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:
Nov. 27, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 25, 2000
Robert P. Caren, San Jose, CA (US);
Jack A. Ekchian, Belmont, MA (US);
Tony Dekelaita, Flint, MI (US);
Ray Hallenbeck, Metamora, MI (US);
Victor J. Nowak, Beverly Hills, MI (US);
John Pietrasik, Clarkston, MI (US);
Gregory J. Roth, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Jeff Taus, Holly, MI (US);
Mike Tyle, Ortonville, MI (US);
Josef Yampolsky, Torrance, CA (US);
Litex, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
The invention is directed to an apparatus and a method for the reduction of pollutants in a gas stream containing gas formed from the oxidation of fuel, such as, in the exhaust stream of a combustion engine. Radicals are produced using a corona discharge in the combustion gas stream of the engine, either in the precombustion gas stream or from water in the exhaust gas. When the radicals are produced from the exhaust gas stream, the radicals may be produced using a corona discharge placed directly in the exhaust stream leading to or within the catalytic converter, or a portion of the exhaust stream may be diverted to a remote corona discharge radical generator. The corona discharge in the generator produces radicals in the diverted exhaust gas, and the exhaust gas containing radicals is then conveyed to the exhaust gas stream at a point upstream of the outlet of the catalytic converter.