Exhaust purifying apparatus and method

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SEPARATING METAL COMPOUND PARTICLES FROM AN EXHAUST GAS OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE BURNING A METAL-CONTAINING FUE WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING SAID EXHAUST GAS FROM SAID INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE INTO A MAIN EXHAUST CONDUIT HAVING A STRAIGHT SECTION; ALLOWING A FIRST GAS STREAM TO FLOW FROM AN INTERMEDIATE LOCATION IN THE LENGTH OF SAID STRAIGHT SECTION OF SAID MAIN EXHAUST CONDUIT INTO A BYPASS CONDUIT IN SUCH MANNER THAT SAID FIRST STREAM OF GAS LEAVES SAID MAIN EXHAUST CONDUIT AT AN ANGLE FROM THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID MAIN EXHAUST CONDUIT THEREBY DISENGAGING METAL COMPOUND PARTICLES BY INERTIA FROM SAID FIRST GAS STREAM OF SAID EXHAUST GAS AND EFFECTING A CONCENTRATION OF METAL COMPOUND PARTICLES IN THE REMAINING GASES FLOWNG IN SAID STRAIGHT SECTION OF SAID MAIN EXHAUST CONDUIT PAST SAID BYPASS CONDUIT; ABRUPTLY CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID REMAINING GASES IN A CONFINED SEPARATON ZONE WHEREBY METAL COMPOUND PARTICLES ARE DISENGAGED THEREFROM BY INERTIA; COLLECTING SAID DISENGAGED METAL COMPOUND PARTICLES IN A COLLECTION ZONE AWAY FROM THE REDIRECTED FLOW OF EXHAUST GASES; REMOVING FROM SAID SEPARATION ZONE A SECOND CLEANED EXHAUST GAS STREAM WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED METAL COMPOUND PARTICLE CONTENT RELATIVE TO THAT OF SAID REMAINING GASES ENTERING SAID CONFINED SEPARATION ZONE; COMBINING SAID FIRST GAS STREAM AND SAID SECOND CLEANED EXHAUST GAS STREAM; AND PASSING SAID COMBINED FIRST AND SECOND CLEANED EXHAUST GAS STREAMS THROUGH A CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO PURIFY SAID COMBINED CLEANED EXHAUST GAS STREAMS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SEPARATING METAL COMPOUND PARTICLES FROM AN EXHAUST GAS OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE BURNING A METAL-CONTAINING FUE WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING SAID EXHAUST GAS FROM SAID INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE INTO A MAIN EXHAUST CONDUIT HAVING A STRAIGHT SECTION; ALLOWING A FIRST GAS STREAM TO FLOW FROM AN INTERMEDIATE LOCATION IN THE LENGTH OF SAID STRAIGHT SECTION OF SAID MAIN EXHAUST CONDUIT INTO A BYPASS CONDUIT IN SUCH MANNER THAT SAID FIRST STREAM OF GAS LEAVES SAID MAIN EXHAUST CONDUIT AT AN ANGLE FROM THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID MAIN EXHAUST CONDUIT THEREBY DISENGAGING METAL COMPOUND PARTICLES BY INERTIA FROM SAID FIRST GAS STREAM OF SAID EXHAUST GAS AND EFFECTING A CONCENTRATION OF METAL COMPOUND PARTICLES IN THE REMAINING GASES FLOWNG IN SAID STRAIGHT SECTION OF SAID MAIN EXHAUST CONDUIT PAST SAID BYPASS CONDUIT; ABRUPTLY CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID REMAINING GASES IN A CONFINED SEPARATON ZONE WHEREBY METAL COMPOUND PARTICLES ARE DISENGAGED THEREFROM BY INERTIA; COLLECTING SAID DISENGAGED METAL COMPOUND PARTICLES IN A COLLECTION ZONE AWAY FROM THE REDIRECTED FLOW OF EXHAUST GASES; REMOVING FROM SAID SEPARATION ZONE A SECOND CLEANED EXHAUST GAS STREAM WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED METAL COMPOUND PARTICLE CONTENT RELATIVE TO THAT OF SAID REMAINING GASES ENTERING SAID CONFINED SEPARATION ZONE; COMBINING SAID FIRST GAS STREAM AND SAID SECOND CLEANED EXHAUST GAS STREAM; AND PASSING SAID COMBINED FIRST AND SECOND CLEANED EXHAUST GAS STREAMS THROUGH A CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO PURIFY SAID COMBINED CLEANED EXHAUST GAS STREAMS.