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:
Sep. 25, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 01, 1999
Joseph Anthony Vitale, Jr., Shelby Township, MI (US);
Richard William Gushman, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method by which tracer compounds and combustion products in the exhaust of an internal combustion engine are more completely combusted, so that oil consumption of the engine can be more precisely and concurrently measured on a real-time basis using tunable diode laser spectroscopy. The apparatus includes a furnace capable of completely burning nonradioactive stable organobromo compounds and combustion products within the exhaust gas of the engine, without being reactive with the compounds or the resulting tracer gas or isotopic specie of the compounds. The furnace generally has at least one passage through which the exhaust gas passes. The wall surfaces of the passage are formed of a material with a high concentration of titanium, such that the exhaust gas is substantially limited to contact with the high-Ti material while within the furnace. Turbulent flow is preferably induced in the exhaust gas within the passage, while the gas is heated to a temperature sufficient to combust the compound and yield the desired tracer isotopic specie.