Structures for catalytic converters

• US 11,174,774 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2019
• Issued: 11/16/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
• Original Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
• Inventors: Richardson, Brian Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez, Jelitza M
• Application Number:
  US16/707,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20200131967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2330/06 Ceramic, e.g. monoliths
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2330/10 Fibrous material, e.g. mineral or metallic wool
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2330/101 using binders, e.g. to form a permeable mat, paper or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2330/324 Corrugations of rectangular form
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2470/10 Tubes having non-circular cross section
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0211 Arrangements for mounting filtering elements in housing, e.g. with means for compensating thermal expansion or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0217 the filtering elements having the form of hollow cylindrical bodies
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/28 Construction of catalytic reactors
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2835 fibrous
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2839 Arrangements for mounting catalyst support in housing, e.g. with means for compensating thermal expansion or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

Various structures for catalytic convertors are disclosed herein. The device includes an outer housing enclosing a catalytic core. The catalytic core can be formed in a myriad of ways. Flow paths through the core are constructed so that they are not straight-line paths from the inlet of the device to the outlet of the device. Pleated conformations and stacked core arrays are described that maximize the catalytic surface area in a given volume of housing. The application of the core to exhaust from diesel engines is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A catalytic convertor device, comprising:

a housing with an inlet and an outlet, the housing being conical in configuration;

a catalytic convertor core with an inlet and an outlet, the catalytic convertor core being formed from a gas permeable material, wherein the catalytic convertor core is longitudinally pleated to create a plurality of pleats of the gas permeable material inside the housing;

an end plug attached to the outlet of the catalytic convertor core to restrict gas from bypassing the gas permeable material, the end plug having a surface coated with the gas permeable material, the surface being faced towards the catalytic convertor core; and

an end plate attached to the inlet of the catalytic convertor core and contacting the housing, the end plate being configured to force the gas to flow through the gas permeable material and restrict the gas from going into a space between the housing and the inlet of the catalytic convertor core and bypassing the gas permeable material.

2. The catalytic convertor device of claim 1, wherein the catalytic convertor core is conical in configuration.

3. The catalytic convertor device of claim 1, wherein the catalytic convertor core is cylindrical in configuration.

4. The catalytic convertor device of claim 1, wherein the pleated elements comprise a plurality of openings.

5. The catalytic convertor device of claim 1, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from a precious metal.

6. The catalytic convertor device of claim 1, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from a porous metal.

7. The catalytic convertor device of claim 1, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from a screen.

8. The catalytic convertor device of claim 1, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from porous fiberglass.

9. The catalytic convertor device of claim 1, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from a ceramic material.

10. The catalytic convertor device of claim 1, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from glass.

11. A catalytic convertor device, comprising:

a housing with an inlet and an outlet, the housing being conical in configuration;

a catalytic convertor core with an inlet and an outlet, the catalytic convertor core comprising openings therein that form fluid flow paths, the openings being staggered from the inlet to the outlet so that no fluid flow path is a straight line, the catalytic convertor core being longitudinally pleated to create a plurality of pleats inside the housing;

an end plug attached to the outlet of the catalytic convertor core to restrict gas from bypassing the gas permeable material, the end plug having a surface coated with the gas permeable material, the surface being faced towards the catalytic convertor core; and

an end plate attached to the inlet of the catalytic convertor core and contacting the housing, the end plate being configured to force the gas to flow through the gas permeable material and restrict the gas from going into a space between the housing and the inlet of the catalytic convertor core and bypassing the gas permeable material.

12. The catalytic convertor device of claim 11, wherein the catalytic convertor core is conical in configuration.

13. The catalytic convertor device of claim 11, wherein the catalytic convertor core is cylindrical in configuration.

14. The catalytic convertor device of claim 11, wherein the pleated elements comprise a plurality of openings.

15. The catalytic convertor device of claim 11, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from a precious metal.

16. The catalytic convertor device of claim 11, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from a porous metal.

17. The catalytic convertor device of claim 11, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from a screen.

18. The catalytic convertor device of claim 11, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from porous fiberglass.

19. The catalytic convertor device of claim 11, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from a ceramic material.

20. The catalytic convertor device of claim 11, wherein the catalytic convertor core is formed from glass.