Power plants – Internal combustion engine with treatment or handling of... – By means producing a chemical reaction of a component of the...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-18
2004-07-06
Tran, Binh (Department: 3748)
Power plants
Internal combustion engine with treatment or handling of...
By means producing a chemical reaction of a component of the...
C060S274000, C060S286000, C060S295000, C060S297000, C422S177000, C422S182000, C422S186110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06758035
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure relates generally to an emissions abatement system including a fuel reformer, and more particularly to an emissions abatement system for regenerating SO
X
absorbed by a NO
X
trap.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Fuel reformers reform hydrocarbon fuel into a reformate gas such as hydrogen-rich gas. In the case of an onboard fuel reformer or a fuel reformer associated with a stationary power generator, the reformate gas produced by the fuel reformer may be utilized as fuel or fuel additive in the operation of an internal combustion engine. The reformate gas may also be utilized to regenerate or otherwise condition an emission abatement device associated with an internal combustion engine or as a fuel for a fuel cell.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
According to an illustrative embodiment, a method of operating a fuel reformer to regenerate a NO
X
trap is provided. The method includes operating the fuel reformer to produce a reformate gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide and advancing the reformate gas through the NO
X
trap to regenerate the NO
X
trap. The method also includes determining if a SO
X
regeneration of the NO
X
trap is to be performed and generating a SO
X
-regeneration control signal in response thereto. Further, the method includes raising the temperature of the NO
X
trap in response to the SO
X
-regeneration control signal and operating the fuel reformer so as to advance the reformate gas into the NO
X
trap in response to the SO
X
-regeneration control signal.
The step of raising the temperature of the NO
X
trap includes raising the temperature of exhaust gases advancing through the NO
X
trap from an internal combustion engine. The temperature of the exhaust gases may be raised, for example, by decreasing an air-to-fuel ratio of an air/fuel mixture being introduced into the internal combustion engine. The temperature of the exhaust gases may be raised to less than about 650° C.
In one embodiment, the determining step includes determining the number of NO
X
purges performed and comparing the number of NO
X
purges performed to a predetermined set point number of NO
X
purges. The SO
X
-regeneration control signal is then generated when the number of NO
X
purges is greater than or equal to the predetermined set point number of NO
X
purges.
In another embodiment, the determining step includes determining if a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the NO
X
trap was last desulfated and generating a time-lapsed control signal in response thereto. Operating the fuel reformer in response to the SO
X
-regeneration signal further includes advancing the reformate gas into the NO
X
trap in response to generation of the time-lapsed control signal.
In still another embodiment, the determining step includes sensing the amount of SO
X
within the NO
X
trap. Further, the sensing step includes generating a trap-saturated control signal when the amount of SO
X
within the NO
X
trap reaches a predetermined accumulation level. As such, operating the fuel reformer in response to the SO
X
-regeneration signal further includes advancing the reformate gas into the NO
X
trap in response to generation of the trap-saturated control signal.
According to another illustrative embodiment, there is provided a fuel reformer assembly for producing a reformate gas. The fuel reformer assembly includes a fuel reformer and a reformer controller electrically coupled to the fuel reformer. The reformer controller includes a processing unit and a memory unit electrically coupled to the processing unit. The memory unit has stored therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to (i) operate the fuel reformer so as to produce a reformate gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, (ii) operate the fuel reformer so as to advance the reformate gas through a NO
X
trap so as to regenerate the NO
X
trap, (iii) determine if a SO
X
regeneration of the NO
X
trap is to be performed and generate a SO
X
-regeneration control signal in response thereto, (iv) raise the temperature of the NO
X
trap in response to the SO
X
-regeneration control signal, and (v) operate the fuel reformer so as to advance the reformate gas into the NO
X
trap in response to the SO
X
-regeneration control signal. The raising the temperature step comprises generating a temperature control signal which is communicated to an engine control unit so as to cause the engine control unit to decrease an air-to-fuel ratio of an air/fuel mixture being introduced into an internal combustion engine. The decreased air-to-fuel ratio of the air/fuel mixture raises the temperature of exhaust gases exiting the internal combustion engine for advancement through the NO
X
trap.
According to still another illustrative embodiment, there is provided a method of desulfating a NO
X
trap including operating a fuel reformer so as to produce a reformate gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and advancing the reformate gas into the NO
X
trap to react the hydrogen and carbon monoxide with SO
X
trapped on the NO
X
trap to remove SO
X
from the NO
X
trap.
The above and other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description and the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2787730 (1957-04-01), Berghaus et al.
patent: 3018409 (1962-01-01), Berghaus et al.
patent: 3035205 (1962-05-01), Berghaus et al.
patent: 3423562 (1969-01-01), Jones et al.
patent: 3594609 (1971-07-01), Vas
patent: 3622493 (1971-11-01), Crusco
patent: 3649195 (1972-03-01), Cook et al.
patent: 3755131 (1973-08-01), Shalit
patent: 3779182 (1973-12-01), Camacho
patent: 3841239 (1974-10-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 3879680 (1975-04-01), Naismith et al.
patent: 3894605 (1975-07-01), Salvadorini
patent: 3982962 (1976-09-01), Bloomfield
patent: 3992277 (1976-11-01), Trieschmann et al.
patent: 4033133 (1977-07-01), Houseman et al.
patent: 4036131 (1977-07-01), Elmore
patent: 4036181 (1977-07-01), Matovich
patent: 4059416 (1977-11-01), Matovich
patent: 4099489 (1978-07-01), Bradley
patent: 4144444 (1979-03-01), Dementiev et al.
patent: 4168296 (1979-09-01), Lundquist
patent: 4339546 (1982-07-01), Randalls
patent: 4436793 (1984-03-01), Adlhart
patent: 4458634 (1984-07-01), Carr et al.
patent: 4469932 (1984-09-01), Spiegelberg et al.
patent: 4473622 (1984-09-01), Chludzinski et al.
patent: 4522894 (1985-06-01), Hwang et al.
patent: 4578955 (1986-04-01), Medina
patent: 4625511 (1986-12-01), Scheitlin et al.
patent: 4625681 (1986-12-01), Sutekiyo
patent: 4645521 (1987-02-01), Freesh
patent: 4651524 (1987-03-01), Brighton
patent: 4657829 (1987-04-01), McElroy et al.
patent: 4830492 (1989-05-01), Ko
patent: 4841925 (1989-06-01), Ward
patent: 4928227 (1990-05-01), Burba et al.
patent: 4963792 (1990-10-01), Parker
patent: 4967118 (1990-10-01), Urataki et al.
patent: 5095247 (1992-03-01), Hanamura
patent: 5138959 (1992-08-01), Kulkarni
patent: 5143025 (1992-09-01), Munday
patent: 5159900 (1992-11-01), Dammann
patent: 5205912 (1993-04-01), Murphy
patent: 5207185 (1993-05-01), Greiner et al.
patent: 5212431 (1993-05-01), Origuchi et al.
patent: 5228529 (1993-07-01), Rosner
patent: 5272871 (1993-12-01), Oshima et al.
patent: 5284503 (1994-02-01), Bitler et al.
patent: 5293743 (1994-03-01), Usleman et al.
patent: 5317996 (1994-06-01), Lansing
patent: 5362939 (1994-11-01), Hanus et al.
patent: 5409784 (1995-04-01), Bromberg et al.
patent: 5409785 (1995-04-01), Nakano et al.
patent: 5412946 (1995-05-01), Oshima et al.
patent: 5425332 (1995-06-01), Rabinovich et al.
patent: 5437250 (1995-08-01), Rabinovich et al.
patent: 5441401 (1995-08-01), Yamaguro et al.
patent: 5445841 (1995-08-01), Arendt et al.
patent: 5451740 (1995-09-01), Hanus et al.
patent: 5560890 (1996-10-01), Berman et al.
patent: 5586433 (1996-12-01), Boegner et al.
patent: 5599758 (1997-02-01), Guth et al.
patent: 5660602 (1997-08-01), Collier, Jr. et al.
patent: 5666923 (1997-09-01), Collier, Jr. et al.
patent: 5787864 (1998-08-01), Collier, Jr. et al.
patent: 5813222 (1998-09-01
Arvin Technologies, Inc.
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Tran Binh
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for purging SOX from a NOX trap does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for purging SOX from a NOX trap, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for purging SOX from a NOX trap will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3235812