U.S. patent application number 12/066409 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-23 for internal combustion engine having on-board electrolyzer and method of using same.
Invention is credited to Gary Black, Ronald A. McMaster, Ho Teng.
Application Number | 20080256933 12/066409 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37865503 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080256933 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Black; Gary ; et
al. |
October 23, 2008 |
Internal Combustion Engine Having On-Board Electrolyzer And Method
Of Using Same
Abstract
A method and apparatus for treating the exhaust gases and
improving fuel efficiency of an internal combustion engine is
shown, wherein an on board electrolyzer is employed to produce
hydrogen (H.sub.2) and oxygen (O.sub.2) that are used to maximize
the fuel efficiency and minimize exhaust emissions.
Inventors: |
Black; Gary; (Pottstown,
PA) ; Teng; Ho; (Canton, MI) ; McMaster;
Ronald A.; (Perrysburg, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FRASER CLEMENS MARTIN & MILLER LLC
28366 KENSINGTON LANE
PERRYSBURG
OH
43551
US
|
Family ID: |
37865503 |
Appl. No.: |
12/066409 |
Filed: |
September 12, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
September 12, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US06/35403 |
371 Date: |
March 11, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60716331 |
Sep 12, 2005 |
|
|
|
60718072 |
Sep 16, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
60/295 ;
123/3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F01N 2240/34 20130101;
Y02T 10/12 20130101; Y02T 10/121 20130101; F02M 25/12 20130101;
F01N 3/206 20130101; F01N 3/0842 20130101; F01N 2610/04 20130101;
F01N 2250/12 20130101; F01N 2570/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
60/295 ;
123/3 |
International
Class: |
F01N 3/10 20060101
F01N003/10 |
Claims
1. A system for treating exhaust emissions comprising: an internal
combustion engine including an exhaust gas converter for capturing
NO.sub.2; a source of hydrogen; means for directing the hydrogen to
the exhaust gas converter for converting the NO.sub.2 therein to
N.sub.2; and means for exhausting the exhaust from said engine free
from NO.sub.2.
2. The system for treating exhaust emissions according to claim 1,
wherein said source of hydrogen is an on-board electrolyzer.
3. The system for treating exhaust emissions according to claim 1,
wherein said internal combustion engine includes a source of
anhydrous ammonia.
4. The system for treating exhaust emissions according to claim 3,
further comprising a first conduit means providing communication
between the source of anhydrous ammonia and a combustion chamber
for introducing anhydrous ammonia into the combustion chamber.
5. The system for treating exhaust emissions according to claim 4,
further comprising a second conduit means providing communication
between said source of hydrogen and the combustion chamber for
introducing hydrogen into the combustion chamber, the second
conduit means including means for causing combustion of the
hydrogen to react with the anhydrous ammonia in the combustion
chamber of the engine.
6. The system for treating exhaust emissions according to claim 1,
further comprising a source of oxygen and a means for directing the
oxygen upstream of the exhaust gas converter for converting the NO
therein to NO.sub.2.
7. An improvement in an internal combustion engine characterized
by: an internal combustion engine including at least one combustion
chamber; a source of hydrogen; and a first conduit means providing
communication between said source of hydrogen and the combustion
chamber for introducing hydrogen into the combustion chamber.
8. The improvement in an internal combustion engine according to
claim 7, further comprising a source of anhydrous ammonia and a
second conduit means providing communication between the source of
anhydrous ammonia and the combustion chamber for introducing
anhydrous ammonia into the combustion chamber.
9. The improvement in an internal combustion engine according to
claim 8, wherein the first conduit means includes means for causing
combustion of the hydrogen to react with the anhydrous ammonia in
the combustion chamber of the engine.
10. The improvement in an internal combustion engine according to
claim 7, wherein said source of hydrogen is an on-board
electrolyzer.
11. A method for treating exhaust emissions comprising the steps
of: providing an internal combustion engine including an exhaust
gas converter for capturing NO.sub.2; providing a source of
hydrogen; causing the hydrogen to enter the exhaust gas converter,
whereby the NO.sub.2 contained therein is converted to N.sub.2; and
exhausting the exhaust from said engine free from NO.sub.2.
12. The method for treating exhaust emissions according to claim
11, wherein the source of hydrogen is an on-board electrolyzer.
13. The method for treating exhaust emissions according to claim
11, further comprising the steps of providing a source of oxygen
and directing the oxygen upstream of the exhaust gas converter for
converting the NO therein to NO.sub.2.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional patent
application No. 60/716,331 filed Sep. 12, 2006 and provisional
patent application No. 60/718,072 filed Sep. 16, 2006.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to internal combustion engines, and
more particularly to a method and apparatus for treating the
exhaust gases and improving fuel efficiency.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] In vehicles having internal combustion engines, performance
and control of the exhaust emissions must be improved. The
improvements in performance and in the quality of the exhaust
emissions can be achieved in dealing with the after-treatment, as
well as in-cylinder treatment.
[0006] In the after-treatment, NOX traps have been employed to
decrease the amount of NOX that is released in the exhaust gases.
The amount of NOX in the exhaust from internal combustion engines
may be elevated when the engine is operating lean. Lean operation
of an internal combustion engine improves fuel economy by reducing
the pumping losses and improving the thermodynamic efficiency.
However, the exhaust from such engines may contain a large amount
of excess oxygen for extended periods of time and thus increase the
amount of NOX in the emission system.
[0007] To control NOX emissions during lean operation, emission
control devices capable of storing NOX during lean operating
conditions may be employed. Periodically, as the NOX capacity of
the NOX trap is approached, the air-fuel ratio may be driven to a
rich condition for a few seconds in order to purge the NOX trap of
the stored NOX and to regenerate the NOX storage capacity of the
trap.
[0008] Another of the exhaust treatments is the selective catalytic
reduction. However, there are area infrastructure and safety issues
that must be addressed when dealing with this process.
[0009] Both of the processes are in need of further development.
This is particularly true when considering the EPA emission
regulation regarding NOX emissions. These EPA regulations call for
a reduction in NOX emissions from 1.2 g/bhp-hr. in 2007 to 0.2
g/bhp-hr. in 2010. It is believed that the former can be met
primarily using cylinder technologies and the latter will involve a
combination of in cylinder and exhaust after-treatment
technologies.
[0010] The after-treatment technology must be capable of reducing
as much NOX as possible to N.sub.2 and H.sub.2O.
[0011] In the in cylinder treatment, it has been suggested to use
small amounts of hydrogen added to the hydrocarbon fuel-air mixture
to increase the efficiency or reduce the pollution of the internal
combustion engine. The difficulties in using hydrogen either as the
sole fuel or in combination with a conventional internal combustion
engine results from the hydrogen being a ubiquitous and very
flammable gas, so that storage increases the hazards of operating
the engine and in the general inefficiency in generating the
hydrogen such as through electrolysis on the vehicle.
[0012] Ammonia has been mentioned as a constituent of various types
of fuels in the past, both for internal combustion engines and for
jet propulsion. One such fuel is a liquid mixture of ammonias
nitrate in liquid ammonia which is a self-sustaining fuel
combination requiring no addition of an oxidant such as air.
Ammonia is also used to manufacture hydrazine, a well known rocket
fuel, and while ammonia does not support combustion, it will burn
when mixed with oxygen in air to give a variety of products,
principally nitrogen and water. Mixtures of nitrous oxide and
ammonia in a rate of 3 to 2 will detonate with some violence
yielding nitrogen and water.
[0013] In accordance with the results of the prior art, it has been
found that as a viable alternative to hydrogen as the sole fuel for
internal combustion engines ammonia employment is a viable option.
There are no large development costs and the price of a vehicle
powered by an ammonia fueled internal combustion engine is not
significantly increased. In addition, the fuel is presently
abundant and the fuel handling technology already exists and is
user friendly.
[0014] Ammonia based fuels offer a great potential for universal
use. A disadvantage in using ammonia based fuels is that pure
ammonia is not suitable for use in high speed engines, as the flame
speed is too slow. Also, inherent with the use of ammonia based
fuels in internal combustion engines, the initiation of combustion
has caused a problem.
[0015] It has been found that by doping ammonia with
environmentally friendly chemical additions, the flame speed may be
improved.
[0016] Notwithstanding the disadvantages, there are many advantages
to be achieved by adopting an ammonia based fuel technology. A
resultant effect is the ability of internal combustion engines
which operate with a clean burn at high efficiencies and a
reduction in the dependency on fossil fuels.
[0017] It has been surprisingly discovered that many of the
disadvantages noted above many be overcome by the production of an
internal combustion engine wherein hydrogen (H.sub.2) is injected
from an antechamber adjacent to and in connection with the
combustion chamber, a high efficiency oxidation of NH.sub.3 fuel
can be achieved.
[0018] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
produce an internal combustion engine capable of operating on an
ammonia based fuel which effectively overcomes the above
problems.
[0019] It is also an object of the invention to produce a method
and apparatus for improving the exhaust emissions of internal
combustion engines.
[0020] Another object of the invention is the production of an
internal combustion engine after-treatment of the exhaust emissions
therefrom.
[0021] Still another object of the invention is to produce a method
and apparatus for treating the exhaust emissions by the
introduction of hydrogen as a reductant in a lean NOX trap for
converting N0.sub.2 to N.sub.2.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0022] The above objects may typically be achieved by a system for
treating the exhaust emissions comprising internal combustion
engine including an exhaust gas converter for capturing NO.sub.2; a
source of hydrogen; means for directing the hydrogen to the exhaust
gas converter for converting the NO.sub.2 therein to N.sub.2; and
means for exhausting the exhaust from said engine free from
NO.sub.2.
[0023] Additionally, the above objects may typically be achieved by
an improvement in an internal combustion engine characterized by an
internal combustion engine including at least one combustion
chamber; a source of hydrogen; and a first conduit means providing
communication between said source of hydrogen and the combustion
chamber for introducing hydrogen into the combustion chamber.
[0024] The above object may typically be achieved by method for
treating exhaust emissions comprising the steps of providing an
internal combustion engine including an exhaust gas converter for
capturing NO.sub.2; providing a source of hydrogen; causing the
hydrogen to enter the exhaust gas converter, whereby the NO.sub.2
contained therein is converted to N.sub.2; and exhausting the
exhaust from said engine free from NO.sub.2.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] The above objects and advantages of the invention will
become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from reading
the following detailed description of an embodiment in the light of
the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0026] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of a shaft power path and a
waste power path of an internal combustion engine employing an
on-board electrolyzer in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention;
[0027] FIG. 2 shows a list illustrating the benefits of employing
the electrolyzer shown in FIG. 1 in an internal combustion engine;
and
[0028] FIG. 3 shows a cross section of a combustion chamber of an
internal combustion engine in accordance with another embodiment of
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE
INVENTION
[0029] The following detailed description and appended drawings
describe and illustrate various exemplary embodiments of the
invention. The description and drawings serve to enable one skilled
in the art to make and use the invention, and are not intended to
limit the scope of the invention in any manner. In respect of the
methods disclosed and illustrated, the steps presented are
exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps is not
necessary or critical.
[0030] Referring to the drawings, and more particularly FIGS. 1 and
2, there is shown a system 10 incorporating the present invention
along with a list illustrating the benefits achieved by the system
10. The system includes an internal combustion engine 12 having two
primary power paths: 1) shaft power, and 2) waste power. The system
10 can be used with various engine types, including but not limited
to diesel fueled internal combustion engines and gasoline fueled
internal combustion engines.
[0031] Considering the waste power path, the exhaust gases are
employed to drive an alternator 14 which, in turn, powers an
on-board electrolyzer 16 for producing hydrogen (H.sub.2) and
oxygen (0.sub.2). Considering the shaft power path, a belt driven
alternator 18 powers the on board electrolyzer 16 for producing
hydrogen and oxygen.
[0032] As used in exhaust emissions treatment, the hydrogen
produced by the electrolyzer 16 is introduced as a reducing agent
to an exhaust after-treatment 20 which typically includes a lean
NOX trap (not shown). The NOX is trapped in the lean NOX trap
during normal engine operation and is typically released when the
exhaust is in absence of oxygen. The hydrogen regenerates the NOX
trap on a continuous cycle as the NOX trap approaches a
predetermined capacity. Favorable results have been found wherein a
regeneration cycle occurs approximately three to four seconds out
of every 100 seconds.
[0033] It was also found that the hydrogen introduction in the
exhaust gas stream by the electrolyzer 16 in gasoline fueled
engines will effectively reduce the heat-up time of the catalytic
converter during cold startup, thus improving the quality of
emissions of the engine 12.
[0034] The oxygen produced by the electrolyzer 16 is employed as an
oxidizing agent to effectively cause regeneration of the diesel
particulate filter in diesel fueled engines converting the
particulates to CO.sub.2. Additionally, the oxygen is used as an
oxidant converting NO to NO.sub.2 upstream of the lean NOX
trap.
[0035] It will be appreciated that the advantages and improvements
brought about through the utilization of the on-board electrolyzer
16 results in improved fuel efficiency and improved quality of the
resultant emissions. As used in fuel improvement, the hydrogen
(H.sub.2) produced by the electrolyzer 16 may be utilized with the
fuel to improve operation, reduce fuel consumption, or reduce
emissions.
[0036] More specifically, the on-board production of hydrogen by
the electrolyzer 16 may be beneficially used to improve operation
of a bio-diesel internal combustion engine or an internal
combustion engine employing an ammonia, such as anhydrous ammonia.
Such an engine is shown in FIG. 3, which shows a cross section of a
combustion chamber 112 of an internal combustion engine 110. A
piston 114 is adapted to reciprocate by a connecting rod 116 which
is connected to an associated crank shaft (not shown).
[0037] A source 118 of anhydrous ammonia (NH.sub.3) is fed into the
combustion chamber 112 by means of an associated conduit means.
[0038] The engine 110 is further provided with an antechamber 120
for receiving hydrogen from an appropriate source, such as the
electrolyzer 16 discussed above, in communication with the
antechamber 120. The antechamber 120 is in communication with the
combustion chamber 112 of the engine 110 permitting the
introduction of hydrogen. A spark plug or glow plug (not shown) is
disposed within the antechamber 120.
[0039] In operation, the hydrogen is caused to be ignited by the
spark plug or glow plug, causing the pressure and temperature of
the hydrogen in the antechamber 120 to rise. This condition causes
the hydrogen to issue from the antechamber 120 into the combustion
chamber 112 of the engine 110 as a stream of hot gas. The hot gas
then interacts with the anhydrous ammonia in the combustion chamber
112 of the engine 110. The interaction causes combustion of the
anhydrous ammonia, which consequently forces the piston 114 of the
engine 110 to be thrust downwardly to complete the combustion
stroke of the engine 110.
[0040] As a supplement to hydrocarbon fuel, hydrogen produced by
the electrolyzer 16 can improve idle operation and militate against
carbon deposits in bio-diesel fueled engines and reduce fuel
consumption and emissions in gasoline fueled engines.
[0041] As a substitute for hydrocarbon fuel in diesel fueled
engines, hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer 16 can reduce fuel
consumption, improve cold start operation, and reduce emissions
while running in idle mode. In gasoline fueled engines, the
substituted hydrogen can reduce fuel consumption and reduce
emissions in cold start operation.
[0042] From the foregoing description, one ordinarily skilled in
the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this
invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof,
can make various changes and modifications to the invention to
adapt it to various usages and conditions.
* * * * *