저온 플라즈마 연료개질 장치를 개발하여 여러 운전인자가 그 성능에 미치는 영향을 조사하였고 생성된 수소농후 개질가스를 무부하(Idle) 상태의 디젤엔진에 연소용 공기와 같이 주입하여 NO와 매연 저감효율에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다 전력 소모량이 증가할수록 개질반응의 점화가 더욱 용이하였으나 $H_2$ 농도, $H_2$ 수율, 에너지 전환율과 같은 저온 플라즈마 연료개질 장치의 성능은 O/C 비에 의해서만 영향을 받았는데 그 이유는 평형 반응온도가 O/C 비에 의하여 결정되기 때문이다. 저온 플라즈마 연료개질 장치에서의 $H_2$ 수율과 에너지 전환율은 O/C 비가 증가함에 따라 O/C 비가 $1.2{sim}1.5$에서 33.4%와 66%의 최고값을 통과하였다. $H_2$ 수율과 에너지 전환율이 O/C 비가 $1.2{sim}1.5$ 이하인 범위에서 O/C 비가 증가함에 따라 증가하는 이유는 O/C 비가 높아짐에 따라 완전 산화반응이 충분히 일어나서 반응온도가 높아지기 때문으로 보인다. O/C비가 $1.2{sim}1.5$ 이상인 범위에서 O/C 비가 증가함에 따라 $H_2$ 수율과 에너지 전환율이 감소하는 현상은 과잉산소 조건에서 완전산화반응이 더욱 촉진되어 $H_2$ 수율과 에너지 전환율이 감소하였기 때문으로 보인다. 무부하 상태의 디젤엔진에 개질가스를 주입시 개질된 디젤/총디젤 무게비가 $18.2{sim}23.5%$까지 증가할 때 NO저감효율과 매연제거효율은 각각 68.8%와 55.5%까지 증가하였다.
A nonthermal plasma-assisted fuel reformer was developed and the effects of operating variables on the performance of this reformer were studied. The $H_2$-rich reformed gas from the reformer was injected into a diesel engine under an idle condition and the effects of the amount of injected gas on the NO and soot reduction were investigated. It was found that with increasing electric power consumption, the degree of facility of ignition of the reforming reaction in the reformer could be enhanced. The performance of the reformer including $H_2$ concentration, $H_2$ recovery, and energy conversion was affected only by the O/C mole ratio. This was because the equilibrium reaction temperature was governed by the O/C mole ratio. With increasing O/C mole ratio, the $H_2$ recovery and energy conversion passed through the maximum values of 33.4% and 66%, respectively, at an O/C mole ratio between 1.2 and 1.5. The reason why the $H_2$ recovery and energy conversion increased with increasing O/C mole ratio when the O/C mole ratio was lower than $1.2{sim}1.5$ appeared to be that the complete oxidation reaction occurred more enough with increasing O/C mole ratio in this low O/C mole ratio range and accordingly the reaction temperature increased. Whereas the reason why the $H_2$ recovery and energy conversion decreased with increasing O/C mole ratio when the O/C mole ratio was higher than $1.2{sim}1.5$ appeared to be that the complete oxidation reaction was further advanced and the $H_2$ recovery and energy conversion decreased. As the weight ratio of reformed diesel to total diesel which entered the diesel engine was increased to $18.2{sim}23.5%$, NO and soot reduction efficiencies increased and reached as values high as 68.5% and 23.5%, respectively.
