Vehicle Emissions Research at EMSL Leads to 2003 Federal Laboratory Consortium Award

Summary

Scientists from the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), located at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington, and partners Delphi Corp, Caterpillar, Inc, and the Low Emissions Partnership of USCAR, will receive a 2003 Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) award for an engine exhaust aftertreatment system. The Engine Exhaust Aftertreatment System Based on Non-Thermal Plasma-Assisted Catalysis, is a system that converts both oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter from vehicle engines into components of clean air. The non-thermal plasma-assisted catalysis (NTP) approach resulted in 100 percent NOx reduction in tests conducted at the EMSL, and this system is now a front runner among aftertreatment systems. Delphi recently installed a full-scale prototype NTP catalysis system on a Peugeot vehicle and is working with PSA Peugeot Citroen to customize an NTP system to be included on new Peugeot vehicles as early as 2005.