Diesel cars are a popular choice for those looking to buy a used vehicle in Asia, Europe, and elsewhere. After all, diesel cars cost less to maintain, burn less fuel, and have a longer engine life. Although the pollutant emissions of a diesel engine are less than those of a gasoline one, it still emits carcinogens, nitrous oxides, and soot. Older models don’t even have the emission-control features that newer ones do.
To reduce pollutant emissions, modern diesel engines use catalytic converters, similar to those of gasoline engines. In addition, they use filters to catch exhaust particles.
In a project to make replacement particulate filters more environmentally friendly and affordable, a team of engineering students from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, in Dhaka, designed a carbon-based version with bamboo. The Green Warriors idea won the US $300 prize for best impact in the IEEE Women in Engineering Climate Tech Big Idea Pitch competition. The contest’s goal is to encourage female engineering students and researchers to become more entrepreneurial as a way to boost the number of technical startups led by women.
“Our groundbreaking activated-carbon-based filter represents a significant leap forward in environmental and economic efficiency,” team leader Tasmiah Afrin an electrical engineering student, said in an email interview. The filters contribute to immediate improvements in air quality, she added.
A carbon-based particulate filter
Diesel engines produce more polluting particulate matter than gasoline engines. Because the particles are so small, they can pass easily through a catalytic converter, which is designed to reduce a vehicle’s toxic emissions. Diesel particulate filters therefore are installed in the exhaust system, generally at the exit of the catalytic converter. The most popular type of catalytic converter forces the exhaust through a ceramic honeycomb structure coated with a thin layer containing a precious metal such as platinum, palladium, or rhodium.
“Our project,” Afrin says, “is based on a modified air filter for incoming air into the catalytic converter.”
The Green Warriors’ prototype filter is made from bamboo and uses carbon granules to further reduce emissions.
Activated carbon granules in an absorption chamber and metallic mesh form the filters, Afrin says. Gases pass through either double or multiple chambers. Their prototype is more aerodynamic and lightweight than existing designs used for carbon filters, Afrin says.
“These filters offer a remarkable 5 to 7 percent cost efficiency improvement compared to existing filters, making them a more cost-effective solution,” she says.
An IEEE Fellow who specializes in catalytic converters contacted by The Institute found the idea intriguing but questioned whether the bamboo-based filters would survive the standard process used today to clean the particulate filters. In this process, called regeneration, the units are heated to hundreds of degrees centigrade to burn off the captured particulate matter.
A system for replacing filters
The filters are just one part of the team’s vision for reducing auto emissions. The students’ pitch also included a transport-management system they would build called CarGreenTech and its accompanying smartphone app. Using the app, owners of older diesel cars could purchase the replacement filter or arrange for one to be installed. Another option would be for CarGreenTech to buy the older car, outfit it with a new filter, and resell the vehicle. The goal is to extend the life of these older vehicles, Afrin says.
“CarGreenTech is a platform to make existing vehicles more climate-positive—which provides an all-in-one solution,” Afrin says. Besides the filters, it upcycles older car parts through a car buying/selling/upgrading business-to-business and business-to-consumer solution.” A motivator for student-led startups
The team also includes Ishman Tasnim, Fahmida Sultana Naznin, and Nusrat Subah Shakhawat. Tasnim is studying industrial and production engineering, and Naznin is pursuing a degree in computer science and engineering. Shakhawat recently graduated from the university with a degree in electrical engineering.
The team’s mentor was IEEE Member Toufiqur Rahman Shuvo, a lecturer at the university.
The students are all members of the IEEE student branch at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
“IEEE WIE has a great impact on giving motivation to student startups like us,” Afrin says. “Entering the IEEE WIE pitch competition was one of our best decisions. We were greatly motivated by the judges and getting an award for our work.”
The IEEE WIE competition was sponsored by the IEEE Life Members Committee and Smart WTI, a provider of IoT/artificial water management solutions. The company supports initiatives that aim to contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.This article was updated on 18 March and 26 April, 2024. The original article gave some readers the impression that the particulate filter could substitute for the catalytic converter by removing carbon and other pollutants in addition to particulates. The article has been edited to make it clear that it could not.
Kathy Pretz is editor in chief for The Institute, which covers all aspects of IEEE, its members, and the technology they're involved in. She has a bachelor's degree in applied communication from Rider University, in Lawrenceville, N.J., and holds a master's degree in corporate and public communication from Monmouth University, in West Long Branch, N.J.
