# US 7,607,289 B2 · Apparatus for emissions control, systems, and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,607,289 B2 - Document ID: US7607289B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/868,591 - Filed: 2007-10-08 - Published: 2008-05-08 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2002-08-23 - Assignees: Donaldson Company, Inc. - Inventors: Steve D. Schmeichel; Fred W. Schmidt; Julian A. Imes; Robert Allen Dushek - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607289B2 ## CPC - F01N 3/035: with catalytic reactors - B01D 53/944: {Simultaneously removing carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons or carbon making use of oxidation catalysts (three-way-catalysts [TWC] B01D53/9445)} - B01D 2258/012: Diesel engines and lean burn gasoline engines - F01M 2013/0438: {with a filter} - F01N 3/08: for rendering innocuous (using electric or electrostatic separators F01N3/01; chemical aspects B01D53/92) - F02B 37/00: Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust - Y10S 55/30: Exhaust treatment - 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) - F01M: LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract Methods, constructions, and systems for treating engine emissions. An engine includes a crankcase, an air intake, a blow-by vent, and an exhaust port; the crankcase emits blow-by gases through the blow-by vent, and the engine produces an exhaust stream through the exhaust port. The blow-by gases are directed through a blow-by filter to produce filtered gases. The filtered gases are directed back into the air intake of the engine; and the exhaust stream is treated with at least one of a catalytic converter, a flow through filter, and a diesel particulate filter. Total particulate matter (PM) emissions of a turbo-charged diesel engine having an engine crankcase and an exhaust tailpipe are reducible. The total emissions includes particulate matter emissions from the engine crankcase added to the particulate matter emissions from the exhaust tailpipe. The method includes filtering blow-by gases and directing filtered blow-by gases back into the engine; and treating the exhaust stream with a catalyst; whereby the total emissions are reduced by greater than 25% when compared to the same engine that does not filter blow-by gases nor treat the exhaust stream. Usable systems include: a blow-by filter in gas-flow communication with a blow-by vent of an engine crankcase; a diesel oxidation catalyst arrangement in gas-flow communication with an exhaust port of an engine crankcase, a diesel particulate filter (active or passive), a flow through filter, and combinations thereof. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for retrofitting a diesel engine, the diesel engine drawing intake air through an air intake structure including an air filter for filtering the intake air, the method comprising: (a) installing a blow-by gas treatment device for treating blow-by gas generated by the diesel engine to reduce blow-by gas emissions, the blow-by gas treatment device being installed in gas-flow communication with a blow-by vent structure of the diesel engine and in further gas-flow communication with the engine air intake structure; and (b) installing an exhaust treatment device for treating exhaust gas generated by the diesel engine to reduce exhaust gas emissions, the exhaust treatment device being installed in gas-flow communication with an engine exhaust port structure of the diesel engine, the exhaust treatment device including a substrate for reducing the exhaust gas emissions, the substrate being catalyzed with a diesel oxidation catalyst to promote the oxidation of hydrocarbons, wherein the blow-by gas treatment device and the exhaust treatment device are configured to provide at least a 25 percent reduction in total engine particulate matter emissions when the blow-by gas treatment device and the exhaust treatment device are used to retrofit a model year 1991-2003 on-highway diesel engine rated to produce from 150-600 horsepower. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the blow-by gas treatment device and the exhaust treatment device are installed on a model year 1991-2003 on-highway diesel engine rated to produce from 150-600 horsepower so as to retrofit the diesel engine in a manner that satisfies the minimum reductions in emissions required by government regulations governing retrofits of model year 1991-2003 on-highway diesel engines rated to produce from 150-600 horsepower. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the blow-by gas treatment device has a mass efficiency that exceeds 80 percent. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the blow-by gas treatment device has a mass efficiency that exceeds 90 percent. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the blow-by gas is directed to the air intake system at a location downstream of the air filter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a ceramic substrate having a honeycomb like configuration of longitudinal channels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising selling the blow-by gas treatment device and the exhaust treatment device as part of a retrofit kit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyzed substrate comprises a catalytic converter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyzed substrate comprises a flow through filter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyzed substrate comprises a diesel particulate filter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the diesel particulate filter is a wall flow filter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the wall flow filter includes a ceramic substrate having a honeycomb like configuration of longitudinal channels, with ends of the channels selectively plugged to encourage flow through walls of the longitudinal channels. ### Claim 13 A method reducing air emissions from a diesel engine, the diesel engine drawing intake air through an air intake structure including an air filter for filtering the intake air, the method comprising: using a blow-by gas treatment device for treating blow-by gas generated by the diesel engine to reduce blow-by gas emissions, the blow-by gas treatment device being used in gas-flow communication with a blow-by vent structure of the diesel engine and in further gas-flow communication with the engine air intake structure; and using an exhaust treatment device for treating exhaust gas generated by the diesel engine to reduce exhaust gas emissions, the exhaust treatment device being used in gas-flow communication with an engine exhaust port structure of the diesel engine, the exhaust treatment device including a substrate for reducing the exhaust gas emissions, the substrate being catalyzed with a diesel oxidation catalyst to promote the oxidation of hydrocarbons, wherein the blow-by gas treatment device and the exhaust treatment device are configured to provide at least a 25 percent reduction in total engine particulate matter emissions when the blow-by gas treatment device and the exhaust treatment device are used to treat exhaust from a model year 1991-2003 on-highway diesel engine rated to produce from 150-600 horsepower, and wherein at least one of the blow-by gas treatment device and the exhaust treatment device is installed as part of a retrofit operation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the blow-by gas treatment device has a mass efficiency that exceeds 80 percent. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the blow-by gas is directed to the air intake system at a location downstream of the air filter. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the substrate includes a ceramic substrate having a honeycomb like configuration of longitudinal channels. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising selling the blow-by gas treatment device and the exhaust treatment device as part of a retrofit kit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the catalyzed substrate comprises a catalytic converter. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the catalyzed substrate comprises a flow through filter. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the catalyzed substrate comprises a diesel particulate filter.