Exhaust Treatment Patents (Class 55/DIG30)
  • Patent number: 5229079
    Abstract: A catalytic converter suitable for use in controlling automotive exhaust emissions including a honeycomb heater disposed downstream of a main monolithic catalyst or between main monolithic catalysts. The honeycomb heater includes a honeycomb structure with a catalyst carried thereon and with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current thereto. A catalytic converter also includes a monolith catalyst for ignition which is disposed downstream of the honeycomb heater. A catalytic converter includes, in place of the honeycomb heater and the monolithic catalyst, a module which is composed of a catalyzed light-off honeycomb heater or of a honeycomb heater and a light-off monolithic catalyst. The module is removably disposed upstream or downstream of a main monolithic catalyst, or between main monolithic catalysts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Harada, Fumio Abe, Hiroshige Mizuno
  • Patent number: 5228891
    Abstract: A gas filter assembly for removing particulates from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine comprising a housing having an inlet pipe for coupling to the engine and an outlet pipe open to the atmosphere is disclosed. The inlet pipe and the outlet pipe define an exhaust gas flow path. A self-contained filtering means is disposed within the gas flow path. The filtering means includes a plurality of inlet cells, microporous filter elements, filter support elements, and the outlet cells. The components of the filtering means are disposed such that the exhaust gas flows through the inlet cells, then through the microporous filter elements and filter support elements, and finally through the outlet cells. Each of the components of the self-contained filtering means are highly resistant to excessive temperatures, so that the filtering means may be regenerated by heat, which burns off accumulated, typically hydrocarbon, particulates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: Pall Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph G. Adiletta
  • Patent number: 5229078
    Abstract: A filter for the separation of impurities or contaminants from a fluid or gaseous medium, especially of harmful components from the exhaust fumes of an internal combustion engine, with a filter body having a plurality of inlet and outlet channels, whereby the inlet channels are separated from the outlet channels by filter walls forming reaction spaces. The filter bodies consist of a plurality of compression molded, high-temperature-resistant filter plates which, arranged one above the other, form a plurality of flow channels between themselves. For the formation of inlet and outlet openings, the channels are each open on one filter body end face and closed on the opposite end face. The channel closure and the connection of adjacent filter plates takes place alternately on each end face by two adjacent filter plates being pushed into and tightly surrounded by stirrup parts which extend over and grip the entire width of the filter plate adjacent end edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: Schwaebische Huettenwerke GmbH
    Inventor: Hans A. Haerle
  • Patent number: 5224973
    Abstract: A filter cartridge with heating element separated from a support member by filter media wherein the heating element has rows of apertures alternately staggered to provide good hoop strength while allowing longitudinal thermal growth and contraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: Donaldson Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce B. Hoppenstedt, Wayne M. Wagner
  • Patent number: 5223009
    Abstract: The exhaust gas equipment for an internal combustion engine contains an exhaust pipe, an exhaust gas cleaner and an adsorption filter, to whose filter body exhaust gas is admitted by a controlled exhaust gas butterfly. In order to prevent damage to the filter due to overheating, in an arrangement of the exhaust gas equipment which is economical in installation space where the adsorption filter is located along the course of the exhaust pipe and a filter body surrounds the latter coaxially, a thermal insulation element is provided between the filter body and exhaust gas flow. The thermal insulation element has transfer openings at least partially outside the exhaust pipe section surrounded by the filter body for guiding the exhaust gas flow through the filter body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz A.G.
    Inventors: Hans-Dieter Schuster, Wolfgang Zahn, Roland Huss
  • Patent number: 5221520
    Abstract: Apparatus for purifying indoor air comprises a blower for circulating air through a duct and removing particles and neutralizing a number of harmful gases through a process of molecular catalytic cracking of heavy hydrocarbons at ambient temperatures. Preferably, the apparatus includes a series of treatment elements including an ozone generator for producing a oxidator gas, a bio-mass collector, a filter coated with zeolite and surface modified hopcalite for removal of CO and NO.sub.x compounds, a filter coated with calcium carbonate for removing carbon dioxide and hydrohalic compounds, a filter coated with zeolite for solvents such as MEK and adsorbing water, and one or more filters for removing particulates in the air stream. The filters thus remove particulates and neutralize a number of harmful gases that may be present in indoor air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: North Carolina Center for Scientific Research, Inc.
    Inventor: James H. Cornwell
  • Patent number: 5215724
    Abstract: A filter for removing impurities from waste gases, and especially from the waste gases of an internal combustion engine, includes a filter body consisting of a plurality of compression moulded, high temperature resistant, sintered filter plates consisting of metal powder, metal chips, metallic fibres or a mixture of these materials, which are arranged on top of or behind one another and kept at a distance from one another by spacers, to form between them a plurality of flow channels. The flow channels are open at one end and closed at the other end in order to form inlet and outlet channels. The walls of the filter plate situated between the inlet and outlet channels constitute filter surfaces. The filter plates are formed by filter discs lying on top of one another, arranged in a filter housing and having a free or open central interior space, so that the waste gases flow radially through the filter discs from the outside towards the interior space or from the interior space towards the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1993
    Assignee: Schwabische Huttenwerke GmbH
    Inventor: Hans A. Haerle
  • Patent number: 5212948
    Abstract: Trap muffler apparatus with bypass to a common reactive acoustic element is disclosed. Bypass structure varies from external bypass to a common acoustic element to annular bypass of the ceramic filter to axial bypass through the middle of an annular ceramic filter. Forward or reverse regeneration are possible. Bypass to atmosphere without filtration is avoided with dual in-line traps or with the segmented trap and control of exhaust gases to traps not being regenerated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Donaldson Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary R. Gillingham, Marty A. Barris, Charles O. Reinhart, Julian A. Imes, Jr., Erland D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 5211918
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for the production of an improved catalytic converter for the cleaning of exhaust gases from internal-combustion engines, which includes a catalytic converter body through which the exhaust gases flow. The catalytic converter body is compression-molded from metal wire pieces or metal chips and is sintered after molding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1993
    Assignee: Schwabische Huttenwerke
    Inventor: Hans A. Harle
  • Patent number: 5207807
    Abstract: The filter comprises filtering means suited to intercept the residual combustion products, and heating means suited to bring said residues to a combustion temperature; the heating means comprise a plurality of electrically conductive portions of said filtering means, mutually insulated and cyclically and selectively supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Assignee: Iveco Fiat S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giovanni Manfre, Angelo Giachello, Francesco Cuniberti
  • Patent number: 5207989
    Abstract: A high temperature resistant seal for a catalytic converter is made from a high temperature resistant material including between approximately 28 and 60 dry weight percent high temperature resistant ceramic fibers and between approximately 20 and 50 dry weight percent high aspect ratio vermiculite. The seal is formed by mixing the resistant ceramic fibers with an aqueous dispersion of high aspect ratio vermiculite, applying the resultant mixture to a monolithic catalyst structure of a catalytic converter and heating the mixture and the monolithic catalyst structure to evaporate the water from the mixture. The seal and the monolithic catalyst structure can then be assembled in a housing to form a catalytic converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Assignee: ACS Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald F. MacNeil
  • Patent number: 5203166
    Abstract: An emission control system for reducing particulates from exhaust gases from a diesel engine includes dual catalyzed diesel particulate filters in joint communication with the exhaust stream and a pair of heater elements each associated with one of the filters, through which exhaust gas is transmitted and uniformly heated. According to predetermined alternating heating sequence, the exhaust gas stream through first one of the pair of filters and then through the other is heated. The differing pressure differentials across the filters, determined by the heating sequence, effectively shift the major portion of the flow of exhaust gas between the filters, so that over the alternating heating sequence the heat generated by the heating elements is sufficient to clean the filters, without the requirement for any auxiliary source of combustion air or any mechanical switching means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Inventor: John W. Miller
  • Patent number: 5204067
    Abstract: A filter for the separation of impurities from exhaust gases, and in particular, from the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine, is disclosed. The filter is provided with a filter body comprising a plurality of compression-moulded and sintered filter plates having high temperature stability. The plates are made from powdered metal, metal filings, metal fibers or a mixture thereof, which are disposed over one another or behind one another, and are spaced by spacers to form a plurality of flow ducts between them. The flow ducts are open on one end and closed on the other, with the walls of the filter plates lying between the inlet and outlet ducts representing filter surfaces. One insert or several inserts consisting of catalytic materials or coated with catalytic materials are inserted into the outlet ducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: Schwaebische Huettenwerke GmbH
    Inventor: Hans A. Haerle
  • Patent number: 5202547
    Abstract: A resistance adjusting type heater has a honeycomb structure having a large number of passages, at least two electrodes to enable electrical heating of the honeycomb structure provided on the honeycomb structure, and a resistance adjusting means, a slit, provided between the electrodes. The thicknesses of passage walls at the portions of the honeycomb structure at which electricity flows at a very high density are increased with a conductive material to prevent the abnormal heat generation at the portions of the honeycomb structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Abe, Hiroshige Mizuno, Takashi Harada, Tomoharu Kondo
  • Patent number: 5202548
    Abstract: A resistance adjusting type heater including a honeycomb structure, electrodes provided on the honeycomb structure, and slits as a resistance adjusting device provided between the electrodes, a sealing device for sealing a heat-non-generating portion of the honeycomb structure, wherein a gas is introduced into the passages of the heat-generating portion of the honeycomb structure and is heated. With this heater, the entirety of the exhaust gas introduced into the heater can be heated rapidly thereby ensuring excellent purification efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Kondo, Fumio Abe
  • Patent number: 5198007
    Abstract: A filter useful for separating contaminants from fluids includes a fused single crystal acicular ceramic support having a discriminating layer thereon, such as a sintered, porous alpha-alumina membrane, on at least part of the support. The support is preferably composed of a non-stoichiometric acicular mullite of about 76 percent by weight Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and about 24 percent by weight SiO.sub.2. The support can be any one of a variety of shapes, but is conveniently elongated in form and preferably includes a plurality of parallel channels through it. The support may be in either a dead-end or cross-flow configuration. In the dead-end configuration, half of the channel holes at each end are plugged in a checkerboard arrangement with the holes open at one end and plugged at the other end. In the cross-flow configuration, all channels are connected by a series of shallow slits cut in the filter, and no end plugs are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1993
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: John R. Moyer, Neal N. Hughes
  • Patent number: 5195317
    Abstract: An apparatus for regenerating a filter provided to scavenge particulate which is included in exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine. The apparatus includes a heating room accommodating the filter, a heat-combusting device for heat-combusting the particulate scavenged by the filter, a microwave generating device for generating a microwave to be supplied to the heating room, a slit provided in a wall of the heating room, a microwave detecting device for detecting the energy level of the microwave coupled through the slit, and a control section for controlling the heat-combusting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomotaka Nobue, Shigeru Kusunoki, Koji Yoshino, Takashi Kashimoto
  • Patent number: 5195319
    Abstract: In filtering particles such as soot from a flue gas a porous filter body of a particulate material bonded together in the body is employed. The material is a metal or metal-like material having a thermal conductivity in excess of 10 W/mK, and the porous filter body has a porosity of 50-90% and a maximum pore size of 10-40 .mu.m. In accordance with the method, the flue gas is conducted through the porous filter body so as to accumulate the particles in the porous filter body. The particles accumulated in the porous filter body are burned off, whereby heat is generated locally. The heat generated locally by the burning-off of the particles is conducted throughout the porous filter body so that the temperature rise generated by the burning-off heat is reduced. Consequently, the porous filter body is not exposed to fatal thermal stresses. A particular application of the porous filter body of the flue gas filter means is in vehicles comprising combustion engines generating soot, such as in diesel engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Inventor: Per Stobbe
  • Patent number: 5194154
    Abstract: A cross-flow structure useful for filtering a fluid, for exchanging one or more constituents between two fluids, or for exchanging heat between two fluids, includes a body having porous partition walls defining at least one open channel extending entirely through it, and a portion of collecting fluid exiting the body through the porous partition walls, rather than through the open channel(s). The body is composed of a fused, interlocked, single crystal acicular ceramic material, preferably a non-stoichiometric acicular mullite of about 76 percent by weight Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and about 24 percent by weight SiO.sub.2. The portion for collecting fluid exiting from the porous walls is preferably an impermeable coating, such as a glaze, substantially covering the exterior of the body, except for the areas where fluid enters the open channel(s) and exits the porous walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: John R. Moyer, Neal N. Hughes
  • Patent number: 5194719
    Abstract: Novel method and structure is disclosed for strengthening and mounting sloted metallic honeycomb structures by positioning rod members within the slots to prevent the slots from closing or deforming, and by utilizing the rod members to precisely engage positionable restraining inserts of an enclosing housing, so as to accurately mount the honeycomb structure within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Gregory A. Merkel, Lawrence S. Rajnik, David F. Thompson, David S. Weiss
  • Patent number: 5194078
    Abstract: This exhaust filter element has a corrugated honeycomb structure made of the porous fibrous ceramics, of which cells are alternately plugged; and is made of material having a higher dielectric factor at an inflow side or an outer circumference portion than at an inside portion. The filter element can be regenerated by irradiation of micro wave after it is soiled by particulates in an exhausted gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Yonemura, Takao Kusuda
  • Patent number: 5192345
    Abstract: The system according to the present invention comprises a hood or a cone provided above smokestacks, industrial chimneys, flues and nearby exhaust-pipes, for leading smokes, dusts and gases, by means of a suction fan, into a serpentine duct provided with a series of nozzles for the nebulization of water under pressure coming from a pump or a compressor, and that will reduce pollution firstly into smog and then into sewage, while the purified air and/or vapor get out through a filter-grate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1993
    Inventor: Luca Pala
  • Patent number: 5190732
    Abstract: An encased catalyst, especially for motor vehicles, includes at least one metal honeycomb catalyst carrier body through which exhaust gas can pass. At least one inner jacket tube carries the at least one catalyst carrier body. An outer jacket tube approximately concentrically surrounds the at least one inner jacket tube at a distance. The at least one inner jacket tube and the outer jacket tube have end regions and are firmly joined together in one of the end regions. The at least one inner jacket tube is freely longitudinally expandable in the outer jacket tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1993
    Assignee: Emitec Gesellschaft fur Emissionstechnologie mbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Maus, Ludwig Wieres, Rainer Sahler
  • Patent number: 5190571
    Abstract: A diesel particulate trap has a filtering element which is a mass of fibrous filter material that radially fills a tubular casing. The filtering element employs lofty yarn extending in straight lines in a repeating pattern, which lines of lofty yarn have been compacted to form a plurality of fibrous walls that intersect to form tunnels extending in the axial or longitudinal direction of the casing. Some of the tunnels are filled with plugs that afford structural integrity while others of the tunnels remain open. The ends of the filtering element are covered by endplates. Substantially one-half of the open tunnels are axially aligned with openings in the inlet endplate and with imperforate areas in the outlet endplate, and the other open tunnels are axially aligned with openings in the outlet endplate and with imperforate areas in the inlet endplate. Exhaust gases entering tunnels open to the inlet pass through the compact fibrous walls and exit through tunnels open to the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1993
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: William T. Fay, Edward M. Fischer, Stephen M. Sanocki
  • Patent number: 5189878
    Abstract: An exhaust gas and pollutant trap is provided for an exhaust system of a motor vehicle, in which the exhaust system is of the type having an engine exhaust pipe and a muffler. The trap consists of a solid support and connection pipe affixed between the engine exhaust pipe and the muffler of the exhaust system of the motor vehicle. A first mechanism included in the trap is carried by the solid support and condenses water vapor from the exhaust gases coming through the engine exhaust pipe. A second mechanism included in the trap, sprays condensed water into the exhaust gases entering the muffler, whereby exhaust gases and solid pollutants are saturated with water and to fall downward to reduce atmosphere contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1993
    Inventors: Antonio Robinson, George Spector
  • Patent number: 5180559
    Abstract: A method of reducing the light-off time of a catalytic converter comprising exposing the matrix of the converter to an alternating magnetic field or to electromagnetic radiation having a frequency such that the washcoat and the catalyst particles supported by the matrix are heated to the light-off temperature without a corresponding increase in the temperature of the entire matrix. The catalytic converter includes a matrix formed in two or more parts, of which the downstream parts are conventional. The upstream part of the matrix consists of a honeycomb made of a material which does not absorb microwave energy, is coated with a washcoat dispersed with catalyst particles which does heat up when exposed to microwave energy, and is enclosed in a waveguide having perforated walls through which exhaust gases can flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1993
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Thomas T. Ma
  • Patent number: 5180409
    Abstract: A fabric for filtering particulate matter from a stream of hot gases, e.g., from a diesel engine, has an unknotted weave of flexible, incompressible, uncrimped, spaced support yarns and flexible, lofty, fully crimped, fill yarns. During the weaving process, the fill yarns are pulled tightly against the support yarns so that they do not slip or shift. For greater assurance of good filtering, a filter employs multiple layers of the fabric, with the support yarns of each layer extending orthogonally to those of adjacent layers. For uses involving prolonged exposure to high temperature, both the support yarns and fill yarns can be continuous-filament ceramic yarns such as alumina-boria-silica yarns. For lower temperatures, the yarns can be primarily glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1993
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Edward M. Fischer
  • Patent number: 5180406
    Abstract: An improved exhaust gas muffler for diesel engines comprises a housing of generally oval shaped cross-chamber, a partition plate disposed therein dividing the housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, a first and second generally cylindrical filters rotatably secured within respective lower and upper chambers of the housing, an external rotation means such as an electric motor enabling the rotation of the first and second filters, and a quantity of alkaline cleaning fluid partially filling the lower chamber of the housing and partially immersing a lower portion of the first filter. Wherein, exhaust gas enters the lower chamber of the housing through an inlet and passes through an asbestos sleeve of the first filter permeated with cleaning fluid, which removes carbon precipitates from the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1993
    Inventor: Chin-Tai Shih
  • Patent number: 5180408
    Abstract: Device for the catalytic detoxification of or soot removal from exhaust gases of internal combustion engines, comprising: a housing (4) which has two partial shells (4a, 4b) welded together along longitudinal welded edge pairs (26) and two open end zones (8) connected to an exhaust gas line, as well as a flow passage for the exhaust gas between the end zones. Two exhaust gas treatment bodies (6) are provided through which gas is able to flow. The exhaust gas treatment bodies are arranged one behind the other in the flow direction and are arranged at spaced locations from one another in the housing. A protective ring (14) made of sheet metal is provided which delimits the space between the two exhaust gas treatment bodies (6) on the outside. The protective ring (14) has at least one sheet metal flap (32), which extends between a welded edge pair (26) of the housing partial shells (4a, 4b) and is welded to the housing (4) at the welded edge pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1993
    Assignee: J. Eberspacher
    Inventors: Siegfried Worner, Georg Wirth, Peter Zacke
  • Patent number: 5175998
    Abstract: An exhaust system for use with automobile engines and industrial plants for filtering exhaust emissions. An exhaust system comprises the exhaust pipe from the combustion chambers, the dehydrating filters and the cleaning device for the removal of detrimental matter from exhaust gases to protect the environment against pollution. The cleaning device includes the container with an inlet, an outlet and a vertical partition to separate the container into two chambers which contain the water solution of chemical substances to remove the detrimental matter from the exhaust gases. The cleaning device also includes the dehydrating filters. The exhaust gases passing through the water solution and dehydrating filters are caused to give up and deposit the hydrocarbons, the particulate material and to dissolve the pollutant gases, for example, the carbon dioxide and to form the carbonic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Inventor: Leonid Simuni
  • Patent number: 5174969
    Abstract: An efficient, economical, compact diesel particulate filter comprising a casing radially filled with a bundle of tubes comprising woven, braided, or knitted inorganic yarn, wherein each tube is at least about twice the length of the bundle, and is folded at one end to prevent exhaust from traveling through the hollow of the tube without passing through its wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Edward M. Fischer, Donald D. Johnson, Stephen M. Sanocki
  • Patent number: 5174968
    Abstract: There is provided an improved electrically heatable core for an electrically heatable catalytic converter. The core is characterized by corrugated thin metal strips and flat thin metal strips in alternating relation with each other and secured to an electrically conductive central core or tube. Alternating with the corrugated thin metal strips and the flat thin metal strips are areas of brazing metal in an axially staggered pattern. These strips are spirally wound and fused to braze them together in a unified monolith. A retainer shell is supplied to hold the monolith together. The core is placed in a housing fitted with insulated means for conducting electric current to the monolith to effect heating. The housing is then inserted in an exhaust line where it is effective to control start-up pollution, and where the monolith is constrained against telescoping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn.
    Inventor: William A. Whittenberger
  • Patent number: 5173267
    Abstract: An encased catalyst, especially for motor vehicles, includes at least one metal honeycomb catalyst carrier body through which exhaust gas can pass. At least one inner jacket tube carries the at least one catalyst carrier body. An outer jacket tube approximately concentrically surrounds the at least one inner jacket tube at a distance. The at least one inner jacket tube and the outer jacket tube have end regions and are firmly joined together in one of the end regions. The at least one inner jacket tube is freely longitudinally expandable in the outer jacket tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignee: Emitec Gesellschaft fur Emissionstechnologie mbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Maus, Ludwig Wieres, Rainer Sahler
  • Patent number: 5171335
    Abstract: A filter for collecting fine particles in exhaust gas is equipped with: a multitude of cells bordering on each other and allowing exhaust gas to flow therethrough; cell partitions separating these multitude of cells from each other and having a multitude of pores through which the multitude of cells communicate with each other; and stop sections provided in the end portions of the multitude of cells so as to cause the exhaust gas introduced into each of the cells at one end thereof to flow into the adjacent cells through the pores of the cell partitions and be discharged at the other end of the cell. These stop sections are so arranged that the amount of exhaust gas entering the cells at the central region of one of the end portions is smaller than that at the peripheral region of the same. With this construction, the amount of fine particles accumulated in the peripheral filter region is relatively large, and that in the central filter region is relatively small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1992
    Assignee: Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Akikazu Kojima, Shinji Miyoshi, Mitsuo Inagaki
  • Patent number: 5171337
    Abstract: A filter unit (10) for removing particulates from exhaust gases for example from a diesel engine, includes several filter elements (24) arranged so the gas flows through them are in parallel and that no individual element carries more than a fifth of the total flow. Each element (24) comprises a tubular heating element (50) of high voidage electrically conducting material, with a secondary filter layer (52) adjacent to its upstream surface, and with means (53-63) to ensure the gas flow and particulate deposition are substantially uniform over the upstream surface. At intervals the heating elements (50) are electrically energized, in turn, to burn off deposited particulates. At any one time only a subset of the elements (24) is energized through which at that time no more than a fifth of the total gas flow passes. The unit (10) might have thirteen such elements (24), energized one at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1992
    Assignee: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
    Inventor: James F. Pollock
  • Patent number: 5171341
    Abstract: An efficient, economical, compact diesel particulate filter comprising a casing with a plurality of concentric, spaced, perforated, supported, substantially rigid tubes substantially filling the casing radially, wherein the perforated surface of each tube is covered by a filtering element comprising substantially helically wound inorganic yarn, wherein each space between tubes is blocked at only one end of the tubes so that exhaust entering an unblocked space at one end of the casing passes radially inwardly and outwardly through filtering elements before exiting through an unblocked space at the other end of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1992
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Richard P. Merry
  • Patent number: 5167676
    Abstract: A combustion of a fuel-air mixture is used to provide a high-temperature and high-pressure pulse of gaseous combustion products for the back-flush cleaning of ceramic filter elements contained in a barrier filter system and utilized to separate particulates from particulate-laden process gases at high temperature and high pressure. The volume of gaseous combustion products provided by the combustion of the fuel-air mixture is preferably divided into a plurality of streams each passing through a sonic orifice and conveyed to the open end of each filter element as a high pressure pulse which passes through the filter elements and dislodges dust cake supported on a surface of the filter element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Curtis V. Nakaishi, Norman T. Holcombe, Paul L. Micheli
  • Patent number: 5158753
    Abstract: An engine exhaust gas purifying device, and process, wherein the device provides a catalyst device for treating the exhaust gas, an adsorbing device for adsorbing materials from the exhaust gas and a heat exchanger. The device is configured so that high temperature exhaust gas from the engine passes through a high temperature side of the heat exchanger prior to passing through the adsorbing device. After passing through the adsorbing device, the gas passes through the low temperature side of the heat exchanger and then passes to the catalyst device. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the catalyst can be disposed in the low temperature side of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Nichias Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Take, Masaji Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 5151254
    Abstract: An exhaust gas cleaning device is disposed within an exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust port of an internal combustion engine. The exhaust gas cleaning device comprises an inner pipe disposed coaxially within the exhaust pipe with an annular space defined therebetween, the inner pipe being provided with a plurality of perforations, and laminated structures disposed upon the inner and outer surfaces of the inner pipe and including a catalyst for cleaning unburned components of the exhaust gas flowing within the exhaust pipe, each of the laminated structures being formed of a material which is not deleterious to the catalyst. The laminated structure includes a catalyst carrier layer formed by, in accordance with one method, fusibly injecting a catalyst including a solution onto an intermediate layer formed upon the inner and outer surfaces of the inner pipe and drying the same so as to remove the liquid component therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1992
    Assignee: Suzuki Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Arai, Makoto Kawai, Kenji Miyai
  • Patent number: 5151253
    Abstract: A monolith can be mounted in a catalytic converter by a material containing intumescent vermiculite flakes that have a uniform content of chemically bound water from about 1.0 to 3.2% by weight and a uniform bulk density from about 0.2 to 0.9 g/cm.sup.3. Such a mounting affords good support to the monolith at warm-up temperatures, exerts adequate holding forces at operating temperatures without danger of cracking the monolith, and does not incur gradual reduction in holding forces at operating temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1992
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Richard P. Merry, Roger I. Langer
  • Patent number: 5149508
    Abstract: There is provided an electrically heatable catalytic monolith composed of a bundle of layers of corrugated thin metal strips in contiguous relation in an electrically parallel circuit, the bundle being accordion folded and having electrical contacts at each end of the bundle and insulation between contiguous folds of the bundle. There is also provided a catalytic converter having a housing, a nonelectrically heatable catalytic monolith and an electrically heatable catalytic monolith as above described in tandem relation in the housing. The primary purpose of the devices hereof is to enable preheating of the catalyst to near optimum temperature for catalytic treatment of a gas, e.g. exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, to overcome pollution at the time of start-up of the engine and until equilibrium temperature of the unit is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Assignee: W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn.
    Inventor: Wesley P. Bullock
  • Patent number: 5147426
    Abstract: As gas-liquid centrifugal separator includes a housing having a gas separating chamber that communicates with a source of a gas sample. A rotating plate can be positioned within the gas separating chamber for the centrifugal separation of liquids and/or solid particulates from the sample gas. The gas separating chamber is maintained at a pressure differential below that of the source of the gas sample. The discharge passageway communicates with the separating chamber to remove the separated liquid and solid particulates. A pressure regulator assembly is connected to the discharge passageway and a source of a pressurized gas in order to be responsive to variations in the pressure status of the discharge passageway and thereby vary the flow of the secondary pressurized gas to render the pressure level in the discharge passage constant to enable a constant effluence of the separated liquid and solid particulates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: Horiba, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Koike, Junji Aoki
  • Patent number: 5144797
    Abstract: An exhaust gas pipe includes a plurality of segments forming at least one angular bend which preferably includes an angle of approximately 90.degree.. The segments include a first segment having a given diameter. An adaptor communicates with the first segment. A second segment communicates with the adaptor and has a diameter larger than the given diameter. A honeycomb body is disposed directly downstream of the adaptor and has a side with an end surface facing towards an exhaust gas flow. The adaptor may have a shape forcing exhaust gas to approach the end surface in a helical and/or spiral path having a curvature and pitch reducing or preventing contact between exhaust gas having already been deflected and exhaust gas newly flowing into the adaptor. The adaptor may have an inside with approximately the shape of a coiled and/or spiral tubing segment approaching the end surface and being cut open in direction toward the end surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Emitec Gesellschaft Fuer Emissionstechnologie mbH
    Inventor: Helmut Swars
  • Patent number: 5144798
    Abstract: A particulate trap filter is provided with an electric heater for burning out particulates accumulated therein. The electric heater is provided as a wiring pattern such that a higher power efficiency is provided for the portion corresponding to the portion of the filter located away from the center of the filter and a relatively lower power efficiency is provided for the portion corresponding to the central portion of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Akikazu Kojima, Shinji Miyoshi, Mitsuo Inagaki
  • Patent number: 5143700
    Abstract: A ceramic filter construction having particular use for removing particulate material in a catalytic incineration system. The ceramic filter is mounted in a plenum through which exhaust gas containing particulate material is conducted. Particulate material is removed from the gas stream as it flows through the ceramic filter. To automatically clean the filter, a fuel burner is located upstream of the filter and extends across the plenum and divides the plenum into a pair of flow paths which merge downstream of the burner adjacent the filter. During the cleaning cycle, the burner directs a flame toward the filter. A damper is positioned in each flow path and the dampers can be independently operated to vary the volume of gas in each flow path and deflect the flame to cause the flame to translate across the surface of the filter to burn off combustible material adhered to the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Assignee: Anguil Environmental Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Gene H. Anguil
  • Patent number: 5143527
    Abstract: A waste purifying device employing an intermediate exhaust fan and a vacuum pump to suck the waste gas flowing from a waste gas source toward a chimney into at least one washing tank through a pipe line, the washing tank containing a washing liquid which can remove the particles or toxic gas in the waste gas, the purified gas being then discharged from the chimney.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Inventor: Guo Tian-Song
  • Patent number: 5143701
    Abstract: For the treatment of exhaust gases, more particularly the catalytic treatment of exhaust gases from IC engines, and more especially the exhaust gases of an automobile, the exhaust gases are passed through a preconverter associated with a main converter and designed for cold start conditions, as long as the engine is in a first operating condition thereof, in which the exhaust gas temperature is not sufficient to activate the main converter. As soon as a second operating state is attained, in which the exhaust gas temperature activates the main converter, the exhaust gases are passed in parallel via the preconverter and the main converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Inventor: Oskar Schatz
  • Patent number: 5140814
    Abstract: An exhaust gas system with a particulate filter and a regenerating burner, whose hot gas outlet is provided in the vicinity of a closed end of the filter in the form of a plurality of openings, which are arranged in one or more planes parallel to the entry surface of the particulate filter. Due to the splitting up of the hot gas flow in the burner into a plurality of smaller flows of hot gas, the mixing with the exhaust gas is so improved that directly downstream from the flame tube of the burner there is a substantially complete equalization of temperature whereby the particulate filter may be positioned very close to the burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1992
    Assignee: MAN Technologie AG
    Inventors: Josef Kreutmair, Nikolaus Konig, Alfred Zobl, David M. Simpkin
  • Patent number: 5141714
    Abstract: An exhaust gas cleaner comprising (a) at least one filter made of a heat-resistant and electrically insulating material for trapping floating fine particles in an exhaust gas; and (b) at least a pair of electrodes stacked with the filter alternately, voltage being applied between the adjacent electrodes to burn electrically conductive and burnable fine particles trapped in the filter by heat generated by a current flowing between the adjacent electrodes, and the direction of the flow of the exhaust gas in the filter being essentially parallel to that of the laminate surface of the electrodes. The filter may carry a catalyst which functions to reduce harmful gas components in the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1992
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Riken
    Inventors: Akira Obuchi, Hidenori Yoshiyama, Akihiko Ohi, Hyogoro Aoyama, Hideo Ohuchi, Atsushi Ogata, Koichi Mizuno, Seiji Makino, Kiyohide Yoshida, Gyo Muramatsu, Nobuyuki Matsumura, Satoshi Sumiya, Yoshikazu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5137696
    Abstract: An exhaust gas cleaning device for a motor vehicle is constructed of a honeycomb core body formed by superposing a planar band made of a metal sheet and a corrugated band made from another metal sheet one over the other in a contiguous relationship and then rolling the thus-superposed bands into a multi-layered spiral form with at least one outermost layer thereof being formed of the planar band. The honeycomb core body defines a number of network-patterned axial gas flow passages and is adapted to carry an exhaust gas cleaning catalyst. At least one fin is fixed on an outer peripheral wall of the honeycomb core body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuzo Hitachi, Haruo Serizawa