Adapting Land-based Emission Control Strategies for Marine Environments: A Framework for Reducing Ultrafine Particles from Ship Engines

This study investigates the possibility of applying Ultra-Fine Filtration (UFF) technology, which has been applied to land-based diesel engines, to marine diesel engines. The test, inspired by the increasingly stringent International Maritime Organization MARPOL Annex VI regulations, assesses the performance of UFF using a bench-scale John Deere PowerTech 4045H engine in three operating conditions: idle, 2100 RPM (unloaded), and 2100 RPM (loaded). These conditions resemble important marine operational modes, such as port maneuvering, low-load auxiliary operation, and cruising. The findings reveal that UFF systems were able to reduce overall Particulate Matter (PM) concentration (44 mg/m³ to 13 mg/m³) by up to 70% and the level of smoke was significantly lowered in all of the test conditions. Nonetheless, emissions of nitrogen oxides increased by up to 40%, which can be attributed to more complete combustion and higher in-cylinder temperatures. The results indicate that although UFF is highly efficient at controlling PM, it needs to be combined with other after-treatment processes, such as selective catalytic reduction, to control all emissions. This paper provides background on the transfer of UFF systems to the maritime industry.