APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR MEASURING GASEOUS EMISSIONS FROM AN ENGINE

• US 20160146142A1
• Filed: 11/16/2015
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Harper
• Original Assignee: Richard Harper
• Inventors: HARPER, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 10,176,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/02 peculiar to engines working with gaseous fuels
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/228 Warning displays
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0027 the fuel being gaseous non-electrical control F02D19/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1444 characterised by the characteristics of the combustion gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/102 by monitoring exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/104 using oxygen or lambda-sensors testing catalytic converters F01N3/18, F01N11/007
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0036 Specially adapted to detect a particular component all the other sub-groups of G01N33/0004 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A process for measuring methane emissions by an internal combustion engine includes connecting a methane sensor to an exhaust line of the internal combustion engine such that a portion of the gas in the exhaust line can enter the methane sensor, operating the internal combustion engine so as to produce the exhaust, measuring a methane concentration of the gas from the portion of the gas from the exhaust line with the methane sensor, and producing an output from the methane sensor corresponding to the methane concentration. The methane sensor is plumbed to the exhaust line. The methane concentration is continuously sampled by the methane sensor. The methane sensor can be an electrochemical cell, a catalytic methane sensor, or an infrared methane sensor.

Claims

1. A process for measuring methane emissions by an internal combustion engine, the process comprising:

connecting a methane sensor to an exhaust line of the internal combustion engine such that a portion of a gas in said exhaust line can enter said methane sensor;

operating the internal combustion engine so as to produce the exhaust;

measuring a methane content of the gas with said methane sensor from the portion of the gas from the exhaust line; and

producing an output from said measurement sensor corresponding to the methane concentration.

2. The process of claim 1, the step of connecting comprising:

plumbing said methane sensor to said exhaust line.

3. The process of claim 2, said exhaust line connected between an exhaust catalyst and an exhaust silencer of the internal combustion engine, the step of plumbing comprising:

plumbing said methane sensor to said exhaust line in a location between the exhaust catalyst and the exhaust silencer.

4. The process of claim 1, the step of measuring comprising:

continuously sampling methane concentration over time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing the output from said methane sensor to a controller; and

controlling an operation of said internal combustion engine by said controller relative to the output from said methane sensor.

6. The process of claim 1, the step of producing an output comprising:

transmitting a humanly perceivable signal relative to a level of the methane concentration measured by said methane sensor.

7. The process of claim 6, said humanly perceivable signal being an indicator light.

8. The process of claim 6, said humanly perceivable signal being an audible alarm.

9. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

mounting said methane sensor to a platform; and

affixing said platform to a skid of the internal combustion engine.

10. The process of claim 1, the step of connecting comprising:

connecting said methane sensor to the exhaust at a pair of spaced-apart locations;

passing a first portion of the gas from one of said pair of spaced-apart locations to said methane sensor; and

passing a second portion of the gas from another of the pair of spaced-apart locations to said methane sensor.

11. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

positioning said methane sensor within a housing, the portion of the gas entering said housing prior to measurement by said methane sensor, said housing connected to the exhaust line of the internal combustion engine.

12. The process of claim 11, further comprising:

forming a baffle within said housing in a location such that the portion of the gas encounters said baffle prior to measurement by said methane sensor.

13. The process of claim 12, further comprising:

separating water from the portion of the gas by said baffle prior to the measurement by said methane sensor.

14. The process of claim 13, further comprising:

discharging the water outwardly from an interior of said housing.

15. The process of claim 12, the step of connecting comprising extending the line from an inlet of said housing to the exhaust line, the step of forming the baffle comprising:

positioning said baffle within said housing adjacent to said inlet; and

forming an outlet of said housing in a location below said baffle.

16. The process of claim 11, the step of positioning said methane sensor comprising:

positioning said methane sensor at an upper location within said housing such that only gas flows through said housing to said methane sensor.

17. The process of claim 1, said methane sensor selected from the group consisting of an electrochemical cell, a catalytic methane sensor, and an infrared methane sensor.

18. A methane sensing apparatus comprising:

a housing having an inlet and an outlet, said outlet positioned at a level lower than a level of said inlet;

a methane sensor positioned in said housing at a level above a level of said inlet and a level of said outlet; and

a baffle positioned in said housing adjacent to said inlet and above said outlet and below said methane sensor, said baffle adapted to separate water from gas within said housing.

19. The methane sensing apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a mounting skid affixed to said housing, said mounting skid adapted to allow said housing to be affixed to an internal combustion engine or to a skid of the internal combustion engine.

20. The methane sensing apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a line connected to said inlet and plumbed to an exhaust line of an internal combustion engine, said line passing a portion of exhaust gas flowing through said exhaust line to an interior of said housing.