Rapid exhaust catalyst heating using a glow plug
A system for reducing internal combustion engine emissions includes an engine, a catalytic converter fluidly connected to a combustion chamber via an exhaust line, a glow plug positioned along the exhaust line between the catalytic converter and the combustion chamber, and a flame accelerator, without a fluid connection to a separate fuel supply. Methods of using the system include igniting a mixture of air and fuel in the exhaust line using the glow plug, producing an amount of heated combustion gas.
1 . A system for reducing internal combustion engine emissions, comprising:
an internal combustion engine comprising:
at least one combustion chamber; and
an engine fuel supply fluidly connected to the at least one combustion chamber;
a catalytic converter fluidly connected to the at least one combustion chamber via an exhaust line;
a glow plug positioned along the exhaust line between the catalytic converter and the combustion chamber; and
a flame accelerator positioned along the exhaust line downstream of the glow plug and upstream of the catalytic converter;
wherein the flame accelerator has a matrix of metal for generating additional turbulence;
wherein the exhaust line does not have a fluid connection to a fuel supply separate from the engine fuel supply connected to the at least one combustion chamber.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a flame holder positioned within the exhaust line upstream of the glow plug and downstream of the at least one combustion chamber.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flame accelerator comprises a plurality of cross-sectional components that extend internally across the exhaust line, from one side of the exhaust line to an opposite side of the exhaust line, providing a blockage ratio ranging between 2 and 25%.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of cross-sectional components is selected from the group consisting of rectangular, circular, and triangular components.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flame accelerator is made of a material selected from the group consisting of metal, ceramic, and graphene.
6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a turbocharger fluidly connected to the exhaust line and positioned downstream of the internal combustion engine and upstream of the glow plug.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein an exhaust manifold is connected between an inlet to the turbocharger and the at least one combustion chambers.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust line and the catalytic converter are integrated as a single piece of equipment.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the glow plug extends through a wall of the exhaust line, such that a heated end of the glow plug extends an extension distance from the into the exhaust line, the extension distance ranging from 5 to 95 percent of a diameter of a portion of the exhaust line in which the glow plug is positioned.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the glow plug is positioned a distance from an inlet to the catalytic converter ranging from 2 to 20 inches.
11 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the glow plug is positioned in the exhaust line between 2 and 6 inches away from the turbocharger.