Method and device avoiding the pollution of the atmosphere by noxious gases

Claim 1

Apparatus for reducing the emission of pollutant gases resulting from a combustion of fuel in an internal combustion engine comprising means defining a path for the passage of fuel to a combustion zone, means for producing a stream of water vapor, said means comprising an exhaust pipe (17), a water reservoir (13) above said exhaust pipe, a heat exchanger (16) in contact with and completely surrounding the exterior periphery of said exhaust pipe, an air vent (18) for said heat exchanger, a water outlet (14) for said reservoir, projecting from the reservoir and extending into said heat exchanger, valve means (15) on said outlet for controlling the flow of water from said reservoir to said heat exchanger, and a conduit (22) for passing the steam produced in the heat exchanger into contact with a catalyst comprising cerium or germanium while maintaining the fuel out of contact with said catalyst, thereby producing nascent hydrogen by the contact of said water vapor with the catalyst, and a supplemental conduit for thereafter passing the stream of vapor into said path and delivering it with said fuel ro the combustion zone.