Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Vemulapalli D Rao

Wallace R Wade

Harry Arthur Cikanek

Angelo Jaimee

Daniel M Kabat

David A Yeager

Benjamin T Howes

Peter H Havstad

Michael G Aimone

The invention discloses a method of reducing the concentration of NO.sub.x in the exhaust streams of internal combustion ignitions wherein a selected producing agent is introduced into the combustion chamber of such an engine via the fuel and/or air feed stream introduced into the combustion chamber. Also disclosed is an apparatus for reducing the concentration of NO.sub.x in the exhaust streams of internal combustion engines having a piston-cylinder assembly having an air fuel mixture contained therein, a means for storing a selective reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ammonia, hydrazine and cyanuric acid and a means for introducing the reducing agent into the lean air/fuel mixture before combustion occurs such that upon combustion of the air/fuel mixture, the reducing agent decomposes to react with one or more products of combustion to produce an engine exhaust stream having a reduced concentration of NO.sub.x.

Method and apparatus for reducing NO.sub.x in the exhaust streams of

A particulate and exhaust emission control system for a vehicle (10) having a diesel engine (12). The control system has a particulate trap (24) connected to the exhaust manifold (22) of the diesel engine, an additive tank (30) for storing a fuel additive decomposed by the engine's combustion process to form a reducible metal oxide capable of depressing the ignition temperature of the carbon particulates collected by the particulate trap (24) and a metering mechanism (34) responsive to the adding of diesel fuel to the vehicle's fuel tank (28) to add a quantity of the fuel additive to the diesel fuel in the fuel tank (28) to maintain a predetermined ratio of the fuel additive to the diesel fuel in the tank. The metal oxide depressing the ignition temperature of the carbon particulates collected by the particulate trap (24) to a temperature obtained by the particulate trap during selected operating parameters of the diesel engine (12). The particulate trap (24) includes a honeycomb ceramic filter element (38) having inlet channels (44) for collecting the carbon particulate and exit channels (46) coated with a catalyst to oxidize carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust.

Particulate and exhaust gas emission control system

Method for reducing NO.sub.x in the exhaust streams of internal

An exhaust system for a spark ignition engine on an automotive vehicle including an exhaust filter disposed downstream of a spark ignition engine for condensing hydrocarbons in exhaust gases from the engine during a first time period after start of the engine, a bypass structure for bypassing at least a portion of exhaust gases around the exhaust filter to heat the exhaust filter during a second time period after the first time period and evaporate the condensed hydrocarbons, and a catalytic converter disposed downstream of the exhaust filter to oxidize the evaporated hydrocarbons and reduce NO.sub.x in exhaust gases passing therethrough. A method is also provided.

Spark ignition engine exhaust system

An exhaust system for a spark ignition engine on an automotive vehicle including an exhaust filter disposed downstream of a spark ignition engine for condensing hydrocarbons in exhaust gases from the engine during a first time period after start of the engine, a bypass structure for bypassing at least a portion of exhaust gases around the exhaust-filter to heat the exhaust filter during a second time period after the first time period and evaporate the condensed hydrocarbons, and a catalytic converter disposed downstream of the exhaust filter to oxidize the evaporated hydrocarbons and reduce NO.sub.x in exhaust gases passing therethrough. A method is also provided.

A low-friction piston construction for use in an oil-fed cylinder bore with the piston skirt relieved to define lands that are coated with SFL (graphite, MoS.sub.2, BN, and a special expoxy resin). A method of making such piston construction including provision of asperities on the skirt wall onto which the SFL coating is thermally sprayed and formation of small pockets at the mouth of the asperities to additionally act as oil replenishing reservoirs. A method of using such piston construction in an engine which comprises provisions of a slightly increased gap between the piston and cylinder wall and formation of a transferred SFL coating from the piston to the cylinder wall resulting in two polished microsmooth mating coatings, each attractive to oil films.

Low friction reciprocating piston assembly

The invention discloses internal combustion engines, particularly compression ignition engines such as diesel engines, having reduced nitrogen oxide emissions with concurrent reductions in particulate emissions. The invention provides a catalyst impregnated prechamber insert which operates in the fuel rich environments of internal combustion engines to reduce nitrous oxides.

Redox catalysis of NO.sub.x in internal combustion engines

A cooling system for cooling intake air in an internal combustion engine. The system comprised of a two-stage turbocharging subsystem having two turbine driven compressors in series with two intercoolers and a closed-loop refrigeration subsystem having cooling coils within or in close proximity to the insulated intake manifold of the engine. This cooled intake air results in a lower peak combustion temperature which results in lower levels of nitrous oxides emitted by the engine exhaust.

Diesel engine turbo-expander

A filtration system operative to remove oxidizable particulates from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine is disclosed. The system has a filter element to trap and collect particulates in the exhaust gas, ignition means supplied with energy for a period only sufficient to ignite a leading portion of the particulate collection, and means for conducting a flow of gas with excess oxygen through the filtration means immediately following ignition without addition of other energy, the flow of gas with excess oxygen being utilized to support the continued oxidation of the ignited particulate collection. The ignition means may comprise (a) apparatus for adding excess hydrocarbon fuel either to (i) the gas flow through the intake manifold of the engine, (ii) the exhaust gas exiting from the engine, or (iii) a separate supply of compressed air, and (b) a supplementary heated catalyst located between the exhaust manifold of the engine and the filter element for acting upon the hydrocarbon rich gas flow, the catalyst being effective to bring about ignition of the hydrocarbon rich gas and produce a heated exhaust gas high enough in temperature to ignite at least a portion of the particulates in the filter element.

Filtration system for diesel engine exhaust-II

An oilless engine having a piston reciprocal within a cylinder and along an axis of such cylinder while providing an annular gap therebetween to receive combustion gases and a gas phase blow-by control system for such engine. The system comprises (a) an annular receptacle in at least one of said piston and cylinder; (b) an annular body of graphite carrying high temperature solid lubricant disposed in said annular receptacle, said body presenting a face projecting out of said receptacle; (c) an elastomer material retentive of elasticity at the maximum operating temperature to be experienced by said body, interposed between said body and receptacle to urge said body to close said gap under all operating conditions of said engine; and (d) axially directed grooves in said body face sized to substantially trap cylinders of combustion gases therein by viscosity under low pressure gradients and to limit the passage of a combustion gases through said grooves under high pressure gradients to one percent or less of the cylinder gas charge volume, the gas cylinders functioning as bearings to ride the piston during reciprocation.

Oilless internal combustion engine having gas phase lubrication

An apparatus for providing a gas phase film lubrication between a reciprocal piston and a cylinder of an uncooled oilless internal combustion engine; the piston is effective to drive a rotary crankshaft in response to an expanding gas charge. The apparatus comprises: (a) means connecting the crankshaft to said piston for transferring reciprocal thrust into rotary thrust, such means aligning the piston concentrically within the cylinder wall to limit the imposition of side loads on said piston (i.e., less than 80 psi); (b) interfacing walls on the piston and cylinder (i) sized to provide a predetermined annular gap therebetween at ambient conditions that has a radial dimension in the range of 0.001.+-.0.0005 inches, (ii) consisting of matched materials that prevent closure of the gap due to thermal expansion under the maximum temperature differential to be experienced between the piston and cylinder wall, and (iii) are preshaped to anticipate any thermal growth of the interfacing walls for maintaining the annular gap substantially constant at elevated temperatures.

Uncooled oilless internal combustion engine having uniform gas squeeze

A filtration system operative to remove oxidizable particulates from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine is disclosed. The system has a filter element to trap and collect particulates in the exhaust gas, ignition means supplied with energy for a period only sufficient to ignite a leading portion of the particulate collection, and means for conducting a flow of gas with excess oxygen thorough the filtration means immediately following ignition without addition of other energy, the flow of gas with excess oxygen being utilized to support the continued oxidation of the ignited particulate collection. The ignition means may comprise (a) apparatus for adding excess hydrocarbon fuel either to (i) the gas flow through the intake manifold of the engine, (ii) the exhaust gas exiting from the engine, or (iii) a separate supply of compressed air, and (b) a supplementary heated catalyst located between the exhaust manifold of the engine and the filter element for acting upon the hydrocarbon rich gas flow, the catalyst being effective to bring about ignition of the hydrocarbon rich gas and produce a heated exhaust gas high enough in temperature to ignite at least a portion of the particulates in the filter element.

A carbon ignition temperature depressing agent is disclosed along with a method of regenerating an automotive particulate trap using the ignition temperature depressing agent. The agent is effective to promote oxidation of on-board collected carbonaceous particles extracted from the automobile exhaust. The agent comprises (a) an organometallic compound that upon heating (the combustion process of the engine) forms a readily reducible metal oxide which when finely divided promotes a carbonaceous ignition temperature in the range of as low as 450.degree. F. and up to as low as 675.degree. F., and (b) an aerosol-promoting liquid carrier effective to form a fine mist with the organometallic compound when sprayed, the carrier having a boiling point in the range of 176.degree.-302.degree. F. (80.degree.-150.degree. C.). The organometallic compound is one or more metal octoates having the metal selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel and cerium. The organometallic compounds are readily soluble and stable in the fuel supply used with an internal combustion engine such as an automotive diesel engine. The mixture is used in a volume amount of 10-50 milliliters per gallon of fuel or the organometallic compound is present in an amount of at least 0.15-0.5 gm/gal of fuel. The organometallic compound is proportioned to the carrier in a ratio of 1:2 to 1:10. The aerosol-promoting liquid carrier is selected from the group consisting of hexane, pentane and toluene and is effective to promote a droplet size for said mixture when sprayed of substantially less, on average, of one micron.

Carbon ignition temperature depressing agent and method of regenerating

A carbon ignition temperature depressing agent is disclosed along with a method of regenerating an automotive particulate trap using the ignition temperature depressing agent. The agent is effective to promote oxidation of on-board collected carbonaceous particles extracted from the automobile exhaust. The agent comprises (a) an organometallic compound that upon heating (the combustion process of the engine) forms a readily reducible metal oxide which when finely divided promotes a carbonaceous ignition temperature in the range of as low as 450.degree. F. and up to as low as 675.degree. F., and (b) an aerosol-promoting liquid carrier effective to form a fine mist with the organometallic compound when sprayed, the carrier having a boiling point in the range of 176.degree.-302.degree. F. (80.degree.-150.degree. C.). The organometallic compound is one or more metal octoates having the metal selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel and cerium. The organometallic compounds are readily soluble and stable in the fuel supply used with an internal combustion engine such as an automotive diesel engine. The mixture is used in a volume amount of 10-50 milliliters per gallon of fuel or the organometallic compound is present in an amount of at least 0.15-0.5 gm/gal of fuel. The organometallic compound is proportioned to the carrier in a ratio of 1:2 to 1:10. The aerosol-promoting liquid carrier is selected from the group consisting of hexane, pentane and toluene and is effective to promote a droplet size for said mixture when sprayed of substantially less, on average, of one mircon.

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Bloomfield Township, MI, United States of America

Vemulapalli D Rao