Method and apparatus for elimination of toxic oxides from exhaust gases

Claim 1

An apparatus for separating NO x and SO x molecules from a combustion exhaust gas stream comprising: means for directing said exhaust gas stream through an elongated passageway; and means for establishing a logarithmic potential across that passageway which will cause separation of said NO x and SO x molecules from said exhaust gas stream based on the permanent dipole moments of said molecule, said means for establishing a logarithmic potential comprising radially spaced conductors in said passageway and means for applying a DC voltage between said conductors to establish the logarithmic potential necessary to cause separation of said NO x and SO x molecules from said exhaust gas stream, said elongated passageway defining one of said conductors and the other of said conductors defined by a wire of finite length, a series of circumferentially spaced slots in axially spaced relation to said wire, said means for establishing a logarithmic potential causing said NO x and SO x to be deflected through said slots.

Claim 2

An apparatus for separating NO x and SO x molecules from a combustion exhaust gas stream comprising: means for directing said exhaust gas stream through an elongated passageway; and means for establishing a logarithmic potential across that passageway which will cause separation of said NO x and SO x molecules from said exhaust gas stream based on the permanent dipole moments of said molecule, said means for establishing a logarithmic potential comprising radially spaced conductors in said passageway and means for applying a DC voltage between said conductors to establish the logarithmic potential necessary to cause separation of said NO x and SO x molecules from said exhaust gas stream, said elongated passageway defining one of said conductors and the other of said conductors defined by a wire of finite length, a series of circumferentially spaced slots in axially spaced relation to said wire, said means for establishing a logarithmic potential causing said NO x and SO x to be deflected through said slots.

Claim 6

An apparatus for separating NO x and SO x molecules from a combustion exhaust gas stream of an internal combustion engine comprising: means for directing said exhaust gas stream through an elongated passageway; and means for establishing an electric potential across that passageway which will cause separation of said NO x and SO x molecules present in said exhaust gas stream based on the dipole moments of said molecules, said means for establishing an electric potential comprising radially spaced conductors in said passageway and a source of DC voltage which establishes a capactive field across said conductors to cause separation of said NO x and SO x molecules from said exhaust gas stream, and filter means for trapping said NO x and SO x molecules wherein said elongated passageway is an exhaust pipe defining one of said conductors and the other of said conductors is defined by a wire of finite length, and means for fixing said wire along the central axis of said exhaust pipe; and a series of circumferentially spaced apertures in axially spaced relation to said wire, said means for applying an electric potential causing said NO x and SO x molecules to be deflected through said apertures.

Claim 7

An apparatus for separating NO x and SO x molecules from a combustion exhaust gas stream of an internal combustion engine comprising: means for directing said exhaust gas stream through an elongated passageway; and means for establishing an electric potential across that passageway which will cause separation of said NO x and SO x molecules present in said exhaust gas stream based on the dipole moments of said molecules, said means for establishing an electric potential comprising radially spaced conductors in said passageway and a source of DC voltage which establishes a capactive field across said conductors to cause separation of said NO x and SO x molecules from said exhaust gas stream, and filter means for trapping said NO x and SO x molecules wherein said elongated passageway is an exhaust pipe defining one of said conductors and the other of said conductors is defined by a wire of finite length, and means for fixing said wire along the central axis of said exhaust pipe; and a series of circumferentially spaced apertures in axially spaced relation to said wire, said means for applying an electric potential causing said NO x and SO x molecules to be deflected through said apertures.

Claim 11

The method for separating NO x and SO x molecules from a combustion exhaust gas stream, comprising the steps of directing said exhaust stream through an elongated passageway, positioning electrical conductor elements in said passageway in radially spaced relation to one another, applying a voltage to the spaced conductors whereby to establish a logarithmic potential across said conductors sufficient to separate said NO x and SO x molecules from said exhaust gas stream based on the permanent dipole moments of said molecules, and providing a series of apertures in a wall of said passageway at a predetermined location with respect to said conductors and in said path of said NO x and SO x molecules deflected from said exhaust gas stream for recovery of said molecules in a separate chamber.

Claim 12

The method for separating NO x and SO x molecules from a combustion exhaust gas stream, comprising the steps of directing said exhaust stream through an elongated passageway, positioning electrical conductor elements in said passageway in radially spaced relation to one another, applying a voltage to the spaced conductors whereby to establish a logarithmic potential across said conductors sufficient to separate said NO x and SO x molecules from said exhaust gas stream based on the permanent dipole moments of said molecules, and providing a series of apertures in a wall of said passageway at a predetermined location with respect to said conductors and in said path of said NO x and SO x molecules deflected from said exhaust gas stream for recovery of said molecules in a separate chamber.