Engine emission analyzer
First Claim
1. A method for determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine, the method comprising the steps of:
- (A) measuring the relative concentration of a test gas in the exhaust gas;
(B) measuring each of fuel-gas flowrate, fuel-gas temperature and fuel-gas pressure;
(C) computing a volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas from the fuel-gas flowrate, temperature and pressure measurements; and
(D) computing a test gas emission rate from the calculated volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas and measurement of relative concentration of the test gas;
wherein steps C and D, are performed in real time by a suitably-programmed digital computer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for analyzing the exhaust emissions of large industrial engines that: produces emission information in real time and permits the generation of test results immediately after an emission test is conducted, is disclosed. The method includes the real time calculation of exhaust volumetric flow rate from fuel gas flowrate and the use of real time intake manifold conditions to determine engine load from an engine load curve. A portable apparatus for performing the method, comprising a programmed computer, data collection buffer, computer readable database and display device is also disclosed.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) measuring the relative concentration of a test gas in the exhaust gas;
(B) measuring each of fuel-gas flowrate, fuel-gas temperature and fuel-gas pressure;
(C) computing a volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas from the fuel-gas flowrate, temperature and pressure measurements; and
(D) computing a test gas emission rate from the calculated volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas and measurement of relative concentration of the test gas;
wherein steps C and D, are performed in real time by a suitably-programmed digital computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
(A) obtaining from a computer-readable database;
(i) a measurement of the ambient pressure;
(ii) an instantaneous compressibility factor for the fuel gas;
(iii) a gross calorific value for the fuel gas; and
(iv) a dry fuel F factor for the fuel gas; and
(B) measuring the relative concentration of O2 in the exhaust gas;
wherein, the step of computing a volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas from the fuel-gas flowrate, temperature and pressure measurements, includes using the measurements of ambient pressure;
instantaneous compressibility factor for the fuel gas;
gross calorific value for the fuel gas;
dry fuel F factor for the fuel gas; and
relative concentration of O2 in the exhaust gas, to calculate the volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas.
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6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining a fuel-gas flowrate measurement conversion factor;
- and wherein the step of computing a volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas from the fuel-gas flowrate, temperature and pressure measurements, includes using the fuel-gas flowrate measurement conversion factor to calculate the volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas.
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7. The method of claim 1 for use with an engine having an intake manifold, the method further comprising the steps of:
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(A) measuring in real time each of intake manifold temperature and intake manifold pressure;
(B) determining the engine load from the measurements of intake manifold temperature and intake manifold pressure, and an engine load curve; and
(C) calculating in real time an emission rate per engine load using the computed test gas emission rate and the engine load.
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8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:
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(A) obtaining engine data from a computer-readable database; and
(B) selecting an appropriate engine load curve from a plurality of engine load curves based on the engine data.
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9. A method for determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) obtaining;
(i) a measurement of the ambient pressure;
(ii) an instantaneous compressibility factor for the fuel gas;
(iii) a gross calorific value for the fuel gas; and
(iv) a dry fuel F factor for the fuel gas;
(B) receiving real-time measurements of the;
(i) relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas;
(ii) relative concentration of O2 in the exhaust gas;
(iii) flow rate of the fuel gas;
(iv) temperature of the fuel gas; and
(v) pressure of the fuel gas;
(C) calculating in real time a dry volumetric flow rate of the fuel gas from the flow rate of the fuel gas, the fuel-gas temperature, the fuel-gas pressure, the ambient pressure and the instantaneous compressibility factor of the fuel gas;
(D) calculating in real time the volumetric flow rate of the exhaust gas from the dry volumetric flow rate of the fuel gas, the dry fuel F factor, the gross calorific value of the fuel gas and the relative concentration of O2 in the exhaust gas;
(E) calculating in real time the emission rate of the test gas from the relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas and the volumetric flow rate of the exhaust gas; and
(F) sending, in realtime, the calculated emission rate of the test gas to a display device;
wherein the steps are performed by a suitably-programmed digital computer. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method for determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine having an intake manifold, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) measuring the relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas;
(B) measuring each of fuel-gas flowrate, fuel-gas temperature and fuel-gas pressure;
(C) measuring each of intake manifold temperature and intake manifold pressure;
(D) calculating a volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas using the measurements of the fuel-gas flowrate, temperature and pressure;
(E) calculating a test gas emission rate using the calculated volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas and the measurement of the relative concentration of the test gas;
(F) determining engine load from a load curve using the intake manifold temperature and intake manifold pressure measurements; and
(G) calculating an emission rate per engine load using the calculated emission rate of the test gas and the engine load;
wherein steps D, E, F and G, are performed in real time by a suitably-programmed digital computer. - View Dependent Claims (13)
(A) obtaining engine data from a computer-readable database; and
(B) selecting an appropriate engine load curve from a plurality of engine load curves based on the engine data.
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14. A method for determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine having an intake manifold, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) obtaining;
(i) a measurement of the ambient pressure;
(ii) instantaneous compressibility factor for the fuel gas;
(iii) gross calorific value for the fuel gas; and
(iv) dry fuel F factor for the fuel gas;
(B) receiving a real-time measurement of;
(i) relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas;
(ii) relative concentration of O2 in the exhaust gas;
(iii) flow rate of the fuel gas;
(iv) temperature of the fuel gas;
(v) pressure of the fuel gas;
(vi) intake manifold temperature; and
(vii) intake manifold pressure;
(C) calculating in real time a dry volumetric flow rate of the fuel gas from the flow rate of the fuel gas, the fuel-gas temperature, the fuel-gas pressure, the ambient pressure and the instantaneous compressibility factor of the fuel gas;
(D) calculating in real time the volumetric flow rate of the exhaust gas from the dry volumetric flow rate of the fuel gas, the dry fuel F factor, the gross calorific value of the fuel gas and the relative concentration of O2 in the exhaust gas;
(E) calculating in real time the emission rate of the test gas from the relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas and the volumetric flow rate of the exhaust gas; and
(F) determining in real time engine load from a load curve using the intake manifold temperature and intake manifold pressure measurements;
(G) calculating in real time emission rate per engine load from the calculated emission rate and engine load;
wherein the steps are performed by a suitably-programmed digital computer.
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15. An engine emission analyzer for use in determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine having an intake manifold, the engine emission analyzer comprising:
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(A) a data collection buffer configured to connect to, and receive data from;
a gas analyzer for sensing the relative concentration of the specified test gas and O2;
an intake manifold temperature sensor;
an intake manifold pressure sensor;
a fuel gas flowmeter;
a fuel gas pressure sensor; and
a fuel gas temperature sensor;
(B) a computer-readable database configured for storing data used in performing the engine emission analysis, including;
specifications of an engine being tested;
a maximum emission limit for each test gas (pollutant) specified in a relevant permit;
testing parameters; and
various calculation factors;
(C) a display device;
(D) a programmed computer connected to the data collection buffer, computer-readable database and display device;
wherein, when installed and in use, the data collection buffer digitizes the data it receives from the intake manifold temperature sensor, intake manifold pressure sensor, fuel gas flowmeter;
fuel gas pressure sensor; and
fuel gas temperature sensor;
organizes this data and the data received from the gas analyzer into batches that can be recognized by the programmed computer and sends the batches to the programmed computer; and
wherein the programmed computer receives the batches of data from the data collection buffer;
obtains data from the database as required, performs the engine emission analysis calculations to produce emission rates of the test gases or gas, and sends the calculated emission rates and to the display device.- View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A real-time method for determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine, from real-time data respectively representing fuel-gas flowrate, fuel-gas temperature and fuel-gas pressure and relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas;
- the method comprising the real-time steps of;
(A) calculating the volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas using the data representing the fuel-gas flowrate, temperature and pressure;
(B) calculating the emission rate of the test gas using data representing the calculated volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas and data representing the relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas; and
(C) providing as an output test gas emission rate data representing the emission rate of the test gas. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
- the method comprising the real-time steps of;
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24. A real-time method for determining the emission rate of a selected test gas emitted in the exhaust gas of a gas-fueled engine, from
(i) stored data respectively representing the ambient pressure, an instantaneous compressibility factor for the fuel gas, a gross calorific value for the fuel gas, and a dry fuel F factor for the fuel gas; - and
(ii) real-time data respectively representing fuel-gas flowrate, fuel-gas temperature, fuel-gas pressure, relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas, and relative concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas;
the method comprising the real-time steps of;
(A) calculating the volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas from the data representing the ambient pressure, instantaneous compressibility factor for the fuel gas, gross calorific value for the fuel gas, dry fuel F factor for the fuel gas, relative concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas, and the fuel-gas flowrate, temperature and pressure;
(B) calculating the emission rate of the test gas from data representing the calculated volumetric flowrate of the exhaust gas and data representing the relative concentration of the test gas in the exhaust gas; and
(C) providing as an output test gas emission rate data representing the emission rate of the test gas. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
determining engine load and providing data representing engine load from the data representing the intake manifold temperature and intake manifold pressure;
wherein the output test data are correlated with the engine load data.
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Specification