Claims
- 1. An apparatus for treating exhaust gases from an engine exhaust line, said apparatus comprising:
- a first housing chamber having an inlet for attachment to said exhaust line and an outlet spaced from said inlet; convoluted coil means inside said first chamber having successive convolutions thereof spaced apart along the flow path through said first chamber from said inlet to said outlet, terminals for applying to said coil means a high DC voltage for charging impurities in the exhaust flowing past;
- said first chamber having an open cross-sectional area which is substantially larger than that of the engine exhaust line, whereby to reduce the velocity of the exhaust as it flows past said coil means;
- a second housing chamber having an inlet connected directly to the outlet of said first chamber and having an outlet spaced from said last-mentioned inlet;
- a plurality of discs positioned in said second chamber with the plane of each disc extending substantially in the direction of the exhaust flow through said second chamber from said second chamber inlet to said second chamber outlet, said discs being at an electrical potential substantially different from that of said coil means whereby to electrostatically attract the charged impurities in the exhaust;
- and vibration means operatively coupled to said discs for removing the accumulated impurities therefrom.
- 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising a core mounted inside said first housing chamber and positioned substantially centrally inside the convolutions of said coil means, said core having a convex end facing toward said inlet of the first chamber for deflecting the incoming exhaust laterally outward toward the convolutions of said coil means.
- 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said second housing chamber has an open cross-sectional area which is substantially greater than that of the engine exhaust line, whereby to maintain a reduced velocity of the exhaust as it flows through said second chamber.
- 4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said core extends lengthwise inside said first chamber between the latter's inlet and outlet, said convex end of the core is blunt and rounded, and said core is tapered inwardly to present a progressively reduced cross-section along its length away from said convex end and toward said outlet of the first chamber.
- 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:
- said inlet to the second housing chamber is completely located substantially above the bottom of said chamber;
- said outlet from the second housing chamber is at the opposite side thereof from said inlet and is completely located substantially above the bottom of said second housing chamber;
- and said cllectors are rotatable discs, each rotating in said second housing chamber in a substantially vertical plane parallel to the direction of the exhaust flow through said second housing chamber, each of said discs extending substantially below said inlet and said outlet of the second housing chamber and being slitted transversely from its outer edge inward;
- and further comprising:
- means for transversely vibrating the discs at a location thereon below said inlet and said outlet of the second housing chamber to shake off the impurities from the lower portions of the discs without shaking off impurities from the upper portions of the discs because of the slits therein.
- 6. An apparatus for treating exhaust gases from an engine exhaust line, said apparatus comprising:
- a first housing chamber having an inlet for attachment to said exhaust line and an outlet spaced from said inlet; charging electrode means inside said first housing chamber comprising convoluted coil means having successive convolutions thereof extending along the flow path through said chamber from said inlet to said outlet and having terminal means for receiving a high DC voltage of a single polarity to cause said coil means to electrically charge with said polarity impurities in the exhaust flowing past;
- said first housing chamber having an open cross-sectional area which is substantially larger than that of the engine exhaust line whereby to reduce the velocity of the exhaust as it flows past said charging electrode means;
- a second housing chamber having an inlet connected to receive the exhaust flow from the outlet of said first housing chamber and having an outlet spaced from said last-mentioned inlet, said second housing chamber having an open cross-sectional area which is substantially larger than that of the engine exhaust line whereby to keep the velocity of the exhaust flow reduced;
- a plurality of collectors located in said second housing chamber and having a polarity and electrical potential effective to electrostatically attract the charged impurities in the exhaust;
- and means operatively coupled to said collectors for removing the accumulated impurities therefrom;
- said inlet to the second housing chamber being completely located substantially above the bottom of said chamber;
- said outlet from the second housing chamber being at the opposite side thereof from said inlet and completely located substantially above the bottom of said second housing chamber;
- and said collectors being rotatable discs, each rotating in said second housing chamber in a substantially vertical plane parallel to the direction of the exhaust flow through said second housing chamber, each of said discs extending substantially below said inlet and said outlet of the second housing chamber and being slitted transversely from its outer edge inward;
- and further comprising:
- means for transversely vibrating the discs at a location thereon below said inlet and said outlet of the second housing chamber to shake off the impurities from the lower portions of the discs without shaking off impurities from the upper portions of the discs because of the slits therein.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Ser. No. 436,134, filed Jan. 24, 1974 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
706,152 |
Mar 1954 |
UK |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
436134 |
Jan 1974 |
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