Uop Lcc

Universal Oil Products Company

Melvin H Wagner

Carl F Bauer

Sandra B Corcoran

Elongated, small diameter muffler assembly especially adapted for use on motorcycles has perforated tube and bulkhead portions at its entrance end for damping and diffusing the entering exhaust gas pulses to reduce their energy and to protect a ceramic catalytic element mounted within the muffler housing. Perforated tube and bulkhead portions at the exit end provide sound abatement and are sized to accomodate the increased volume of gases resulting from the heating provided by the catalyst element. The catalyst element is supported at each end in a manner which permits a sliding longitudinal movement relative to the housing by means of perforated tubes which are rigidly attached to the muffler housing at their outer ends only, while being free to thermally expand axially inwardly toward the catalytic element at a rate independent of the thermal growth of the muffler housing. The configuration of the exhaust gas flow path and the lengths of the inner metal elements and the ceramic catalyst element located inside the housing are selected to insure that the ceramic catalyst element is firmly restrained against vibratory movement in an axial direction as the outer housing expands at a higher expansion rate than the ceramic element during high temperature operation.

Catalytic exhaust muffler for motorcycles

A variable capacity catalytic converter for control of noxious exhaust emissions from combustion engines consists of a plurality of interchangeable parts or modules each having a male portion and a female portion, which can be assembled in an additive way to provide the capability of producing a range of sizes of catalytic converters having varying volumes of catalyst while utilizing identical sets of components. Depending upon the engine requirements with which the converter is to be used, different numbers of modules can be assembled by stacking. An inward projection on an end cap of each module helps maintain a turbulent flow of gases through the device to produce uniform flow through all of the catalyst beds.

Variable capacity catalytic converter

Measuring cell for determining oxygen concentration in a combustion engine exhaust stream utilizes a wafer or disc of stabilized ZrO.sub.2 as a solid electrolyte. A pair of concentric metal tubes having oppositely directed flanges contact electrode surfaces on the wafer and provide rugged electrical connections thereto. A pair of tubular ceramic sleeves positioned between the metal tubes electrically insulate the metal tubes from each other, seal (with the help of high temperature ceramic fiber gaskets) the wafer from leakage of exhaust gases to the reference side of the cell and space the wafer from the outer metal housing. The ceramic sleeves also maintain high temperature sealing and contact pressure between the tube flanges and the electrodes by virtue of the fact that they have a greater longitudinal length subject to temperature expansion than does the metal housing, thus making up for the fact that their temperature expansion coefficient per unit of length is lower.

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Bartlett, IL, United States of America

Melvin H Wagner