Method and apparatus for reducing emissions and/or reducing friction in an internal combustion engine
AssigneeHenkel AG & Co.KGaA
InventorsShawn E. Dolan, James P. Golding
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for reducing at least one of HC, CO, and NOx emissions from an operating internal combustion engine fueled by hydrocarbon or similar fuels, such as alcohols, wherein a portion of the internal combustion chamber has aluminum and/or titanium containing surfaces coated with a titanium dioxide coating further comprising a dopant in and/or on the adherent titanium dioxide coating.
Claims18
A method to reduce emissions from an apparatus comprising an operating internal combustion engine, said internal combustion engine comprising a combustion chamber, an air-intake valve and an exhaust gas valve;
- the method comprising depositing a chemically adherent titanium dioxide containing coating on a portion of aluminum surfaces of at least one of:
- a portion of surfaces defining the combustion chamber;
- an internal surface of an air-intake passage in communication with the combustion chamber via an air-intake port that is opened and dosed by the intake valve;
- an internal surface of an exhaust emission passage in communication with the combustion chamber via an exhaust gas valve through an exhaust gas port;
- the air-intake valve;
- the exhaust gas valve;
- and
- an exhaust manifold in communication with the exhaust emission passage;
- such that, during operation of said engine, intake air, fuel/air mixture and/or exhaust gas contact said coating thereby increasing decomposition rate of HC, CO or NOx and/or reducing formation rate of CO or NOx emissions resulting from combustion in the combustion chamber.
A method to reduce emissions from an operating internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:
- determining a state of an engine operating parameter corresponding to an emission value of at least one of HC, CO and NOx emitted from a combustion chamber of an operating internal combustion engine,
- determining a target reduction in concentration of at least one of HC, CO and NOx in exhaust gas discharged from the operating internal combustion engine corresponding to the state of the engine operating parameter corresponding to the emission value of at least one of HC, CO and NOx emitted from the combustion chamber of the operating internal combustion engine,
- wherein the concentration of the at least one of HC, CO and NOx is measured at a selected location in a path of the exhaust gas that is downstream from the combustion chamber;
- and
- depositing a chemically adherent titanium dioxide containing coating on a portion of surfaces of
- a. the combustion chamber;
- b. an air-intake passage in communication with the combustion chamber;
- c. an exhaust passage in communication with the combustion chamber;
- d. Intake and/or exhaust valves;
- and/or
- e. an exhaust manifold in communication with the exhaust passage;
- to effect said target reduction in concentration of at least one of HC, CO and NOx in exhaust gas discharged from the operating internal combustion engine.
-12. (canceled)
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- external surfaces and internal surfaces, said internal surfaces comprising a group of internal surfaces located on at least one of a combustion chamber, an air intake passage, an exhaust passage, an exhaust manifold, a valve and combinations thereof;
- at least a portion of said group of internal surfaces being metal selected from aluminum, aluminum alloy, titanium or titanium alloy;
- and at least some portions of the metal being coated metal surfaces having a chemically adherent coating comprising TiO2, said coated metal surfaces positioned such that, during operation of said engine, intake air, fuel/air mixture and/or exhaust gas contact said chemically adherent coating thereby increasing decomposition rate of HC, CO or NOx and/or reducing formation rate of CO or NOx emissions resulting from combustion in the combustion chamber.
-18. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.