Exhaust catalyst system

• US 20060101812A1
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Rhodes, Michael L., Lu, Joseph Z., Havlena, Vladimir, Shahed, Syed M., Samad, Tariq
• Granted Patent: US 7,743,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/295
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/009 having two or more separate purifying devices arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/0093 the purifying devices are of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/011 having two or more purifying devices arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2410/04 during regeneration period, e.g. of particle filter
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2410/12 in case of absorption, adsorption or desorption of exhaust gas constituents
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/035 with catalytic reactors , e.g. catalysed diesel particulate filters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0807 by using absorbents or adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0842 Nitrogen oxides
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/085 Sulfur or sulfur oxides
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0878 Bypassing absorbents or adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2053 By-passing catalytic reactors, e.g. to prevent overheating
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/206 Adding periodically or continuously substances to exhaust gases for promoting purification, e.g. catalytic material in liquid form, NOx reducing agents F01N3/2066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2093 Periodically blowing a gas through the converter, e.g. in a direction opposite to exhaust gas flow or by reversing exhaust gas flow direction
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/005 using models instead of sensors to determine operating characteristics of exhaust systems, e.g. calculating catalyst temperature instead of measuring it directly

Abstract

A catalyst system that may regenerate while removing pollutants from an exhaust gas of an engine. The system may have a converter with multiple segments of chambers. At least one of the chambers may be regenerated while the remaining chambers are removing pollutants from the exhaust. The chambers may be rotated in turn for one-at-a-time regeneration. More than one chamber may be regenerated at a time to remove collected pollutants. The system may have plumbing and valves, and possibly mechanical movement of the chambers, within the system to effect the changing of a chamber for regeneration. The chambers connected to the exhaust may be in series or parallel. A particulate matter filter may be connected to the system, and it also may be regenerated to remove collected matter.

Claims

1. A catalyst device comprising:

a plurality of sections having a material for adsorbing and catalyst for appropriate chemical treatment of NOx; and

wherein each section, one at a time, is in a regeneration stage to reduce adsorbed NOx.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sections of the plurality of sections, except the section in the regeneration stage, are connected in series.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sections, except the section in the regeneration stage, is interconnected in parallel.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of sections is for connection to an exhaust of an engine.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the section in the regeneration stage is connected to a flow which heats up the section sufficiently to reduce adsorbed NOx.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein:

each section of the plurality of sections is disconnected from the exhaust and connected to the flow which heats up the section; and

the section in the regeneration stage is reconnected to the exhaust.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the section in the regeneration stage is connected to a flow which heats up the section sufficiently to reduce accumulated SOx in the section.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a filter.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the filter is connected to at least one of the plurality sections.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the filter, at certain times, is connected to a flow that is sufficient to regenerate the filter.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein to regenerate the filter is to oxidize particulate matter in the filter.

12. A catalytic device comprising:

n catalyst chambers;

a first manifold having an input and an output, and connected to n−

1 chambers; and

a second manifold having an input and an output, and connected to one chamber; and

wherein;

the one chamber is exchangeable with another chamber from the n chambers; and

n is a positive integer greater than zero.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein:

the input of the first manifold is for receiving a first fluid; and

the input of the second manifold is for receiving a second fluid.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein:

the n catalyst chambers are situated in a rotatable group; and

the one chamber is exchangeable with another chamber from the n catalyst chambers by moving the rotatable group.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the n−

1 chambers are connected in series by the first manifold.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the n−

1 chambers are connected in parallel by the first manifold.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein:

the first fluid is an exhaust gas of an engine; and

the second fluid is a regenerating fluid.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the fluid is an exhaust gas of an engine; and

the second fluid is a regenerating fluid.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein:

the n−

1 chambers are for adsorption of NOx; and

the regenerating fluid is for reducing an amount of adsorbed NOx.

20. A catalyst system comprising:

at least two chambers having a catalyst material; and

wherein the at least two chambers are separately connectable one at a time to a regenerating fluid.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the regenerating fluid is for reducing the amount of adsorbed NOx in a chamber.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the regenerating fluid is for reducing an amount of adsorbed SOx in a chamber.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising a filter connected to at least one chamber of the at least two chambers.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the regenerating fluid is for reducing an amount of particulate matter in the filter.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least two chambers minus one are connected to an exhaust of an engine.

26. A catalytic converter comprising:

a housing having a plurality of chambers; and

wherein;

an at least two chambers of the plurality of chambers is for processing a fluid; and

an at least one chamber of the plurality of chambers is temporarily for being regenerated.

27. The converter of claim 26, wherein the at least one chamber temporarily for being regenerated is subject to being occasionally replaced by another at least one chamber temporarily for being regenerated.

28. The converter of claim 27, wherein the fluid is an engine exhaust gas.

29. The converter of claim 28, wherein:

the processing is removing at least some of the NOx and/or SOx from the exhaust gas; and

the being regenerated is an elimination of at least some of the NOx and/or SOx in the at least one chamber.

30. The converter of claim 29, wherein the at least two chambers are connected in series.

31. The converter of claim 29, further comprising a particulate matter filter connected to the at least one chamber for processing the fluid.

32. The converter of claim 31, wherein the filter is occasionally regenerated to reduce an amount of particulate matter in the filter.

33. The converter of claim 32, wherein the at least two chambers are connected in parallel.

34. A method for attaining a regenerative catalyst system, comprising:

providing a multi-unit catalyst system;

connecting the system to an exhaust system so that at least one unit is not connected to the exhaust system;

connecting the at least one unit to a source of gas to regenerate the at least one unit; and

upon a partial or more regeneration of the at least one unit, exchanging the at least one unit with another at least one unit of the multi-unit catalyst system, for a partial or more regeneration of the another at least one unit.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

a plurality of valves situated between the units; and

operating the valves to exchange the at least one unit with another unit of the multi-unit system for a partial or more regeneration of the another at least one unit.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

attaching actuators to the valves;

connecting the actuators to a processor; and

programming the processor to operate the valves to achieve the method of the preceding claims 34 and 35.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

sensors in the units; and

at least one mathematical model in the processor; and

wherein the processor is programmed to operate the valves based on inputs from the sensors and on the at least one mathematical model.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the at least one mathematical model is of a regeneration process.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

connecting a filter to the multi-unit catalyst system; and

regenerating the filter as needed.

40. Means for regenerating a catalyst, comprising:

means for removing pollutants from an exhaust of an engine; and

means for regenerating; and

wherein;

the means for removing pollutants is partitioned into a plurality of segments;

at least one segment of the plurality of segments is connected to the means for regenerating; and

the at least one segment is exchanged occasionally with another at least one segment from the plurality of segments.

41. The means of claim 40, wherein the at least one segment is replaced with another at least one segment from the plurality of segments when the at least one segment is at least partially regenerated.

42. The means of claim 41, further comprising a means for filtering particulate matter from the exhaust of an engine.

43. The means of claim 41, further comprising:

means for exchanging segments;

sensors situated in the plurality of segments; and

a processor connected to the sensors and the means for exchanging segments.

44. The means of claim 43, wherein the processor operates the means for exchanging segments on inputs from the sensors and on at least one mathematical model.

45. The means of claim 44, wherein the at least one mathematical model is of a regeneration process.

46. A regeneration system comprising:

a unit having at least two catalyst segments;

a mechanism for selecting out a segment from the unit for regeneration;

sensors in the segments; and

a controller connected to the sensors and to the mechanism for selecting out a segment.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the controller may operate the mechanism for selecting out a segment and regenerating the segement on a basis of inputs from the sensors and of at least one mathematical model.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the at least one mathematical model is of a regeneration process.

49. The system of claim 48, further comprising a filter connected to the unit having at least two catalyst segments

50. The system of claim 49, further comprising:

a sensor in the filter; and

a mechanism for regenerating the filter; and

wherein;

the filter is a particulate matter filter;

the sensor in the filter and the mechanism for regenerating the filter are connected to the controller; and

the controller may operate the mechanism for regenerating the filter on a basis of inputs from the sensor in the filter and a mathematical model of a filter regeneration process.