US3892070A - Automobile anti-air pollution device - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for separating the combustible gases from the noncombustible gases in the exhaust gas being emitted from an internal combustion engine which comprises an elongate conical vortex tube terminating in a small discharge outlet at one end and having a closed end wall at the large end with a central, or axial, opening therein. An inlet pipe adjacent the large end of the vortex tube admits the exhaust gas tangentially into the tube whereby a centrifugal flow is set up in the converging vortex tube so that the heavier, fully or substantially burned gases are thrown radially outward in an outer layer component and carried out through the discharge outlet and the lighter, incompletely burned gases are squeezed back along an axial path as a core component and returned through the opening in the end wall of the tube to the air intake of the engine. A preferred modification of the invention utilizes a freely rotating turbine at the inlet end of the vortex tube which increases the efficiency of the apparatus by isolating the incoming exhaust gas mixture from the surrounding wall at entry thereby minimizing friction and turbulence as well as having other advantages in increasing the efficiency of gas separation.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Bose 1 1 AUTOMOBILE ANTI-AIR POLLUTION DEVICE [76] Inventor; Ranendra K. Bose, 1554 N.

Danville St., North Arlington, Va. 22201 [22] Filed: Feb. 5, 1973 121] Appl. No.: 329,884

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 35,658, May 8,

1970, abandoned.

[52] U.S. C1. 60/279; 55/17; 55/405; 55/459; 55/468; 60/902; 123/119 A [51] Int. Cl. F02M 25/06 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,034,202 7/1912 Cobb i 55/405 1,533,775 4/1925 Thomas 123/119 A 1,766,677 6/1930 Moore r 123/119 A 1,793,555 2/1931 Moore 123/119 A 1,803,213 4/1931 Schuddig. 123/119 A UX 1,810,922 6/1931 Mills 55/404 X 1,982,733 12/1934 Forester..... 55/405 2,280,585 4/1942 Kapitza 62/5 UX 2,349,675 5/1944 Pratt 123/119 A 2,581,168 1/1952 Bramley 62/5 2,661,076 12/1953 Walker 55/404 2,765,918 10/1956 Fontein et a1 209/21 1 2,870,758 H1959 Standiford 123/119 A 2,942,687 6/1960 Kollander 60/902 X 3,273,325 9/1966 Gerhold 55/17 X 3,440,800 4/1969 Messen-Jaschin 21/53 X 3,566,610 3/1971 Fiore 62/5 3,733,827 5/1973 Suzuki 60/278 4 1 July 1,1975

OTHER PUBLICATIONS Lapple-Fluid & Particle Mechanics, Published by Univ. of Delaware, pg. 305, dtd. 3/56.

Primary ExaminerBernard Nozick Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Zalkind, Horne & Shuster 5 7 ABSTRACT A device for separating the combustible gases from the non-combustible gases in the exhaust gas being emitted from an internal combustion engine which comprises an elongate conical vortex tube terminating in a small discharge outlet at one end and having a closed end wall at the large end with a central, or axial, opening therein. An inlet pipe adjacent the large end of the vortex tube admits the exhaust gas tangen tially into the tube whereby a centrifugal flow is set up in the converging vortex tube so that the heavier, fully or substantially burned gases are thrown radially outward in an outer layer component and carried out through the discharge outlet and the lighter, incompletely burned gases are squeezed back along an axial path as a core component and returned through the opening in the end wall of the tube to the air intake of the engine. A preferred modification of the invention utilizes a freely rotating turbine at the inlet end of the vortex tube which increases the efficiency of the apparatus by isolating the incoming exhaust gas mixture from the surrounding wall at entry thereby minimizing friction and turbulence as well as having other advantages in increasing the efficiency of gas separation.

11 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures VATH'T TDJULI I975 BSZOYO SHEET 1 INVENTOR RANENDRA K. BOSE av nd ATTORNEYS 1 AUTOMOBILE ANTI-AIR POLLUTION DEVICE This application is a Continuation-ln-Part of my previously filed application Ser. No. 35,658, filed May 8, 1970 now abandoned, for Automobile Anti-Air Pollution Device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the purification of exhaust gas of internal combustion engines and more particularly to an apparatus for significantly reducing the amount of incompletely burned fuel that is discharged from the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine to the atmosphere.

As a result of recent recognition of the dangerous air pollution problem already being imposed on our population by its ever-increasing dependence upon automotive vehicles and, more recently, the demands being made by a concerned public for a substantial commitment by government and industry toward providing cleaner air for us to breathe, increased emphasis is now being placed on research which is designed to develop an improved system for controlling the exhaust emissions from automotive-type internal combustion engines.

The exhaust gases which are emitted from present day automotive vehicles consist primarily of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and certain other natural by-products of combustion, or oxides of nitrogen. Of these, the carbon dioxide and the oxides of nitrogen are fully burned during combustion and are not harmful to the human system. The unburned hydrocarbons, such as, for example, methane and ethane, however, when baked by the sun, react photochemically with other gases to form smog of the type which in recent years has plagued the Los Angeles basin area of southern California and is considered to be poisonous to the human system. Moreover, not only do the unburned and partially burned fractions in these exhaust gases pose a threat to the health and comfort of the community by polluting the atmosphere, but also they cause the automotive vehicle internal combustion engines which produce them to operate with relative inefi'iciency and thereby represent an economic loss in fuel consumption.

One proposed method of purifying the exhaust gases is by treating the same chemically in a catalytic converter wherein the exhaust gases, usually with sufficient added air for complete oxidation of the contaminants, are brought into intimate contact with a catalytic material and maintained at a sufficiently high temperature to insure a continuous and complete oxidation of the contaminants to carbon dioxide and water. However, it has been found that when burning leaded gasoline in the automobile engine with the gasoline being leaded up to the limit generally permitted by law, the catalyst usually becomes deactivated after only a relatively short period of use. This method accordingly is uneconomical and has generally been abandoned because of this fact and also because of its inefficiency and the apathy of automobile users to periodically change the chemicals which it requires.

Another device operates on a centrifuge principle and mechanically separates the particulate lead from the exhaust gas by passing the exhaust gas into an enclosed separation zone, such as a cyclone separator, and forcing the gas stream to take a circular path at high velocity therewithin whereby the resultant forces cause the lead particles to be thrown out of the gas and collected at the bottom of the separator while the remaining gases of reduced lead content are permitted to move upwardly to be discharged into the atmosphere from the upper portion of the same. This device is effectively operative on leaded fuels to reduce the lead content of gases exhausted by automotive internal combustion engines, but it does not appreciably affect the ratio of unburned hydrocarbons to the fully burned constituents of the exhaust gas being emitted.

Recognizing that the exhaust gases from automotive vehicle and other type internal combustion engines are comprised of a mixture of gases having different molecular masses, another approach to solving the problem of air pollution being caused thereby, and probably the most effective manner, involves taking advantage of this characteristic of the exhaust gases and employing the same to effect a separation of the different component gases therein. Most previously used processes for separating gases of dissimilar molecular masses, however, generally have required complex and expensive equipment, and additionally must be carefully controlled in order to effect the desired separation. One approach, attempting to eliminate the necessity for these requirements, makes use of a straight, or cylindrical, vortex tube wherein the centrifugal action is induced by a helical or spiral capillary passageway formed therein. A significant frictional loss of energy occurs in devices of this form, however, due to the high velocity movement of the gases along the spiral walls, which thereby results in a gas separation process of relatively low efficiency. These devices suffer other disadvantages also, such as, generally requiring the application of external energy for speeding up the gases for effectively separating the same, being highly expensive to construct and, in addition, being of such physical proportions as to be impractical from the standpoint of space requirements when considering the same for use on automotive vehicles.

SUMMARY OF lNVENTlON Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to prevent pollution of the atmosphere by carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons heretofore emitted into the atmosphere in substantial proportions from the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines, and principally such engines of the type powering automotive vehicles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for separating the different gaseous components constituting the exhaust gas emission from automotive vehicle-type internal combustion engines for the purpose of appreciably reducing the proportion of harmful gases being present in such gases which are emitted into the atmosphere.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for separating gases in a gas mixture having different molecular masses, which is compact, continuously operative, inherently reliable and may be simply and inexpensively manufactured.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus which may be universally applied for separating the combustible gases from the noncombustible gases in the exhaust gas being emitted from any type solid, liquid or gas burner and which increases the efiiciency of the same by permitting the return of the combustible gases to the burner for subsequent reutilization.

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, it has been found that the foregoing objects and their attendant advantages can be realized with a conventional internal combustion engine, such as is used in the propulsion of automotive vehicles, by providing an antiexhaust gas pollution and thermal regeneration device having no moving parts and which, when connected to the exhaust, or tail, pipe of such vehicles, operates automatically to substantially separate the heavier combustibly inert, or fully burned, components from the lighter combustible, or only partially burned, components of the exhaust gas, and recycles the lighter, unburned components, causing the same to be directed back into the air-intake of the engine for further, or complete, combustion. This device quite simply comprises an elongate conical, or converging, vortex tube which terminates in a small discharge outlet at one end and is provided at its other end with a closed wall having a central, or axial, opening therein. An inlet pipe is arranged and disposed near the large, or closedwall, end of the vortex tube for discharging the exhaust gases from the engine tangentially, or peripherally, therein whereby the waste pressure energy of the exhaust gas is converted by its centrifugal manner of flow through the converging vortex tube to kinetic energy, so that as the heavier and fully burned constituents are thrown radially outward and carried out through the discharge outlet, the lighter unburned or partially unburned constituents are squeezed back substantially along a central, axial path within the vortex tube and out through the opening in the wall at the opposite end to be returned to the air intake pipe of the automobile cylinder. Accordingly, the device of the present invention is operative to appreciably reduce the amount of incompletely burned fuel that is being discharged from the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine to the atmosphere, and thereby contributes significantly to the present campaign being launched for providing the community with cleaner air. In addition, because of its simplicity in both design and mode of operation, it is readily adaptable for use on present automotive vehicle and other type internal combustion engines without modification thereof or provision of cumbersome, complex and bulky attachment means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING These objects and still other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention being incorporated on an automobile;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing in greater detail the vortex tube embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the vortex tube constructed in accordance with this invention and shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal partial cross section of a modification of the invention utilizing freely rotating entrance turbine.

FIG. 5 is a magnified view in longitudinal partial cross section of the entrance turbine and its mounting means.

FIG. 6 is an end view of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows a vertical section of an auxiliary air feed, and

FIG. 8 shows a plan view of components for regulating the auxiliary air feed.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. I thereof, the improved anti-exhaust gas pollution and thermal regeneration device of the present invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and is illustrated as being operatively installed upon an internal combustion engine 12 which is of conventional or standard design for powering an automotive vehicle 14. Among the parts or adjuncts of the engine 12, which are taken to be of conventional construction and therefore are only schematically illustrated, are the intake manifold 16, the exhaust manifold 18 and the tail pipe 20. The exhaust gases, or products of combustion, are discharged from the engine cylinders into the exhaust manifold 18 from which they are conveyed and expelled to the atmosphere via the tail pipe 20, whose outlet is conventionally, but not necessarily, located at the rear of the vehicle 14, and the pollution-inhibiting device 10 attached to the end thereof by any suitable means. A pipe 22 leading from the pollution-inhibiting device 10 to the intake manifold 16 provides for the return of unburned and partially burned gases from the device 10 to the engine 12 for further combustion, the purpose and nature of which action will be set forth hereinafter.

Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the exhaust gaspollution inhibiting and thermal regenerative device 10 preferably has a substantially cylindrical-walled housing portion 24 at the larger end of a conical, or converging vortex tube portion 26, at the smaller end terminating in a discharge outlet 28. An inlet pipe 30 is arranged and disposed in the cylindrical-walled portion 24 of the pollution-inhibiting device 10 and is connected through a flanged connection 32 to the tail pipe 20 for delivering exhaust gases tangentially, or peripherally, into the device. The end of the cylindricalwalled portion 24 of the device 10 opposite the conical vortex tube portion 26 is closed by an end wall plug 34 which may be threadably engaged with the cylindricalwalled portion 24, or otherwise suitably secured thereto, and is provided with a central, or axial, opening 36 for permitting the passage of gases therethrough, as will be explained. Although not illustrated in detail, it is to be understood that the end wall opening 36 is connected with the pipe 22 for returning unburned gases in the device 10 to the intake manifold 16 in the vehicular engine 12.

When the device 10 is placed into its operational environment, as for example, by securing the same to the tail pipe, or similar exhaust system, of an internal combustion engine such as the automotive vehicle type, it will automatically function to separate gases introduced therein which have different molecular weights. Thus, as hereinabove explained, the exhaust gas emanating from an automotive vehicle engine comprises in order of descending atomic weight values, which are listed with the constituent gases: carbon dioxide (CO2) 44; ethane (Cd-I 30; carbon monoxide (CO) 28; and methane (CH,) 16. Since the atomic weights of these gases are indicative of their densities relative to the lightest element, hydrogen, which has an atomic weight substantially equal to 1.0. it is readily apparent that the fully burned gases, for example carbon dioxide, are approximately one and one-half times heavier than carbon monoxide and believed about twice as heavy as the mixture of hydrocarbons, or ethane and methane, which are generated in the exhaust gas of todays automobiles and are unburned or only partially burned in the normal combustion process. This property of widely divergent densities of the various combustion gases is utilized to separate the same by centrifugal ac tion set up in the exhaust gas media, such as in the present invention, by spinning the gases circumferentially inside the converging, or conical, vortex tube 26, whereby the heavier noncombustible gases, including lead particulates, are ejected from the discharge outlet 28 and the lighter combustible gases, including carbon monoxide and the unburned hydrocarbons, are squeezed out from the mixed gas stream and forced through the opening 36 to be returned via pipe 22 to the air intake manifold 16 of the automotive engine 12. Obviously, other constituents of the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, such as certain saturated hydrocarbons which may also be heavier than the aforementioned lighter combustible gases, will be ejected from the discharge outlet 28 with the heavier generally non-combustible gases. However, as is well known. the saturated hydrocarbons are less reactive and accordingly are of subordinate significance. More important from the standpoint of air pollution is the re moval of carbon monoxide and the unsaturated hydrocarbons which when baked by the sun are more likely to react photochemically with other gases to form smog, as hereinbefore indicated. Thus, considerable atmospheric pollution is avoided and the thennal efficiency of the automobile engine is effectively increased.

In one test of the invention, an experimental model was constructed wherein the conical vortex tube 26 was assembled from two longitudinal half-sections, such as shown in FIG. 2, each being substantially 9.0 inches in length. The tube had a 3.5 inch internal diameter at the inlet, or in the region of the cylindricalwalled portion 24, and a 1.0 inch internal diameter at the discharge outlet 28. The outlet 36 in the closed wall end 34 of the cylindrical-walled portion 24 also had a 1.0 inch internal diameter. It can be easily calculated that an automobile engine having 400 hp., 425 cu.in. displacement, and operating at 4000 rpm. will exhaust gases through a dual exhaust manifold at approximately 250 ft./sec., and that if these gases are circulated through the device having proportions as set forth above, the velocity of the exit gases will be approximately 600 miles per hour and is thought to be preferable at the speed of sound in air at sea level. Thus, the waste pressure energy is converted into speed energy by the conical vortex tube of this invention. This device has successfully operated in a manner calculated to separate out nearly 90 percent of the unburned gases at low engine speeds and approximately 65 percent at very high speeds when recycling unburned gases.

Accordingly, the converging vortex tube concept of this invention may be seen to be particularly suitable from cost, space and efi'lciency, and adaptability aspects to the automobile exhaust gas anti-pollution problem for which a solution is now being so eagerly sought. In addition, the use of this device for separating the combustible and non-combustible gases by the conversion of exhaust pressure energy to speed energy may also eliminate the necessity of having the usually inefficient exhaust muffler on present day automobiles, since the exhaust noise is directly proportional to the difference between the exhaust pressure at the outlet to the atmospheric pressure.

Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the device need not be assembled from half-sections, as illustrated, but may be constructed from a single molded unit or in any other suitable manner. Also, although the representation in FIG. I is illustrative of an exhaust system having a single common exhaust line, it is common in modern internal combustion engines to have dual exhaust systems conducting the exhaust gases from each side of the engine to separate exhaust gas systems, in which case the system shown in FIG. I would be duplicated for each side with appropriate sizing to accommodate the reduced exhaust gas flow.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 wherein like reference characters are carried over from previous figures of the drawing to designate like parts. Thus, it will be noted that the apparatus comprises the vortex tube 26 having at its larger end the tangential entry inlet pipe 30 and wherein the vortex tube tapers interiorly to the smaller end 28. In this instance, the larger end of the vortex tube has threadedly fastened thereto the cylindrical wall portion 24 which effects a housing for a freely rotating turbine 40. The turbine has a tapering outer surface 40a, for example, a I in 6 taper, and carries helically disposed blades 40b at a helix angle which may be about 30. Six to eight such blades are contemplated, preferably to equal the number of cylinders in the engine to avoid unbalanced exhaust pulsations.

The outer end of the housing 24 which carries the end wall plug 34 has passage 36 tapering reversely to the taper of the vortex tube and this is for the purpose of changing the kinetic energy of the lighter combustible gases into pressure energy so as to have sufficient pressure to be conveyed back to the carburetor of the internal combustion engine. The end wall plug 34 thus substantially closes the outer end of the housing 24 except for the axial opening of the passage 36 and such passage is extended by way of a tubular collar 43 integral with the end wall plug and reentrant into the housing up to the vortex tube. Collar 43 carries spaced ball bearings 46 and 50 supporting respective ends of turbine 40 on hub 400.

The turbine is thus freely rotative in as frictionless a manner as possible so that tangential entry of exhaust gas mixture will fill the spaces between blades and effect rapid spinning of the turbine. Thus, the circumferential velocity is initially as close as possible to the linear velocity of the entering gas mixture. In this manner contact between the entering mixture in passing around the interior of housing 24 is believed substantially avoided due to circumferential isolation or confinement of the gas between blades and the loss due to friction and turbulence considerably minimized. As the gases expand along the tapering turbine hub the peripheral velocity increases.

Due to the tapered outer surface of the turbine hub, the exhaust gas mixture expands in volume as it moves towards the larger end of the vortex tube, thereby imparting its potential energy to speed up the turbine, and

consequently it is believed that the exit speed of the exhaust gases as they leave the turbine blades is increased. Also, the pressure drop at the exit of the turbine has a suction effect to permit full entrance velocity of the exhaust gas mixture to the turbine.

lmportantly, frictional resistance offered by the inside walls of the housing is believed eliminated by the effect of the turbine and resistance of moving the exhaust gas mixture in the form of a helix as it starts to stratify is reduced. This resistance is thought due to intermediate slippage sideways of the whirling masses of gas as a part of the pressurization of the main gas stream. Still further, turbulence and agitation in the vortex tube which causes a good deal of frictional and other losses during separation and stratifying of layers of gases is believed considerably reduced and more complete separation between the lighter combustible gases and the heavier combustible gases is effected.

The turbine, having a tapering construction, increases volume of exhaust gas mixture in passing to the larger end of the vortex tube in a helical path so that a large proportion of velocity energy is converted from linear to angular rotational energy increasing the circumferential speed component and decreasing the axial speed component. Thus, a high speed spinning effect is believed continuously created with a minimization of frictional loss. On leaving the turbine the gas mixture is sent spinning into the vortex tube where its peripheral, i.e., circumferential speed of rotation is progressively increased. Since the gas mixture already has a high circumferential speed in entering the vortex tube the increasing circumferential speed in the vortex tube augments the efficiency of Stratification by the increase in centrifugal force whereby the incombustible gases are expelled at the smaller end of the vortex tube and the combustible or lighter gases more rapidly and effectively forced to the center of the whirling stratifcations to be expelled through the collar 43 and outlet passage 36.

Applicant believes that by spinning the gas mixture at high circumferential speed there is a reduction in frictional resistance against the wall of the vortex tube and thus less turbulence.

Applicant has found that the use of the turbine substantially increases the stratification effect of the vortex tube to the end that a higher quantity of combustible gases for recycling is realized.

It will, of course, be understood that the housing 24 need not be cylindrical as shown but could be a conical extension of the vortex tube and constitute the larger end of the vortex tube. in such case, the turbine would have an overall conical configuration to match, the blades then sloping from the outer to the inner end of the hub.

Experimentation has shown that the recycled unburned combustible gases may be so rich in bumable ingredients as to make for too rich a mixture fed to the engine which can cause the engine to stop. Accordingly, it is advisable to provide a supplemental air supply which in some instances is essential for proper fuelair ratio with the unburned gases. However, with en gines designed for large air supply via supercharging this may not be necessary. In any event, H05. 7 and 8 show a simple air injection device for effecting supplemental air supply.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the return tube 22 from the vortex tube leads to a fitting 60 which sealingly secures it to the lid 63 of a carburetor air filter housing 66 having the usual cylindrical filter 70 and air inlet tube 73 with butterfly valve 76, leading to the engine intake manifold, as will be understood.

Fitting 60 comprises a threaded nipple to which tube 22 connects at the upper end and a jet nozzle at the lower end through which the combustible gases pass at an increase in velocity so as to aspirate air through a spaced surrounding supplemental air intake cone 83. Such air is filtered since it is drawn from the interior of the air filter. Cone 83 is carried by a flange 86 secured at its upper end which flange is secured to concentric collar 90 secured to lid 63. The mode of securing these members may be in any suitable manner, threaded connections, welding, etc., being a matter of convenience.

Air flow through cone 83 is provided by a perforated plate 93 having a ring of perforations 93' and carried on flange 86 which has an internal perforated ring 96 threaded thereto having perforations 96' arranged to register with perforations 93' to an extent permitted by an adjustable rotated position of plate 93. Plate 93 is locked in adjusted position by screws 99 that fasten into flange 86 and pass through slots 103 in plate 93.

Adjusted position of the plate is possible to the limit permitted by the slots upon loosening the screws.

Accordingly, the supplemental air supply can be closely regulated to suit a particular engine.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine. apparatus for separation of combustible and noncombustible gases in the exhaust gas mixture of the engine, comprising a turbine having a housing and inlet connection thereto from said engine to receive flow of exhaust gas mixture to drive said turbine and to be separated into generally combustible and non-combustible portions in said apparatus;

said turbine having a tapering hub with blades mounted thereon exposed to flow of said gas mixture to rotate said turbine wherein said gas mixture is moved in a helical path having an axial component towards the smaller end of said tapering hub causing expansion of said gas mixture and increasing peripheral velocity;

a tapering vortex tube having a larger end and a smaller end, the larger end having means operatively connected with said turbine to receive the expanded gas mixture flow from said turbine and said vortex tube effecting an increase in peripheral speed towards the smaller end thereof thus centrifugally stratifying said gas mixture into a core of a substantially lighter and generally combustible gas component and an outer layer of a substantially heavier and generally non-combustible gas component, wherein said core component flows in a reverse direction from said outer layer component for effecting separation;

said outer layer component flowing towards the smaller end of said vortex tube for egress therefrom;

and passage means communicating with the larger end of said vortex tube and said engine for effecting egress of said core component to said engine;

including supplemental air supply means connected for mixing with said core component.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said passage means for egress of said core component to said engine comprising the hub of said turbine and means whereby said core component passes through said hub.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said supplemental air supply means comprising an injector nozzle through which said core component passes to said engine and an air passage nozzle surrounding said injector nozzle to entrain air for mixing with said core component at the ends of said nozzles.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said larger end of said tapering vortex tube has a ratio to the smaller end of approximately 3.5:].0 and the ratio of the length of said vortex tube from the larger to the smaller end compared to the diameter of the larger end is approximately :1.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said passage means comprising the hub of said turbine, said hub having means for effecting core component flow therethrough and a nozzle connecting with said latter means having a taper disposed to convert kinetic to pressure energy for said core component flow from said latter means for return to said engine.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ratio of diameters of said larger to said smaller end of said vortex tube effects a velocity increase in the helical inflow approximating the velocity of sound in air at sea level.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the blades of said turbine are equal in number to the number of, or a multiple of, the number of cylinders in said internal combustion engine.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said vortex tube terminating in a housing for said turbine having a tangential flow entry means for connection to said internal combustion engine; said passage means comprising a passage through the hub of said turbine for egress of said core component, and said housing terminating in a nozzled closure receiving flow of said core component and converting the kinetic energy thereof to pressure for return to said engine.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said vortex tube terminating at its larger end in a housing and said turbine being within said housing; an end closure for said housing having an extension reentrant into said housing and forming a shaft for rotative support of said turbine; said passage means comprising said shaft, and said shaft and turbine hub being provided with connecting bores for core component flow to said engine.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said vortex tube terminating at its larger end in a housing and said turbine being within said housing; an end closure for said housing having an extension reentrant into said housing and forming a shaft for rotative support of said turbine; said passage means comprising said shaft, and said shaft and turbine hub being provided with connecting bores for core component flow to said engine; said end closure being provided with a nozzle passage to convert the kinetic energy of said core component to pressure.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said supplemental air supply means comprising an injector nozzle through which said core component passes to said engine and an air passage nozzle surrounding said injector nozzle to entrain air for mixing with said core component at the ends of said nozzles; including means for regulating air flow comprising relatively rotative aperture elements concentric with said nozzles and effecting predeterminedly closeable passages directing air between said nozzles.

Claims (11)

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine, apparatus for separation of combustible and non-combustible gases in the exhaust gas mixture of the engine, comprising a turbine having a housing and inlet connection thereto from said engine to receive flow of exhaust gas mixture to drive said turbine and to be separated into generally combustible and non-combustible portions in said apparatus; said turbine having a tapering hub with blades mounted thereon exposed to flow of said gas mixture to rotate said turbine wherein said gas mixture is moved in a helical path having an axial component towards the smaller end of said tapering hub causing expansion of said gas mixture and increasing peripheral velocity; a tapering vortex tube having a larger end and a smaller end, the larger end having means operatively connected with said turbine to receive the expanded gas mixture flow from said turbine and said vortex tube effecting an increase in peripheral speed towards the smaller end thereof thus centrifugally stratifying said gas mixture into a core of a substantially lighter and generally combustible gas component and an outer layer of a substantially heavier and generally non-combustible gas component, wherein said core component flows in a reverse direction from said outer layer component for effecting separation; said outer layer component flowing towards the smaller end of said vortex tube for egress therefrom; and passage means communicating with the larger end of said vortex tube and said engine for effecting egress of said core component to said engine; including supplemental air supply means connected for mixing with said core component.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said passage means for egress of said core component to said engine comprising the hub of said turbine and means whereby said core component passes through said hub.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said supplemental air supply means comprising an injector nozzle through which said core component passes to said engine and an air passage nozzle surrounding said injector nozzle to entrain air for mixing with said core component at the ends of said nozzles.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said larger end of said tapering vortex tube has a ratio to the smaller end of approximately 3.5:1.0 and the ratio of the length of said vortex tube from the larger to the smaller end compared to the diameter of the larger end is approximately 5:1.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said passage means comprising the hub of said turbine, said hub having means for effecting core component flow therethrough and a nozzle connecting with said latter means having a taper disposed to convert kinetic to pressure energy for said core component flow from said latter means for return to said engine.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ratio of diameters of said larger to said smaller end of said vortex tube effects a velocity increase in the helical inflow approximating the velocity of sound in air at sea level.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the blades of said turbine are equal in number to the number of, or a multiple of, the number of cylinders in said internal combustion engine.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said vortex tube terminating in a housing for said turbine having a tangential flow entry means for connection to said internal combustion engine; said passage means comprising a passage through the hub of said turbine for egress of said core component, and said housing terminating in a nozzled closure receiving flow of said core component aNd converting the kinetic energy thereof to pressure for return to said engine.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said vortex tube terminating at its larger end in a housing and said turbine being within said housing; an end closure for said housing having an extension reentrant into said housing and forming a shaft for rotative support of said turbine; said passage means comprising said shaft, and said shaft and turbine hub being provided with connecting bores for core component flow to said engine.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said vortex tube terminating at its larger end in a housing and said turbine being within said housing; an end closure for said housing having an extension reentrant into said housing and forming a shaft for rotative support of said turbine; said passage means comprising said shaft, and said shaft and turbine hub being provided with connecting bores for core component flow to said engine; said end closure being provided with a nozzle passage to convert the kinetic energy of said core component to pressure.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said supplemental air supply means comprising an injector nozzle through which said core component passes to said engine and an air passage nozzle surrounding said injector nozzle to entrain air for mixing with said core component at the ends of said nozzles; including means for regulating air flow comprising relatively rotative aperture elements concentric with said nozzles and effecting predeterminedly closeable passages directing air between said nozzles.

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