# US 9,518,969 B2 · Gas analysis apparatus

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

- Number: US 9,518,969 B2
- Document ID: US9518969B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/351,494
- Filed: 2012-09-03
- Published: 2014-10-09
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2011-10-12
- Assignees: Horiba, Ltd.
- Applicants: Shigeru Nakatani
- Inventors: Shigeru Nakatani
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518969B2

## CPC

- G01N 33/0009: {General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment (devices for withdrawing samples in the gaseous state G01N1/22)}
- G01N 33/0054: {Ammonia}
- F01N 2560/021: for measuring or detecting ammonia NH3
- F01N 2610/02: the substance being ammonia or urea
- G01N 1/2252: {in a vehicle exhaust}
- G01N 33/0024: {a chemical reaction taking place or a gas being eliminated in one or more channels}
- Y02A 50/20: Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
- 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)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

In order to completely decompose remaining urea contained in exhaust gas emitted from an internal combustion engine to make it possible to accurately measure an amount of the remaining urea, as well as preventing measurement accuracy and reliability from being damaged by some cause such as the attachment of powdery urea on a sensor, a gas analysis apparatus is provided with a filter part that is provided between a sampling port and a produced substance measuring mechanism in a mixed gas sampling pipe to collect urea in a solid state or in a state of being dissolved in water in mixed gas.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gas analysis apparatus comprising:
a mixed gas sampling pipe that does not provide a flow path to a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst and that, from a sampling port formed on one end side inside an exhaust gas pipe, samples mixed gas that is a mixture of exhaust gas emitted from an internal combustion engine and a misty urea aqueous solution;
a decomposition reaction controlling mechanism that controls a decomposition reaction of urea or isocyanic acid in the mixed gas sampling pipe;
a produced substance measuring mechanism that is provided on an other end side of the mixed gas sampling pipe downstream from the decomposition reaction controlling mechanism and measures a value related to an amount of a substance produced from the urea or the isocyanic acid in the urea aqueous solution;
a calculation part configured to calculate an amount of the urea contained in the mixed gas, on a basis of a measured value measured by the produced substance measuring mechanism; and
a filter, including fibers, that is provided between the sampling port and the produced substance measuring mechanism in the mixed gas sampling pipe to collect the urea in a solid state or in a state of being dissolved in water in the mixed gas, wherein the decomposition reaction controlling mechanism is configured to control a temperature of the filter or a voltage applied to the filter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gas analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the produced substance measuring mechanism is configured to measure a value related to an amount of ammonia,
the decomposition reaction controlling mechanism is configured to be able to control the temperature of the filter to a first temperature that is less than a pyrolysis starting temperature that is a temperature at which production of ammonia and isocyanic acid is started by a pyrolysis reaction of urea, or a second temperature that is equal to or more than the pyrolysis starting temperature and less than a hydrolysis starting temperature that is a temperature at which production of ammonia is started by a hydrolysis reaction of isocyanic acid, and
the calculation part is configured to calculate the amount of the urea on a basis of a first ammonia measured value measured at the first temperature by the produced substance measuring mechanism and a second ammonia measured value measured at the second temperature by the produced substance measuring mechanism.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The gas analysis apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
the produced substance measuring mechanism is configured to measure a value related to an amount of isocyanic acid,
the decomposition reaction controlling mechanism is configured to be able to control the temperature of the filter to a first temperature that is less than a pyrolysis starting temperature that is a temperature at which production of ammonia and isocyanic acid is started by a pyrolysis reaction of urea, or a second temperature that is equal to or more than the pyrolysis starting temperature and less than a hydrolysis starting temperature that is a temperature at which production of ammonia is started by a hydrolysis reaction of isocyanic acid, and
the calculation part is configured to calculate the amount of the urea on a basis of a first isocyanic acid measured value measured at the first temperature by the produced substance measuring mechanism and a second isocyanic acid measured value measured at the second temperature by the produced substance measuring mechanism.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The gas analysis apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first temperature is less than 133° C., and the second temperature is equal to or more than 133° C. and less than 160° C.

### Claim 5

A gas analysis apparatus comprising:
a mixed gas sampling pipe that that does not provide a flow path to a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst and that, from a sampling port formed on one end side inside an exhaust gas pipe, samples mixed gas that is a mixture of exhaust gas emitted from an internal combustion engine and a misty urea aqueous solution;
a decomposition reaction controlling mechanism that controls a decomposition reaction of urea or isocyanic acid in the mixed gas sampling pipe;
a produced substance measuring mechanism that is provided on an other end side of the mixed gas sampling pipe downstream from the decomposition reaction controlling mechanism and measures a value related to an amount of a substance produced from the urea or the isocyanic acid in the urea aqueous solution;
a calculation part configured to calculate an amount of the isocyanic acid contained in the mixed gas, on a basis of a measured value measured by the produced substance measuring mechanism; and
a filter, including fibers, that is provided between the sampling port and the produced substance measuring mechanism in the mixed gas sampling pipe to collect the urea in a solid state or in a state of being dissolved in water in the mixed gas, wherein the decomposition reaction controlling mechanism is configured to control a temperature of an inside of the mixed gas sampling pipe on the downstream side of the filter.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The gas analysis apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:
the produced substance measuring mechanism is configured to measure a value related to an amount of ammonia,
the decomposition reaction controlling mechanism is configured to be able to control the temperature of the inside of the mixed gas sampling pipe on the downstream side of the filter to a first temperature that is less than a pyrolysis starting temperature that is a temperature at which production of ammonia and isocyanic acid is started by a pyrolysis reaction of urea, or a third temperature that is equal to or more than a hydrolysis starting temperature that is a temperature at which production of ammonia is started by a hydrolysis reaction of isocyanic acid, and
the calculation part is configured to calculate the amount of the isocyanic acid on a basis of a first ammonia measured value measured at the first temperature by the produced substance measuring mechanism and a third ammonia measured value measured at the third temperature by the produced substance measuring mechanism.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The gas analysis apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first temperature is less than 133° C., and the third temperature is equal to or more than 160° C.