Internal-combustion engines – Charge forming device – Auxiliary air or oxygen added to combustible mixture
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-06
2004-04-20
Argenbright, Tony M. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Charge forming device
Auxiliary air or oxygen added to combustible mixture
C123S026000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06722352
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an internal combustion engine having an integrally connected pressure-swing adsorption (PSA)system to provide oxygen-enriched air or oxygen-deficient air, in situ, to the mixing chamber of the engine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of conventional internal combustion engines for use in the transportation of passengers and/or cargo has been part of our modern industrial society. The exhaust gas quality and fuel consumption efficiency are important features of the operation of internal combustion engine. These exhaust gas emission features have become increasingly more stringent and by-products of the exhaust gas could be harmful to the environment and human health. Ambient air supplied to the mixing chamber along with conventional fuel of an internal combustion engines produces nitrogen oxides, NOx, that are undesirable components of the exhaust emissions.
It has been understood for several years that the use of oxygen-enriched air in an internal combustion engine produces desirable operating results (i.e. increased power due to more complete fuel combustion and reduced emissions). This has become particularly important for large diesel-type engines such as those used in locomotives, but is also important for standard gasoline automobile engines since laws mandating lower pollutant emissions have been enacted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,777 discloses a novel method of operating an internal combustion engine employing a selectively gas permeable membrane to provide either oxygen or nitrogen enriched air feed to beneficially affect engine performance. By feeding enriched air from a membrane unit such performance parameters as reduced NOx emissions, lean burn limit, engine power, and reduced cold start emissions can be enhanced relative to feeding ambient air. The selectively gas permeable membrane unit further includes a nonporous membrane (i) having an oxygen
itrogen selectivity of at least 1.4 and a permeability to oxygen of at least 50 barrers; (ii) formed from an amorphous copolymer of perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxile; and (iii) being at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the amorphous copolymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,526 discloses an internal combustion engine that has a system, including diagnostics, for providing oxygen enriched air so as to control emissions of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. The system includes the capability of determining whether the oxygen enrichment system is providing suitable mass flow to the engine and whether oxygen enrichment is available according to the specifications of the enrichment device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,517 discloses an air supply control system for selectively supplying ambient air, oxygen enriched air and nitrogen enriched air to an intake of an internal combustion engine includes an air mixing chamber that is in fluid communication with the air intake. At least a portion of the ambient air flowing to the mixing chamber is selectively diverted through a secondary path that includes a selectively permeable air separating membrane device due a differential pressure established across the air separating membrane. The permeable membrane device separates a portion of the nitrogen in the ambient air so that oxygen enriched air (permeate) and nitrogen enriched air (retentate) are produced. The oxygen enriched air and the nitrogen enriched air can be selectively supplied to the mixing chamber or expelled to atmosphere. Alternatively, a portion of the nitrogen enriched air can be supplied through another control valve to a monatomic-nitrogen plasma generator device so that atomic nitrogen produced from the nitrogen enriched air can be then injected into the exhaust of the engine. The oxygen enriched air or the nitrogen enriched air becomes mixed with the ambient air in the mixing chamber and then the mixed air is supplied to the intake of the engine. As a result, the air being supplied to the intake of the engine can be regulated with respect to the concentration of oxygen and/or nitrogen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,302 discloses an apparatus for reduction of pollutant emissions by internal combustion engines that includes a tapered, coaxial multiconical structure used as a gas separator. The gas separator is used to provide oxygen enriched air to an engine, thus providing a reduction in the amount of nitrogen provided thereto. The resulting exhaust gas includes fewer oxides of nitrogen, reduced quantities of hydrocarbons, and decreased percentages of carbon monoxide. Air is directed through the structure, entering at a wide mouth throve. A fan may be provided for directing the air through the structure. The air exiting at the central portion of the narrow end of the structure, which has an increased ratio of oxygen to nitrogen, is directed by a conduit to the engine inlet. The structure is inexpensive, and easily mounted on existing engines, thus providing a retrofitting device for conforming older cars to current pollution standards.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,897 discloses a pressure swing adsorption separation of a feed gas mixture, to obtain a purified product gas of the less strongly adsorbed fraction of the feed gas mixture, and in a plurality of preferably an even number of adsorbent beds are used, with each adsorbent bed communicating at its product end directly to a variable volume expansion chamber, and at its feed end by directional valves to a feed compressor and an exhaust vacuum pump. For high frequency operation of the pressure swing adsorption cycle, a high surface area layered support is used for the adsorbent. The compressor and vacuum pump pistons may be integrated with the cycle, reciprocating at twice the cycle frequency.
Delivery of oxygen-enriched air to the intake of an internal combustion engine has been shown to reduce the emissions of air pollutants from the engine exhaust and increase the power output by driving the combustion of the fuel closer to completion. Some of the fundamental considerations of these phenomena were studies and presented in a technical paper by Lahiri, et al. (Lahiri, D. Mehta, P. S., Poola, R. B., and Sekar, R. R.; “Utilization of Oxygen-Enriched Air in Diesel Engines: Fundamental Considerations”, International Combustion Engine, 1997 Fall Conference, Madison, Wis., September/October 1997). The computed properties, such as adiabatic flame temperature and exhaust gas composition as well as differences in thermodynamic and transport properties when oxygen-enriched air was used in place of normal atmospheric air in internal combustion engines were recited in this reference. The effects on parameters impacting engine performance such as fuel evaporation rate and ignition delay were also studied. This paper explains why oxygen-enriched air has beneficial effects when used in internal combustion engines.
A paper providing useful background information was presented by Ng and Sekar (Ng, M. K. and Sekar, R. R.; “Potential Benefits of Oxygen-Enriched Intake air in a Vehicle Powered by a Spark-Ignition Engine”, DOE Periodical 94013452, April 1994). Oxygen-enriched air (25%, 28%, and 30% by volume) was tested in a gasoline engine (3.1 L Chevy Lumina, 1990), and its effects on emissions were studies. The amounts of CO, hydrocarbons, and ozone were shown to decrease and the NOx was shown to increase at the outlets of the catalytic converter as well as the engine itself.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a means to generate oxygen-enriched or oxygen-deficient air, in situ, for apparatus in which the desired gas is produced from a pressure swing adsorption system that forms an integral part of the apparatus.
Another objective of the present invention is an internal combustion engine having a pressure swing adsorption system, as an integral part of the engine, to provide oxygen-enriched or oxygen-deficient gas for the mixing chamber of the engine.
Another objective of the present invention is a spark-ignition engine having a pressure swing adsorption system as an integral part of the engine and wherein the crank shaft an
Neu Bernard T.
Smolarek James
Walker David A.
Argenbright Tony M.
Harris Katrina B.
Praxair Technology Inc.
Rosenblum David M.
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