Device for inserting rare earth particles into a combustion chamber.

Device for directing a mixture or composition containing rare earth metals, in particular cerium, into the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine

The invention relates to an apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1 for placing a small amount of a rare earth-containing mixture or composition in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine.

Such a device is known from EP-A-0 329 828. In the known device, a rare earth metal composition is fed to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine by means of an air pressure air flow and the air is humidified with water (see Fig. 2, EPA-0 329 828). The known device is claimed to be less effective when there is no water in the humidification tank.

The object of the invention is to improve the efficiency of such a device without using water. This problem is solved by a device according to claim 1. With the device according to the invention, the mixture or composition of rare earth metal can be introduced continuously in small quantities during a long period of use into the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine without maintenance and refilling work or with a small amount of maintenance and refilling work.

Preferably, the opening leading to the atmosphere is formed at one end of the tube, which communicates with the filling through at least one nozzle, whereby an air filter can be arranged in the tube next to the opening and a throttle flap downstream of the air filter.

In the device according to the invention, the pressure below atmospheric pressure is passed through a vacuum tube to the tube. In this case, air is sucked from the tank through a nozzle which transports small amounts of filling particles through a pipe and a vacuum pipe to the combustion chamber.

The filter, which may be arranged in the flow path between the nozzle and the filler, acts as a flow barrier to finely distribute the particles sucked into the tube and to determine the enlarged surface - the surface of the filter facing the filler - to suck the particles into the tube. This eliminates the risk of unnecessary build-up and clogging. The filter is preferably formed as a cylindrical filter mesh arranged transversely to the tube and communicating at one end or foot with a nozzle of the tube.

The tank may be dimensioned for a quantity of filling sufficient for the entire life of the internal combustion engine. Because space in current cars is limited, it is also possible to install a tank sized for a fill volume that is sufficient for a limited period of use, e.g., one equivalent to 80,000 kilometers driven by a passenger vehicle.

The tank can be removably arranged in the engine compartment of the car so that it can be replaced with a new tank in the latter case. The container may also have a filling opening for refilling the filling.

The device according to the invention makes it possible to add a small amount of rare earth oxide in a dry state to the air intake of an internal combustion engine by avoiding transporting and refilling the solvent, without having to refill the solvent after short periods of time and / or avoiding extra space.

The filling is preferably in fibrous and / or powder form. The following two aspects are important in selecting the filler to be used in the invention.

1. The materials have a particle size of 0.25 mm (60 mesh) to 0.5 microns, with 0.048 mm (300 mesh) being the most preferred size.

2. More generally, it should be clear that the compositions used should contain as high a percentage of cerium (CeO 2) as can be easily and economically obtained. In doing so, however, account must be taken of the practical difficulties involved in separating the various rare earth oxides.

In principle, the cerium content in the mixture varies from 30% to practically 100% by weight. Three examples of preferred compositions are explained in more detail below.

By directing a small amount of the mixture into the air intake, harmful pollutants are reduced, especially CO, CO₂-, HC and NO_xpollution and combustion are improved so as to provide an effect comparable to a controlled catalyst, but at a much lower cost.

An important advantage of the device according to the invention is that it can be adapted to existing cars, even if they are used with engines using unleaded fuel. The device can, of course, be used in engines powered by any other conventional fuel for internal combustion engines.

The vacuum tube may be the engine intake manifold. However, it is also possible to connect the suction pipe directly to the combustion chamber. In this case, a shut-off valve must be provided to ensure that the tank is in exclusive communication with the combustion chamber during the engine suction cycle.

The device according to the invention can be equally suitable for spark ignition or compression ignition engines as well as for local combustion engines.

Especially when used in large internal combustion engines, such as locomotive, ship and local engines, it is advantageous to transport rare earth particles by motor-driven conveying means in the vicinity of the intake opening of the suction pipe.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of embodiments of the invention, in which Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a device according to the invention connected to an internal combustion engine, Fig. 2 is a more detailed sectional view of another embodiment of the invention; to be mounted on the wall of the chamber of a vehicle or similar motorway, and Figure 4 is a sectional view of yet another embodiment.

The internal combustion engine 1 shown in Figure 1 has an intake manifold 2 and an exhaust manifold 3.

The tank 4 contains an air-permeable filling 5 comprising a mixture of rare earth oxide in fibrous or powder form. The space 6 above the filling has at least one flow barrier 7 and communicates via the suction pipe 8 with the suction set 2. The tube 10 attached to the container and having a lower end extending inside the container and the filling 5 has a nozzle 9 at the inner end of the tube communicating with the filling 5 near the bottom of the container 4 and an upper end with an opening 11 to the atmosphere. An air filter 13 and a throttle flap 12 are installed downstream of the opening 11. The atmospheric air sucked through the suction pipe 8 enters the opening 11 and flows through the throttling hole.

12, through the tube 10 and the nozzle 9 to the filling 5, passes through the filling and the flow barrier 7, where the air receives a swirling movement, so that the air receives

0 rare earth oxide particles and conveys them through the intake pipe 8 to the intake manifold 2 and then to the discharge chambers of the cylinders of the internal combustion engine.

Tank 4 can be replaced with a newly filled tank after a period of operation of the machine, which corresponds to e.g. 80,000 driving kilometers. Alternatively, the container 4 can be refilled through a filling opening, not shown.

Instead of the intake manifold 2, another vacuum tube communicating with the combustion chamber can be used to convey the air through the filling 5, for example a carburetor vacuum tube, a fuel injection system vacuum tube, an air-fuel mixture intake tube, etc.

In order to enable economic operation, it is advantageous that no additional energy is used to transport air through the tank and into the combustion chamber, but to use the flow energy which is produced and which is available in any case in the internal combustion engine.

In Fig. 2, the same parts or parts having a similar effect as the parts shown in the figure are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The tubes 10 are mounted on a base 16 and secured thereto by a threaded cover 14 which forms an air filter housing for enclosing the filter material 13 (filter carbon granules) together with the filter net 13a. The threaded cover 14 tightens the flange 10a of the tube 10 against the base 16. Ring seals 30, 31 are arranged between the base 16 and the flange 10a on the one hand and on the other hand the threaded cover 14 and the base. The opening 11 in the threaded cover 14 allows communication between the ambient atmosphere and the interior 10b of the tube 10 through a throttle flap 12 which is press-fitted to the end of the tube and has a throttling hole 12a with a diameter of e.g. 0.5 mm. The variation of the spent filling charge is controlled by the air flow sucked through the opening 11 and the throttling hole 12a.

At the upper end of the base 16 there is a threaded connecting piece 17, on which a threaded sleeve 18 is screwed at the bottom end of the container 4. A bottom hole 19 of a cylindrically shaped filter net 7 is arranged in a closed hole 16a inside the connecting piece 17 of the base 16, whereby the filter net 7 passes through the entire depth or thickness of the filling. The filter network 7 monitors the flow of air and filler particles through the hole 16a in the base 16 and further through two nozzles 9 to a pipe 10 connected via a suction protrusion 8a to a suction pipe 8, which in this case may be formed by a flexible hose not shown. Thus, when a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure is used, air containing a small amount of rare earth oxide particles is sucked through the suction protrusion 8a from the filling 5 in the tank 4 through the filter net 7, the closed hole 16a, the nozzles 9 and the pipe interior 10b and from there according to Figure 1 to the intake manifold 2 or directly to the combustion chamber of the engine 1.

The following analyzes show the compositions of the three examples of preferred compositions used as fillers in the invention in% by weight.

Composition 1

<td>cerium oxide</td><td> 45,0</td><td> %</td>

<td>lanthanum oxide</td><td> 22,5</td><td> %</td>

<td>neodymium</td><td> 17,9</td><td> %</td>

<td>praseodymium oxide</td><td> 5,7</td><td> %</td>

<td>thorium oxide</td><td> 0,25</td><td> %</td>

<td>sulfate as SO3</td><td> 1,5</td><td> %</td>

<td>other oxides (YO23, ScO3)</td><td> 2,9</td><td> %</td>

<td>phosphate as PO 3</td><td> 0,8</td><td> %</td>

<td>lime and magnesium oxide</td><td> 1,0</td><td> %</td>

Composition 2

<td>cerium oxide</td><td> 90,0</td><td> %</td>

<td>lanthanum oxide</td><td> 2,0</td><td> %</td>

<td>neodymium</td><td> 1,3</td><td> %</td>

<td>praseodymium oxide</td><td> 0,4</td><td> %</td>

<td>other rare earth</td><td></td><td></td>

<td>oxides</td><td> 1,0</td><td> %</td>

<td>thorium oxide</td><td> 0,25</td><td> %</td>

<td>iron oxide and aluminum</td><td></td><td></td>

<td>oxide</td><td> 0,25</td><td> %</td>

<td>lime and magnesium oxide</td><td> 4,0</td><td> %</td>

<td>silica</td><td> 0,05</td><td> %</td>

<td>phosphate</td><td> 0,5</td><td> %</td>

<td>sulphate</td><td> 0,5</td><td> %</td>

Composition 3

<td>cerium oxide</td><td> 45,6</td><td> %</td>

<td>5 lanthanum oxide</td><td> 22,8</td><td> %</td>

<td>neodymium idia</td><td> 16,2</td><td> %</td>

<td>praseodymium oxide</td><td> 4/7</td><td> %</td>

other rare earth

<td>oxides</td><td> 5/7</td><td> %</td>

<td>10 thorium oxide</td><td> 0,2</td><td> %</td>

<td>iron oxide and alumina</td><td> 1/0</td><td> %</td>

<td>lime and magnesium oxide</td><td> 0/2</td><td> %</td>

<td>silica</td><td> 0,1</td><td> %</td>

<td>15 phosphates</td><td> 0,5</td><td> %</td>

<td>sulphate 1</td><td> - 2,0</td><td> %</td>

<td>ignition loss 0</td><td>- i, o</td><td> %</td>

Fig. 3 shows the fastener 20 of the device according to Fig. 2 with an adjustable screw

0 for this purpose by means of screws 23 (Fig. 2) to the wall of the car engine compartment (not shown). The fastener 20 has a bent support member 22 to support the base of the base 16. Two notches 21 having the shape of an ordinary circular arc are dimensioned to allow the passage of screws 23 screwed into the threaded holes in the bottom of the base 16. Notches 21 allow adjustable mounting of the device

5 to its desired rotational positions of the base 16 and thus of the tube 10 to bring the suction protrusion 8a into the most advantageous position for coupling it to the suction set 2.

The amount of filler 5 depends on the size of the internal combustion engine and fuel consumption.

Experiments have shown that a 1000 cm3 petrol engine should be charged with about 3 0 1.6 mg / kg to achieve the desired effect to sufficiently reduce emissions from the exhaust. After an approx. 800 km drive, the benefits of the device are obvious and the benefits do not seem to increase.

The device according to the invention can be used in particular instead of a controlled catalyst in internal combustion engines using unleaded fuel and in internal combustion engines where the use of a controlled catalyst would be too expensive.

The embodiment shown in Figure 4 comprises a container 104 with a chamber part

134 containing a rare earth powder, an air filter section 136 containing a filter material 113 (e.g., activated carbon granules) or a filter mesh and having an opening 111 to the atmosphere, and a drive section 138 having a power motor 125 with a transmission 125. The air filter section 136 and the drive section 138 are each chamber separated part 134 with partitions 130 and resp. 132 comprising bearings 128 for supporting the center shaft 126 driven by the motor 124. The interior of sections 134, 136 and 138 is normally at atmospheric pressure. The filter part 136 is connected to the chamber part 134 by an air opening 112, which may be covered by a membrane 112a which is forced against the opening 112 in the membrane by an inherent spring force. The opening and the membrane cooperating with it 10 have the effect of a throttling device.

Attached to the central shaft 126 is a disc 120 having a radial portion 120a and a conical portion 120b. Arranged on the outer circumference of the conical portion 120b are conveying members 122 in the form of shovels or teeth around the circumference of the disc 120. Instead of shovels or teeth, some other means may be provided, for example roughened surfaces, to take the rare earth oxide particles from the filling 105 as the disc 120 passes through the chamber part 134, conveying the rare earth particles in the vicinity of the suction nozzle 109 through wall 126 and

0 communicates with the suction pipe connector 108a to the suction pipe 108 for connection to an example hose, as shown in Figure 4.

When the internal combustion engine is started, the engine 124 is activated and then rotates the shaft 126 and the disc 120 at a low speed (e.g., 6 rpm). The Kar25-like portion 120b acts as a wing or shovel forcing material from flowing from the sides of the disc 120 to its bottom below the center of the disc 120 so that rare earth oxide particles are always conveyed by conveyor members 122 to the periphery of the disc 120 near the suction nozzle 109. suction pipe

108. Thus, the delivery of rare earth particles in the combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine is always guaranteed.

The embodiment according to Figure 4 can be used in particular in large internal combustion engines used in locomotives, ships or fixed engines of power plants or the like.