Exhaust emission control means for internal combustion apparatus

• US 3,903,694 A
• Filed: 05/16/1973
• Issued: 09/09/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harry E. Aine
• Original Assignee: Harry E. Aine
• Inventors: Aine, Harry E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hart, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US05/360,800
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 60/279,278,274,311,297,274 55/16,158,DIG.30 423/212
• US Class Current: 60/274
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/22 by diffusion manufacturing semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00; form, structure or properties of semi-permeable membranes B01D69/00; material for semi-permeable membranes B01D71/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/061 Manufacturing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/10 Spiral-wound membrane modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/101 Spiral winding
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/15 in relation to engine exhaust purifying apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/17 in relation to the intake system
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/36 with means for adding fluids other than exhaust gas to the recirculation passage; with reformers
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/081 Manual switching of the fluids directed to the heat exchange surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/0825 Particular constructional characteristics of the heat exchange surfaces, e.g. finned pipes, coiled pipes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/30 Exhaust treatment

Abstract

An exhaust emission control means for removing smog producing constituents from the exhaust gases of an internal combustion chamber is disclosed which employs a membrane gas separator disposed in gas communication with the flow of exhaust gases at essentially atmospheric pressure. The gas separator causes unburned hydrocarbons and other smog producing constituents of the exhaust gas to go into solution with the membrane material, which is a barrier to permanent gases, and to diffuse from the membrane material into a stream of fresh air at substantially atmospheric pressure which is thence fed back to the combustion chamber or to an afterburner for completing the combustion of such smog producing constituents. A relatively large area of membrane material is provided in a relatively small volume by pleating or folding the membrane. Alternatively, a large area membrane is provided in a small volume by bonding together adjacent sheet portions of membrane in a certain pattern of bond lines to provide a honeycomb of alternating exhaust and fresh air gas passageways when the bonded structure is expanded.

Claims

1. In an exhaust emission control apparatus for use with an internal combustion device having a combustion chamber for burning combustible material in air and an exhaust pipe for exhausting gaseous combustion products from the combustion chamber to the atmosphere and including:

gas separator means for separating smog producing unburned hydrocarbon gaseous constituents of the exhaust gases from permanent gas constituents of the exhaust gases, said gas separator means including a membrane means constructed of a material which has a permeability for permanent gases which is substantially less than its permeability for unburned hydrocarbon gaseous smog producing constituents of the exhaust gases;

means for connecting said gas separator in gas communication with the exhaust pipe for directing the exhaust gases containing smog producing constituents through said gas separator means for contacting a first side of said membrane with the exhaust gases; and

means in gas communication with the second side of said membrane for collecting the separated gaseous smog producing constituents.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said membrane means is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polymers and stationary liquid phases.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including a perforated support structure mounted in supportive engagement with said membrane for supporting said membrane.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said support structure includes a mesh.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said membrane means has a pleated geometrical configuration presented to the flow of exhaust gas to increase the surface area of said membrane means presented to said exhaust gas.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said membrane means includes a multitude of tubular portions having interconneCted interior gas passageways therein defining a first system of gas flow passageways separated by said membrane from a second system of gas passageways, and wherein one of the systems of gas passageways is connected in gas communication with said separated gas collection means.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 including heat exchanger means disposed in heat exchanging relation with the flow of the exhaust gases upstream of said gas separator means for cooling said exhaust gases fed to said gas separator means.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 including return line means interconnecting said gas separator means and the combustion chamber for directing said separated smog producing gaseous constituents back to said combustion chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said collection means includes means for drawing the fresh air intake to the combustion chamber through said gas separator means along the backside of said separator membrane for transfer of the separated smog producing constituents of the exhaust gases to the flow of fresh air to the combustion chamber and for cooling the membrane in use.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pleated membrane is made of silicone rubber.

11. In a method for removing smog producing unburned hydrocarbon gaseous constituents from the flow of exhaust gases from a combustion chamber the steps of:

contacting one side of a gas separating membrane with the flow of exhaust gases, such membrane being more permeable to the gaseous smog producing unburned hydrocarbon constituents than it is to permanent gases in the flow of exhaust gases for separating the smog producing unburned hydrocarbon constituents by causing some to diffuse through the membrane to the other side thereof; and

collecting the separated smog producing unburned hydrocarbon constituents which diffuse through the membrane.

12. The method of claim 11 and including the step of feeding the collected smog producing constituents back to the combustion chamber.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of feeding the unburned hydrocarbons back to the combustion chamber comprises sweeping the backside of the separating membrane for transferring the unburned hydrocarbons to the air intake stream to the combustion chamber and for cooling the backside of said membrane.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said membrane means is formed into a multi-layer structure having first and second systems of adjacent gas passageways, said adjacent systems of gas passageways being separated from each other by a web of the membrane material, first manifold means for connecting said first system of said passageways in gas communication with the exhaust gas steam, and wherein said separated gas collecting means includes said second system of gas passageways for collecting the smog producing gaseous constituents separated by said membrane from said exhaust gas stream.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 including, partitioning means in at least one of said first and second systems of gas passageways for partitioning said system of passageways into a multitude of parallel tubular passageways.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said multi-layer membrane structure comprises a honeycomb structure defining a multitude of parallel tubular passageways of said first and second system of gas passageways.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said partitioning means comprises a corrugated sheet means for separating adjacent layers of said membrane means.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 including, an array of tubular members projecting into opposite ends of one of said systems of gas passageways for manifolding said system of gas passageways.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said honeycomb structure comprises a multi-layer membrane structure with adjacent layers bonded together in a certain pattern of bond lines, and the bonded structure to form said honeycomb structure.