Nitrogen spark denoxer

Patent · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:871009

Ng, Henry K ^[1]; Novick, Vincent J ^[2]; Sekar, Ramanujam R ^[1]

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1. Naperville, IL
2. Downers Grove, IL

A NO.sub.X control system for an internal combustion engine includes an oxygen enrichment device that produces oxygen and nitrogen enriched air. The nitrogen enriched air contains molecular nitrogen that is provided to a spark plug that is mounted in an exhaust outlet of an internal combustion engine. As the nitrogen enriched air is expelled at the spark gap of the spark plug, the nitrogen enriched air is exposed to a pulsating spark that is generated across the spark gap of the spark plug. The spark gap is elongated so that a sufficient amount of atomic nitrogen is produced and is injected into the exhaust of the internal combustion engine. The injection of the atomic nitrogen into the exhaust of the internal combustion engine causes the oxides of nitrogen to be reduced into nitrogen and oxygen such that the emissions from the engine will have acceptable levels of NO.sub.X. The oxygen enrichment device that produces both the oxygen and nitrogen enriched air can include a selectively permeable membrane.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• Assignee: University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
• Patent Number(s): US 5640845
• OSTI ID: 871009
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

nitrogen
spark
denoxer
control
internal
combustion
engine
oxygen
enrichment
device
produces
enriched
air
contains
molecular
provided
plug
mounted
exhaust
outlet
expelled
gap
exposed
pulsating
generated
elongated
sufficient
amount
atomic
produced
injected
injection
causes
oxides
reduced
emissions
acceptable
levels
selectively
permeable
membrane
oxygen enrichment
molecular nitrogen
acceptable levels
atomic nitrogen
nitrogen enriched
sufficient amount
permeable membrane
spark plug
internal combustion
spark gap
combustion engine
enriched air
selectively permeable
enrichment device
acceptable level
/60/