Engine emission analyzer
First Claim
1. A method for determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine, the method comprising the steps of:
- (A) measuring the relative concentration of a test gas in the exhaust gas;
(B) measuring each of fuel-gas flowrate, fuel-gas temperature and fuel-gas pressure;
(C) computing a volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas from the fuel-gas flowrate, temperature and pressure measurements; and
(D) computing a test gas emission rate from the calculated volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas and measurement of relative concentration of the test gas;
wherein steps C and D, are performed in real time by a suitably-programmed digital computer.
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Abstract
A method for analyzing the exhaust emissions of large industrial engines that: produces emission information in real time and permits the generation of test results immediately after an emission test is conducted, is disclosed. The method includes the real time calculation of exhaust volumetric flow rate from fuel gas flowrate and the use of real time intake manifold conditions to determine engine load from an engine load curve. A portable apparatus for performing the method, comprising a programmed computer, data collection buffer, computer readable database and display device is also disclosed.
28 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) measuring the relative concentration of a test gas in the exhaust gas;
(B) measuring each of fuel-gas flowrate, fuel-gas temperature and fuel-gas pressure;
(C) computing a volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas from the fuel-gas flowrate, temperature and pressure measurements; and
(D) computing a test gas emission rate from the calculated volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas and measurement of relative concentration of the test gas;
wherein steps C and D, are performed in real time by a suitably-programmed digital computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) obtaining;
(i) a measurement of the ambient pressure;
(ii) an instantaneous compressibility factor for the fuel gas;
(iii) a gross calorific value for the fuel gas; and
(iv) a dry fuel F factor for the fuel gas;
(B) receiving real-time measurements of the;
(i) relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas;
(ii) relative concentration of O2 in the exhaust gas;
(iii) flow rate of the fuel gas;
(iv) temperature of the fuel gas; and
(v) pressure of the fuel gas;
(C) calculating in real time a dry volumetric flow rate of the fuel gas from the flow rate of the fuel gas, the fuel-gas temperature, the fuel-gas pressure, the ambient pressure and the instantaneous compressibility factor of the fuel gas;
(D) calculating in real time the volumetric flow rate of the exhaust gas from the dry volumetric flow rate of the fuel gas, the dry fuel F factor, the gross calorific value of the fuel gas and the relative concentration of O2 in the exhaust gas;
(E) calculating in real time the emission rate of the test gas from the relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas and the volumetric flow rate of the exhaust gas; and
(F) sending, in real time, the calculated emission rate of the test gas to a display device;
wherein the steps are performed by a suitably-programmed digital computer. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method for determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine having an intake manifold, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) measuring the relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas;
(B) measuring each of fuel-gas flowrate, fuel-gas temperature and fuel-gas pressure;
(C) measuring each of intake manifold temperature and intake manifold pressure;
(D) calculating a volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas using the measurements of the fuel-gas flowrate, temperature and pressure;
(E) calculating a test gas emission rate using the calculated volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas and the measurement of the relative concentration of the test gas;
(F) determining engine load from a load curve using the intake manifold temperature and intake manifold pressure measurements; and
(G) calculating an emission rate per engine load using the calculated emission rate of the test gas and the engine load;
wherein steps D, E, F and G, are performed in real time by a suitably-programmed digital computer. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification