Diesel particle oxidizer

Details Diesel particle oxidizer Diesel particle oxidizer

1999-12-16

2001-06-19

Mayekar, Kishor (Department: 1741)

Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser

Chemical reactor

With means applying electromagnetic wave energy or...

C060S274000, C204S157150

Reexamination Certificate

active

06248300

ABSTRACT:

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX, IF ANY
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates, generally, to an apparatus and method and for controlling exhaust emissions, and is particularly suited for controlling unburned diesel particle emissions from a diesel engine.
2. Background Information.
A great deal of effort has been spent attempting to control emissions of diesel engines. U.S. pat. No. 5,987,882 to Voss et al. contains a thorough background discussion on diesel emissions and numerous references related to the well known subject, which will not be reiterated here.
Among other unwanted emissions, unburned carbon particles are typically present in exhaust from diesel engines. The unburned particles are particularly troublesome because carcinogenic materials are attached to the carbon particles as a product of the diesel combustion process. The carbon particles with the carcinogenic materials attached, often called “diesel particles”, are usually in the form of sub-micron to micron sized particles which can be inhaled, thereby depositing the carcinogenic materials into people's lungs.
In the past, these particles have been trapped by a particle trap then burned using an additional burner, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,959 to Kono et al. Such burners are relatively inefficient in heating the diesel particles to a sufficient temperature to oxidize.
Applicant's invention provides an improved diesel particle oxidizer which efficiently heats the diesel particles using visible light energy. The applicant's invention may also be applied to any carbon particles in an exhaust stream from any combustion source.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and apparatus to selectively oxidize diesel particles in the exhaust from a diesel engine before they enter the atmosphere. In the preferred embodiment, an elliptical shaped chamber is installed in series in the exhaust line from a diesel engine. The elliptical shaped chamber has an internal reflective surface and two focal lines. A flash tube is located at one of the focal lines, and a transparent exhaust tube is located at the other. Exhaust from the diesel engine is directed through the transparent exhaust tube where it is exposed to an intense flash of approximately visible light from the flash tube. The elliptical shaped reflective chamber refocuses the majority of light emitted from the flash tube into the transparent exhaust tube. The diesel particles in the exhaust act as black bodies and absorb most of the light energy, thereby heating sufficiently to rapidly oxidize.
In an alternate embodiment, the light source is inside an internally reflective portion of an exhaust tube and the particles are heated as they pass between the light source and the exhaust tube wall.
In another alternate embodiment, a beam of light is focused longitudinally down the inside of an exhaust pipe.
The features, benefits and objects of this invention will become clear to those skilled in the art by reference to the following description, claims and drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3174819 (1965-03-01), Clayton
patent: 5842110 (1998-11-01), Tabatabaie-Raissi et al.
patent: 2045456 (1980-10-01), None

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