Apparatus and method for removal of gas phase artifacts from engine exhaust during testing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9869220-B2
Application number	US-201414254674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2014
Priority date	Apr 16, 2014
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus and method for removal of gas phase artifacts from engine exhaust undergoing evaluation for the presence of particulate matter as collected on a particulate matter filter. More specifically, the disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for removal of gas phase artifacts from engine exhaust being tested and prior to the exhaust reaching a particulate matter (PM) filter. Such removal provides that the PM filter indicates relatively more accurate evaluation of the particulate matter present.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for removal of gas phase artifacts from an exhaust stream of a hydrocarbon combustion engine undergoing evaluation for the presence of particulate matter as collected on a particulate matter filter comprising:
diluting said exhaust stream with a dilution air flow to provide a diluted exhaust stream that includes solid particles or liquid droplets in the size range of 5 nm to 1000 nm;
passing said diluted exhaust stream through a cyclonic separator to remove respiratory particles from said diluted exhaust stream;
passing said diluted exhaust stream through a gas phase denuder that includes a cellular cordierite substrate having an aluminum-zeolite coating, wherein said gas phase denuder exhibits a surface area in the range of 5,000 m 2 to 15,000 m 2 ;
wherein said gas phase denuder removes 90% by weight or volume said gas phase artifacts from said diluted exhaust stream, said gas phase artifacts including one or more of the following:
(a) hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms; or
(b) sulfur dioxide and sulfate species of the formulas SO 2 , SO 3 , SO 4 2− , H 2 SO 4 and (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and;

wherein said gas phase denuder passes 95% to 100% of said solid particles or liquid droplets in said diluted exhaust stream for collection by a downstream particulate filter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said gas phase denuder cellular substrate includes 100 cells/square inch to 800 cells/square inch.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said gas phase denuder has a space velocity of 6000/hour to 20,000/hour.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said solid particles or liquid droplets comprise particles or droplets at a size range of 20 nm to 500 nm.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said gas phase denuder is maintained at a temperature of −200° C. to 52° C.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said gas phase denuder is maintained at a temperature of 20° C. to 52° C.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said gas phase denuder is maintained at a pressure of 0.1 atm to 2.0 atm.

8. A method for removal of gas phase artifacts from an exhaust stream of a hydrocarbon combustion engine undergoing evaluation for the presence of particulate matter as collected on a particulate filter comprising:
positioning a dilution tunnel to receive the exhaust stream of the hydrocarbon combustion engine undergoing evaluation and a dilution air flow;
positioning a cyclonic separator to receive the diluted exhaust stream from the dilution tunnel to remove respiratory particles from said diluted exhaust stream;
positioning a gas phase denuder in said diluted exhaust stream at a location upstream of said particulate filter, wherein said diluted exhaust stream includes solid particles or liquid droplets in the size range of 5 nm to 1000 nm, and wherein said gas phase denuder comprises a cellular cordierite substrate with 100 cells/square inch to 800 cells/square inch, said cells having an aluminum-zeolite coating, and wherein said gas phase denuder exhibits a surface area in the range of 5,000 m 2 to 15,000 m 2 ;
feeding said diluted exhaust stream through said gas phase denuder wherein said gas phase denuder is maintained at a temperature of 20° C. to 52° C. and removing 90% by weight or volume of said gas phase artifacts in said diluted exhaust stream wherein said gas phase artifacts comprise one or more of:
(a) hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms; or
(b) sulfur dioxide and sulfate species of the formulas SO 2 , SO 3 , SO 4 2 , H 2 SO 4 and (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ;
wherein said gas phase denuder passes 95% to 100% of said solid particles or liquid droplets in said diluted exhaust stream to pass through said denuder for collection on said particulate filter.

9. A filtration apparatus for hydrocarbon combustion engine exhaust stream containing gas phase artifacts and solid or liquid droplets, the exhaust stream undergoing evaluation for the presence of particulate matter as collected on a particulate matter filter, the apparatus comprising:
a dilution tunnel to receive the hydrocarbon combustion engine exhaust stream and a dilution air flow to provide a diluted exhaust stream;
a cyclonic separator to remove respiratory particles from said diluted exhaust stream;
a particulate matter filter for collecting said solid or liquid droplets; and
a gas phase denuder in said exhaust stream at a location upstream of said particulate filter,
wherein said exhaust includes solid particles or liquid droplets in the size range of 5 nm to 1000 nm;
wherein said gas phase denuder comprises a cellular cordierite substrate having an aluminum-zeolite coating that absorbs 90% by weight or volume of one or more of:
(a) hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms; or
(b) sulfur dioxide and sulfate species of the formulas SO 2 , SO 3 , SO 4 2− , H 2 SO 4 and (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ; and

wherein said gas phase denuder provides for 95% to 100% passage of said solid particles or liquid droplets in said diluted exhaust stream for collection on said particulate matter filter, and wherein said gas phase denuder exhibits a surface area in the range of 5,000 m 2 to 15,000 m 2 .

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said gas phase denuder is configured to operate at a temperature of 20° C. to 52° C.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said gas phase denuder is configured to operate at a pressure of 0.1 atm to 2.0 atm.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein diluting said exhaust stream with said dilution air flow to provide a diluted exhaust stream comprises:
diluting said exhaust stream with a dilution air at a dilution air to exhaust stream ratio of from about 3:1 to about 40:1 by volume.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein passing said diluted exhaust stream through a cyclonic separator to remove respiratory particles from said diluted exhaust stream comprises:
passing said diluted exhaust stream through a cyclonic separator positioned upstream of the gas phase denuder to remove respiratory particles from said diluted exhaust stream.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein passing said diluted exhaust stream through a cyclonic separator to remove respiratory particles from said diluted exhaust stream comprises:
passing said diluted exhaust stream through a cyclonic separator positioned downstream of the gas phase denuder and upstream of the particulate matter filter to remove respiratory particles from said diluted exhaust stream.

Assignees

• Southwest Res Inst

Inventors

• Abdul-Khalek Imad Said

Classifications

• G01N1/2205

  with filters · CPC title

• B01D2257/702

  Hydrocarbons · CPC title

• G01N15/065

  using condensation nuclei counters · CPC title

• F01N3/02 Primary

  for cooling, or for removing solid constituents of, exhaust (by means of electric or electrostatic separators F01N3/01 {; mixing air with exhaust in tailpipes F01N13/082, F01N13/20}) · CPC title

• G01N2015/0046

  in gas, e.g. smoke · CPC title