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US6470682B2
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US
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Low emission, diesel-cycle engine
Assignee: Environmental Protection Agency
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Filing: 2001-08-03
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Granted: 2002-10-29
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Expires: 2021-08-03
Abstract
Abstract A diesel-cycle engine with a unique exhaust gas recirculation system includes a plurality of cylinders with fuel feed for each of the cylinders and an intake manifold for distributing intake air to each of the cylinders for combustion of the fuel charges therein with generation of exhaust gas. The exhaust gas is discharged to ambient atmosphere through an exhaust line with a gas turbine therein. The gas turbine drives an intake compressor which serves to compress the intake air. An engine controller controls a valve regulating the amount of exhaust gas recirculation responsive to sensed concentration of an exhaust gas component. In another embodiment, an engine controller controls a valve regulating the amount of exhaust gas recirculation, responsive to sensed demand for torque and control of fuel injection quantity is responsive to sensed concentration of an exhaust gas component. An exhaust gas recirculation line recirculates a portion of the collected exhaust gas to the combustion chambers through an exhaust gas cooler which serves to cool the gas and separate out a condensate and particulate matter. A return line leading from the exhaust gas cooler to the exhaust line serves to discharge the separated condensate and particulate matter through the exhaust line to the ambient atmosphere.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles L. Gray, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 18:58
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/34; B01D53/92; B01D53/94; B01D53/9495; F; F01; F01N; F01N13/00; F01N13/009; F01N3/00; F01N3/02; F01N3/021; F01N3/023; F01N3/08; F01N3/0807; F01N3/0828; F01N3/0842; F02; F02B; F02B37/00; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/0025; F02D41/0047; F02D41/005; F02D41/0052; F02D41/02; F02D41/021; F02D41/0235; F02D41/027; F02D41/0275; F02D41/029; F02D41/14; F02D41/1438; F02D41/1444; F02D41/1466; F02M; F02M26/00; F02M26/02; F02M26/04; F02M26/06; F02M26/07; F02M26/13; F02M26/22; F02M26/23; F02M26/34; F02M26/35; B01D2258/00; B01D2258/01; B01D2258/012; B01D53/9404; B01D53/9409; B01D53/9413; B01D53/9422; B01D53/9445; B01D53/945; F01N2340/00; F01N2340/06; F02B29/00; F02B29/04; F02B29/0406; F02D41/1452; F02D41/146; F02M26/09; F02M26/10; F02M26/14; F02M26/15; F02M26/17; F02M26/20; F02M26/24; F02M26/42; F02M26/44; F02M26/45; F02M26/46; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/12; Y02T10/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
253 words
A diesel-cycle engine comprising: a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder providing a combustion chamber; an air intake line and an intake manifold for receiving intake air through said air intake line and for distributing the received intake air to the cylinders for combustion of fuel charges therein with generation of exhaust gas; an exhaust gas manifold for collecting exhaust gas from the cylinders and for discharging the collected exhaust gas to ambient atmosphere through an exhaust line; a turbine in said exhaust line; an intake compressor, driven by said turbine, for compressing the intake air; an exhaust component sensor for sensing concentration of at least one exhaust component in the exhaust gas; an engine controller for generating control signals in accordance with the sensed concentration; an exhaust gas recirculation line for recirculating a portion of the collected exhaust gas to the combustion chambers; a control valve for controlling flow rate of the recirculated portion of the exhaust gas; and fuel injectors for feeding the fuel charges in succession to each of said combustion chambers, responsive to said control signals, thereby providing closed loop control of amount of fuel feed responsive to the sensed concentration of the at least one exhaust gas component; and wherein said engine controller receives a torque command signal, sets the control signals in accordance with the torque command signal and the sensed concentration to provide maximum exhaust gas recirculation consistent with torque command, and controls the plural fuel injectors to minimize formation of particulate matter in the exhaust gas.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
253 words
A diesel-cycle engine comprising: a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder providing a combustion chamber; an air intake line and an intake manifold for receiving intake air through said air intake line and for distributing the received intake air to the cylinders for combustion of fuel charges therein with generation of exhaust gas; an exhaust gas manifold for collecting exhaust gas from the cylinders and for discharging the collected exhaust gas to ambient atmosphere through an exhaust line; a turbine in said exhaust line; an intake compressor, driven by said turbine, for compressing the intake air; an exhaust component sensor for sensing concentration of at least one exhaust component in the exhaust gas; an engine controller for generating control signals in accordance with the sensed concentration; an exhaust gas recirculation line for recirculating a portion of the collected exhaust gas to the combustion chambers; a control valve for controlling flow rate of the recirculated portion of the exhaust gas; and fuel injectors for feeding the fuel charges in succession to each of said combustion chambers, responsive to said control signals, thereby providing closed loop control of amount of fuel feed responsive to the sensed concentration of the at least one exhaust gas component; and wherein said engine controller receives a torque command signal, sets the control signals in accordance with the torque command signal and the sensed concentration to provide maximum exhaust gas recirculation consistent with torque command, and controls the plural fuel injectors to minimize formation of particulate matter in the exhaust gas.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 1 wherein said exhaust component sensor is located in the intake air line for sensing the at least one exhaust component introduced into the intake air through said exhaust gas recirculation line.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 1 , wherein said control valve is located in said exhaust line downstream of a point where said exhaust gas recirculation line connects with said exhaust line.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 1 additionally comprising a cut-off valve located in said exhaust gas recirculation line.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 1 wherein said exhaust gas recirculation line connects said exhaust line, downstream of said turbine, with said air intake line upstream of said intake compressor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 5 , wherein said control valve is located in said exhaust line downstream of a point where said exhaust gas recirculation line connects with said exhaust line.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 1 additionally comprising a cut-off valve located in said exhaust gas recirculation line.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 5 wherein said control valve is located in said air intake line upstream of a point where said exhaust gas recirculation line joins said air intake line.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 8 additionally comprising a cut-off valve located in said exhaust gas recirculation line.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 1 further comprising: an air charge cooler located in said air intake line between said intake manifold and said intake compressor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
62 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 1 additionally comprising: a supplemental air feed line and a supplemental air manifold for receiving supplemental air from said supplemental air feed line and for distributing the supplemental air to the plural cylinders; and a fast response compressor located in said supplemental air feed line and a fast response motor for driving said fast response compressor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 11 further comprising: an air cooler in said supplemental air feed line.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
62 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 1 additionally comprising: a supplemental air feed line and a supplemental air manifold for receiving supplemental air from said supplemental air feed line and for distributing the supplemental air to the plural cylinders; and a fast response compressor located in said supplemental air feed line and a fast response motor for driving said fast response compressor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 13 wherein said exhaust gas recirculation line connects said exhaust line, downstream of said turbine, with said air intake line upstream of said intake compressor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 14 wherein said control valve is located in said air intake line upstream of a point where said exhaust gas recirculation line joins said air intake line.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 14 additionally comprising a cut-off valve located in said exhaust gas recirculation line.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 1 further comprising: an auxiliary compressor, driven by said turbine, for compressing the recirculated exhaust gas; and an auxiliary manifold for receiving the recirculated, compressed exhaust gas and for distributing it to the plural cylinders.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 17 , wherein said exhaust gas recirculation line connects with said exhaust line downstream of said turbine and wherein said control valve is located in said exhaust gas recirculation line.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 17 further comprising an auxiliary cooler located in said exhaust gas recirculation line between said auxiliary compressor and said auxiliary manifold.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 1 additionally comprising: a particulate matter trap oxidizer for removing particulate matter from the collected exhaust gas and for oxidizing the removed particulate matter; and a catalytic convertor for oxidizing unburned fuel and carbon monoxide and for reducing nitrogen oxides.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 20 wherein said particulate matter trap oxidizer is located between said exhaust gas manifold and said turbine and said catalytic converter is located between said particulate matter trap oxidizer and said turbine.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
55 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 20 additionally comprising low pressure port fuel injectors mounted in said intake manifold, said low pressure port fuel injectors operating under control of said control signals to maintain a stoichiometric air/fuel mixture enabling said catalytic converter to simultaneously oxidize unburned fuel and carbon monoxide while reducing oxides of nitrogen.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 20 wherein said engine controller maintains stoichiometric or near-stoichiometric engine operation.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
64 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 23 , further comprising a NOx adsorber located between particulate trap oxidizer and catalytic converter and wherein said engine controller provides a periodic lean excursion to enhance collected particulate matter oxidation, and during such lean excursion the NOx adsorber collects and stores NOx which is then released and reduced within the catalyst when the lean excursion is complete.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
63 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 20 further comprising a NOx adsorber located between particulate trap oxidizer and catalytic converter and wherein said engine controller provides a periodic lean excursion to enhance collected particulate matter oxidation, and during such lean excursion the NOx adsorber collects and stores NOx which is then released and reduced within the catalyst when the lean excursion is complete.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
64 words
A diesel-cycle engine according to claim 1 , further comprising: an exhaust gas cooler, located in said exhaust gas recirculation line, for cooling the recirculated portion of the exhaust gas and for separating a condensate and particulate matter therefrom; and a return line connecting said exhaust gas cooler to said exhaust line for discharge of the condensate and particulate matter through said exhaust line.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-10-28 | 2006-04-29 | 2006-10-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-10-28 | 2010-04-29 | 2010-10-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-10-28 | 2014-04-29 | 2014-10-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |