Southwest Research Institute

Gas Research Institute

Michael E Crane

David W Naegeli

A combustor for burning the untreated exhaust of an internal combustion engine heats and burns the exhaust prior to release into the atmosphere, or prior to introduction into a downstream treatment system such as a catalytic converter. The combustor defines a novel, passive flame holder in combination with an igniter, whereby the exhaust continues to burn, without assist, once ignited. Managed air injection may be employed. The combustor is configured to fit within standard exhaust systems with a minimum of modification to the overall exhaust assembly. The combustor is particularly useful in cold start conditions for increasing the temperature of the exhaust to catalytic converter operating temperatures and for use in small engine applications where exhaust has heretofore been released untreated.

Exhaust gas combustor

A water-cooled, spark-ignited, natural gas burning engine that includes an improved ignition system having a pair of precombustion chambers located in series connected by an orifice from the first chamber into the combustion chamber of the engine whereby a relatively rich fuel/air mixture, ignited in the second prechamber, propagates a flame through an orifice into the first chamber wherein a leaner fuel/air mixture from the combustion chamber is plasma ignited which in turn creates a larger flame that is projected through an orifice into the main combustion chamber for plasma igniting a lean fuel/air mixture which could not otherwise be ignited by spark ignition. The invention also contemplates a kit providing the above for use in converting water-cooled, diesel burning, compression ignited engines into water-cooled, natural gas burning, spark-ignited engines.

Growing community of inventors

San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Michael E Crane