Claims
- 1. An internal combustion engine comprising a fuel injector, a catalyst structure having a catalyst structure volume, a fuel droplet receiving chamber having a fuel droplet receiving chamber volume, and a combustion chamber having a minimum combustion chamber volume, wherein the fuel injector is configured to inject a fuel into the combustion chamber through the catalyst structure, wherein the catalyst structure comprises a support having therethrough a plurality of through-holes formed by sidewalls of the support and a catalytically-effective amount of a catalyst on at least a portion of said sidewalls, and wherein the catalyst structure is spaced a sufficient distance from the fuel injector that the fuel droplet receiving chamber volume is smaller than the minimum combustion chamber volume, wherein the combustion chamber volume of this claim does not include the fuel droplet receiving chamber volume and the catalyst structure volume.
- 2. A catalyst structure for reducing emissions generated by combusting a fuel, said catalyst structure comprising a support having therethrough a plurality of through-holes formed by sidewalls of the support and a catalytically-effective amount of a catalyst on at least a portion of said sidewalls, wherein said catalyst comprises an oxidation catalyst that promotes combustion of said fuel and a reduction catalyst that promotes generation of hydrogen from said fuel.
- 3. A catalyst structure according to claim 2 wherein the support is formed of metal.
- 4. A catalyst structure for reducing emissions generated by combusting a fuel, said catalyst structure comprising a support having therethrough a plurality of through-holes formed by sidewalls of the support and a catalytically-effective amount of a catalyst on a portion of said sidewalls such that at least one catalyst-coated through-hole is adjacent at least one through-hole having no catalyst coating, said catalyst structure having a size suitable for placement in an internal combustion engine.
- 5. A fuel injection structure for reducing emissions generated by combusting a fuel, said fuel injection structure comprising a fuel injector and a catalyst structure according to claim 2.
- 6. A fuel injection structure for reducing emissions generated by combusting a fuel, said fuel injection structure comprising a fuel injector and a catalyst structure according to claim 4.
- 7. A method of combusting a fuel in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising passing the fuel through a catalyst structure to catalytically combust a portion of the fuel and to vaporize at least a portion of uncombusted fuel, and combusting at least a portion of the uncombusted fuel in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, wherein a majority of the fuel is combusted in the combustion chamber.
- 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the method further comprising reacting a portion of the fuel in the catalyst unit to generate hydrogen.
- 9. A method of combusting a fuel mixture in a reciprocating engine having a fuel injector installed in a cylinder head and a movable piston within a cylinder attached to the cylinder head, comprising:
injecting liquid fuel onto an inlet face of a catalyst unit positioned downstream of the fuel injector between the fuel injector and the piston, reacting a portion of the fuel on the catalyst unit, and expelling a remaining fuel portion from an outlet face of the catalyst unit toward the piston.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the catalyst unit comprises a plurality of common walls which form a multitude of adjacently disposed longitudinal channels extending from the inlet face of the catalyst unit to the outlet face of the catalyst unit.
- 11. The method of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the channels is coated with a catalyst and the interior surfaces of the remaining channels are not coated with catalyst such that the interior surface of the catalyst-coated channels are in heat exchange relationship with the interior surfaces of the adjacent catalyst-free channels.
- 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the catalyst comprises a substrate made of metal.
- 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the catalyst-coated channels are closed at the outlet face of the catalyst unit and the catalyst-free channels are open at the outlet face of the catalyst unit.
- 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the catalyst-free channels are closed at the outlet face of the catalyst unit and the catalyst-coated channels are open at the outlet face of the catalyst unit.
- 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the open frontal area of catalyst-coated channels is between 20% to 80% of the total catalyst-coated channel area and catalyst-free channel area.
- 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the open frontal area of catalyst-coated channels is between 20% to 80% of the total catalyst-coated channel area and catalyst-free channel area.
- 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the open frontal area of catalyst-coated channels is between 20% to 80% of the total catalyst-coated channel area and catalyst-free channel area.
- 18. The method of claim 9 wherein the act of reacting said portion of the fuel on the catalyst unit comprises reacting the fuel to generate hydrogen.
- 19. A fuel injector system for a combustion system comprising:
a fuel injector having a hole at a tip from which a fuel is expelled; and a catalyst unit positioned downstream of the tip a distance from the fuel injector such that the catalyst unit receives a liquid fuel droplet and vaporizes the liquid fuel droplet at operating conditions for the combustion system.
- 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the catalyst unit is attached to the fuel injector.
- 21. The system of claim 19, wherein the catalyst unit comprises a plurality of common walls which form a multitude of adjacently disposed longitudinally channels extending from an inlet face of the catalyst unit to an outlet face of the catalyst unit.
- 22. The system of claim 19, wherein the catalyst unit has channels therethrough and at least a portion of the channels is coated with a catalyst and remaining channels are not coated with catalyst such that an interior surface of a catalyst-coated channel is in heat exchange relationship with an interior surface of an adjacent catalyst-free channel.
- 23. The system of claim 19, wherein the catalyst comprises a metallic support.
- 24. The system of claim 22, wherein the catalyst-coated channels are closed at an outlet face of the catalyst unit and the catalyst-free channels are open at an outlet face of the catalyst unit.
- 25. The system of claim 22, wherein the catalyst-free channels are closed at an outlet face of the catalyst unit and the catalyst-coated channels are open at an outlet face of the catalyst unit.
- 26. The system of claim 22, wherein the open frontal area of catalyst-coated channels is between 20% to 80% of the total catalyst-coated channel area and catalyst-free channel area.
- 27. The system of claim 24, wherein the open frontal area of catalyst-coated channels is between 20% to 80% of the total catalyst-coated channel area and catalyst-free channel area.
- 28. The system of claim 25, wherein the open frontal area of catalyst-coated channels is between 20% to 80% of the total catalyst-coated channel area and catalyst-free channel area.
- 29. The system of claim 19, wherein the catalyst unit is removable from the fuel injector and can be replaced or exchanged.
- 30. The system of claim 19, wherein the catalyst unit is a separate unit that is inserted into the head of the engine prior to installing the injector.
- 31. The use of a catalyst disposed downstream of a fuel injector wherein a small quantity of pilot fuel is injected into the catalyst to combust and heat the catalyst prior to injecting a main fuel injection quantity.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Ser. No. 60/260,493, filed Jan. 8, 2001, and to U.S. Ser. No. 60/260,739, filed Jan. 9, 2001, both of which are entitled “Catalyst Placement In Combustion Cylinder For Reduction Of NOx And Particulate Soot” and both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Provisional Applications (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60260493 |
Jan 2001 |
US |
|
60260739 |
Jan 2001 |
US |