The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 17, 1990
Filed:
Mar. 25, 1985
Haren S Gandhi, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Joseph T Kummer, Ypsilanti, MI (US);
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
This specification teaches a method for treatment of exhaust gases which if left untreated can generate, upon full oxidation, temperatures in a range of from about 1600.degree. F. to about 2700.degree. F. over an oxidizing catalyst. The method has the following steps. An internal combustion engine (10) is operated under conditions in which there is insufficient oxygen to oxide all the hydrocarbon present in the fuel. The exhaust gases so-developed are passed into an exhaust manifold (12) and then through an exhaust pipe (14) to an oxidation catalyst (16) whose primary oxidation catalyst is palladium. An air pump (20) generates a supply of oxygen which can supply up to about 80% of the oxygen required to combust fully all of the hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide contained in the exhaust gases when the internal combustion engine is operating in a wide-open throttle condition. A portion of the generated oxygen supply is directed by means of an air line (24) into the exhaust manifold where the oxygen oxidizes any of the hydrocarbons and oxidizes a portion of the carbon monoxide. A remaining portion of the generated oxygen supply is directed by an air line (26) into the exhaust gases in the exhaust pipe just prior to passing over the oxidation catalyst. When the internal combustion engine is operated at wide-open throttle conditions, all but a small amount of the carbon monoxide in the exhaust gases is fully oxidized and all of the oxides of nitrogen are reduced to nitrogen at a time when the internal combustion engine is producing a very large amount of oxides of nitrogen.