Vacuum-insulated catalytic converter

Patent · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2001

OSTI ID:873613

Benson, David K ^[1]

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1. Golden, CO

A catalytic converter has an inner canister that contains catalyst-coated substrates and an outer canister that encloses an annular, variable vacuum insulation chamber surrounding the inner canister. An annular tank containing phase-change material for heat storage and release is positioned in the variable vacuum insulation chamber a distance spaced part from the inner canister. A reversible hydrogen getter in the variable vacuum insulation chamber, preferably on a surface of the heat storage tank, releases hydrogen into the variable vacuum insulation chamber to conduct heat when the phase-change material is hot and absorbs the hydrogen to limit heat transfer to radiation when the phase-change material is cool. A porous zeolite trap in the inner canister absorbs and retains hydrocarbons from the exhaust gases when the catalyst-coated substrates and zeolite trap are cold and releases the hydrocarbons for reaction on the catalyst-coated substrate when the zeolite trap and catalyst-coated substrate get hot.

• Research Organization: Midwest Research Institute
• Assignee: Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, MO)
• Patent Number(s): US 6203764
• OSTI ID: 873613
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/422/
absorbs
annular
canister
catalyst-coated
catalytic
catalytic converter
chamber
change material
coated substrate
coated substrates
cold
conduct
conduct heat
containing
contains
converter
cool
distance
encloses
exhaust
exhaust gas
exhaust gases
gases
getter
heat
heat storage
heat transfer
hot
hydrocarbons
hydrogen
hydrogen getter
inner
inner canister
insulation
limit
material
outer
phase-change
phase-change material
porous
positioned
preferably
radiation
reaction
release
releases
retains
reversible
reversible hydrogen
spaced
storage
storage tank
substrate
substrates
surface
surrounding
tank
tank containing
transfer
trap
vacuum
vacuum insulation
vacuum-insulated
variable
zeolite