WO2011139321A2 - Method and apparatus for reducing harmful emissions from combustion - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for reducing harmful emissions from combustion Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2011139321A2
WO2011139321A2 PCT/US2011/000616 US2011000616W WO2011139321A2 WO 2011139321 A2 WO2011139321 A2 WO 2011139321A2 US 2011000616 W US2011000616 W US 2011000616W WO 2011139321 A2 WO2011139321 A2 WO 2011139321A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
catalytic converter
engine
exhaust gases
valve
combustion apparatus
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2011/000616
Other languages
French (fr)
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WO2011139321A3 (en
Inventor
John R. Mullinix
Original Assignee
Mullinix John R
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Publication date
Application filed by Mullinix John R filed Critical Mullinix John R
Priority to US13/136,270 priority Critical patent/US20120031081A1/en
Publication of WO2011139321A2 publication Critical patent/WO2011139321A2/en
Publication of WO2011139321A3 publication Critical patent/WO2011139321A3/en

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Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F01MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
    • F01NGAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
    • F01N1/00Silencing apparatus characterised by method of silencing
    • F01N1/16Silencing apparatus characterised by method of silencing by using movable parts
    • F01N1/18Silencing apparatus characterised by method of silencing by using movable parts having rotary movement
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F01MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
    • F01NGAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
    • F01N3/00Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust
    • F01N3/08Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust for rendering innocuous
    • F01N3/10Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust for rendering innocuous by thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust
    • F01N3/24Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust for rendering innocuous by thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust characterised by constructional aspects of converting apparatus
    • F01N3/28Construction of catalytic reactors
    • F01N3/2892Exhaust flow directors or the like, e.g. upstream of catalytic device
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01DSEPARATION
    • B01D2257/00Components to be removed
    • B01D2257/40Nitrogen compounds
    • B01D2257/404Nitrogen oxides other than dinitrogen oxide
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01DSEPARATION
    • B01D2257/00Components to be removed
    • B01D2257/50Carbon oxides
    • B01D2257/502Carbon monoxide
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F01MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
    • F01NGAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
    • F01N2260/00Exhaust treating devices having provisions not otherwise provided for
    • F01N2260/16Exhaust treating devices having provisions not otherwise provided for for reducing exhaust flow pulsations
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02CCAPTURE, STORAGE, SEQUESTRATION OR DISPOSAL OF GREENHOUSE GASES [GHG]
    • Y02C20/00Capture or disposal of greenhouse gases
    • Y02C20/10Capture or disposal of greenhouse gases of nitrous oxide (N2O)

Definitions

  • This invention relates to reduced harmful emissions from internal and external combustion engines by the use of catalytic converters by either adjusting fuel/air mixtures in the case of internal combustion diesel engines, or in other cases such as but not restricted to, internal combustion gasoline or natural gas engines, adding higher molecular weight carbon atoms, by various means such as adding some diesel fuel in the gasoline so as to provide a pulsating instantaneous high temperature flash burn in the catalytic converter.
  • a basic limitation in improving combustion efficiency is the temperature limit that an engine's materials of construction can withstand.
  • Ford® is a registered trademark of the Ford Motor Company.
  • Toyota ® is a registered trademark of the Toyota Motor Corp.
  • the Wail Street Journal ® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones St Company, Inc.
  • Honda ® is a registered trademark of the Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
  • Chonda ® is a registered trademark of the Hyundai Motor Co., Ltd.
  • Chorysler ® is a registered trademark of the Chrysler Group LLC.
  • General Motors ® is a registered trademark of the General Motors Corp.
  • “Nissan ®” is a registered trademark of the Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
  • additives such as calcium particles are introduced into exhaust flows to remove sulfur for example, and the calcium particles coalesce, eventually plugging up the honeycombed catalysts serving as catalytic converters, in common use in power plants, reducing the effectiveness of the catalytic converters in the removal of harmful emissions, as well as resulting in back pressure on the combustion process, affecting the combustion process, as well as retarding the flow of exhaust gasses, necessitating periodic cleaning and replacement of the honeycombed catalysts. As the catalytic converters plug up, emissions increase, and the resulting required maintenance is! major cost of operation for power plants.
  • Blowers are used to try to induce sufficient turbulence into the exhaust flow to preclude the calcium particles from coalescing, but they don ' t work very well, and the catalytic converters degrade, because of the calcium particles plugging up the catalytic converters, reducing the effectiveness of the catalytic converters.
  • Applicant has an extensive combustion background combined with an engineering education and experience back to the early 1940 ' s and believes he has arrived at a relatively universal solution for the aforementioned problems of pollution from both internal and external combustion engines powered by fossil fuels.
  • the preferred embodiment of the invention is a combination of adjustment in fuel/air mixtures into a! combustion engine wherein a pulsating exhaust flow is directed into a catalytic converter resulting in a reduction in harmful emissions out of an exhaust pipe into the atmosphere.
  • the combustion apparatus comprises an exhaust duct for directing exhaust fumes from an external combustion engine connected to a motor powered valve with a rotating valve plate, with perforations, that imparts a pulsation into the exhaust gases with induced calcium particles, wherein the pulsation into the exhaust gases with induced calcium particles reduces coalescence of the calcium particles, wherein the exhaust fumes with reduced coalesced calcium particles then flow through a catalytic converter wherein the unburned harmful emissions of nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and other hydrocarbon emissions are reduced byi the catalytic converter. Additional air to support the reduction of the harmful emissions is introduced into the catalytic converter.
  • Fig. 1 depicts an internal combustion engine with a catalytic converter to which the present invention is applicable.
  • Fig. 2 depicts! an external combustion engine with a catalytic converter with modifications enabling the application of the present invention.
  • FIG. I which illustrates a source of combustion gases such as an internal combustion engine 1 connected to an engine exhaust pipe 4 which is connected to a catalytic converter 2 which is connected to an exhaust tail pipe 3.
  • the preferred embodiment of the present invention as applied to an internal combustion engine 1 wherein the engine 1 is a gasoline powered engine comprises a binary fuel concoction comprising an addition of a modest amount of diesel fuel, such as, but not restricted to, one fluid ounce of diesel fuel to ten gallons of gasoline powering the engine 1.
  • the one fluid ojunce of diesel fuel to ten gallons of gasoline was determined using an aspirating bubble chamber while maximizing engine performance.
  • An aspirating bubble chamber is well known to the chemical laboratory equipment trade.
  • the Appendix is a summary of the test results at the Southern Illinois University, in Carbondale, lllijnois, on their dynamometer testing of an F150 Ford engine, said test results being measurements r on an MDTM Mustang MD-GAS-5C gas analyzer system (a model MD-GAS--5C gas analyzer, commercially available from Mustang Dynamometer of Twinsburg, Ohio) which meets or surpasses accuracies for BAR 90, BAR/TAS 84, BAR 80, EPA 2078.
  • MDTM Mustang MD-GAS-5C gas analyzer system a model MD-GAS--5C gas analyzer, commercially available from Mustang Dynamometer of Twinsburg, Ohio
  • the inward poiijiting arrows indicate direction of air flow through the exhaust tail pipe 3 into the catalytic converter 2 through the exhaust tail pipe 3.
  • the outward pointing arrow indicates the direction of exhaust gas flow while the inward pointing arrows indicate the direction of oxygen flow FLOWING in frpm atmosphere as the diesel fuel that is not consumed in the engine 1 combustion cycle is flash burned in the catalytic converter 2.
  • the normal action of the engine 1 valves imparts a pulsation in combustion products flowing through the catalytic converter into the exhaust tail pipe 3.
  • the pulsation action is critical to the process of flash burning the diesel fuel not previously ignited in the engine 1 ⁇ ⁇ the catalytic converter 2.
  • the primary advantage of the concoction would be an improved combustion efficiency of hydrocarbons, in a gasoline engine, as evidenced by, referring to the Appendix, a hydrocarbon rating of 152.750 without the binary concoction of diesel and gasoline, shown on the top line, versus a hydrocarbon rating of 144.7 ⁇ 1 with the, binary concoction of diesel and gasoline, with the one fluid ounce of diesel] fuel to ten gallons of gasoline.
  • a gasoline engine and a catalytic converter the hydrocarbon exhaust drops down to 10.005.
  • the engine 1 exhaust passes to the catalytic converter 2 through the engine exhaust pipe 4.
  • the thjird and fourth lines of the Appendix gives the before and after the catalytic converter, exhaust gases composition and quantity.
  • the unburned diesel from the engine 1 is ignited by the high operating temperature in the catalytic converters, in a pulsing manner, in time with the exhaust valve action (not shown) within the engine 1.
  • the reductions shown in the nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide are dramatic. A noticeable result, in
  • the catalytic converter has to be warmed up to normal operating temperatures fpr the unburned diesel to experience the desired ignition, which can be described as a high temperature flash burn.
  • Applicant has oyer 70' 000 test miles on the above tested vehicle experiencing up to a 20/25% miles per gallon improvement in actual fuel economy. At 55 miles per hour on a level stretch pf highway in Southern Illinois, Applicant achieved a 35% improvement over the vehicle manufacturer ' s mile per gallon rating. Other people with other vehicles may athieve considerable less. This works on trips where there is time for the catalytic converter 2 to achieve normal operating temperatures. It does not work as well for shdrt trips under one mile in below freezing temperatures. Applicant experienced arji overall efficiency improvement in the range pf 20 to 25% under normal driving conditions.
  • the main thrust of Applicant ' s invention is to clean up the; environment.
  • the improved miles: per gallon is a pleasant bonus.
  • Another benefit is that the diesel addition raises the octane (i.e. antiknock) rating of the gasoline, which enables the replacement of premium gasoline with regular gasoline without impairing engine performance.
  • the diesel fuel addition of one ounce per ten gallons of gasoline appears to improve the octane (antiknock) rating of the gasoline, enabling one ; to ; downgrade from premium to regular gasoline, with no reduction in vehicle performance. This helps explain significant improvement in engine operation on a 1983 Chrysler K car after adopting the invention.
  • the preferred embodiment of the invention works with 85/15 gasoline/ethanol blends, in the Applicant ' s experience.
  • Gasoline seem to be mostly hydrocarbons between 6 and 12 carbon atoms in each molecule, with 1 a good average of 8 carbon atoms and 18 hydrogen atoms, written as i
  • Petroleum diesel fuel molecules range, as the Applicant understands it, from C10-H20 to C15-H28, with a typical average of C12-H23 with at least one oxygen atom in the chain. !
  • the at least one oxygen atom in the chain is useful in the diesel ignition process, i
  • the at least one oxygen atom in the diesel molecular structure is a major factor in how Applicant s invention for gasoline powered engines with catalytic converters improves the ignition process in gasoline powered engines.
  • Applicant includes bio-diesel (or simply biodiesel) or Ester of Glycerol in the term diesel.
  • Biodiesel has a chemical formula o C14 ⁇ C24, typically C19-H36-02.
  • the oxides are taken into! a burning flash, accompanied by a flow of oxygen flowing upstream, into the exhaust tail pipe 3 from the outside, of ithe exhaust tail pipe 3, atmosphere.
  • the vacuum that occurs is caused by a flash high temperature burnout, plus the closing of the exhaust valve just before the burnout.
  • Tl is is a frequent, pulsating flash burn within the catalytic converter 2 during the rotation of the engine.
  • a pulsating harmonious voidal flash burn is the means of eliminating virtually all nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide emissions, whether it be an internal combustion engine application or an external combustion engine such as may be found in a power plant burning of fuels -utilizing a catalytic converter.
  • the process is simplified by adjusting the quantity of air in an air fuel mixture to produce a fuel rich mixture as indicated by a smoky exhaust from the engine 1 , also, known as a "black stack" by truckers. This is a slight reduction in the air to fuel ratio, in the order, of one: part per thousand, for purposes of enablement. Adjusting the mixture by means of altering computer controlled fuel/air mixtures for a diesel powered engine 1 is a preferred approach. For a vehicle with diesel powered engine 1 , there has been no discernable mileage improvement detected in Applicant ' s fiejd testing.
  • a directional arjrow indicates the direction of the exhaust flow 10a.
  • the exhaust flbw 10a comprises exhaust from either a coal fired, or an oil fired external combqstion engine.
  • rotation of the valve plate 12 is approximately 800 revolutions per minute.
  • a distance d is shown in Fig. 2 as the distance of the catalytic converter 13 from the valve obsate 12. Distance d is within a range of 10 to 30 feet in the preferred embodiment of i the present invention.
  • the catalytic converter 13 is a catalytic monolithic honeycomb apparatus, well known to the power plant trade.
  • diesel fuel that lacks some of the commercial additives that are on the market, but will burn in a diesel engine is still a diesel fuel.
  • the invention is also applicable to stationary power units powered by internal combustion engines.

Abstract

The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a combustion engine that combines unburned fuel elements in a pulsating engine exhaust stream into a catalytic converter resulting in reduced nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide emissions over an extended life of the catalytic converter.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING HARMFUL EMISSIONS FROM COMBUSTION
Copyright notice: A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the disclosure by anyone as it appears in this PCT Application and all subsequent Patent Applications related hereto, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to reduced harmful emissions from internal and external combustion engines by the use of catalytic converters by either adjusting fuel/air mixtures in the case of internal combustion diesel engines, or in other cases such as but not restricted to, internal combustion gasoline or natural gas engines, adding higher molecular weight carbon atoms, by various means such as adding some diesel fuel in the gasoline so as to provide a pulsating instantaneous high temperature flash burn in the catalytic converter. With additional oxygen induced into the catalytic converter, there is a burnout of harmful emissions such as, but not restricted to nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and unburned hydrocarbons, or, in the case of external combustion engines, by including a rotating valve plate to homogenize exhaust gases with additives and to prolong the effectiveness of a catalytic converter in conjunction with a catalytic converter... In internal combustion engines, the normal engine exhaust valve action provides the needed pulsation of gases flowing into the catalytic converter, required in the process, and additional oxygen is sucked into the catalytic converter through an exhaust pipe.
For external combustion engines, such as are usable in power plants, steam locomotives, and ships, a pulsating action is achievable, within exhaust ducting and a catalytic converter, by an exhaust flue pulse valve with an adjustable speed of revolution, and additional oxygen introduced into the catalytic converter to support harmful emissions burnout. 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Oil companies, : automobile manufacturers, and automotive engineers have struggled for many years to improve internal combustion engine combustion efficiency, improve engine lubrication, and reduce carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide emissions, and tail pipe exhaust odors. .
A basic limitation in improving combustion efficiency is the temperature limit that an engine's materials of construction can withstand.
In desperation,! much research and development has gone into alternatives such as, but not restricted to, all electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles with flywheels for energy conservation, and hybrid hydraulic vehicles as evidenced by innumerable Society of Automotive Engineers published technical papers, professional development seminars, technical conferences, and exposition exhibits.
While much popular attention is paid to electric vehicles as a solution, prominent industry figures such as people associate with firms such as Ford and Toyota have made public statements that, indicate electric vehicles may never be an economic solution to the current shortcomings of internal combustion engines.
For example, Mr. Bill Ford hinted, some seven or eight years ago, in trade magazines,
i
that Ford was working on improvements to the gasoline automobile engine that were expected to exceed the promise of electric hybrids. Then it came out, in trade journals, and even the Wall Street Journal®, that major car companies were trying to successfully apply the diesel process to gasoline engines. Also, about that time, a high ranking executive of Toyota® stated, publicly, that electric vehicles were primarily a marketing ploy.
A few years after Mr. Ford's statement about expected improvements to exceed the promise of electric hybrids, the Wall Street Journal®, October 25, 2005, Page D6 included an article "Honda's Experimental Hybrid May Help in Race With Toyota"
i
where it was mentioned what is now called "homogeneous charge compression ignition" technology and that it was a hot topic with General Motors® and Ford® in the U.S, Daimler Chrysler® in Germany, and Toyota®, Honda®, and Nissan® back in Japan. The Ford Motor Company as well as other automotive manufacturing firms was doing much research and development into exploring the possibilities of an HCCI (homogeneous icharge compression ignition) engine, where the diesel process is adapted to a gasoline engine.
"Ford®" is a registered trademark of the Ford Motor Company. Toyota®" is a registered trademark of the Toyota Motor Corp. "The Wail Street Journal®" is a registered trademark of Dow Jones St Company, Inc. "Honda®" is a registered trademark of the Honda Motor Co., Ltd. "Chrysler®" is a registered trademark of the Chrysler Group LLC. "General Motors®" is a registered trademark of the General Motors Corp. "Nissan®" is a registered trademark of the Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Difficulties in srnooth performance at high and low engine speeds have kept this off the market. There are engineers of the opinion that the HCCI engines will never compete because of research into, and laboratory results from, at least one university in Sweden.
Currently, American automobiles capture, perhaps, 35% of the potential energy of a gallon of gasoline as useful work. Swedish engineers, in a university laboratory, have captured as much as 65%, and are striving for 75%, of the potential energy of a gallon of gasoline as useful work. While Sweden is , a small country, the Swedes are world leaders in automotive technology as well as hydraulic drive technology. The Swedish engineers have! a good alumni club in that they communicate with each other around the world. As a specific example of only one possible efficiency improvement, some of the efficiency losses in a gasoline engine can be attributed to less than perfect sealing for engine exhaust valves, perhaps in the order of two to four percent, at times.
For diesel powered internal combustion engines, in the United States, EPA mandates were written with the help of United States commercial interests, in such a way that diesel engines in automobiles made in Europe, could not be imported into the United States because of the EPA mandates. For the trucking industry, considerable amounts of money are expended in cumbersome approaches to meet the United States EPA mandates.
For power plants, pollution is such a concern, that the use of fossil fuels are under considerable attack, to the point that many environmentalists are pushing nuclear powered power plants. Nuclear energy also has a variety of potential problems including cost and safety issues. Both in the diesel and the coal fired power plants, a better way is highly desired. Often; in a power plant's combustion process, additives such as calcium particles are introduced into exhaust flows to remove sulfur for example, and the calcium particles coalesce, eventually plugging up the honeycombed catalysts serving as catalytic converters, in common use in power plants, reducing the effectiveness of the catalytic converters in the removal of harmful emissions, as well as resulting in back pressure on the combustion process, affecting the combustion process, as well as retarding the flow of exhaust gasses, necessitating periodic cleaning and replacement of the honeycombed catalysts. As the catalytic converters plug up, emissions increase, and the resulting required maintenance is! major cost of operation for power plants. Blowers are used to try to induce sufficient turbulence into the exhaust flow to preclude the calcium particles from coalescing, but they don 't work very well, and the catalytic converters degrade, because of the calcium particles plugging up the catalytic converters, reducing the effectiveness of the catalytic converters.
Future requirements for reduced emissions from power generating plants will only increase this cost of. operations.
Applicant has an extensive combustion background combined with an engineering education and experience back to the early 1940's and believes he has arrived at a relatively universal solution for the aforementioned problems of pollution from both internal and external combustion engines powered by fossil fuels.
As will be seen1, from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention, there is a very practical generic solution for some of the above
j
mentioned deficiencies in the current state of the art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The preferred embodiment of the invention is a combination of adjustment in fuel/air mixtures into a! combustion engine wherein a pulsating exhaust flow is directed into a catalytic converter resulting in a reduction in harmful emissions out of an exhaust pipe into the atmosphere.
For a gasoline powered internal combustion engine, the addition of one fluid ounce of diesel fuel pe ten gallons of gasoline as fuel for an internal combustion engine combined with a catalytic converter, and the usual pulsation in the exhaust flow from the gasoline powered internal combustion engine into the catalytic converter, results in a significant Reduction in carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and overall hydrocarbon tail pipe emissions in many cases.
For a diesel powered internal combustion engine, adjusting the fuel/air ratio to produce a smoljcy exhaust f om the engine, also known to truckers as a "black stack", combined withj the ; usual pulsation in the exhaust flow from the diesel powered internal combustion engine, through a catalytic converter, results in a significant reduction in carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and overall hydrocarbon tail pipe emissions in majny cases.
For an external combustion engine, using coal or diesel, the combustion apparatus comprises an exhaust duct for directing exhaust fumes from an external combustion engine connected to a motor powered valve with a rotating valve plate, with perforations, that imparts a pulsation into the exhaust gases with induced calcium particles, wherein the pulsation into the exhaust gases with induced calcium particles reduces coalescence of the calcium particles, wherein the exhaust fumes with reduced coalesced calcium particles then flow through a catalytic converter wherein the unburned harmful emissions of nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and other hydrocarbon emissions are reduced byi the catalytic converter. Additional air to support the reduction of the harmful emissions is introduced into the catalytic converter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 depicts an internal combustion engine with a catalytic converter to which the present invention is applicable. Fig. 2 depicts! an external combustion engine with a catalytic converter with modifications enabling the application of the present invention. ]
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Fig. I, which illustrates a source of combustion gases such as an internal combustion engine 1 connected to an engine exhaust pipe 4 which is connected to a catalytic converter 2 which is connected to an exhaust tail pipe 3.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention as applied to an internal combustion engine 1 wherein the engine 1 is a gasoline powered engine, comprises a binary fuel concoction comprising an addition of a modest amount of diesel fuel, such as, but not restricted to, one fluid ounce of diesel fuel to ten gallons of gasoline powering the engine 1.
The one fluid ojunce of diesel fuel to ten gallons of gasoline was determined using an aspirating bubble chamber while maximizing engine performance. An aspirating bubble chamber is well known to the chemical laboratory equipment trade.
The Appendix is a summary of the test results at the Southern Illinois University, in Carbondale, lllijnois, on their dynamometer testing of an F150 Ford engine, said test results being measurements ron an MD™ Mustang MD-GAS-5C gas analyzer system (a model MD-GAS--5C gas analyzer, commercially available from Mustang Dynamometer of Twinsburg, Ohio) which meets or surpasses accuracies for BAR 90, BAR/TAS 84, BAR 80, EPA 2078.
The inward poiijiting arrows indicate direction of air flow through the exhaust tail pipe 3 into the catalytic converter 2 through the exhaust tail pipe 3. The outward pointing arrow indicates the direction of exhaust gas flow while the inward pointing arrows indicate the direction of oxygen flow FLOWING in frpm atmosphere as the diesel fuel that is not consumed in the engine 1 combustion cycle is flash burned in the catalytic converter 2.
The normal action of the engine 1 valves imparts a pulsation in combustion products flowing through the catalytic converter into the exhaust tail pipe 3. The pulsation action is critical to the process of flash burning the diesel fuel not previously ignited in the engine 1 ϋη the catalytic converter 2.
When the concoction undergoes combustion in the engine 1, lighter volatiles in the diesel burn off ,j increasing the combustion efficiency of hydrocarbons. The diesel fuel in the engine lubricates the upper part of the engine 1 , reducing friction and aiding in exhaust valve seating for better sealing, internally in the engine. Improved exhaust valve seating reduces engine lubricating oil dilution from fuel seeping into the engine lubricating oil.
If there were no catalytic converter, the primary advantage of the concoction would be an improved combustion efficiency of hydrocarbons, in a gasoline engine, as evidenced by, referring to the Appendix, a hydrocarbon rating of 152.750 without the binary concoction of diesel and gasoline, shown on the top line, versus a hydrocarbon rating of 144.7^1 with the, binary concoction of diesel and gasoline, with the one fluid ounce of diesel] fuel to ten gallons of gasoline. However, with a gasoline engine and a catalytic converter, the hydrocarbon exhaust drops down to 10.005.
The engine 1 exhaust passes to the catalytic converter 2 through the engine exhaust pipe 4. The thjird and fourth lines of the Appendix gives the before and after the catalytic converter, exhaust gases composition and quantity. The catalytic converter
i
2 serves as a flash chamber, wherein the unburned diesel from the engine 1 is ignited by the high operating temperature in the catalytic converters, in a pulsing manner, in time with the exhaust valve action (not shown) within the engine 1. The reductions shown in the nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide are dramatic. A noticeable result, in
i .
testing, both laboratory and field, was an absence of any exhaust gases odor, even in an enclosed sp^ce. The catalytic converter has to be warmed up to normal operating temperatures fpr the unburned diesel to experience the desired ignition, which can be described as a high temperature flash burn.
Before the testing at Southern Illinois University, there was also a test conducted, with similar results, at the John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois, in their five gas tester, of Applicant's 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt LS, with a four cylinder engine, at idle and at 2,000 rpm, with the following reported results:
Idle 2,000 RPM
HC 1 ppm 7 ppm
CO 0% 0.00%
C02 14.7% 15.00%
o2 0.3% 0,9%
NO 0.00 ppm 0 ppm
This was within; a closed space and the testers were amazed at no exhaust odor.
Applicant has oyer 70' 000 test miles on the above tested vehicle experiencing up to a 20/25% miles per gallon improvement in actual fuel economy. At 55 miles per hour on a level stretch pf highway in Southern Illinois, Applicant achieved a 35% improvement over the vehicle manufacturer's mile per gallon rating. Other people with other vehicles may athieve considerable less. This works on trips where there is time for the catalytic converter 2 to achieve normal operating temperatures. It does not work as well for shdrt trips under one mile in below freezing temperatures. Applicant experienced arji overall efficiency improvement in the range pf 20 to 25% under normal driving conditions.
i
The main thrust of Applicant's invention is to clean up the; environment. The improved miles: per gallon is a pleasant bonus.
Another benefit is that the diesel addition raises the octane (i.e. antiknock) rating of the gasoline, which enables the replacement of premium gasoline with regular gasoline without impairing engine performance. Between substituting of regular gasoline with 1 the diesel added for premium gasoline and the unexpected improvement in fuel efficiency, this is an economic benefit for consumers who need cars with more lcargo space or more passenger seats than is available with small cars. This also reduces dependence on imported oil. Also, the diesel fuel addition of one ounce per ten gallons of gasoline appears to improve the octane (antiknock) rating of the gasoline, enabling one ;to; downgrade from premium to regular gasoline, with no reduction in vehicle performance. This helps explain significant improvement in engine operation on a 1983 Chrysler K car after adopting the invention. Also, the preferred embodiment of the invention works with 85/15 gasoline/ethanol blends, in the Applicant 's experience.
This works with; commercially available gasolines and diesel fuels.
Gasoline seem to be mostly hydrocarbons between 6 and 12 carbon atoms in each molecule, with1 a good average of 8 carbon atoms and 18 hydrogen atoms, written as i
C8-H18. Typically, there is no oxygen atom in the gasoline molecules, as the Applicant understands it.
Petroleum diesel fuel molecules range, as the Applicant understands it, from C10-H20 to C15-H28, with a typical average of C12-H23 with at least one oxygen atom in the chain. !
The at least one oxygen atom in the chain is useful in the diesel ignition process, i
which involves Compression of the diesel fuel fumes.
The at least one oxygen atom in the diesel molecular structure is a major factor in how Applicant s invention for gasoline powered engines with catalytic converters improves the ignition process in gasoline powered engines.
Applicant includes bio-diesel (or simply biodiesel) or Ester of Glycerol in the term diesel.
Biodiesel has a chemical formula o C14÷C24, typically C19-H36-02.
When the internal combustion engine 1 is a gasoline powered internal combustion engine 1 , combustion burns the lighter atomic weight elements of the diesel fuel i
followed by a carbonizing effect of the heavier elements of the diesel fuel as the heavier elemenits go into the catalytic converter 2.
As the gasoline; powered engine 1 reciprocates and rotates through its cycles through its timing order, and after each exhaust valve closes, the exhaust flow stops going into the catalytic converter 2, so pressures of any gas flows goirig into the catalytic converter 2 drop.
This results in a pulsating flow of the exhaust gases from the engine 1 . However, when this occurs, there is a gas burnout within the catalytic converter 2 which leaves a partial vacuum, or void. Just before an exhaust valve closes, there is an incomplete burn of diesel uel vapor, resulting in a flow of carbon soot (trace amount) that goes into the catalytic converter 2. The carbon ignites with a very bright and high temperature flash.
During the ignition ; occurrence, the oxides are taken into! a burning flash, accompanied by a flow of oxygen flowing upstream, into the exhaust tail pipe 3 from the outside, of ithe exhaust tail pipe 3, atmosphere. The vacuum that occurs is caused by a flash high temperature burnout, plus the closing of the exhaust valve just before the burnout. Tl is is a frequent, pulsating flash burn within the catalytic converter 2 during the rotation of the engine. A pulsating harmonious voidal flash burn is the means of eliminating virtually all nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide emissions, whether it be an internal combustion engine application or an external combustion engine such as may be found in a power plant burning of fuels -utilizing a catalytic converter. Utilizing; the principal of a constant and repetitive' burnout has been continuously used in Applicant's automobiles for the last 70,000 miles of use with no damage to the engine 1 or the catalyst Having the high temperature flash burn in the catalytic converter 2 is sustainable as the materials of construction in a catalytic converter 2 as such as to sustain such momentary: high temperatures.
When the internal combustion engine 1 is a diesel fuel powered internal combustion engine 1 , the process is simplified by adjusting the quantity of air in an air fuel mixture to produce a fuel rich mixture as indicated by a smoky exhaust from the engine 1 , also, known as a "black stack" by truckers. This is a slight reduction in the air to fuel ratio, in the order, of one: part per thousand, for purposes of enablement. Adjusting the mixture by means of altering computer controlled fuel/air mixtures for a diesel powered engine 1 is a preferred approach. For a vehicle with diesel powered engine 1 , there has been no discernable mileage improvement detected in Applicant's fiejd testing. Again, as in the case of when the internal combustion engine 1 was a jgasoline powered internal combustion engine, air, containing a normal component of pxygen, is forced into the catalytic converter 2 through the exhaust tail pipe 3 as needed to support a burnout of the harmful emissions of carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide.
Referring to Fig. 2, for an external combustion engine (not shown) with an exhaust flow 10a in an fexhaust duct 10 with a sequence timed motor powered pulse valve 11 with a rotating valve plate 12 with valve plate perforations: 12a, a monolithic honeycomb catjalytic iconverter 13, and a blower 14, wherein the exhaust flow 10a from the external combustion engine passes through the pulse valve 11 , the rotating valve plate 12; which imparts a fluctuating turbulence into the exhaust flow 10a, wherein the exhaust ; flow 10a just past the valve 11 is turbulent, keeping induced calcium particles from coalescing and lodging within the monolithic honeycomb catalytic converter 13, reducing the effectiveness of the catalytic converter 13 in
ί ' ' '
removing harmful emissions such as, but hot restricted to nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide. Additional air is introduced, as needed to support burnout of the harmful emissions such las, but not restricted to > nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide, by the blower 14.
Repairing and replacing the catalytic converter 13 is a too frequent, considerable maintenance expense, as mentioned in the discussion of the prior art.
i
i 1
A directional arjrow indicates the direction of the exhaust flow 10a.
The exhaust flbw 10a comprises exhaust from either a coal fired, or an oil fired external combqstion engine.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, as pertains to an external combustion engine, rotation of the valve plate 12 is approximately 800 revolutions per minute. A distance d is shown in Fig. 2 as the distance of the catalytic converter 13 from the valve jplate 12. Distance d is within a range of 10 to 30 feet in the preferred embodiment of i the present invention. The catalytic converter 13 is a catalytic monolithic honeycomb apparatus, well known to the power plant trade.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, the description describes using diesel fuel in the gasoline for a gasoline powered internal combustion engine. As obvious to anyone skilled in the art, it is the heavier carbon /hydrogen molecules that are achieving the benefit of reduced emissions.
Consequently, y hile commercially available diesel fuel works, at the refinery, one can achieve the results by the selective addition of only some of the heavier carbon /hydrogen molecules in the C10-C24/H20-H36-O. The actual number of oxygen atoms in the diesel used in this invention is not a critical number, and can be varied, as the oxygen supporting the flash burning process for the internal combustion engine 1 comes in from the tail pipe 3. For purposes of the invention, diesel fuel that lacks some of the commercial additives that are on the market, but will burn in a diesel engine is still a diesel fuel.
Thus the scqpejof the invention should be determined by the appended claims in the formal application and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
i
For example, |any commercially available diesel fuel or gasoline works for the purposes of this invention. However, there are diesel fuels and gasolines that are either not on the market at this time, or were at one time but are no longer available, or will be on the market some day in the future. These will probably work also.
Also, while one ounce of diesel fuel was used with ten gallons of gasoline, obviously good results cdn e: obtained by varying the ratio of diesel fuel elements to a given amount of gasoline. While diesel fuel works added to gasoline for a gasoline powered internal combustion engine 1 , it is the elements of the diesel fuel heretofore described that ; are doing the work. So, conceivably, one could leave out additives normally added to commercially available diesel fuel, in the refining process, and achieve essentially the same or similar results. If a fuel has enough diesel elements to function in a diesel engine as a diesel fuel, Applicant calls it a diesel fuel, whether or not it is a commercially available diesel fuel (i.e. if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, acts like a duck, Applicant calls it a duck).
The Applicant has taken care to describe the results obtained from the elements of i
the diesel fue.l believed to be doing the, work. However, it ' is the Applicant's understanding that it is not necessary to understand just how it works, as it is to know it works and describe and define what it takes to do the job.
Also, while the testing and development of the invention as applied to internal combustion engines, the invention is also applicable to stationary power units powered by internal combustion engines.
i
Although the description above contains specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention.

Claims

CLAIMS I claim:
1. A combustion apparatus comprising an ; engine with a catalytic converter, a pulsating flow jDf exhaust gases with nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and unburned hydrocarbon emissions from the engine into the catalytic converter, wherein the nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and unburned hydrocarbons are reduced in the catalytic converter, resulting in lower nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and unburned hydrocarbon emissions over life of the catalytic converter.
2. The combustion apparatus of claim 1 wherein the engine is a gasoline powered internal combustion engine wherein diesel fuel is added to the gasoline to ensure unburned hydrocarbons are included in the exhaust gases from the engine into the catalytic converter and the engine valve operation provides the pulsating flow of exhaust gases with unburned hydrocarbons from the engine into the catalytic converter, and diesel fuel hydrocarbons not ignited in the engine are flash burned in the catalytic converter.
3. The combustjion apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least one tenth of a fluid ounce of diesel fuel is added to ten gallons of the gasoline to ensure unburned hydrocarbons are included in ;the exhaust gases from the engine into the catalytic converter and the engine valve operation provides the pulsating flow of exhaust gases with unburned hydrocarbons from the engine to the catalytic converter, and diesel fuel hydrocarbons not ignited in the engine are flash burned in the catalytic converter.
4. The combustion apparatus of claim 1 wherein the engine is a diesel powered combustion engine where unburned hydrocarbons are included in the exhaust gases i
from the enginie to the catalytic converter by means of reduced air content of an air/fuel mixture and the engine valve; operation provides the pulsating flow of exhaust gases with unburned hydrocarbons from the engine into the catalytic converter, wherein the unburned hydrocarbons are flash burned in the catalytic converter.
5. The combustion apparatus of claim 1 wherein in the engine is a coal fired external combustion engine comprising a valve and a catalytic converter, wherein calcium is induced into the exhaust gases from the engine1 to the catalytic converter, wherein the valve imparts a fluctuating pulse to the exhaust gases from the engine to the catalytic converter,, precluding the coalescing of the induced calcium particles from coalescing and building up within the catalytic converter, thereby reducing maintenance, repairs, and replacement of the catalytic converter;
6. The combustion apparatus of claim 1 wherein the unblirned hydrocarbons comprise molecules comprising carbon and hydrogen atoms with at least one oxygen atom.
7. The combustion apparatus of claim 5 wherein the valve has a rotating plate imparting the fluctuating pressure pulse into the exhaust gases.
8. The combustion apparatus; of claim 7 wherein the rotating plate is a perforated rotating plate powered by a motor.
9. A combustion apparatus comprising a source of pressurized exhaust gases with a catalytic converter, a pulsating flow of exhaust gases into the catalytic converter, a valve and, wherein an additive is induced into the exhaust gases downstream from the source of exhaust gases to the catalytic converter, wherein the valve imparts a fluctuating pulise to the exhaust gases from the source of exhaust gases to the catalytic converter, precluding the coalescing of the induced additive particles from coalescing and building up within the catalytic converter,, thereby reducing maintenance, repairs, and replacement of the catalytic converter.
10. The combustion apparatus of claim 9 wherein the rotating plate is a perforated rotating plate positioned to, partially block the flow of gases.
11 . The combustion apparatus of claim 9 wherein the valve includes a sequence timed motor poweredi pulse valve.
12. The combustion apparatus of claim 9 wherein the valve is iupstream from the catalytic converter a distance to establish turbulent flow.
13. The combustion apparatus of claim 9 wherein the additive is a compound of calcium used to scrub sulfur from the exhaust.
14. A combustion apparatus comprising an external combustion engine with a catalytic converter, a valve and, wherein an additive is induced into engine exhaust gases and the igases flow to the catalytic converter, wherein the valve imparts a fluctuating pulse to the exhaust gases from the external combustion engine exhaust gases to the catalytic converter, precluding the coalescing of the induced additive particles from coalescing and building up within the catalytic ; converter, thereby reducing maintenance, repairs, and replacement of the catalytic converter.
15. The combustion apparatus of claim 14 wherein the additive is a compound of calcium used to scru sulfur from the exhaust.
16. The combustion apparatus of claim 15 wherein the valve includes a perforated rotating plate i that is positioned to partially block the flow of gases to create turbulent flow.
17. The combustion apparatus of claim 16 wherein the valve includes a sequence timed motor powered: pulse valve.
18. The combustion apparatus of claim 16 wherein the valve is; upstream from the catalytic converter a distance in the range of 10 to 30 feet.
PCT/US2011/000616 2010-04-27 2011-04-06 Method and apparatus for reducing harmful emissions from combustion WO2011139321A2 (en)

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US9868086B2 (en) * 2014-07-06 2018-01-16 Millenium Synthfuels Corporation Exhaust gas clean-up system for fossil fuel fired power plant
US9833739B1 (en) * 2016-08-03 2017-12-05 Millenium Synthfuels Corporation Exhaust gas clean-up system for fossil fuel fired power plant

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