# US 10,502,116 B2 · Frame elements for containing monoliths > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,116 B2 - Document ID: US10502116B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/371,867 - Filed: 2016-12-07 - Published: 2017-06-08 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-07 - Assignees: Johnson Matthey Catalysts (Germany) GMBH - Applicants: Johnson Matthey Catalysts (Germany) GMBH - Inventors: Robert Kleuderlein; Dirk Reichert; Harald Scherbel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502116B2 ## CPC - F01N 3/2842: {specially adapted for monolithic supports, e.g. of honeycomb type (F01N3/2853 - F01N3/2871 take precedence)} - B01D 53/944: {Simultaneously removing carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons or carbon making use of oxidation catalysts (three-way-catalysts [TWC] B01D53/9445)} - B01D 53/9418: {for removing nitrogen oxides by selective catalytic reduction [SCR] using a reducing agent in a lean exhaust gas} - B01J 35/04 - F01N 3/28: Construction of catalytic reactors - F01N 3/2853: {using mats or gaskets between catalyst body and housing} - F01N 13/017: {the purifying devices are arranged in a single housing} - B01D 2255/9155: Wall flow filters - F01N 2350/04: with means compensating thermal expansion - F01N 2450/22: by welding or brazing - F01N 2450/30: Removable or rechangeable blocks or cartridges, e.g. for filters - F01N 2590/02: for marine vessels or naval applications - F01N 2590/10: for stationary applications - F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS ## Abstract An element frame for holding monoliths containing catalysts in the flow of exhaust gases from a combustion source, the element frame comprising two pairs of opposing walls, wherein the walls form a rectangular or square shape, an interior formed by the walls, an inlet end, an outlet end, at least one locking element, at least one mat and at least one monolith comprising an inlet, an outlet, four sides and at least one catalyst effective in reducing the concentration of one or more gases in the exhaust gas, wherein the at least one mat and the at least one monolith being positioned in the interior of the element frame so that there is at least one mat between the monolith and each adjacent wall, each locking element extending across the inlet end or outlet end of the element frame and being connected to two opposite sides of the element frame. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An element frame for holding monoliths containing catalysts in the flow of exhaust gases from a combustion source, the element frame comprising: two pairs of opposing walls where the walls form a rectangular or square shape, an interior formed by the walls, an inlet end, an outlet end, at least one locking element, at least one mat, and at least one monolith comprising an inlet, an outlet, four sides and at least one catalyst effective in reducing the concentration of one or more gases in the exhaust gas, where the at least one mat and the at least one monolith is positioned in the interior of the element frame with at least one mat between the monolith and an adjacent wall of the element frame, each locking element extending across the inlet end or outlet end of the element frame and being connected to two opposite sides of the element frame, wherein one or more of the walls comprises a plurality of protrusions extending into the interior of the element frame, the protrusions being configured to contact and hold the at least one mat against the monolith. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The element frame of claim 1, wherein two or more monoliths are present in the interior of the element frame, at least two monoliths are located adjacent two each other, and at least one mat is located between monoliths that are adjacent to each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The element frame of claim 1, wherein at least two locking elements are located on the inlet end of the element frame and at least two locking elements are located on the outlet end of the element frame. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The element frame of claim 1, where, when the element frame comprises at least two monoliths, a space is located between adjacent monoliths and at least one of the locking elements are located over, and centered on, space between two monoliths. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The element frame of claim 1, where each wall comprises a surface comprising a plurality of protrusions, arranged in a grid pattern, extending into the interior. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The element frame of claim 1, wherein at least one wall of the element frame comprises an extended section comprising a plurality of openings, where the openings are configured to allow a fastener for joining the element frame to another element frame to pass through the opening. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The element frame of claim 1, where the thickness of the mat is chosen such that the mat fills a gap between the monolith and the frame element and provides cushioning that allows the monolith to withstand a surface pressure of at least approximately 100 Newtons/mm2 of surface pressure when the element frame is pressed together during assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The element frame of claim 1, where the monolith has a nominal width N and an actual width A, the thickness of a mat used with a monolith having an actual width A equal to the nominal width N is B, and the desired thickness of a mat used with a monolith having an actual width C is: B+(A−C) when CA, c) where the actual thickness of the mat used with a monolith having an actual width C is the closest thickness of commercially available mat of the material of width B. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The element frame of claim 1, where the monolith comprises an SCR catalyst or an oxidation catalyst. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The element frame of claim 1, where the monolith is a filter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The element frame of claim 1, wherein the element frame comprises a plurality of monoliths and two or more monoliths are positioned so that the outlet of one monolith is adjacent to the inlet of another monolith and a flow of exhaust gas passes sequentially through at least two monoliths. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The element frame of claim 11, where the two or more monoliths positioned so that the outlet of one monolith is adjacent to the inlet of another monolith contain catalysts having the same functionality. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The element frame of claim 11, where two of the two or more monoliths positioned so that the outlet of one monolith is adjacent to the inlet of another monolith contain catalysts having different functionality. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) A catalyst module comprising a plurality of element frames claim 6, where each element frame is connected to one or more elements frames through an extended section on the element frames. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) An exhaust system comprising an element frame of claim 1. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An exhaust system of claim 15, further comprising a means for forming NH3 in the exhaust gas, where the means for forming NH3 is located before the element frame or catalyst module. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A catalyst module comprising a plurality of element frames of claim 1. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A catalyst module of claim 17, wherein each of the frame elements is connected to an adjacent frame element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) A catalyst module of claim 17, wherein the catalyst module further comprises a plurality of spaces formed by horizontal partitions and vertical partitions, where a frame element containing a monolith and one or more mats located between each side of each monolith is present within a space. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) An exhaust system comprising a catalyst module of claim 17. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A method of making an element frame of claim 1, the method comprising wrapping each monolith with a mat, placing the wrapped monolith within the interior of the element frame before the locking element is connected to the element frame and connecting the locking elements to the element frame while the element frame containing the mat wrapped monolith is subject to a compression force. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) A method of making a catalyst module of claim 17, the method comprising forming an element frame comprising one or more monoliths, one or more mats and one or more locking elements by wrapping each monolith with a mat, placing the wrapped monolith within the element frame, connecting the one or more locking elements to the element frame while the element frame containing the mat wrapped monolith is subject to a compression force and either (a) connecting one or more element frames to each other to form a catalyst module, or (b) inserting the element frame containing the one or more locking elements into a partition in a frame in a catalyst module. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, where the compression force is at least approximately 100 Newtons/mm2. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A method of treating an exhaust gas, the method comprising passing an exhaust gas through a monolith within an element frame of claim 1, where the monolith comprises one or more catalysts effective in reducing the concentration of one or more gases in the exhaust gas.