Abstract: A system is described for storing ammonia and injecting it into the exhaust gas stream of an engine to reduce nitrogen oxides. The ammonia is stored as a liquid mixture (70) of ammonia and water in a container (50). In one system, the mixture passes through a tube with a portion (62) in contact with the exhaust gas pipe (16) to heat the mixture and separate the ammonia from the water, with the ammonia being further heated at a nozzle (84) to activate the ammonia before injection into an upstream portion of the exhaust gas pipe.

Abstract: A system is described for storing ammonia and injecting it into the exhaust gas stream of an engine to reduce nitrogen oxides. The ammonia is stored as a liquid mixture (70) of ammonia and water in a container (50). In one system, the mixture passes through a tube with a portion (62) in contact with the exhaust gas pipe (16) to heat the mixture and separate the ammonia from the water, with the ammonia being further heated at a nozzle (84) to activate the ammonia before injection into an upstream portion of the exhaust gas pipe.

Abstract: An apparatus for atomizing liquid fuel while mixing it with air, and varying the amount of each while maintaining a substantially constant fuel/air ratio for the intake manifold of an engine. The apparatus includes a frame (16) forming a passage (14) with a throat (44), with a second wall (56) of the passage being moveable toward and away from a stationary first wall (54) of the passage to vary the cross-section of the passage and thereby vary airflow. A fuel-carrying tube (24) has a proximal end (60) fixed to the first stationary wall and has a distal portion (62) that extends through a bore (64) in the moveable wall and with the moveable wall being slideable around the tube. The tube has at least one aperture (70) for flowing fuel into the passage, with the exposed aperture area being progressively increased as the moveable wall moves away from the stationary wall to flow a progressively increasing amount of fuel into the passage.

Abstract: An apparatus for atomizing liquid fuel while mixing it with air, and varying the amount of each while maintaining a substantially constant fuel/air ratio for the intake manifold of an engine. The apparatus includes a frame (16) forming a passage (14) with a throat (44), with a second wall (56) of the passage being moveable toward and away from a stationary first wall (54) of the passage to vary the cross-section of the passage and thereby vary airflow. A fuel-carrying tube (24) has a proximal end (60) fixed to the first stationary wall and has a distal portion (62) that extends through a bore (64) in the moveable wall and with the moveable wall being slideable around the tube. The tube has at least one aperture (70) for flowing fuel into the passage, with the exposed aperture area being progressively increased as the moveable wall moves away from the stationary wall to flow a progressively increasing amount of fuel into the passage.

Abstract: Improvements are described in the injection of ammonia (NH.sub.3) into the exhaust gases of an engine to reduce nitrogen oxides. Instead of merely injecting ammonia into the exhaust gas conduit through a hole in its side, an ammonia injector (90) is provided that projects considerably into the exhaust conduit (16), with the injector having a plurality of holes (94). The ammonia is activated to decompose it into its reactive components, including NH.sub.2 and NH prior to injecting it into the exhaust conduit. Such activation prior to injection can be accomplished by heating the ammonia in the presence of a catalyst such as a metal of the platinum group, iron, nickel, or zinc. In an engine that has a fuel injection system wherein electrical pulses are delivered to fuel injectors to control the fuel flow rate, the durations of these electrical signals are used to control the opening of a valve (72) that controls the flow rate of ammonia into the exhaust gas conduit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing pollutants and especially nitrogen oxides, or NOx, in the exhaust gases of an engine. The apparatus includes a device for injecting ammonia into a conduit that extends between cylinder exhaust valves and a catalytic converter, to mix the ammonia with the exhaust gases. Ammonia injection occurs at a location a plurality of inches downstream of the exhaust valves to avoid burning of the ammonia by flames. The injection preferably occurs at a location where the exhaust gases are at a temperature of at least about 1200.degree. F. to cause considerable reaction of the ammonia with NOx in the exhaust gases prior to the gases reaching the catalyst, so less NOx must be removed along the catalyst.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing pollutants and especially nitrogen oxides, or NOx, in the exhaust gases of an engine. The apparatus includes a device for injecting ammonia into a conduit that extends between cylinder exhaust valves and a catalytic converter, to mix the ammonia with the exhaust gases. Ammonia injection occurs at a location a plurality of inches downstream of the exhaust valves to avoid burning of the ammonia by flames. The injection preferably occurs at a location where the exhaust gases are at a temperature of at least about 1200.degree.F. to cause considerable reaction of the ammonia with NOx in the exhaust gases prior to the gases reaching the catalyst, so less NOx must be removed along the catalyst. To minimize ammonia use, it is injected only for a limited period such as a minute after a cold engine is started when the catalyst is too cold to cause significant reactions, and during operation of the engine at high power levels when the greatest amounts of NOx are produced.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating almost all fine particles, including particles less than 10 microns in diameter, from a gas stream, which requires the input of only a small amount of water and which discharges a correspondingly small amount of particle-water slurry. The apparatus includes a vertical cylindrical chamber having a relatively wide upstream portion that gradually narrows in a transition portion into an elongated throat portion. A central core member extends axially along the throat portion and forms an elongated annular passage. A high velocity gas stream containing fine particles is generally tangentially introduced into the wide upstream portion of the conduit to provide a circulatory flow. Water is introduced through a plurality of parts in the transition portion downstream therefrom, to provide a thin layer of water along the outer walls of the throat.

Abstract: A combustible mixture of air and minute fuel droplets is produced for supply to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. This mixture is formed by accurately controlling both the atomization of fuel and the mass flow rate of air over substantially the entire operating range of the engine. These controls are accomplished by introducing liquid fuel into a stream of intake air and uniformly distributing the fuel in the air followed by passing the air and fuel mixture through a constricted zone to increase the velocity of the mixture to sonic. The sonic velocity air at the constricted zone divides the fuel into minute droplets that are uniformly entrained throughout the air stream. The area of the constricted zone and the quantity of fuel introduced are adjustably varied in correlation with operating demands imposed upon the engine.

Abstract: A flow device and method delivers a gaseous medium to utilization equipment having variable pressure conditions at its intake. A gaseous medium intake zone connects with structure defining a variable area throat zone for constricting the flow of the gaseous medium to increase the velocity thereof to sonic. The throat zone is adjustably varied in correlation with operating demands imposed upon the utilization equipment. Wall structure downstream from the throat zone provides a gradually diverging zone for efficiently recovering the kinetic energy of the high velocity gaseous medium as static pressure. Through such efficient recovery the velocity of gaseous medium through the throat zone is sonic over a wide range of pressure conditions at the intake of the utilization equipment. A flow splitter is spaced from the adjustable throat zone and the splitter is arranged to divide the downstream end portion of gradually diverging zone into multiple zones of reduced divergence.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation valve for installation in the recirculation flow path between the exhaust and intake manifolds of an internal combustion engine. A metering control in the form of an axially displaceable pintle is operative in the flow path of a throat body to form an annular convergent-divergent nozzle. Pintle movement is responsive to predetermined engine variables to vary the throat flow area for continuously maintaining sonic gas flow therethrough. By the pintle being disposed toward closing the throat in a direction counter to the direction of incoming gas flow, sonic flow can be maintained at high efficiency throughout the full range flow capacity required of the valve.

Abstract: A combustible mixture of air and minute fuel droplets is produced for supply to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. This mixture is formed by accurately controlling both the atomization of fuel and the mass flow rate of air over substantially the entire operating range of the engine. These controls are accomplished by introducing liquid fuel into a stream of intake air and uniformly distributing the fuel in the air followed by passing the air and fuel mixture through a constricted zone to increase the velocity of the mixture to sonic. The sonic velocity air at the constricted zone divides the fuel into minute droplets that are uniformly entrained throughout the air stream. The area of the constricted zone and the quantity of fuel introduced are adjustably varied in correlation with operating demands imposed upon the engine.