DIESEL EXHAUST TREATMENT APPARATUS
Apparatus for attenuating particulate matter and volatile organic compounds in exhaust gases of diesel engines. The apparatus includes a housing disposed serially relative to exhaust gas flow. The housing encloses mechanical filters having gas orifices of different sizes, and after the filters, a low temperature, low restriction catalytic converter. Pressure may be monitored to infer clogging by particulates. Clogging may be annunciated by an indicating light. Individual filters may be contained within plural separate filter canisters, which may be removed for cleaning. The housing may be substantially of aluminum, having cooling fins and a longitudinally oriented mounting foot. Filters may be arranged such that their orifices are misaligned to promote separation of particulates from the exhaust gases.
The present invention relates to treatment of exhaust of diesel engines, and more particularly to a filter for attenuating diesel particulate emissions as the emissions are produced.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONDiesel engines are subject to limitations on exhaust emissions as are gasoline engines, although the nature of diesel emissions differs from that of gasoline exhaust products. Under ideal conditions, diesel emissions are quite limited. However, under less than optimum conditions, diesel engines produce objectionable exhaust borne substances.
Some of the emitted substances are volatile organic compounds, which may result from high pressures in combination with relatively fuels of relatively complex hydrocarbon structure such as cetane. Other substances include particulate matter, popularly known as soot. Particulate matter is heavily carbonaceous, but may include volatile organic compounds, and is produced mostly when a diesel engine is lightly loaded. This is because under light loading, combustion chamber temperatures are sufficiently cool to the point that not all of the hydrocarbon fuel compounds burn to completion.
There exists a need to address diesel exhaust emissions of organic particulate matter and volatile organic compounds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides apparatus for trapping and attenuating organic particulate matter or both particulate matter and volatile organic compounds, in diesel exhaust gases. The apparatus may comprise a random series of filters or screens of different orifice size, which may operate in conjunction with a catalyst. For example, the series of filers or screens can have progressively smaller orifice size. The filters and catalyst, where the latter is used, may be contained within a housing adapted to transfer exhaust heat to ambient air, thereby lowering exhaust temperatures and promoting precipitation of gas borne particulates. The catalyst may be a low temperature, low restriction catalyst. The housing, together with the filters and catalyst, may be installed in series within the exhaust system of a diesel engine. Pressure sensors may be used to sense impending clogging of the filters, at which point the apparatus may be serviced by disassembling and cleaning, then reinstalled. An alarm such as an indicating light may be illuminated to alert the operator of the diesel powered equipment that clogging has occurred.
It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus for separating and trapping particulate material from diesel exhaust gases.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
Referring first to
Referring also to
It will also be seen that the cooling fins 122, 124, 126, 128, 130 may have counterparts on the opposed side of the housing 102 in the form of cooling fins 140, 142, 144, 146, 148.
Turning now to
As shown diagrammatically in
It should be noted at this point that orientational terms such as predecessor refer to the direction of flow of exhaust gases through the device in normal use. As illustrated in
As seen in
The housing 102 may be of aluminum in whole or in part. Because of metal consitutuency and of close fit, the relation of the mechanical filters 150, the filter canisters 154, 156, 158, 160, and the housing 102 is such that all of these are disposed in heat transfer relation to one another.
The inlet end 106 of the housing 102 transfers exhaust heat to ambient air. As seen in
The apparatus 100 may comprise a pressure sensing arrangement which may be used to determine by inference whether the apparatus 100 has become clogged by particulate matter which has been separated from the exhaust gases. This may be implemented in several ways. As seen in
In another implementation seen in
Referring again to
Although the invention has been described in terms of certain components being referred to in either the singular or the plural, other arrangements are possible. For example, it is to be understood that due to the conceptual description presented herein, components presented in the singular may be provided in the plural. Illustratively, the catalytic converter may be provided in plural segments or plural catalytic converter assemblies (this option is not shown).
The present invention is susceptible to modifications and variations which may be introduced thereto without departing from the inventive concepts. For example, exhaust gas passage orifices 152 of individual mechanical filters 150 may vary in configuration, orientation, and in other ways. Also, a housing corresponding to the housing 102 may vary in cross sectional configuration, being rectangular, oblong, irregular in cross section, for example. The frustoconical configuration of the inlet end 106 and the outlet end 108 could be belled or otherwise curved or varied.
The number, size, and arrangement of cooling fins such as the cooling fins 122, 124, 126, 128, 130, 140, 142, 144, 146, 148 may be varied as desired.
The mounting flange 132 may be drilled to accept threaded fasteners if desired (this option is not shown).
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible.
Claims
1. Apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine, comprising:
- a housing having a circumferential wall, a longitudinal axis, an inlet end, and an outlet end; and
- a plurality of filter canisters each containing mechanical filters having exhaust gas passage orifices, disposed serially within the housing, and wherein the exhaust gas passage orifices of the mechanical filters are of at least two different orifice sizes.
2. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, wherein within each one of the filter canisters, the mechanical filters contained therein are arranged in a random order.
3. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, wherein the mechanical filters contained within each said filter canister are spaced apart from one another.
4. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, wherein the exhaust gas passage orifices of any one of the mechanical filters are out of linear registry with the exhaust gas passage orifices of an adjacent mechanical filter.
5. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a metallic composition substantially of aluminum.
6. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, wherein the filter canisters and the mechanical filters are metallic and are disposed in heat transfer relation to the housing.
7. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of external cooling fins.
8. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, wherein the housing has conical configuration and an open interior at the inlet end, whereby at least some separation of particulate matter from exhaust flowing through the apparatus occurs at the inlet end of the housing.
9. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a mounting flange extending in the longitudinal direction.
10. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, wherein the housing is cylindrical and the mounting flange presents a planar surface away from the housing, and the mounting flange is generally tangential to the housing.
11. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter and in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensing arrangement which may be used to determine by inference whether the apparatus for attenuating particulate matter and volatile organic compounds in the exhaust of a diesel engine has become clogged by particulate matter which has been separated from the exhaust gases.
12. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 11, wherein determination of clogging by the pressure sensing arrangement utilizes one pressure sensor, and is based on a threshold of a single predetermined pressure value being exceeded.
13. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 11, wherein determination of clogging by the pressure sensing arrangement utilizes a first pressure sensor disposed to sense exhaust gas pressures proximate the inlet end and a second pressure sensor disposed to sense exhaust gas pressures proximate the outlet end, and wherein determination of clogging by the pressure sensing arrangement is based on a threshold of a differential in pressures sensed by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor being exceeded.
14. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 11, further comprising an alarm arrangement which is disposed to signal an alarm condition responsive to determining that the filter is clogged.
15. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 11, wherein the alarm arrangement comprises an indicating light.
16. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, further comprising a catalytic converter disposed serially within the housing on that side of the mechanical filters which is proximate the outlet end.
17. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 16, wherein the catalytic converter is a low temperature, low restriction type.
18. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 16, wherein the housing comprises a first section enclosing the filter canisters, a second section enclosing the catalytic converter, and a connecting conduit disposed to connect the first section to the second section, wherein the first section has a first diameter, the second section has a second diameter, and the connecting conduit has a third diameter which is less in magnitude than the first diameter and the second diameter.
19. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, wherein the number of filter canisters containing mechanical filters is four.
20. The apparatus for attenuating particulate matter in the exhaust of a diesel engine of claim 1, wherein the exhaust gas passage orifices of the mechanical filters are of four different orifice sizes.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 8, 2010
Publication Date: May 10, 2012
Inventor: Charles Anthony Griffith (Thousand Oaks, CA)
Application Number: 12/941,349
International Classification: F01N 11/00 (20060101); F01N 3/10 (20060101); F01N 3/02 (20060101);