System for neutralizing the pH of exhaust condensate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10501337-B2
Application number	US-201815949206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2018
Priority date	Apr 10, 2018
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A water neutralization system that includes a first source of water that is acidic and a second source of water that is basic. A storage reservoir communicates with each of the first source and the second source, and includes a pH sensor that is configured to transmit a signal indicative of a pH of the water stored in the storage reservoir. At least one valve controls fluid communication between the storage reservoir and at least one of the first source and the second source, and a controller communicates with each of the pH sensor and the valve. Based on the signal indicative of the pH of the water stored in the storage reservoir, the controller instructs the valve to adjust an amount of water received from at least one of the first source and the second source to neutralize a pH of the water stored in the storage reservoir.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water neutralization system, comprising:
a first source of water that is acidic;
a second source of water that is basic;
a storage reservoir in communication with each of the first source of water and the second source of water, the storage reservoir including a pH sensor or meter that is configured to transmit a signal indicative of a pH of the water stored in the storage reservoir;
at least one valve that controls fluid communication between the storage reservoir and at least one of the first source and the second source; and
a controller that communicates with each of the pH sensor or meter and the at least one valve,
wherein, based on the signal indicative of the pH of the water stored in the storage reservoir, the controller is configured to instruct the at least one valve to adjust an amount of water received from at least one of the first source and the second source to neutralize a pH of the water stored in the storage reservoir.

2. The water neutralization system according to claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust passage in communication with an internal combustion engine that carries an engine exhaust that includes water; and
a separation device that condenses the water from the engine exhaust, the separation device being in communication with the storage reservoir.

3. The water neutralization system according to claim 2 , wherein the exhaust passage includes an exhaust treatment component, and a bypass passage in communication with the exhaust passage and the separation device, the bypass passage including an upstream inlet located upstream from the exhaust treatment component and a downstream inlet located downstream from the exhaust treatment component that each communicate portions of the exhaust from upstream of the exhaust treatment component and downstream from the exhaust treatment component to the separation device.

4. The water neutralization system according to claim 3 , wherein the first source of water that is acidic is the water in the engine exhaust that is communicated to the separation device from the upstream inlet of the bypass passage.

5. The water neutralization system according to claim 4 , wherein the second source of water that is basic is the water in the engine exhaust that is communicated to the separation device from the downstream inlet of the bypass passage.

6. The water neutralization system according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one valve is located in the bypass passage, and the at least one valve is configured to control flow of the engine exhaust into the separation device from each of the upstream inlet and the downstream inlet.

7. The water neutralization system according to claim 3 , wherein the second source of water that is basic is the water in the engine exhaust that is communicated to the separation device from the downstream inlet of the bypass passage.

8. The water neutralization system according to claim 7 , wherein the first source of water is at least one of a charged air cooler or an air conditioning system that communicates with the separation device.

9. The water neutralization system according to claim 8 , further comprising another valve between the second source of water and the separation device.

10. The water neutralization system according to claim 9 , wherein, based on the signal indicative of the pH of the water stored in the storage reservoir, the controller is configured to instruct the another valve to adjust an amount of water received from the first source to neutralize the pH of the water stored in the storage reservoir.

11. An exhaust treatment system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
an exhaust passage in communication with the internal combustion engine and configured to carry an engine exhaust produced by the internal combustion engine;
an exhaust treatment component provided in the exhaust passage;
a bypass passage that includes an upstream inlet located upstream from the exhaust treatment component and a downstream inlet located downstream from the exhaust treatment component, each of the upstream inlet and downstream inlet configured for receipt of a portion of the engine exhaust therein;
a separation device in communication with the bypass passage that is configured to receive the portions of the engine exhaust from each of the upstream inlet and the downstream inlet, the separation device configured to separate water from each portion of the engine exhaust; and
a storage reservoir in communication with the separation device for storage of the water separated from the engine exhaust,
wherein the water separated from the portion of the engine exhaust that is received by the upstream inlet is acidic and the water separated from the portion of the engine exhaust that is received by the downstream inlet is basic such that the water stored within the storage reservoir is neutralized.

12. The exhaust treatment system according to claim 11 , wherein the storage reservoir includes a pH sensor or meter that is configured to transmit a signal indicative of a pH of the water stored in the storage reservoir.

13. The exhaust treatment system according to claim 12 , further comprising a valve located in the bypass passage that is configured to control flow of the engine exhaust into the separation device from each of the upstream inlet and the downstream inlet.

14. The exhaust treatment system according to claim 13 , further comprising a controller that communicates with each of the pH sensor or meter and the valve.

15. The exhaust treatment system according to claim 14 , wherein, based on the signal indicative of the pH of the water stored in the storage reservoir, the controller is configured to instruct the valve to adjust the portions of the engine exhaust received by the separation device from each of the upstream inlet and the downstream inlet to adjust the pH of the water stored in the storage reservoir.

16. The exhaust treatment system according to claim 11 , further comprising an exhaust gas recirculation line in communication with the separation device for directing the engine exhaust from the separation device to the internal combustion engine.

17. The exhaust treatment system according to claim 11 , further comprising an injection system that provides fluid communication between the storage reservoir and the internal combustion engine.

18. The exhaust treatment system according to claim 11 , further comprising at least one additional source of water in communication with the separation device.

19. The exhaust treatment system according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one additional source of water is at least one of a charged air cooler, an air conditioning system, and a muffler.

20. The exhaust treatment system according to claim 18 , further comprising another valve between the additional source of water and the separation device for controlling fluid communication between the additional source of water and the separation device.

Assignees

• Tenneco Automotive Operating Co Inc

Inventors

• Yong Sun
• Bradford Michael C
• Kotrba Adam J

Classifications

• C02F2201/008

  Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle · CPC title

• C02F2209/06

  pH · CPC title

• C02F1/66

  by neutralisation; pH adjustment (for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58) · CPC title

• C02F2209/02

  Temperature · CPC title

• C02F2209/34

  N2O · CPC title