Unused fuel indicator for automotive engines employing catalytic converters
First Claim
1. An unused fuel indicator for indicating the operating condition of an automobile engine emission control system employing a catalytic converter while the engine is running, said unused fuel indicator comprising:
- (a) converter inlet temperature sensing means for effectively sensing the temperature of the engine exhaust gases supplied to the inlet of the catalytic converter and deriving an inlet temperature electric signal representative of the inlet exhaust gas temperature;
(b) converter outlet temperature sensing means for effectively sensing the temperature of the exhaust gases emitted from the outlet of the catalytic converter and deriving an outlet temperature electric signal representative of the converter outlet exhaust gas temperature;
(c) means for differentially processing said inlet and outlet temperature electric signals and deriving therefrom a temperature difference electric signal representative of the difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures of the exhaust gases being processed by the catalytic converter;
(d) electronic processing circuit means supplied with said temperature difference electric signal for processing said temperature difference electric signal to derive different value temperature indicating electric signals representative of different operating temperature ranges for the difference temperature between the inlet and outlet temperatures of the catalytic converter for both normal and abnormal operating conditions; and
(e) indicator means responsive to said different value temperature indicating electric signals for indicating the operating condition of the automobile engine emission control system during operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The Unused Fuel Indicator (UFI) comprises a reliable thermo-electric/electronic circuit employing thermocouples attached to the catalytic converter of an emission control system for an automobile engine for providing easy readout of the condition of the automobile engine and the emission control system. A preferred kind of readout is provided by the sequential glowing of light indicators such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) wherein the sequence in which the LEDs are caused to glow, and their color is indicative of the proper functioning (or malfunctioning) of the automobile engine and catalytic converter emission control system. The UFI incrementally indicates the potential heat of pollutants in an automobile engine exhaust, which pollutants are converted by oxidation to heat produced by the catalytic converter. The heat is sensed by thermocouples which are differentially connected with the output of one opposing the output of the other. Hence, only the difference between the catalytic converters outlet temperature and inlet temperature is indicated to the driver of the vehicle (or other user of the UFI) by the incremental sequential glowing of the LEDs in a simple and effective manner that readily can be interpreted by an average driver, or inspector, mechanic, etc., who uses the UFI as a simple, inexpensive and effective engine emission system monitor.
The UFI is best when applied to a catalytic converter designed for the most stringent control of engine polluting emissions.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An unused fuel indicator for indicating the operating condition of an automobile engine emission control system employing a catalytic converter while the engine is running, said unused fuel indicator comprising:
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(a) converter inlet temperature sensing means for effectively sensing the temperature of the engine exhaust gases supplied to the inlet of the catalytic converter and deriving an inlet temperature electric signal representative of the inlet exhaust gas temperature; (b) converter outlet temperature sensing means for effectively sensing the temperature of the exhaust gases emitted from the outlet of the catalytic converter and deriving an outlet temperature electric signal representative of the converter outlet exhaust gas temperature; (c) means for differentially processing said inlet and outlet temperature electric signals and deriving therefrom a temperature difference electric signal representative of the difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures of the exhaust gases being processed by the catalytic converter; (d) electronic processing circuit means supplied with said temperature difference electric signal for processing said temperature difference electric signal to derive different value temperature indicating electric signals representative of different operating temperature ranges for the difference temperature between the inlet and outlet temperatures of the catalytic converter for both normal and abnormal operating conditions; and (e) indicator means responsive to said different value temperature indicating electric signals for indicating the operating condition of the automobile engine emission control system during operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. The method of incrementally indicating the operating condition of an automobile engine emission control system employing a catalytic converter while the engine is running as a measure of the unused fuel being wasted by the engine and as an indication of the proper functioning or malfunctioning of the emission control system, said method comprising:
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(a) sensing the temperature of the inlet exhaust gases supplied to the catalytic converter and the temperature of the gases exhausted from the converter and deriving a temperature difference electric signal representative of the difference between the inlet and outlet temperature values; (b) categorizing the temperature difference signal by comparing the signal to a plurality of different electric signals whose values are representative of different operating temperature ranges for the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures of the catalytic converter exhaust gases under both normal and abnormal converter operating conditions; and (c) deriving an output indication of the range of inlet and outlet temperature difference values within which the engine emission control system is operating as a measure of any unused fuel being wasted by the engine and as an indication of the proper functioning or malfunctioning of the catalytic converter under the existent and immediate past engine operating conditions.
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Specification