Claims
- 1. An apparatus for treating exhaust gases comprising:
- a hot gas chamber defined by an outer peripheral wall;
- an exhaust pipe extending substantially into said hot gas chamber; and
- at least one support mounted within the chamber such that exhaust gas in the chamber substantially surrounds the support, said support comprising:
- a ceramic honeycomb structure having gas flow passages extending between two opposite ends wherein the passages are defined by walls encompassed within a honeycomb peripheral wall extending between the ends,
- a housing surrounding and spaced from the honeycomb peripheral wall,
- a first inorganic fiber layer around the honeycomb peripheral wall, and
- at least one layer of intumescent material between the first inorganic fiber layer and the housing.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hot gas chamber comprises an expansion chamber.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hot gas chamber comprises a muffler.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first inorganic fiber layer is selected from the group consisting of ceramic fiber mat, ceramic fiber blanket, ceramic fiber felt or ceramic fiber paper.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first inorganic fiber layer contains less than 30 percent vermiculite.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one intumescent layer contains ion-exchanged vermiculite and the first inorganic fiber layer limits the average temperature of the at least one intumescent layer to not more than 750.degree. C. during continuous treatment of exhaust gases.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic fiber layer and at least one intumescent layer are installed at a density which is sufficient to substantially maintain the axial position of the ceramic honeycomb of said at least one support while said honeycomb is exposed to an axial pressure applied parallel to said peripheral wall of at least 34.5 kPa (5 psi).
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic fiber layer and at least one intumescent layer are installed at a density which is sufficient to substantially maintain the axial position of the ceramic honeycomb of said at least one support while said honeycomb is exposed to an axial pressure applied parallel to said peripheral wall of 1723.8 kPa (250 psi) at 700.degree. C.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic fiber layer and at least one intumescent layer are installed at a density which is sufficient to substantially maintain the axial position of the ceramic honeycomb of said at least one support while said honeycomb is exposed to an axial pressure applied parallel to said peripheral wall of at least 689.5 kPa (100 psi) at 800.degree. C.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic fiber layer and at least one intumescent layer are installed at a density which is sufficient to substantially maintain the axial position of the ceramic honeycomb of said at least one support while said honeycomb is exposed to an axial pressure applied parallel to said peripheral wall of at least 1379 kPa (200 psi) at 800.degree. C.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic fiber layer and at least one intumescent layer are installed at a density which is sufficient to substantially maintain the axial position of the ceramic honeycomb of said at least one support while said honeycomb is exposed to an axial pressure applied parallel to said peripheral wall of at least 172.4 kPa (25 psi) at 900.degree. C.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic fiber layer and at least one intumescent layer are installed at a density which is sufficient to substantially maintain the axial position of the ceramic honeycomb of said at least one support while said honeycomb is exposed to an axial pressure applied parallel to said peripheral wall of at least 34.5 kPa (5 psi) at 1000.degree. C.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first inorganic fiber layer is vermiculite-free ceramic fiber paper.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first inorganic fiber layer and at least one of said at least one intumescent layers are incorporated into a single composite material.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one intumescent layer has an uncompressed nominal density of about 0.56 to 0.69 kg/l (35 to 43 pounds per cubic foot).
- 16. A motorcycle having an exhaust system provided with the apparatus of claim 2.
- 17. A motorcycle having an exhaust system provided with the apparatus of claim 3.
- 18. The motorcycle of claim 16, wherein the exhaust system is connected to a 2-cycle engine.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- a second inorganic fiber layer between said at least one layer of intumescent material and said housing.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:
- a second inorganic fiber layer between said at least one layer of intumescent material and said housing.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein at least one of said at least one support is housed inside said exhaust pipe.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one support is axially retained inside the housing by an end ring attached to the inside of said housing, said end ring comprising an annular surface in spaced relation with said at least one support, said first inorganic fiber layer and said first intumescent layer.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 22, further including an annular insulating gasket disposed between said end ring and said at least one support and layers.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of said at least one support is a diesel particulate filter.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of said at least one support is located substantially at the axial center of said hot gas chamber.
- 26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of said at least one support comprises a catalytic converter.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing has an outer wall opposite said first inorganic fiber layer, and said exhaust gas flows around at least a portion of said outer wall.
- 28. A motorcycle having an exhaust system comprising:
- a hot gas chamber; and
- at least one support mounted within the chamber such that exhaust gas in the chamber substantially surrounds the supports, said support comprising:
- a ceramic honeycomb structure having gas flow passages extending between two opposite ends wherein the passages are defined by walls encompassed within a peripheral wall extending between the ends,
- a housing surrounding and spaced from the peripheral wall,
- a first inorganic fiber layer around the peripheral wall,
- at least one layer of intumescent material between the first inorganic fiber layer and the housing, and
- a second inorganic fiber layer between said at least one layer of instrument material and said housing.
- 29. A motorcycle having an exhaust system connected to a two-cycle engine, said exhaust system being provided with an apparatus for treating exhaust gases, said apparatus comprising;
- an expansion chamber; and
- at least one support mounted within the chamber such that exhaust gas in the chamber substantially surrounds the support, said support comprising:
- a ceramic honeycomb structure having gas flow passages extending between two opposite ends wherein the passages are defined by walls encompassed within a peripheral wall extending between the ends,
- a housing surrounding and spaced from the peripheral wall,
- a first inorganic fiber layer around the peripheral wall,
- at least one layer of intumescent material between the first inorganic fiber layer and the housing, and
- a second inorganic fiber layer between said at least one layer of instrument material and said housing.
- 30. An apparatus for treating exhaust gases comprising:
- a hot gas chamber;
- at least one support mounted within the chamber such that exhaust gas in the chamber substantially surrounds the support, said support comprising:
- a ceramic honeycomb diesel particulate filter having gas flow passages extending between two opposite ends wherein the passages are defined by walls encompassed within a peripheral wall extending between the ends,
- a housing surrounding and spaced from the peripheral wall,
- a first inorganic fiber layer around the peripheral wall, and
- at least one layer of intumescent material between the first inorganic fiber layer and the housing.
- 31. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said support is mounted inside said exhaust pipe.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/920,121, filed Jul. 24, 1992, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0411561 |
Jun 1991 |
EPX |
2635142 |
Jul 1989 |
FRX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
920121 |
Jul 1992 |
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