US3946558A — Exhaust system and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 300 words

In an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber which is adapted to be placed in controlled communication with an exhaust opening for discharging exhaust gas from the combustion chamber during an exhaust period and with an intake opening for inducting an intake mixture into the combustion chamber during an intake period, wall means forming a wave tube having first and second open ends with the first end being adapted to be placed in communication with and in close proximity to said exhaust opening, said wall means being free of converging portions as viewed from said first end, said wave tube being formed with slot means establishing continuous communication between the interior of said wave tube and a source of atmospheric pressure air, said wall means including primary pipe means having a significant length extending beyond said slot means and being free of substantial abrupt changes in sectional area between said slot means and said second end of the wave tube whereby upon discharge of exhaust gas from the combustion chamber a pressure wave is produced within the wave tube to cause a portion of the exhaust gas to escape from the wave tube through the slot means until a reflected wave produced by said pressure wave at said second end creates a depression within the wave tube to cause atmospheric air to enter the wave tube through the slot means whereby the wave tube forms a mixing space for the exhaust gas and the air which enters the wave tube for combusting unburned hydrocarbons and for converting carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, said slot means being sized to absorb substantially all of the energy of said reflected wave for preventing the production of more than one significant pressure wave for each exhaust period.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 300 words

In an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber which is adapted to be placed in controlled communication with an exhaust opening for discharging exhaust gas from the combustion chamber during an exhaust period and with an intake opening for inducting an intake mixture into the combustion chamber during an intake period, wall means forming a wave tube having first and second open ends with the first end being adapted to be placed in communication with and in close proximity to said exhaust opening, said wall means being free of converging portions as viewed from said first end, said wave tube being formed with slot means establishing continuous communication between the interior of said wave tube and a source of atmospheric pressure air, said wall means including primary pipe means having a significant length extending beyond said slot means and being free of substantial abrupt changes in sectional area between said slot means and said second end of the wave tube whereby upon discharge of exhaust gas from the combustion chamber a pressure wave is produced within the wave tube to cause a portion of the exhaust gas to escape from the wave tube through the slot means until a reflected wave produced by said pressure wave at said second end creates a depression within the wave tube to cause atmospheric air to enter the wave tube through the slot means whereby the wave tube forms a mixing space for the exhaust gas and the air which enters the wave tube for combusting unburned hydrocarbons and for converting carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, said slot means being sized to absorb substantially all of the energy of said reflected wave for preventing the production of more than one significant pressure wave for each exhaust period.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 40 words

A system as in claim 1 together with an exhaust collector coupled to the second end of said wave tube, said exhaust collector having an internal volume which is substantially greater than the internal volume of said one combustion chamber.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 27 words

An exhaust system in claim 2 wherein said primary pipe means and said exhaust collector are thermally insulated to maintain the gases therein at a high temperature.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 89 words

An exhaust system as in claim 1 wherein said primary pipe has an approximate length determined by the formula L (in cm) = 1.4 (±10%) × 10.sup.4 × √T/N where N = maximum power engine speed (revolutions/min.) T = expected mean operating temperature in main pipe (K°) and has an approximate inside diameter as determined by the formula D (in cm) = 2.8×10.sup.-.sup.3 × √VNe where V = displacement volume of one combustion chamber (cm 3 ) e = fractional volumetric efficiency of engine at maximum power engine speed.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 17 words

An exhaust system as in claim 2 together with exhaust silencing means connected to the exhaust collector.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 29 words

An exhaust system as in claim 5 together with means for collecting the exhaust gas escaping through said slot means and for supplying the same to the intake opening.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 37 words

An exhaust system as in claim 1 wherein said slot means extends in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the flow passage in the wave tube at the location of said slot means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 224 words

In a method for controlling the pollutants released to the atmosphere by an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber which is adapted to be placed in controlled communication with an exhaust opening during an exhaust period and with an intake opening during an intake period, providing exhaust piping connected to the exhaust opening free of converging portions as viewed from the exhaust opening, providing at least one slot in said piping in a position wherein the exhaust piping has a substantial length extending beyond the slot, discharging exhaust gas during the exhaust period, propagating a pressure wave through the exhaust gas outwardly from the exhaust opening, propagating a reflected wave through the exhaust gas inwardly toward the exhaust opening, utilizing the slot to permit a portion of the exhaust gas to escape therethrough during the first portion of the exhaust period and to permit atmospheric air to enter therethrough during the second portion of the exhaust period and to substantially attenuate the reflected wave so that only one significant pressure wave in the exhaust gas occurs for each exhaust period, and using the exhaust piping as a mixing space for the exhaust gas and atmospheric air and as a combusting space for combusting unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas and for converting carbon monoxide in the exhaust gas to carbon dioxide.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 224 words

In a method for controlling the pollutants released to the atmosphere by an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber which is adapted to be placed in controlled communication with an exhaust opening during an exhaust period and with an intake opening during an intake period, providing exhaust piping connected to the exhaust opening free of converging portions as viewed from the exhaust opening, providing at least one slot in said piping in a position wherein the exhaust piping has a substantial length extending beyond the slot, discharging exhaust gas during the exhaust period, propagating a pressure wave through the exhaust gas outwardly from the exhaust opening, propagating a reflected wave through the exhaust gas inwardly toward the exhaust opening, utilizing the slot to permit a portion of the exhaust gas to escape therethrough during the first portion of the exhaust period and to permit atmospheric air to enter therethrough during the second portion of the exhaust period and to substantially attenuate the reflected wave so that only one significant pressure wave in the exhaust gas occurs for each exhaust period, and using the exhaust piping as a mixing space for the exhaust gas and atmospheric air and as a combusting space for combusting unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas and for converting carbon monoxide in the exhaust gas to carbon dioxide.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 51 words

A method as in claim 8 together with the step of collecting the mixture of exhaust gas and atmospheric air and maintaining said mixture at a relatively high temperature for a substantial period of time to enhance the combustion of unburned hydrocarbons and the conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 35 words

A method as in claim 9 together with the step of collecting the exhaust gas which escapes through said slot and recirculating such exhaust gas into the intake opening to reduce the oxides of nitrogen.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 147 words

In a method for controlling the pollutants released to the atmosphere by an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber which is adapted to be placed in controlled communication with an exhaust opening during an exhaust period and an intake opening during an intake period, discharging exhaust gas from the exhaust opening during the exhaust period, propagating a pressure wave in the exhaust gas outwardly from the exhaust opening, propagating a reflected wave in the exhaust gas inwardly toward the exhaust opening and substantially attenuating the reflected wave in the exhaust gas so that only one significant pressure wave in the exhaust gas occurs for each exhaust period and introducing atmospheric air into the exhaust gas only during the latter portion of the exhaust period for combusting unburned hydrocarbons and for converting carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide in a space exterior of the combustion chamber.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 147 words

In a method for controlling the pollutants released to the atmosphere by an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber which is adapted to be placed in controlled communication with an exhaust opening during an exhaust period and an intake opening during an intake period, discharging exhaust gas from the exhaust opening during the exhaust period, propagating a pressure wave in the exhaust gas outwardly from the exhaust opening, propagating a reflected wave in the exhaust gas inwardly toward the exhaust opening and substantially attenuating the reflected wave in the exhaust gas so that only one significant pressure wave in the exhaust gas occurs for each exhaust period and introducing atmospheric air into the exhaust gas only during the latter portion of the exhaust period for combusting unburned hydrocarbons and for converting carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide in a space exterior of the combustion chamber.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 28 words

A method as in claim 11 together with the step of collecting at least a portion of the exhaust gas and supplying the same to the intake opening.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 42 words

A method as in claim 12 together with the step of maintaining mixture of exhaust gas and atmospheric air at a relatively high temperature for a substantial period of time to oxidize the carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 13 words

An exhaust system as in claim 6 which is free of moving parts.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1979-03-30	1979-09-29	1980-03-30	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1983-03-30	1983-09-29	1984-03-30	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1987-03-30	1987-09-29	1988-03-30	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Exhaust system and method

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