Diseño de un filtro de aire para reducir dióxido de carbono emitido por vehículos automotores de gasolina

Abstract

The current study proposes the design and construction of a filter to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated by gasoline-powered vehicles. The parameters considered for the design and construction of the prototype were: the dimensions of the exhaust pipe, as well as tested treatments consisting on the material variations (natural or modified zeolite) and mass of adsorbent material. Since the pollutant adsorption process depends on the material porosity, the treatment has been based on the use of zeolite with hydrochloric acid (HCl) and the samples have been characterized through infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. Then, the pollutant concentration was estimated with the use of the combined gas analyzer (Model: MET 6.3). Finally, the results obtained were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics and were compared with the current legislation. As a final result, it was evidenced that the highest percentage of CO2 removal was obtained when using 0.5 N modified zeolite with a mass of 50g; the removal range was positioned from 4.95 to 49.49% depending on the material and mass. Therefore, it was concluded that dealumination with hydrochloric acid increases the porosity of the material, so that its adsorption potential increases (the higher the acid concentration, the greater the capture of pollutants). It is recommended to complement this study through the implementation of dynamic tests, to identify if the adsorption potential of the zeolite is affected by factors such as acceleration torque and the percentage of engine load.