# US 2014/0196439 A1 · Method and apparatus for reducing emissions and/or reducing friction in an internal combustion engine

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- Number: US 2014/0196439 A1
- Document ID: US20140196439A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/125,215
- Filed: 2012-06-15
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2011-06-15
- Assignees: Henkel AG & Co.KGaA
- Inventors: Shawn E. Dolan; James P. Golding
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196439A1

## CPC

- F01L 3/04: Coated valve members or valve-seats
- C25D 7/04: Tubes; Rings; Hollow bodies
- C25D 9/12: on light metals
- F01N 3/10: by thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust
- F01N 3/18: characterised by methods of operation; Control
- F01N 13/10: of exhaust manifolds {(with cooling jacket F01N3/046)}
- F02B 23/104: {the injector being placed on a side position of the cylinder}
- F02B 75/12: Other methods of operation
- F02B 77/02: Surface coverings of combustion-gas-swept parts (of pistons F02F3/10; of cylinders and cylinder heads F02F1/00)
- F02B 77/04: Cleaning of, preventing corrosion or erosion in, or preventing unwanted deposits in, combustion engines
- F02F 3/14: within combustion chambers
- F02M 35/10334: {Foams; Fabrics; Porous media; Laminates; Ceramics; Coatings}
- F01L 2301/00: Using particular materials
- F01L 2303/00: Manufacturing of components used in valve arrangements
- F01L 2820/01: Absolute values
- F01N 2510/06: for exhaust purification, e.g. catalytic reaction
- F01N 2530/06: Aluminium or alloys thereof
- F01N 2570/10: Carbon or carbon oxides
- F01N 2570/12: Hydrocarbons
- F01N 2570/14: Nitrogen oxides
- F02B 2075/125: {Direct injection in the combustion chamber for spark ignition engines, i.e. not in pre-combustion chamber}
- F02F 2200/00: Manufacturing
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- F01L: CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES
- C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- 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)
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- F02F: CYLINDERS, PISTONS OR CASINGS, FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES; ARRANGEMENTS OF SEALINGS IN COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2

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.

### Claim at position 3

-12. (canceled)

### Claim 13

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.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The engine of claim 13 further comprising an exhaust system extending from the exhaust manifold to an exhaust pipe wherein at least a portion of internal surfaces of the exhaust system being aluminum, aluminum alloy, titanium or titanium alloy coated with said chemically adherent coating.

### Claim at position 6

-18. (canceled)

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising applying the coating to at least one of a bowl surface of a piston, a crown surface of a piston.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising applying the coating to top surfaces of the intake and exhaust valves.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising applying the coating to a surface of a cylinder head exposed to the combustion chamber.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising applying the coating to a surface of walls of a cylinder and/or a cylinder liner.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising a dopant in and/or on the chemically adherent titanium dioxide containing coating.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein 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, comprises determining engine speed of the internal combustion engine operating at steady state engine temperature.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein 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, comprises determining engine exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) values of the internal combustion engine operating at steady state engine temperature.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein 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, comprises determining engine load or torque of the internal combustion engine operating at steady state engine temperature.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein 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, comprises determining engine indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) of the internal combustion engine operating at steady state engine temperature.

### Claim 28 (depends on 13)

The engine according to claim 13 comprising a combustion chamber having at least one aluminum, aluminum alloy, titanium or titanium alloy surface, at least a portion of said surface having deposited thereon a coating comprising at least 25 wt % TiO2 in a layer thickness such that during operation of said engine exhaust gas emissions of HC, CO and/or NOx from the combustion chamber are less than said emissions from a like engine having no titanium dioxide coating on combustion chamber surfaces.

### Claim 29 (depends on 13)

The engine according to claim 13, wherein the coated metal surfaces having a chemically adherent coating comprising TiO2 are polished surfaces having an Ra of 0.01 to 1.0 micron.

### Claim 30 (depends on 13)

The engine according to claim 13, further comprising a dopant in and/or on the chemically adherent coating comprising TiO2.