# US 8,769,940 B2 · Marine exhaust catalyst

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- Number: US 8,769,940 B2
- Document ID: US8769940B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/101,963
- Filed: 2011-05-05
- Published: 2012-03-15
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2010-05-05
- Assignees: Cummins Power Generation IP, Inc.
- Applicants: Mark E. Turpin; Clayton Smith; Gary A. Salmonson; Brian G. Haupt; Shawn John Kipka; Kurt Butz; Lee Severtson
- Inventors: Mark E. Turpin; Clayton Smith; Gary A. Salmonson; Brian G. Haupt; Shawn John Kipka; Kurt Butz; Lee Severtson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8769940B2

## CPC

- F01N 3/20: specially adapted for catalytic conversion (F01N3/22 takes precedence)
- F01N 1/00: Silencing apparatus characterised by method of silencing
- F01N 3/046: {Exhaust manifolds with cooling jacket}
- F01N 3/108: {Auxiliary reduction catalysts}
- F01N 3/2853: {using mats or gaskets between catalyst body and housing}
- F01N 13/14: having thermal insulation {(exhaust manifolds F01N13/102)}
- F01N 3/101: {Three-way catalysts}
- F01N 2240/02: a heat exchanger
- F01N 2260/024: using a liquid
- F01N 2560/025: for measuring or detecting O2, e.g. lambda sensors
- F01N 2570/10: Carbon or carbon oxides
- F01N 2590/02: for marine vessels or naval applications
- F01N 2900/1621: Catalyst conversion efficiency
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- 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)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

An internal combustion engine is coupled to an electric power generator. An exhaust manifold for the engine includes an exhaust gas conduit. A housing includes a catalyst in fluid communication with the conduit to receive exhaust produced by the engine. The catalyst is operable to reduce one or more constituents of the exhaust.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus, comprising:
a marine genset including an internal combustion engine and an electric power generator mechanically driven by the engine;
an exhaust manifold for the engine including an exhaust gas conduit; and
an exhaust emission aftertreatment device including an exhaust passage in fluid communication with the exhaust gas conduit to receive exhaust therefrom, the exhaust emission aftertreatment device including a catalyst in the exhaust passage to reduce one or more exhaust constituents and thermal insulation fixed about the catalyst to reduce an outer temperature of the exhaust emission aftertreatment device while maintaining a desired temperature of the catalyst during operation of the engine, the exhaust emission aftertreatment device being structured without a liquid coolant passageway to reduce temperature thereof.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is a three-way catalyst.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is structured to reduce carbon monoxide in the exhaust.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the exhaust emission aftertreatment device includes an elongated tube defining the exhaust passage receiving the catalyst, the tube being in fluid communication with the exhaust gas conduit of the exhaust manifold, the exhaust emission aftertreatment device further including a housing
extending from the exhaust manifold around the tube, and the thermal insulation extends between the tube and the housingcatalyst includes means for reducing carbon monoxide content of the exhaust.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a first sensor located upstream of the catalyst; and
a second sensor located downstream of the catalyst.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to provide a first signal and a second signal, respectively, corresponding to an oxygen amount in the exhaust, and further comprising a controller configured to determine a plurality of test mode conditions of operation are satisfied in order to evaluate an efficiency of the catalyst in response to the first and second signals adapted to monitor oxygen in an exhaust gas stream.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an exhaust cooler located downstream of the catalyst.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a watercraft carrying the genset, the manifold, and the exhaust emission aftertreatment device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an exhaust muffler located downstream of the catalyst.

### Claim 10

A method, comprising:
operating an internal combustion engine of a marine genset at engine speed;
driving an electrical power generator of the marine genset with the engine;
passing exhaust from the engine through an exhaust gas conduit of an exhaust manifold;
passing the exhaust from the exhaust gas conduit through an exhaust passage of an exhaust emission aftertreatment device, the exhaust emission aftertreatment device including a catalyst in the exhaust passage;
using the catalyst to reduce one or more constituents of the exhaust received from the engine; and
controlling a temperature of the catalyst with thermal insulation fixed about the catalyst, and reducing an outer temperature of the exhaust emission aftertreatment device, without using a liquid coolant, during operation of the internal combustion engine.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, which includes maintaining an approximately constant speed of the engine during nominal operation.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, which includes varying the speed.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling an air-to-fuel ratio of the engine based on an oxygen sensor upstream of the catalyst.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the exhaust emission aftertreatment device includes an elongated tube defining the exhaust passage receiving the exhaust, the exhaust emission aftertreatment device further including a housing extending around the tube, and the thermal insulation extends between the tube and the housing.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, which includes cooling the exhaust with an exhaust cooler located downstream of the catalyst.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising providing the exhaust from the exhaust cooler to an exhaust muffler downstream of the catalyst.

### Claim 17

An apparatus, comprising:
an internal combustion engine configured to generate means for generating mechanical power including an internal combustion engine at a speed;
means for driving a an electrical power generator connected with the engine configured to convert the mechanical power to electrical power;
an exhaust gas system connected to the engine to receive means for reducing a constituent of an exhaust from the engine, the exhaust gas system including an elongated tube defining an exhaust passage with a catalyst configured to reduce a constituent in the exhaust and a housing extending around the elongated tube; and
means for controlling temperature of the catalyst with insulation fixed about the catalyst between the tube and the housing that is configured to control a temperature of the catalyst without using a liquid coolant.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising controller configured to control means for controlling an air-to-fuel ratio of the engine based on a signal from an oxygen sensor upstream of the catalyst.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for cooling and muffling noise downstream of the catalyst a second oxygen configured to provide a second signal in response to oxygen in the exhaust downstream of the catalyst, wherein the controller is configured to determine a plurality of test mode conditions of operation are satisfied before monitoring an efficiency of the catalyst based on a comparison of the oxygen sensor signals.

### Claim 20

An apparatus, comprising:
a marine genset including an internal combustion engine and an electric power generator mechanically driven by the engine;
an exhaust manifold for the engine including an exhaust gas conduit;
an exhaust emission aftertreatment device extending from an inlet port at the exhaust manifold to an outlet port, the exhaust emission aftertreatment device including a catalyst spaced from the inlet and outlet ports in fluid communication with the exhaust
conduit to receive exhaust therefrom, the exhaust emission aftertreatment device having thermal insulation extending from the inlet port to the outlet port that is fixed
about the catalyst to reduce an outer temperature of the exhaust emission aftertreatment device while maintaining a desired temperature of the catalyst during operation of the engine; and
an exhaust cooler to cool the exhaust located downstream of the catalyst.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a muffler means for muffling noise downstream of the exhaust cooler.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the insulation extends between a tube defining an exhaust passage in which the catalyst is positioned and a housing extending along the tube, and the insulation completely surrounds the catalyst.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a watercraft to carry the genset, the manifold, device, and the muffler muffling means.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a first oxygen sensor configured to provide a first signal in response to oxygen in the exhaust upstream of the catalyst;
a second oxygen sensor configured to provide a second signal in response to oxygen in the exhaust downstream of the catalyst; and
a controller configured to determine a plurality of test mode conditions of operation are satisfied before means for monitoring efficiency of the catalyst based on a comparison of the first and second signals.