Patent · US Expired

Method of reducing internal combustion engine emissions, and system for same

US6391267B1 · kind B1 · utility

39Cited by
64References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 17, 1999
Grant dateMay 21, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 17, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02T10/40
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method and system for reducing pollutant concentration within an internal combustion engine exhaust stream is disclosed. Soot and products of incomplete combustion in the engine exhaust stream are destroyed by oxidizing them in a flameless thermal oxidizer that contains a matrix of heat-resistant media. Methods and systems for increasing particle residence time within the thermal oxidizer are also disclosed. These techniques include employing electrostatic precipitation, centrifugal force, and particle impaction sections. A method and system for reducing oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions is also disclosed. Low NOx concentration may be obtained by adding a SCR system after a thermal oxidizer, by tuning the engine to produce low NOx/high soot and destroying the soot in a thermal oxidizer, and by injecting a reductant into the thermal oxidizer. The flameless thermal oxidizer may be located between the engine and a turbo-charger to enhance thermal efficiency and to reduce turbo-charger wear. The thermal oxidizer comprises longitudinal and radial flow systems, which each may include a reaction wave of the following shapes: planar, cylindrical, Bunsen, Burke-Schumann, and an inverted …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.