Thermoelectric catalytic power generator with preheat

• US 6,986,247 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronald J. Parise
• Original Assignee: Ronald J. Parise
• Inventors: Parise, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu M.
• Application Number:
  US10/113,459
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 602/74, 602/84, 602/98, 602/99, 603/00, 603/20, 422/109, 422/110, 422172-174, 422176-177, 422198-199, 422/202, 136/201, 136/205, 136211-212, 292/298, 292/299, 292/300, 324/320
• US Class Current: 60/284
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/2305 Mixers of the two-component package type, i.e. where at least two components are separately stored, and are mixed in the moment of application
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4314 with helical baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/5011 portable during use, e.g. hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92104 Flow or feed rate
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/926 Flow or feed rate
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92704 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/03 characterised by the shape of the extruded material at extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/33 with parts rotatable relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/20 specially adapted for catalytic conversion F01N3/22 takes precedence; Methods of operation or control of catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2006 Periodically heating or cooling catalytic reactors, e.g. at cold starting or overheating by electrically controlling the supply of combustible mixture or its constituents only F02D41/0235
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2013 using electric or magnetic heating means
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2046 Periodically cooling catalytic reactors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04007 related to heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/00 Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

An automobile catalytic converter that utilizes the energy of the exothermic reactions that take place in the catalysis substrate to produce electrical energy with a thermoelectric generator. On vehicle cold start, the thermoelectric generator is used as a heat pump to heat the catalyst substrate to reduce the time to catalyst light-off. In this way, the catalytic converter comes up to operating temperature more rapidly, reducing the amount of pollutant emissions at vehicle start-up.

Claims

1. A preheat system for reducing emissions in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, the preheat system comprising:

an exhaust passage having exhaust gasses flowing herein and having a flow direction;

a temperature sensor disposed in the catalytic converter adapted for determining a perceived temperature of the catalytic converter and further adapted for sending a signal corresponding to the perceived temperature;

a catalytic converter including a catalytic monolith and having a light-off temperature and disposed in the exhaust passage and in fluid communication with the exhaust gases;

a valve disposed in the exhaust passage either upstream or downstream of the catalytic converter, the valve having a closed position adapted for restricting the flow of exhaust gases and an open position; and

a thermoelectric generator disposed in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic monolith;

a preheat controller adapted for receiving the perceived temperature and comparing it with the light-off temperature and adapted for controlling the thermoelectric generator to transfer heat to the catalytic monolith, the preheat controller in electric communication with the valve and operable to position the valve in the closed position when the perceived temperature of the catalytic converter is below the light-off temperature and operable to position the valve in the open position when the perceived temperature of the catalytic converter is at or above the light-off temperature.

2. The preheat system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the valve comprises:

a butterfly plate having at least one by-pass orifice disposed therein;

the butterfly plate disposed within and substantially filling a cross sectional area of the exhaust gas passage in the closed position restricting the exhaust gas flow to the at least one by-pass orifice.

3. The preheat system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the valve comprises:

a ball having at least one by-pass orifice disposed therein;

the ball disposed within and substantially filling a cross sectional area of the exhaust gas passage in the closed position restricting the exhaust gas flow to the at least one by-pass orifice.

4. The preheat system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the catalytic converter has an upstream end and a downstream end and the valve is disposed in the exhaust passage proximate to the downstream end of the catalytic converter.

5. The preheat system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the catalytic converter has an upstream end and a downstream end and the valve is disposed in the exhaust passage proximate to the upstream end of the catalytic converter.

6. The preheat system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the system further comprises:

the catalytic monolith disposed within a casing;

a layer comprised of high temperature insulation disposed around the casing;

a compression shell encased around the layer;

a plurality of fins arranged about the casing and in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic monolith and the compression shell;

a spring support shell mounted concentrically between the compression shell and the coolant jacket such that a gap is formed therebetween; and

the thermoelectric generator fixedly mounted to a spring disposed within the gap such that a spring biases the thermoelectric generator against the compression shell in heat exchange relationship with fins.

7. The preheat system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the system further comprises:

the catalytic monolith disposed within a casing;

a layer comprised of high temperature insulation disposed around the casing;

a compression shell encased around the layer;

a plurality of fins arranged about the casing and in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic monolith and the compression shell;

a spring support shell mounted concentrically between the compression shell and the coolant jacket such that a gap is formed therebetween;

a spring disposed within the gap producing a biasing force between the compression shell and the spring support shell;

the thermoelectric generators fixedly mounted to the spring disposed between the spring and the compression shell such that the spring biases the thermoelectric generators against the compression shell in heat exchange relationship with fins.

8. A preheat system for reducing emissions in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a fluid cooling system, an electrical power source, and an electrical load, the preheat system comprising:

an exhaust passage having exhaust gases flowing therein having a flow direction;

a catalytic converter having a light-off temperature, the catalytic converter disposed in the exhaust passage and in fluid communication with the exhaust gases and having a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet in fluid communication with the cooling system and a catalytic monolith;

a coolant jacket disposed in an outer portion of the catalytic converter and in fluid communication with the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet to maintain the outer portion of the catalytic converter at a predetermined level;

a plurality of thermoelectric generators disposed in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic monolith;

a temperature sensor disposed in the catalytic converter adapted for determining a perceived temperature of the catalytic converter and further adapted for sending a signal corresponding to the perceived temperature;

a preheat controller adapted for receiving the signal and comparing the perceived temperature with the light-off temperature;

the preheat controller in electric communication with the electrical power source and the thermoelectric generators and operable to control the thermoelectric generators such that heat is transferred from the thermoelectric generators to the catalytic monolith when the perceived temperature is less than the light-off temperature; and

the preheat controller further adapted for extracting electrical energy from the thermoelectric generators when the perceived temperature is greater than the light-off temperature so that heat is transferred from the catalytic monolith to the thermoelectric generators.

9. The preheat system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the catalytic converter further comprises:

the catalytic monolith disposed within a casing;

a layer comprised of high temperature insulation disposed around the casing;

a compression shell disposed around the layer;

a plurality of fins arranged about the casing and in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic monolith and the compression shell;

a spring support shell mounted concentrically between the compression shell and the coolant jacket such that a gap is formed therebetween; and

the thermoelectric generators fixedly mounted to a plurality of springs disposed within the gap such that the springs bias the thermoelectric generators against the compression shell in heat exchange relationship with fins.

10. The preheat system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the catalytic converter further comprises:

the catalytic monolith disposed within a casing;

a layer comprised of high temperature insulation disposed around the casing;

a compression shell disposed around the layer;

a plurality of fins arranged about the casing and in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic monolith and the compression shell;

a spring support shell mounted concentrically between the compression shell and the coolant jacket such that a gap is formed therebetween;

a spring disposed with the gap producing a biasing force between the compression shell and the spring support shell; and

the thermoelectric generators fixedly mounted to the spring disposed between the spring and the compression shell such that the spring biases the thermoelectric generators against the compression shell in heat exchange relationship with fins.

11. A catalytic converter system for producing electricity in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a fluid cooling system, and an electrical load, said system comprising:

an exhaust passage having exhaust gases flowing therein having a flow direction;

a catalytic converter having a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet and a catalytic monolith, the catalytic converter disposed in the exhaust passage and in fluid communication with the exhaust gases;

a coolant jacket disposed in an outer portion of the catalytic converter and in fluid communication with the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet to maintain the outer portion of the catalytic converter at a predetermined level;

a plurality of thermoelectric generators disposed in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic monolith and adapted for producing electrical energy when heat is transferred from the catalytic monolith to the thermoelectric generators; and

a controller in electrical communication with the thermoelectric generators and the load adapted for extracting electrical energy from the thermoelectric generators and delivering the electrical energy to the load.

12. The catalytic converter system as set forth in claim 11, which further comprises:

the catalytic monolith disposed within a casing;

a layer comprised of high temperature insulation disposed around the casing;

a compression shell encased around the layer;

a plurality of fins arranged about the casing and in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic monolith and the compression shell;

a spring support shell mounted concentrically between the compression shell and the coolant jacket such that a gap is formed therebetween; and

the thermoelectric generators fixedly mounted to a plurality of springs disposed within the gap such that the springs bias the thermoelectric generators against the compression shell in heat exchange relationship with fins.

13. The catalytic converter system as set forth in claim 11, which further comprises;

the catalytic monolith disposed within a casing;

a layer comprised of high temperature insulation disposed around the casing;

a compression shell encased around the layer;

a plurality of fins arranged about the casing and in heat exchange relationship with the catalytic monolith and the compression shell;

a spring support shell mounted concentrically between the compression shell and the coolant jacket such that a gap is formed therebetween;

a spring disposed within the gap producing a biasing force between the compression shell and the spring support shell; and

the thermoelectric generators fixedly mounted to the spring disposed between the spring and the compression shell such that the spring biases the thermoelectric generators against the compression shell in heat exchange relationship with fins.

14. The catalytic converter system of claim 11 wherein a valve is disposed in the exhaust passage upstream of the catalytic converter.

15. The catalytic converter system of claim 11 wherein a valve is disposed in the exhaust passage downstream of the catalytic converter.