Diesel soot burning device

Abstract

A hot resistance wire is used to react with the water vapor and soot produced in the diesel engine forming carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas. These are further oxidized or burned with oxygen from air to form carbon dioxide and water vapor. In this manner the soot is eliminated.

Description

[0001] (Continuation in Part-application Ser. No. 09/825,393-File No. Apr. 3, 2001)

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0002] This invention pertains to reduction of diesel soot emission. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the year 2000 that the diesel soot emission be reduced in spite of the economic impact on operators of diesel trucks and buses. The soot particles in the atmosphere are believed linked to the development of cancer particularly in those children that ride the diesel powered buses in the Los Angeles area.

[0003] The Environmental Protection Agency of the government has raised the standards as to how much of the soot pollutants would be allowed.

[0004] It would, therefore, be beneficial to the population in this country if the diesel soot can be reduced or eliminated entirely. This is important because the trucks and buses play a significant role in transportation.

[0005] School buses used to transport children to school in Los Angeles area has been found to cause allergy in children. Furthermore, researchers linked the inhalation of soot to cancer resulting in increased cancer cases of between 23 to 46 per million. The city is trying to encourage diesel powered buses to use purified crude oil or compressed natural gas with less pollutant substances but this increases the cost of the bus by as much as $5,000.

BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION

[0006] The diesel engine was invented in the 19th century. It uses the cheaper grade of fuel—the crude oil, although most any kind of oil can be used as fuel—such as vegetable oil discarded by restaurants, castor oil or coconut oil. The crude oil is obtained after distilling the lighter fraction of gasoline from petroleum. Because the crude oil is practically non-volatile, it does not need a spark to ignite it as is done in the internal combustion engine.

[0007] The air is compressed in the cylinder and the crude oil is sprayed into the cylinder. As the cylinder compresses the air and fuel the high pressure causes the crude oil to burn. The products of combustion are carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, some sulfur dioxide, water vapor and the unburned carbon known as soot. These products of combustion are sometimes called pollutants.

[0008] For example, carbon dioxide is known to create the greenhouse effect in which the solar energy cannot penetrate this layer and thus will cause warming of the earth.

[0009] The nitrogen dioxide along with nitric oxide (NO) comes from the oxidation of nitrogen gas in air. The mixture is usually called NOx.

[0010] The sulfur dioxide comes from the presence of sulfur introduced. This is called supercharging.

[0011] The Water Gas Reaction

[0012] The emission of soot indicates that there is incomplete combustion of the fuel. When the crude oil contains unsaturated hydrocarbons, soot formation occurs. The concentration of soot in the exhaust gases of the diesel engine can be reduced by applying the water gas reaction as shown below. 1

[0013] It is seen that the water gas reaction between the soot (carbon) and water vapor occurs at high temperatures, above 900° F. to form carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Both carbon monoxide and hydrogen ar every flammable and reactive gases.

[0014] When carbon monoxide reacts with oxygen in air, it immediately forms carbon dioxide. Carbon monoxide is toxic while carbon dioxide is not.

[0015] Hydrogen is also flammable gas and reacts with oxygen in air to form water vapor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0016] We can see, therefore, that the water gas reaction at high temperatures can reduce the concentration of soot emitted from the diesel engine.

[0017] The temperature of the soot that is emitted from the diesel engine is not really that hot to produce the water gas reaction.

EXAMPLE 1

[0018] This invention is based on the discovery of a method of using nichrome wire or any high resistance wire connected to an electrical source so that the wire gets hot or red hot in order for the water gas reaction to occur. This reaction will only occur if the soot sticks or accumulates on the surface of the resistance wire or nichrome wire. See FIG. 1. The nichrome wire is placed inside a compartment (1) which is connected to the manifold (2) (the tube that is connected to the muffler). A limited amount of air is allowed to enter (1) by means of a screw that regulates the air flow (3). Air enters (1) if the velocity of the gas from the manifold is high. This is sometimes called the venturi effect. When the opening of 3 is large the venturi effect disappears.

[0019] Inside (1) is the coiled nichrome wire (2), which is held in place by threading through slots (5) of a ceramic holder (4). See FIG. 2. After the wire is threaded in bottom slots it is threaded to the top slots. The nichrome wire in the top slots are threaded perpendicular to the bottom slots. In this manner maximum accumulation of soot on the surface of the nichrome wire is attained. The nichrome wire in the slots and the ceramic holder are sealed with a high temperature cent. dThe end of the nichrome wire in the top half is inserted into a ceramic insulator (7) and connected to the positive side (8) iof the battery. The other end (9) of the nichrome wire on the bottom half is spot welded to (1) the case of the burner which is also the negative side of the battery (8). The outer end of this device is connected to a tube (10) leading to the muffler.

[0020] The reaction of moisture and the soot (carbon) is endothermic, the hot nichrome wire will produce the carbon monoxide and hydrogen known as water gas reaction. The carbon monoxide and hydrogen combines with oxygen in air will immediately produce carbon dioxide and water vapor, respectively which are stable and non-toxic. This reaction is exothermic and will no longer need the heat from the nichrome wire.

[0021] A carbon monoxide detector (11) placed above the muffler which will immediately indicate the presence of carbon monoxide and that means not enough air has been allowed to enter 1. The air regulator is now increased by loosening the screw until the carbon monoxide will no longer detect any carbon monoxide. This also indicates that the soot is completely burned.

[0022] To give the driver a warning that no more carbon monoxide is produced, the positive side of the nichrome wire resistor is connected to an LED (light emitting diode) (12) and installed in the dashboard so that the driver will know that his diesel no longer emits soot and the system is working.

[0023] The external source of electric current can be obtained either from the battery of the diesel engine or from a separate source of battery. It is preferable to use the diesel engine's battery after the engine has been running and the battery is being charged by the alternator. In this manner, the battery will not be discharged completely,

[0024] This method of reducing or eliminating the diesel soot is economical and can be readily incorporated in the diesel motor because the reaction is readily attained in the muffler.

[0025] The modification of the diesel engine requires very little cost.

Claims

1. A source of heat from a resistance wire for the exhaust gases of a diesel engine is provided in order for the soot and water vapor to react.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the water vapor produced in the diesel engine is used to react with the soot.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical source of power to heat the resistance wire is provided by the battery of the diesel engine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical source of power to heat the resistance wire is provided by an auxiliary battery with accompanying battery charger.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein oxygen from the air is introduced in regulated amounts to react with the soot that accumulates on the surface of the heated wire.