Abstract: A coupling used to transfer fluid between two conduits includes a seal arrangement that permits an inner sleeve to move axially and angularly without fluid leaking from the coupling. The coupling also includes a pair of coupling members coupled to the inner sleeve, around each end of the inner sleeve. The inner sleeve includes tapered ends sized to receive a seal including a spherical lip. Each coupling member includes a tapered end that compresses each seal during assembly of the coupling. The seal spherical lips maintain sealable contact between the inner sleeve and the coupling first and second members.

Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) repeat unit includes an oxide electrolyte, an anode, a metallic fuel flow field, a metallic interconnect, and a metallic air flow field. The multilayer laminate is made by casting tapes of the different functional layers, laminating the tapes together and sintering the laminate in a reducing atmosphere. Solid oxide fuel cell stacks are made by applying a cathode layer, bonding the unit into a gas manifold plate, and then stacking the cells together. This process leads to superior mechanical properties in the SOFC due to the toughness of the supporting metallic layers. It also reduces contact resistances in stacking the cells since there is only one physical contact plane for each repeat unit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for reducing internal combustion engine contaminate and additive particulate matter in a particulate filter the method including accessing the filter and entraining particulate matter in a fluid stream. Further disclosed herein is an internal combustion engine particulate filter system including a canister, a filter media mounted in said canister and an access opening in said canister. Yet further disclosed herein is a low cost particulate filter system having access for contaminate and additive particulate removal, the system including a canister, a filter mounted in the canister, a flange retainer without a seal and a sleeve disposed in said canister and configured to inhibit particulate leakage from and flange retainer.

Abstract: A catalytic converter is constructed by measuring a substrate to be placed within the outer shell or can, wrapping the substrate in a selected mat and loading the package (mat and substrate) into the can. The can is larger than it will be at completion of manufacture to render such loading easier. Subsequent to loading, the measurement of the substrate is used to direct the degree to which the can is reduced in outside dimension such that a selected annulus is created between the substrate and can, said annulus being occupied by said mat.

Abstract: One embodiment for making an exhaust emissions control device comprises: disposing a mat support material around at least a portion of a substrate, disposing a shell on a side of the mat support material opposite the substrate, and adhesively bonding the mat support material to at least one of the substrate and the shell with a material comprising an inorganic binder.

Abstract: The invention provides a controller and cylinder deactivation system to regenerate an exhaust aftertreatment device for a multicylinder engine that operates primarily at an air/fuel ratio that is lean of stoichiometry. The invention uses the cylinder deactivation system to control temperature and air/fuel ratio of an exhaust gas feedstream going into an aftertreatment device. The invention also increases the amount of fuel delivered to each non-deactivated cylinder by an amount sufficient to maintain operating power of the engine. The regeneration action includes desorbing NOx from a NOx adsorber catalyst, desulfating the NOx adsorber catalyst, and purging a diesel particulate trap.

Abstract: The present invention employs cylinder deactivation hardware and control systems to increase the heat rejected to the engine cooling system to improve heating of an internal combustion engine and a passenger compartment of a vehicle. The heat rejected to the cooling system is a result of an increase in combustion temperatures in the non-deactivated cylinders, due to increased work. The invention also includes a system to reduce the cooling system heat capacity. The invention provides heat quickly after a cold start and while operating at low engine operating points. This method and system are particularly suited to compression-ignition engines and direct-injection spark ignition engines that primarily operate lean of stoichiometry.

Abstract: A catalytic converter of the type having an inlet plenum between a converter inlet and an axial inlet face of a substrate and an outlet plenum between a converter outlet and an axial outlet face of the substrate, wherein a first axial length of the inlet plenum is in a range of 20-40% of the first axial length of the inlet plenum summed with a second axial length of the outlet plenum to minimize flow resistance in said catalytic converter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically determining system configuration information, including the sector, carrier frequency and bus assignment of each hardware component installed on equipment, such as a cell station. In an illustrative cell station implementation, each cell station includes a hardware controller that communicates on a common bus with a plurality of hardware components. When each cell station is powered up or reset, each hardware component reads an identification value (or a portion thereof) that has some physical significance from a backplane on which the hardware component is installed. The identification information obtained from the backplane is used to derive a bus address that uniquely identifies each hardware component on the common bus. In addition, the identification information contains information that describes the hardware component and how the component is located within the cell station.

Abstract: A pipe connection includes a longitudinally extending first pipe portion having an annular first flange at a first distal end of the first pipe and a longitudinally extending second pipe portion having an annular second flange at a second distal end of the second pipe. One of the flanges is a male flange and the other of the flanges is a female flange. The male flange has a ring shaped male wall longitudinally extending from a longitudinally facing flat surface of the male flange. The female flange has a ring shaped female wall longitudinally extending from a longitudinally facing first flat surface of the female flange. The male and female walls are shaped and sized such that the male wall is received within the female wall. A detent is formed from, in, and extending radially away from a first one of the walls toward a second one of the walls. A notch extends radially into the second one of the walls and is sized and shaped to receive the detent therein.

Abstract: A non-thermal plasma reactor and method provides individually retained reactor plates. The method for preparing the non-thermal plasma reactor comprises stacking an alternating sequence of positive and negative reactor plates to form a reactor stack, placing temporary spacers between the positive and negative reactor plates. In a first embodiment, a ceramic insulating layer is disposed on each side of the stack, folds of the ceramic insulating layer extending between plate pairs. The temporary spacers are removed and the stack is compressed. The reactor is wrapped with a retention material, and suitable electrical connections are applied to the plates. The wrapped stack is inserted into a reactor housing, and the necessary electrical and inlet-outlet connections are made. In this embodiment, the reactor plates are secured by the retention material and the folds of the ceramic insulating layer.

Abstract: An endcone assembly for use with a catalytic converter comprises a conical shaped sidewall extending outward to a shoulder having a first diameter. A mat protection element having a second diameter extends from the shoulder. The mat protection element has a second diameter that is equivalent to or less than the diameter of the conical shaped sidewall. The mat protection element includes a sidewall having at least two ribs or dimples that protrude outwardly from the sidewall to impart additional retention, positioning and alignment properties to the endcone assembly when being placed within a catalytic converter assembly. The edge of the sidewall either contacts a leading edge of the mat support material, or penetrates the leading edge of the mat support material, when the endcone assembly is disposed within the catalytic converter.

Abstract: A catalytic converter comprises a catalyst substrate concentrically disposed in a shell and having a mat support material located concentrically in between the catalyst substrate and shell. The catalyst substrate includes structural features located on its outer surface that engage the mat support material. The shear forces exerted between the catalyst substrate and mat support material, in addition to the normally present frictional forces, reduce the axial movement of the catalyst substrate during assembly and operation of the catalytic converter.

Abstract: A catalytic converter is constructed by measuring a substrate to be placed within the outer shell or can, wrapping the substrate in a selected mat and loading the package (mat and substrate) into the can. The can is larger than it will be at completion of manufacture to render such loading easier. Subsequent to loading, the measurement of the substrate is used to direct the degree to which the can is reduced in outside dimension such that a selected annulus is created between the substrate and can, said annulus being occupied by said mat.

Abstract: A catalytic converter of the type having an inlet plenum between a converter inlet and an axial inlet face of a substrate and an outlet plenum between a converter outlet and an axial outlet face of the substrate, wherein a first axial length of the inlet plenum is in a range of 20-40% of the first axial length of the inlet plenum summed with a second axial length of the outlet plenum to minimize flow resistance in said catalytic converter.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an exhaust control valve includes casting first and second subhousings as separate pieces and machining smooth the inner faces of both. Each subhousing has a stem portion and a flow portion. Each flow portion defines a cylindrical bore from which a seat arc extends radially inward and approximately 180° along. The seat arc of the first subhousing lies below, and the seat arc of the second subhousing lies above, a horizontal plane that bisects the subhousings. Each seat arc has a semicircular inner sidewall that serves as a valve seat. Their inner faces facing each other, the two subhousings are mated so that their two stem portions form a stem housing and their two flow portions form a flow housing. During the mating step, the cylindrical bores are aligned to form a flow passage through the flow housing, with the two valve seats spaced equidistantly from a vertical plane defined by the inner faces along which the subhousings mate.

Abstract: A wireless telecommunications system architecture is disclosed that is capable of supporting a centralized block radio architecture and of distributing the information-bearing signals from the block radio to geographically-dispersed radio heads using relatively low-cost cable (e.g., twisted-pair, etc.). In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a radio multiplexes, modulates, and channel codes one or more information-bearing signals and upconverts them, not to radio frequency, but to an intermediate frequency that can be transmitted over a low-cost cable. Co-located with each radio head is an upconverter that upconverts the intermediate frequency signal to radio frequency in preparation for radiation by an antenna.

Abstract: A catalytic converter mat having a high density in areas which coincide with the ends of a substrate to be wrapped thereby and low density between the ends is disclosed which reduces cost of the mat component of a catalytic converter while retaining the benefits of proper mat pressure at the inlet and outlet ends of the substrate to retain and support the substrate without mat erosion and insulation of the substrate from the canister.

Abstract: A spin formed catalytic converter employs fewer and circumferentially shorter weld joints to reduce manufacturing cost of such catalytic converters.

Abstract: A catalytic converter for use in the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, said catalytic converter including a housing having a cavity formed therein and having a gas inlet end and a gas outlet end, a pair of end members, each of said end members having an opening for allowing exhaust gases to pass therethrough, one of said end members sealingly connected to the gas inlet end of said housing and the other of said end members sealingly connected to the gas outlet end of said housing, a catalyst coated substrate located within said cavity and having a gas inlet face and a gas outlet face, a first mat of material which is expandable in an axially direction when heated positioned between said housing and a first portion of the catalyst coated substrate, and a second mat of material which is expandable in a radial direction surrounding a second portion of the catalyst coated substrate.