Removal of main exhaust gases of vehicles by a double dielectric barrier discharge Abstract. Because the health effects and their contribution to climate change, the emissions of toxic gases are becoming more controlled. In order to improve the diminution of toxic gases to the atmosphere, several techniques have been developed; here it will be focus only to automotive emissions. This work deals about the treatment of toxic gases emitted from vehicles by a non-thermal plasma. Several tests were done in a 4-cylinder 2002/Z16SE motor to characterize the vehicle emissions. With these results gas mixture simulating the exhaust gases vehicles, was used in experiments at different conditions employing a double dielectric barrier reactor for their treatment. The removal efficiencies superior to 90% show the competence of the non-thermal plasma reactor to treat these gases. Experimental results are explained with the aid of a simple chemical model that suggests a possible mechanism of degradation of toxic gases. The plasma reactor employed could works at 12V supplied without difficulty by a vehicle battery.

 El presente estudio compara las emisiones contaminantes producidas por un motor de combustión interna de 4 tiempos con el uso de dos combustibles, el primero es la gasolina común, el segundo es un combustible a base de 95% de gasolina común y 5% de etanol, denominado E5, las pruebas de dichos combustibles se los realizo en un vehículo Ford F150 con sistema de alimentación Flex-Fuel, las mediciones de emisiones contaminantes se las realizo a diferentes regímenes del motor, se observa una clara reducción de las emisiones contaminantes producidas por la combustión y que son expulsadas por el motor a través del tubo de escape al medio ambiente con el combustible E5, mediante un análisis de varianza se determinó que los dos tipos de combustibles pueden ser sustitutos y que no se necesitan modificaciones al motor para el uso del combustible E5.