Emission control apparatus
AssigneeHarris International Sales Corporation
InventorHarold L. Harris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improved emission control apparatus for use with an internal combustion engine having a housing with an inlet and outlet, the outlet being connected to the exhaust of the engine. Mounted in the housing at spaced locations are first and second catalytic cells through which the engine exhaust gases pass for conversion to less noxious compounds. Some of the gases passing through the first catalytic cell are returned upstream thereof for recirculation through said first catalytic cell. All of the gases pass through the second catalytic cell.
Claims27
Improved emission control apparatus for use with an internal combustion engine, said apparatus having an enclosed cylindrical housing with an inlet at one end thereof for connection with the exhaust of said engine and an outlet at the opposite end thereof;
- converter means being mounted in said housing for reducing noxious gases emitted from said engine by converting nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxides and unburned hydrocarbons to less noxious compounds for discharge through said outlet, wherein said converter means comprises:
- a first catalytic cell transversely disposed in said cylindrical housing at a fixed distance from said housing inlet and a second catalytic cell transversely disposed in said cylindrical housing at a fixed distance from said first catalytic cell, the cross-sectional area of said first catalytic cell being less than the cross-sectional area of said cylindrical housing leaving one or more return areas which allow at least some of said engine exhaust passing through said first catalytic cell to return through said return areas for recirculation through said first catalytic cell, all of said engine exhaust passing through said second catalytic cell prior to discharge through said outlet.
Improved emission control apparatus for use with an internal combustion engine, said apparatus having an enclosed housing at one end of which is an inlet for connection with the exhaust of said engine and at the opposite end of which is an outlet, converter means being mounted in said housing for reducing noxious gases emitted from said engine by converting nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxides and unburned hydrocarbons to less noxious compounds for discharge through said outlet, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a first catalytic cell transversely disposed in said housing separating an inlet chamber thereof from a downstream intermediate chamber and through which at least some of said engine exhaust gases pass;
- a second catalytic cell transversely disposed in said housing separating said intermediate chamber from another chamber downstream thereof and through which all of said engine exhaust gases pass prior to discharge through said outlet;
- and
- return means providing fluid communication between said inlet chamber and said intermediate chamber to allow at least a portion of the exhaust gases passing through said first catalytic cell to return from said intermediate chamber to said inlet chamber for recirculation through said first catalytic cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.