a diesel particulate filter to reduce the particulate matter (PM) emission and lead emissions. As evident by the USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency), the trucks and buses account for one-fourth of PM and one-third of lead suspended in the atmosphere. The diesel particulate filter, as an individual, has its own limitation, that is, only ultra-low sulphur diesel must be used (15 ppm); otherwise, the particulate filter clogs and engine exhaust back pressure increases leading to engine failure. Electrostatic precipitator is found to have some drawback from the research: it cannot precipitate the low resistive diesel PM in its collection plates. The concurrent use of these two helps in overcoming the above-mentioned problems. Other than this, the use of this set-up has decreased in the rate of increase in back pressure at the exhaust system. The particle number density is 98% less when compared to a system of diesel particulate filter only. It increases the collection efficiency of PM and engine efficiency.