# US 8,783,090 B2 · Apparatus and methods for determination of total and solid carbon content of engine exhaust

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,783,090 B2
- Document ID: US8783090B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/305,540
- Filed: 2011-11-28
- Published: 2013-05-30
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2011-11-28
- Assignees: Southwest Research Institute
- Applicants: Qiang Wei; Imad Said Abdul-Khalek
- Inventors: Qiang Wei; Imad Said Abdul-Khalek
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783090B2

## CPC

- G01N 1/2252: {in a vehicle exhaust}
- G01N 33/0013: {by a chemical reaction (a chemical reaction taking place or a gas being eliminated in one or more analysing channels G01N33/0024)}
- G01N 33/0018: {by diluting a gas}
- F01N 11/00: Monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus
- G01N 2001/2255: {with dilution of the sample}
- Y10T 436/204998: Inorganic carbon compounds
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- 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)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

The present disclosure provides apparatus and methods to determine real-time total carbon content, non-inclusive of carbon dioxide, and/or solid carbon content of engine exhaust. For a total carbon content determination, substantially all carbon dioxide is removed from the exhaust, and thereafter substantially all the remaining carbon of the exhaust is oxidized to provide a quantity of carbon dioxide which then may be used to determine total carbon content of the exhaust. For solid carbon content determination, in addition to substantially all carbon dioxide being removed from the exhaust, substantially all carbon-containing non-solid substances are also removed from the exhaust, and thereafter substantially all the remaining carbon of the exhaust is oxidized to provide a quantity of carbon dioxide which then may be used to determine solid carbon content of the exhaust.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method to determine total carbon content, non-inclusive of carbon dioxide, of internal combustion engine exhaust, the method comprising:
obtaining an engine exhaust sample from an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the engine exhaust sample including carbon dioxide and one or more additional carbon-containing substances;
diluting the exhaust sample with a diluent, wherein the diluent cools the exhaust sample and reduces a concentration of the carbon dioxide of the exhaust sample;
removing at least 95% by weight of the carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the exhaust sample to provide an exhaust test specimen;
heating the exhaust test specimen in a heating device to a temperature and in a presence of oxygen to oxidize at least 95% by weight the carbon of the one or more additional carbon-containing substances of the exhaust test specimen and generating carbon dioxide thereby;
cooling the exhaust test specimen in a cooling device,
determining an overall quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen; and
determining an overall quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen using the overall quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining an overall concentration of carbon of the exhaust sample using the overall quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
after removing at least a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the exhaust sample to provide an exhaust test specimen, determining whether the exhaust test specimen includes a residual quantity of carbon dioxide.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 further comprising:
after determining whether the exhaust test specimen includes a residual quantity of carbon dioxide, if the test specimen includes a residual quantity of carbon dioxide, then subtracting the residual quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen from the overall quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen to determine an adjusted quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen; and
determining an adjusted quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen using the adjusted quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 further comprising:
determining an adjusted concentration of carbon of the exhaust sample using the adjusted quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more additional carbon-containing substances comprise at least one of carbon monoxide, one or more hydrocarbon compounds, and carbon-containing solid particles comprising one or more solid carbonaceous substances.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
removing at least a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the exhaust sample to provide an exhaust test specimen is performed with at least one carbon dioxide adsorber.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein:
the at least one carbon dioxide adsorber comprises a plurality of carbon dioxide adsorbers arranged to be operated in series.

### Claim 9

A method to determine solid carbon content of internal combustion engine exhaust, the method comprising:
obtaining an engine exhaust sample from an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the engine exhaust sample including carbon dioxide, carbon-containing solid particles and one or more additional carbon-containing non-solid substances;
heating the exhaust sample in a first heating device to a temperature and in a presence of oxygen to oxidize at least 95% by weight of the carbon of the one or more additional carbon-containing non-solid substances of the exhaust sample and generating carbon dioxide thereby;
diluting the exhaust sample with a diluent, wherein the diluent cools the exhaust sample and reduces a concentration of the carbon dioxide of the exhaust sample;
removing at least 95% by weight of the carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the exhaust sample to provide an exhaust test specimen;
heating the exhaust test specimen in a second heating device to a temperature and in a presence of oxygen to oxidize at least 95% by weight of the carbon of the carbon-containing solid particles of the exhaust test specimen and generating carbon dioxide thereby;
cooling the exhaust test specimen in a cooling device,
determining an overall quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen; and
determining an overall quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen using the overall quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 further comprising:
determining an overall concentration of carbon of the carbon-containing solid particles of the exhaust sample using the overall quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 further comprising:
after removing at least a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the exhaust sample to provide an exhaust test specimen, determining whether the exhaust test specimen includes a residual quantity of carbon dioxide.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 further comprising:
after determining whether the exhaust test specimen includes a residual quantity of carbon dioxide, if the test specimen includes a residual quantity of carbon dioxide, then subtracting the residual quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen from the overall quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen to determine an adjusted quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen; and
determining an adjusted quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen using the adjusted quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 further comprising:
determining an adjusted concentration of carbon of the carbon-containing solid particles of the exhaust sample using the adjusted quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein:
the one or more additional carbon-containing non-solid substances comprise at least one of carbon monoxide in gas form and one or more hydrocarbon compounds in gaseous or liquid form.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein:
the carbon-containing solid particles comprise solid soot particles.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein:
removing at least a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the exhaust sample to provide an exhaust test specimen is performed with at least one carbon dioxide adsorber.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 wherein:
the at least one carbon dioxide adsorber comprises a plurality of carbon dioxide adsorbers arranged to be operated in series.

### Claim 18

An apparatus to determine carbon content in internal combustion engine exhaust, the apparatus comprising:
an inlet configured to obtain an engine exhaust sample from an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle;
a first heating device configured to receive the exhaust sample from the inlet, and heat the exhaust sample to a temperature and in a presence of oxygen to oxidize carbon of one or more carbon-containing non-solid substances of the exhaust sample without oxidizing carbon-containing solid particles of the exhaust sample;
a diluter configured to receive the exhaust sample from the first heating device, and to dilute the exhaust sample with a diluent which cools the exhaust sample and reduces a concentration of carbon dioxide of the exhaust sample;
at least one carbon dioxide adsorber configured to receive the exhaust sample from the diluter, and to remove carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the exhaust sample to provide an exhaust test specimen;
a second heating device configured to receive the exhaust test specimen, and heat the exhaust test specimen to a temperature and in a presence of oxygen to oxidize carbon of carbon-containing solid particles of the exhaust test specimen;
a cooling device configured to receive the exhaust test specimen from the second heating device, and cool the exhaust test specimen,
a carbon dioxide analyzer configured to receive the exhaust test specimen from the cooling device, and to determine an overall quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen; and
a computer device configured to determine an overall quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen using the overall quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein:
the computer device is further configured to determine an overall concentration of carbon of the carbon-containing solid particles of the exhaust sample using the overall quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein:
after the at least one carbon dioxide adsorber removes carbon dioxide from at least a portion of the exhaust sample to provide an exhaust test specimen, the carbon dioxide analyzer or a second carbon dioxide analyzer is configured to determine whether the exhaust test specimen includes a residual quantity of carbon dioxide.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein:
after the carbon dioxide analyzer or the second carbon dioxide analyzer determines whether the exhaust test specimen includes a residual quantity of carbon dioxide, if the carbon dioxide analyzer or the second carbon dioxide analyzer determines the test specimen includes a residual quantity of carbon dioxide, then the computer device is configured to subtract the residual quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen from the overall quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen to determine an adjusted quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen, and the computer device configured to determine an adjusted quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen using the adjusted quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The apparatus of claim 21 wherein:
the computer device is further configured to determine an adjusted concentration of carbon of the carbon-containing solid particles of the exhaust sample using the adjusted quantity of carbon of the exhaust test specimen.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:
a filter configured to filter the exhaust test specimen before determining whether the exhaust test specimen includes a residual quantity of carbon dioxide.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:
a dryer configured to remove water from the exhaust test specimen before determining whether the exhaust test specimen includes a residual quantity of carbon dioxide.

### Claim 25 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:
a gas source comprising oxygen configured to be added to the exhaust sample prior to the exhaust sample entering the first heating device.

### Claim 26 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein:
the at least one carbon dioxide adsorber comprises a plurality of carbon dioxide adsorbers arranged to be operated in series.

### Claim 27 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:
a diluent source comprising oxygen configured to be added to the exhaust sample in the diluter.

### Claim 28 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:
a gas source comprising oxygen configured to be added to the exhaust test specimen prior to the exhaust test specimen entering the second heating device.

### Claim 29 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:
a filter configured to filter the exhaust test specimen after cooling the exhaust test specimen in the cooling device, and before determining the overall quantity of carbon dioxide of the exhaust test specimen.