Method of assessing gas odor intensity

• US 5,106,755 A
• Filed: 10/10/1989
• Issued: 04/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacey, David L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US07/419,589
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 436/163, 436/167, 436/44, 436/137, 436/141, 436/142, 436/181, 73/23.31, 73/23.34
• US Class Current: 436/137
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2275/14 Direct injection into combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4162 investigating the composition of gases, by the influence exerted on ionic conductivity in a liquid conductometry in general G01N27/06; amperometric gas sensors G01N27/404
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/110833 Utilizing a moving indicator strip or tape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/208339 Fuel/air mixture or exhaust gas analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/214 Acyclic [e.g., methane, octane, isoparaffin, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/216 Unsaturated [e.g., ethylene, diene, etc.]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for assessing the odor intensity of combustion gas produced from an internal combustion engine in which the odor intensity of combustion gas is obtained from the pH-value of an aqueous solution prepared from odor-producing substances, based on a predetermined relationship between pH-value and odor intensity. The odor intensity thus obtained strongly correlates with organoleptically evaluated odor intensity. Since the odor intensity of the gas is determined from the pH-value, the precision and the reliability of the odor intensity measurement are enhanced.

Claims

1. A method of assessing the odor intensity of combustion gas from an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:

plotting an organoleptically evaluated odor intensity of a plurality of combustion gas specimens from an internal combustion engine a pH value of an aqueous solution of odor producing substances of said gas specimens to obtain a predetermined relationship between the pH and odor intensity of the combustion gas;

capturing the odor-producing substances from the combustion gas;

preparing an aqueous solution from the odor-producing substances;

measuring the pH of the aqueous solution; and

assessing the odor intensity from the pH based on the predetermined relationship between pH and the odor intensity of the combustion gas.

2. A method of continuously assessing the odor intensity of combustion gas from an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:

plotting an organoleptically evaluated odor intensity of a plurality of combustion gas specimens from an internal combustion engine against a pH value of an aqueous solution of odor producing substances of said gas specimens to obtain a predetermined relationship between the pH and odor intensity of the combustion gas;

cooling a closed bimetallic belt so that the belt forms a trough that opens on an outer surface of the belt;

spaying the combustion gas onto the trough to liquefy the odor-producing substances in the trough;

delivering water to the trough to make an aqueous solution containing the odor-producing substances;

measuring the pH of the aqueous solution;

assessing the odor intensity from the measured pH based on the predetermined relationship between the pH and the odor intensity of the combustion gas; and

recycling the belt by cleaning and heating the belt.

3. A method of assessing the odor intensity of combustion gas from an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:

plotting an organoleptically evaluated odor intensity of a plurality of combustion gas specimens from an internal combustion engine against a pH value of an aqueous solution of odor producing substances of said gas specimens to obtain a predetermined relationship between the pH and odor intensity of the combustion gas;

cooling a reaction vessel;

introducing the combustion gas containing odor-producing substances to the reaction vessel;

delivering water to the reaction vessel to make an aqueous solution containing the odor producing substances;

stirring the aqueous solution;

measuring the pH of the aqueous solution in the reaction vessel;

assessing an odor intensity of the combustion gas based on the measured pH according to the predetermined relationship between the pH and odor intensity of the combustion gas; and

removing the aqueous solution from the reaction vessel.