Patent Application
20060277901
This application claims the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a) of Philippine Application No. 12005000294, filed Jun. 14, 2005, entitled “APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING GAS EMISSION OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE”.
The present invention relates generally to treatment of gas emission and more specifically to a method and apparatus for controlling gas emission of an internal combustion engine for improving its performance and reducing the levels of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and other noxious components in the exhaust gas flow from the internal combustion engine to a permissible level.
Numerous gas emission control systems and devices are already known having the main purpose of cleaning exhaust gas and prevent air pollution. Although these systems and devices have been proven to somehow achieve their pollution control objective, most of them have been unacceptable due to some valid reasons such as the cost is expensive, complexity in manufacturing and lack of reliability in operation. One of these devices is the muffler-type afterburning device disclosed in Buttler, U.S. Pat. No. 2,981,057. This device is developed for removing objectionable components from the exhaust gases from automotive engines by utilizing heater elements for reacting with and removing objectionable components from the exhaust gas flow and which employ ceramic or asbestos disks to support the heater elements in the device. Another existing anti-pollution device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,896, wherein the device comprises a cylindrical housing, a spiral cone, an initial ceramic disc, a series of subsequent ceramic discs, a cooling pipe. The housing consists of two identical semi-circular segments having an outer shell and an inner shell constructed of durable material, such as steel and separated by insulation material, such as sodium, with the inside surface of the inner shell lined with a protective hear conductive material, such as porcelain. The device operates in a manner wherein the exhaust gas is directed to an opening in the spiral cone, where the exhaust gases are first expanded due to the larger size opening near the front surface thereof. The exhaust fumes are then agitated by means of ribs in the smaller openings near the rear surface. The exhaust fumes are then propelled through the series of discs, which become extremely hot since they are coated with ceramic porcelain material, causing the foreign or polluted materials remaining in the exhaust fumes to be burned up virtually completely.
The aforesaid anti-pollution devices utilize complicated components and employ the method of removing the pollutants in exhaust gases by heating. While such method appears to have promising development in removing pollutants, the structure of such devices is too complicated and is quite costly to manufacture.
Other exhaust systems of an internal combustion engine employ catalytic converter, resonator and mufflers. Such conventional exhaust systems were engineered and designed primarily to suppress and deaden the loud sound of bursting exhausts emanating from the combustion of the engine, while just a small percentage of pollution control technology is in place. Although these conventional exhaust systems are widely accepted, however, emission of noxious gases still exists in all internal combustion engines' exhaust, polluting the environment in an alarming proportion. This has been attributed to the unburned hydrocarbons from the petrol-based fuel used.
Accordingly, it is useful to provide a method and apparatus that would significantly reduce pollutants in exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine. It is also useful to provide a method and apparatus for controlling gas emission from an internal combustion engine wherein the process and structural feature of the apparatus are very simple and yet can effectively perform its intended purpose. Furthermore, it is useful to provide a method and apparatus having simplicity and adaptation with regards to its installation to a conventional vehicle. Other utilities and novelties of the present invention will be realized upon reading the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention is a post-combustion system, which can be considered as an integral part of the engine's efficiency. It was conceptualized, designed and tested to overcome the above noted limitations that are attendant upon the operational function of existing exhaust systems.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed includes an apparatus utilizing a method of removing undesirable components in exhaust gases by allowing the current of exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine to pass a flow controlling means, which is can be a plurality of venturis, such that the speed of gas flow is accelerated; thus, causing the unburned gas fumes within the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine to be drawn out. Such occurrence results in all the leftover wastes (unburned fuel) and carbon deposits to be scavenged and dispersed out during the exhaust stroke of the engine and the subsequent intake of fresh fuel into the combustion chambers is assured to be in its ideal mixture or in its homogeneous state of “stoichiometric” air-fuel ratio for efficient, full power combustion. The resulting effect of the exhaust emission's increased velocity flow passing through the exhaust piping system, causes partial vacuum in the venturi, which automatically draws in atmospheric air in the treatment chamber. At this stage, oxygen from the induced air reacts to the hot gases of the exhaust in the treatment chamber such that oxidation of the unburned hydrocarbons takes place; thus, resulting in disassociation or conversion of the noxious gases into harmless carbon dioxide, water and traces of nitrogen before being discharged into the atmosphere.
Referring to the drawings, there is shown an apparatus for controlling emission of an internal combustion engine E generally designated as 10, adapted to be connected to a conventional exhaust system S, can be located at its tail end as shown in
As shown in
In operation, the exhaust gases coming from the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine enters apparatus 10 through exhaust system S. The flow speed of the exhaust gases is accelerated tremendously as it enters the gas flow-controlling means 12 due to venturi effect being facilitated by the primary and secondary venturi. The increase in the flow of exhaust gases causes the leftover waste (unburned fuel) and carbon deposits in the combustion chamber to be drawn out and capable of being treated for clean air conversion together with the exhaust gases. As the gases flow freely towards the constricted end of the venturis, some of it is made to pass through the relief means 19 of the primary venturi to hasten the pressure build up in the gas flow-controlling means. Venturi 18, which is can be of greater length and disposed in a manner wherein it is encompassing venturi 17, facilitates the maintenance of the accelerated flow speed of the exhaust gases until it reaches the gas reaction chamber. As the flow of exhaust gases enters the flow controlling means, partial vacuum builds up therein such that atmospheric air is drawn into the air passage means, which is then introduced in the reaction chamber through air inlet means 22. At this point, oxygen from the drawn air reacts with the hot exhaust gases and oxidation of unburned hydrocarbons occurs, which results in the conversion of these noxious gases into harmless carbon dioxide, water and traces of Nitrogen, as they are expelled out in the atmosphere through gas outlet H.
Gas reaction chamber 13 is can be of greater length than the gas flow controlling means 12 such that there will be longer reaction of oxygen and hot exhaust gases to facilitate effective oxidation of unburned hydrocarbons.
The herein apparatus can be installed in any suitable location in the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine or can be incorporated and be an integral part of a muffler structure, or resonator and the like.
The following chart shows the result of the test conducted by the Department of Transportation and communication of the Philippines on a vehicle with and without an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Date Tested: Jan. 31, 2003
The above result of the test in the_vehicle shows that a significant reduction in the opacity is achieved by the use of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Although the present invention has been fully described by way of example with reference to the drawings, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and therefore is already obvious and falls within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12005000294 | Jun 2005 | PH | national |
