Reduction of Harmful Emissions from IC Engines using Hybrid Aqua Charcoal Replacing both Silencer and Catalytic Converter

Abstract

The application of IC Engines is ever raising as a power source in industries, on road and off road vehicles, marine vehicles etc.  Harmful gases emitted from IC Engines are causing global warming and various ailments to human beings. There is a need to take measures to reduce emissions like carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, NOx etc., from IC Engines to comply with stringent environmental pollution regulations imposed upon. In this work an attempt is made to reduce emissions using hybrid aqua silencer. The hybrid aqua silencer which can be directly fitted into the exhaust line was designed and fabricated which helps in reduction of both noise and emissions. Aqua silencer consists of perforated tube with three sets of holes of varying sizes for splitting the gas bubbles to smaller sizes. The porous activated charcoal with extra free valances was pasted over perforated tube which reduces the HC and CO emissions. Lime water external to perforated tube reduces the temperature of the gases and also NOx emission. This hybrid aqua silencer also reduces the noise by lowering the amplitude of the sound level. This system works as a silencer as well as a catalytic convertor. It is more economical and easy to assemble. From the experiments conducted on engine, it was found that CO, CO₂, UHC and O₂ were reduced by 21.37%, 2.75% 44.57% and 0.911% respectively.

Keywords: Air pollution, Hybrid Aqua silencer, activated charcoal, unburned hydrocarbons