ENGINE COMBUSTION CONDITION AND EMISSION CONTROLS
Features relating to engine efficiency and emissions controls are described. Systems, methods, articles or manufacture and the like can include features relating to integrated muffler and emissions controls for engine exhaust, water-injected internal combustion engine with an asymmetric compression and expansion ratio, controlled combustion durations for HCCI engines, piston shrouding of sleeve valves, low element count bearings, improved ports, and premixing of fuel and exhaust.
1 . A system comprising:
a tubular conduit for conducting exhaust gases from an exhaust gas source, the tubular conduit comprising a conduit cross sectional flow area approximately perpendicular to a direction of exhaust gas flow within the tubular conduit;
a plurality of passages positioned within a section of the tubular conduit, each of the plurality of passages having a passage length and a passage cross sectional flow area, the passage length and passage cross sectional area of each of the plurality of passages being paired to create an approximately equal flow rate for exhaust gases flowing through the tubular conduit; and
a collector chamber positioned downstream of the plurality of passages to receive the exhaust gases exiting the plurality of passages, the collector chamber having a sufficiently large collector chamber volume such that the exhaust gases within the collector volume present an approximately equivalent pressure across an exit face of each of the plurality of passages.
2 . A system as in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of second passages positioned within a second section of the tubular conduit downstream of the collector chamber, each of the plurality of second passages having a second passage length and a second passage cross sectional flow area, the second passage length and second passage cross sectional area of each of the plurality of second passages being paired to create a second approximately equal flow rate across the tubular conduit for exhaust gases flowing through the second plurality of passages.
3 . A system as in claim 1 , wherein at least part of an interior surface area of one or more of the plurality of passages comprises a coating comprising a catalyst material.
4 . A system as in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst coating catalyzes at least one reaction that converts at least one combustion by-product present in the exhaust gases to at least one target compound.
5 . A system as in claim 1 , wherein the at least part of an interior surface area of one or more of the plurality of passages comprises a surface roughening treatment that provides increased surface area relative to an untreated surface.
6 . A system as in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of passages comprise a piece of sheet metal rolled to fit within the conduit cross sectional flow area, the piece of sheet metal comprising a plurality of corrugations of differing lengths that form the plurality of passages when the piece of sheet metal is rolled to fit within the conduit cross sectional flow area.
7 . A system as in claim 6 , wherein the piece of sheet metal has an approximately triangular shape that comprises a first edge, a second edge, and a third edge, wherein an axis of each the plurality of corrugations is aligned approximately parallel to the first edge, and wherein the piece of sheet metal is rolled along a rolling axis that is at least approximately perpendicular to the first edge.
8 . A method comprising:
conducting exhaust gases from an exhaust gas source through a tubular conduit comprising a conduit cross sectional flow area approximately perpendicular to a direction of exhaust gas flow within the tubular conduit;
causing the exhaust gases to flow through a plurality of passages positioned within a section of the tubular conduit, each of the plurality of passages having a passage length and a passage cross sectional flow area, the passage length and passage cross sectional area of each of the plurality of passages being paired to create an approximately equal flow per unit cross section area for the exhaust gases flowing through each of the plurality of passages; and
receiving the exhaust gases in a collector chamber positioned downstream of the plurality of passages, the collector chamber having a sufficiently large collector chamber volume such that the exhaust gases within the collector volume present an approximately equivalent pressure across an exit face of each of the plurality of passages.
9 . A method as in claim 8 , further comprising also causing the exhaust gases to flow through a plurality of second passages positioned within a second section of the tubular conduit downstream of the collector chamber, each of the plurality of second passages having a second passage length and a second passage cross sectional flow area, the second passage length and second passage cross sectional area of each of the plurality of second passages being paired to create a second approximately equal flow rate across the exit of the plurality of passages for exhaust gases flowing through the tubular conduit.
10 . A method as in claim 8 , further comprising catalyzing a reaction that converts at least one combustion by-product present in the exhaust gases to at least one target compound, the catalyzing comprising contacting the exhaust gases with a catalyst material at least partly coating an interior surface area of one or more of the plurality of passages.
11 . A method as in claim 8 , wherein the at least part of an interior surface area of one or more of the plurality of passages comprises a surface roughening treatment that provides increased surface area relative to an untreated surface.
12 . A method as in claim 8 , wherein the plurality of passages comprise a piece of sheet metal rolled to fit within the conduit cross sectional flow area, the piece of sheet metal comprising a plurality of corrugations of differing lengths that form the plurality of passages when the piece of sheet metal is rolled to fit within the conduit cross sectional flow area.
13 . A method as in claim 12 , wherein the piece of sheet metal has an approximately triangular shape that comprises a first edge, a second edge, and a third edge, wherein an axis of each the plurality of corrugations is aligned approximately parallel to the first edge, and wherein the piece of sheet metal is rolled along a rolling axis that is at least approximately perpendicular to the first edge.
14 . A method comprising:
forming an array of passages comprising a plurality of passages having a distribution of passage cross sectional flow areas and passage lengths, the passage length and passage cross sectional area of each of the plurality of passages being paired to create an approximately equal flow rate per unit area for exhaust gases flowing through each of the plurality of passages;
positioning the array of passages such that the array of passages at least partially fills a conduit cross sectional flow area of a tubular conduit for conducting exhaust gases from an exhaust gas source; and
connecting a collector chamber positioned downstream of the array of passages to receive exhaust gases exiting the plurality of passages, the collector chamber having a sufficiently large collector chamber volume such that the exhaust gases within the collector volume present an approximately equivalent pressure across an exit face of each of the plurality of passages.
15 . A method as in claim 14 , further comprising forming a plurality of second passages positioned within a second section of the tubular conduit downstream of the collector chamber, each of the plurality of second passages having a second passage length and a second passage cross sectional flow area, the second passage length and second passage cross sectional area of each of the plurality of second passages being paired to create a second approximately equal flow rate across the tubular conduit for exhaust gases flowing through the second plurality of passages.
16 . A method as in claim 14 , further comprising coating at least part of an interior surface area of one or more of the plurality of passages with a coating comprising a catalyst material.
17 . A method as in claim 16 , wherein the catalyst material catalyzes at least one reaction that converts at least one combustion by-product present in the exhaust gases to at least one target compound.
18 . A method as in claim 14 , further comprising roughening at least part of an interior surface area of one or more of the plurality of passages, the roughening increasing a roughness of the at least part of the interior surface area relative to an untreated surface of the passage.
19 . A method as in claim 18 , wherein the roughening comprises applying a surface roughening treatment to the at least part of the interior surface area.
20 . A method as in claim 14 , wherein the forming of the plurality of passages comprises creating a plurality of corrugations on an approximately triangular piece of sheet metal comprising a first edge, a second edge, and a third edge, the plurality of corrugations being spaced at a distance that is proportional to a distance between the second and third edges and having differing lengths that form the plurality of passages when the piece of sheet metal is rolled along a rolling axis that is at least approximately perpendicular to the first edge to fit within the conduit cross sectional flow area.
21 - 50 . (canceled)