Rebuilding and Refining a Testbed for Aerogel based Diesel Particulate Filters

Diesel particulate matter, a byproduct of diesel combustion, has been shown to not only be a primary contributor to urban air pollution due to diesel fuel's widespread usage in trucking, but also to cause serious long-term health problems if the particulates are inhaled. By using a diesel particulate filter (DPF) in diesel engines after combustion, the amount of particulate matter released into the environment can be significantly reduced. Aerogels possess several traits that suggest they may be an ideal candidate for the construction of improved diesel particulate filters. Research at Union into the application of aerogels as DPF filter material is ongoing. This talk will focus on design improvements to, and construction of, an aerogel DPF testbed for Union's aerogel lab.