Method and apparatus for determining the hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of a catalytic converter
First Claim
1. A method for determining the hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of a catalytic converter, which is .placed in the exhaust gas of an internal combustion (IC) engine to reduce the pollutants, comprising the steps of:
- a. determining the hydrocarbon concentration of the exhaust gas upstream of the catalytic converter by sampling the exhaust gas and passing the sample to a catalytic differential calorimetric sensor;
b. contacting the catalyst in the converter with the IC exhaust gas;
c. determining the hydrocarbon concentration of the exhaust gas downstream of the catalytic converter by sampling the exhaust gas and passing the sample to the catalytic differential calorimetric sensor; and
d. comparing the hydrocarbon content of the exhaust gas samples from steps (a) and (c) and thereby determining the hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of the catalytic converter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for determining the hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of a catalytic converter used in conjunction with an internal combustion (IC) engine to reduce the pollutants contained in the IC exhaust gas comprising the steps of: (a) determining the hydrocarbon content of the IC exhaust gas prior to its entry into the catalytic converter by sampling the exhaust and passing the sample to a catalytic differential calorimetric sensor; (b) contacting the catalyst in the converter with the IC exhaust; (c) determining the hydrocarbon content of the exhaust leaving the catalytic converter by sampling the exhaust and passing the sample to the catalytic differential calorimetric sensor; and (d) comparing the hydrocarbon contents of the exhaust samples from steps (a) and (c) and thereby determining the hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of the catalyst in the converter.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for determining the hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of a catalytic converter, which is .placed in the exhaust gas of an internal combustion (IC) engine to reduce the pollutants, comprising the steps of:
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a. determining the hydrocarbon concentration of the exhaust gas upstream of the catalytic converter by sampling the exhaust gas and passing the sample to a catalytic differential calorimetric sensor; b. contacting the catalyst in the converter with the IC exhaust gas; c. determining the hydrocarbon concentration of the exhaust gas downstream of the catalytic converter by sampling the exhaust gas and passing the sample to the catalytic differential calorimetric sensor; and d. comparing the hydrocarbon content of the exhaust gas samples from steps (a) and (c) and thereby determining the hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of the catalytic converter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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- 8. An on-board apparatus for determining the catalytic hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of a catalytic converter which is placed in the exhaust gas of an internal combustion (IC) engine, the exhaust of which is fed to a catalytic converter to reduce the pollutants contained in the exhaust comprising a sampling means for obtaining a sample from the exhaust from the internal combustion engine prior to its entry into the catalytic converter, a sampling means for obtaining a sample from the exhaust gas from the catalytic converter and a catalytic differential calorimetric sensing device to measure the hydrocarbon content from both samples, thereby determining the hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of the catalytic converter.
Specification