Activated charcoal as an exhaust filter ?

[cujet]

What I did not mention is that My 06 jetta has been operating on my stockpile of high sulfur fuel. Up to 3000PPM! Cat still makes the exhaust smell like propane (clean) just like the day I bought the car. It now has 60,000 miles.

Chris

[SteveU.]

Hello Cujet/Chris,

I've never said that a cat could not be made to work on a Lister/iod sized diesel engine.
I know I could make one work. But I am an eight year experienced Emmisons Tech. I've restored hundreds of systems to working order. To simply replace the cat gave me no pay. I only got payed for sucsessfully making the existing system pass the independenty given tail pipe test.
All of my advice is based on training and experience of what it takes to make a cat function and live.
If it was just a simple bolt on piece we would still have an American Motors Co., an International Harvester Light Truck Div., and probably British Leyland too. But no: diesel did not yet require this in my state. Soon.

You are a pilot in addition to being certified/experienced/working aircraft maintenence mechanic.
If I ever get the yen to try making a powered ultra-light I definatly want your input. Honest.

As I've just said I believe a catalytic converter Can be made to work on a Lister/iod, if the right size can be found and then the engine montitored, and then modified as needed to make the cat functionable and then live a reasonable life.

My STIHL brand chainsaw guide use to show one model fitted with a cat for use in California. My local dealer  (Washinton State) can find nothing.
Leland and Tom? can you check this out and maybe other small 2 stroke marine? possibilities that may be California only? Please.

Thank you
SteveU.

 

[MacGyver]

My STIHL brand chainsaw guide use to show one model fitted with a cat for use in California. My local dealer  (Washinton State) can find nothing.
Leland and Tom? can you check this out and maybe other small 2 stroke marine? possibilities that may be California only? Please.

Read the text here...lower part of the ad. Yes, apparently Stihl does use a cat. (Meow!)

http://www.stihl.com/isapi/default.asp?contenturl=/knowhow/producttechnics/stihlengines/2_stroke/default.htm

[cujet]

Steve,

Please take all my cat posts as just "guesses". I think it would work. For sure, I don't really know. Obviously, you have much more experience in this area than I do. My 'roid sure is stinky.

I would like to try it. However, I really need more power from my 'roid, so adding restriction is out of the question. I currently run 2 mufflers and I know they reduce power a bit. Along with the OEM tiny airfilter.

In my case, I will likely build a non restrictive tuned exhaust and intake. That way my engine will take a bit more fuel and start my AC without having to "goose" the fuel rack.

Chris

[LowGear]

I have a Kubota diesel tractor with a wood chipper on the rear PTO.  If I chip with the wind in the wrong direction it really stinks and everyone’s breath smells like burned diesel for hours. But if I’m running B-40 or greater I can’t really smell it and I don’t have the lingering backward bad breath syndrome. 

Has anybody experimented running their 'roid exhaust gases through an activated charcoal filter to reduce/eliminate the diesel exhaust smell ?
If so, what were your results and what was your setup like.

 
I apologize for getting back on topic.

Casey

[SteveU.]

Hi All. SteveU. was wrong and would like to correct himself.

Since I "retired" 20 months ago I haven't been keeping up with the current diesel cat devolopemnts.

Lowgear/Casey, if I may, the reason for Jens's original activated charcoal question was to reduce the diesel smell in his close quarters situation. Other members have the same problem. Your solution of changing the fuel type is certianly the most elegantly simple answer to this problem.

However for those times when nessesity says they must use Dinodiesel I think someone it going to have to try diferent activted charcoal schemes. WE wont really know untill it is tried in diferent ways. This will probably be the next easiest solution to the smell problem.

Now here is where I was wrong about the current diesel catalytic converter situation:
1) Sulpher is Not a cat contaminent. The high fuel sulpher ran through a cat was resulting in very high levels of poduced sulphuric acid out the exhaust stream. Bad for plants. Very bad for people. Even bad for structures.
Thank you Chris for challenging to get the right info.
2) The U.S. EPA has a diesel engine retrofit program they are slowly putting into place. This is in addition to manditory new engine requirements.
In response some of the catalytic suppliers are now offering dumb (nonelectronically controlled systems) retrofit diesel catalitytic converters. So indeed it may be as simple as: select and bolt on.

Here are the references:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/catlytic-converter
Very good nontechnical explaintion of why, what and who of cats. 20% diesel info --all good info.

auto.howstuffworks.com/catalytic_converter.htm
Too simplifed but has an interesting diesel vidio.

www.easterncatalytic.com/products/diesel.php
They list a 1.5 " inlet/outlet universal diesel cat.

www.discountconverter.com/diesel/index.cfm
Lists universal 2.00" & 2.25" ID universal diesel cats for $257.08 & $111.14 USD

Any of these cat should be sized OK for a large Lister/oid twin like Jens"s.
Probably too big for any of ths singles below a 16/1. And my chainsized cat idea at only a 1/2" (13mm) flow capacity would be too resrictve for even a 6/1 single. Maybe later as these suppliers work their way down in engine sizes.

Three ideas in three diferent price ranges to solve a dinodiesel exhaust stink problem.

I am now back to working on my wood makes electricy project.

Thanks for your patience
SteveU.

[SteveU.]

Damn. And I told myself I would not say one more thing about catalytic converters on this thread.
Jens please forgive me.

hwew if you could find out and post supplier/manufacturer information on these 6/1 engine cats you've seen it you would be doing this forum knowledge base a great service.
Then anyone interested could find it through the search function by pulling up the word: catalytic.

Thank you
SteveU. 

[carlb23]

my 6/1 would smoke pretty good with a load above 2800 watts on diesel. I have recently added Natural gas fumigation to the engine at a ratio of 3 to 1 natural gas/ pump diesel.  Not only did this reduce the diesel smell to almost nothing it also reduced the smoke by about 80%.  With loads of 2500 watts or less there is no visible smoke and very little diesel smell.  I know that everyone doesn't have natural gas available to them but, propane should work just as well but I don't know the current cost of propane and if it is worth while.  I can say that the cost to produce a Kwh of energy with the natural gas / diesel on my engine is about 26 cents.  Much more expensive than grid power but much less than running on diesel only which if i remember correctly was about 45 cents per Kwh at 4.25 a gallon for diesel. 

Just some fuel for thought.

Carl

[SteveU.]

Thanks hwew
You're going to make at least four people on this thread very happy.
Doesn't matter the cats original purpose as long as it works and lives a reasonable time.
Proof in service always trumps conventional wisdom (even my own).
Carls sucsessful utilization of a +60% gasious fuel subsitute in a Lister/iod IDI engine without spark conversion AND with a measurable power increase is evidence of this.
I am learning with these engines the best approach is probably to NIKE them: "Just Do IT".

SteveU.