The initial rounds of testing on the metal version of our prototype did not go as we expected it to. We found that, when using our scrubber, the amount of CO2 in the exhaust was more than without the scrubber. After the initial confusion, we attributed this result to a fault in the design of our scrubber; the exhaust gas flowed through the open cylinder in the middle of the chassis rather than the through the activated charcoal.
Additionally, our tests on the 3D printed version of the second model yielded similar results. We found that while other chemicals were reduced, particular compounds such as CO and CO2 were actually increased. Again, we attribute this to a fault in our design; the central channel allowed the exhaust to flow through without coming into contact with the activated charcoal.
After updating our design and taking it back to MTSU, our results differed greatly from our first trip.
We found that our scrubber reduced approximately 97% of volatile organic compounds. Additionally, it reduced 98% of methane, 82% of ethylene, 30% of carbon monoxide, and 10% of carbon dioxide.