Activated carbon adsorber to reduce gas emission in automobiles

1. MEPCO SCHLENK ENGINEERING COLLEGE
OUR TEAM MEMBERS
K.AJITH KUMAR
M.MANOKARAN
V.MANIKANDAN
GUIDED BY : Dr.T.PRABAHARAN BE..,ME..,Ph.D

2. DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF ACTIVATED CARBON
ADSORBER TO REDUCE GAS EMISSION IN
AUTOMOBILES
VENUE: FACILITATION CENTRE

3. PROBLEM STATEMENT
 Due to increase in usage of automobiles around the world there is an increased emission of
the harmful gases such as carbon-mono-oxide, oxides of nitrogen, sulphur-di-oxide,etc…
 Recently, Delhi has accounted an air pollution rate of nearly 60% and a death rate of
nearly 30,000 deaths in every year.
 According to Bharat Standard norms (currently BS IV) ,the rate of emission of carbon
content from the exhaust gases must be reduced.
 Due to the high smog rate accounted in Delhi, the government has ordered to run odd
numbered vehicles in one day and even numbered vehicles in the following day

5. Automobile
engine
(exhaust gas
with higher
rate of COX and
NOX
etc..,)
Activated
wood
charcoal
Carbon adsorption
chamber
FLOW CHART
Direct to
gas
analyzer
checking the
emission in the gas
analyser after
The gas is allowed
to pass the
adsorption
chamber
(Exhaust gas with
reduced rate of
emission)
Two
way
check
Valve

6. WORKING PRINICPLE
Reduction of emission from the exhaust gas with the use of effective use of
adsorbents
adsorbent – activated wood charcoal

7. MECHANISM
 ADSORPTION
 The activated charcoal has higher surface residual forces in order to overcome
this, the incoming gases gets adsorbed on the surfaces of the charcoal
 Charcoal is an universal adsorbent and it will be activated by
heating it in vacuum at a specified temperature
 Its recharge rate is depends on the factor how it is activated
and to which temp it is activated
 Higher polar molecules will has the better capacity to gets
trapped on the surface on a larger scale
Higher polar molecules – CO2 , NOX

8. WORKING PRINICPLE
CARBON ADSORPTION CHAMBER
Initially the exhaust gas from the engine is feed as an input to the carbon adsorption chamber.
However the chamber is designed with required specification in the solidworks and fabricated.
Use appropriate material for the chamber fabrication.
The carbon adsorbents mainly activated wood charcoal wrapped inside a wire mesh is placed inside the chamber .
When the exhaust gas is allowed to pass through the carbon adsorption chamber, the activated wood charcoal act as a
catalyst and adsorbs gas with it and thus the rate of emission reduces drastically.

9. Referred Engine Specification
Engine make : Hero Honda
Bore : 80 mm
Stroke : 110 mm
Speed : 1500 rpm
Brake power : 3.68 KW
Compression ratio : 9.1:1
Fuel : Petrol
Specific gravity : 0.8275
Max Power : 6.72 KW @ 7000 rpm
Torque : 10.35 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Displacement : 124.7cc
4 stroke,Single cylinder engine

10. CALCULATION

11. Volume flow rate = Swept Volume X Number of intakes per hour
= 5.5294 × 10−4 × 45000
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 = 24.8833 𝑚3
ℎ𝑟
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑙 =
24.8833
16000
= 1.5508 × 10−3 𝑚3

12. 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑑 =
𝜋
4
× 𝐷2
× 𝐿 ∴ 𝐿 = 3𝐷 (𝑠𝑡𝑑)
1.5508 × 10−3
=
𝜋
4
× 𝐷2
× 3𝐷
4 × 1.5508 × 10−3
𝜋 × 3
= 𝐷3
D = 0.086 m
D = 8.6 cm ≈ 10 𝑐𝑚
L = 3D
= 3 × 10
= 30 cm

13. PROJECT DESIGN
Components :
 Chamber material (MS-18 gauge)
 Wire Mesh
 Activated Wood Charcoal
WIRE MESH
ACTIVATED WOOD
CHARCOAL

16. Fabricated chamber Types of Charcoal used
Pellet shapedIrregular shaped
Specification of charcoal used
Property Pellet shaped charcoal I Irregularly shaped charcoal
Activation temperature About 1500°C About 900 °C
Shape of the charcoal Pellet shaped (small cylinder like) Irregular shaped not of defined particular
shaped
Grain size Fine grain size Irregular grain size

17. Experimental test setup Exhaust gases analyzing system with printer

18. Without adsorber at no load condition

19. With adsorber (containing irregular shaped undefined
particle sized charcoal activated to 850°C)

20. With adsorber (containing pellet shaped activated
charcoal activated to around 1500 °C
PARAMETER ACTUAL
CO ( % by vol) 1.90
HC (PPM) 2987
O2 19.72 % by vol
CO2 1.1% by vol

21. With adsorber (containing irregular shaped undefined
particle sized charcoal activated to 850°C pellet shaped
activated charcoal activated to around 1500 °C in the ratio 1:
1 along with the lime powder )

22. Precentage reduction of all gases
With adsorber (containing irregular shaped undefined particle sized charcoal activated to 850°C)
% reduction of CO = [(2.65-1.95)/2.65]*100 = 26.4 %
% reduction of HC = [(3766-2995)/3766]*100 = 20.4 %
% reduction of CO2 = [(2-1.1)/2]*100 = 45 %
% increase of O2 = [(20.03-18.02)/18.02]*100 = 10.03 %
With adsorber (containing pellet shaped activated charcoal activated to around 1500 °C)
% reduction of CO = [(2.65-1.90)/2.65]*100 = 28.3 %
% reduction of HC = [(3766-2987)/3766]*100 = 20.62 %
% reduction of CO2 = [(2-1.1)/2]*100 = 45 %
% increase of O2 = [(19.72-18.02)/18.02]*100 = 09.03 %

23. With adsorber (containing irregular shaped undefined particle sized charcoal activated to 850°C
pellet shaped activated charcoal activated to around 1500 °C in the ratio 1: 1 along with the lime
powder )
% reduction of CO = [(2.65-1.35)/2.65]*100 = 48.76%
% reduction of HC = [(3766-2330)/3766]*100 = 38.1 %
% reduction of CO2 = [(2-0.6)/2]*100 = 70 %
% increase of O2 = [(19.02-18.02)/18.02]*100 = 5.56%

25. 0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
Without Carbon Adsorber With Carbon Adsorber
[containing irregular shaped
activated charcoal activated
to 850 ℃ ]
With Carbon Adsorber [
containing irregular shaped
activated charcoal activated
to 850 ℃ & pellet shaped
charcoal activated ]
With Carbon Adsorber [
containing pellet shaped
activated charcoal ]
3766
2995
2330
2987
PPM
Hydro carbon Column1 Column2
Comparison graph for HC emission

26. Cost Analysis
S.NO. PRODUCTS COST (₹)
1. Sheet metal and its operation 1200
2. Charcoal 450
3. Mesh and Bonding materials 200
4
Testing charges
150
Total ₹ 2000

27. REFERENCES
REFERRED JOURNAL PAPER
a. RajaduraiMS, Maya J(2015) Carbon-dioxide reduction in diesel power generator using modified
charcoal. International Journal of Recent Development in Engineering and Technology.
(http://www.ijrdet.com/files/Volume4Issue9/IJRDET_0915_01.pdf)
b. C., D. Langenderfer, A. Yezerets, M. Ruth, H.-Y. Chen, H. Hess, M. Naseri, 2011. “Passive Catalytic
Approach to Low Temperature NOx Emission Abatement”, Directions in Engine-Efficiency and Emissions
Research(DEER)Conference,October3-6,2011Detroit,MI,USA,
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/pdfs/deer_2011/tuesday/presentations/deer11_henry.pdf
c. Naseri, M., Aydin, C., Mulla, S., Conway, R. et al., 2015. “Development of Emission Control Systems to
Enable High NOx Conversion on Heavy Duty Diesel Engines”, SAE Technical Paper 2015-01-0992