Patent ID: 6058698
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: B01D,F01N,F02B,Y02T

Abstract:
A device for purifying the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine comprising a voltage source (9, 109) and an exhaust conduit (6, 106) for collecting and externally discharging said gas; said exhaust conduit (6, 106) being connected with a casing (13, 113) housing an ionization cell (14, 114) for generating a discharge of electrons such as to form an ionization portion along the path of said gas; an electronic circuit (16, 116) supplied by said source (9, 109) to produce said discharge in such a manner that said electrons assume such a speed as to break the peripheral electron bonds of the molecules of said gas, thus liberating nonpollutant ionic molecules; said cell (14, 114) housing circularly symmetric electrode means (23, 64; 26, 49); characterized in that said electrode means include at least one pair of coaxial circularly symmetric cathodes (23, 64), each one having a number of metal wires (24, 66) provided on the peripheral edge of each said cathode (23, 64) as to form a circular brush, said wires (24, 64) hurling said electrons substantially radially toward an anode (26, 49) coaxially located around said cathodes (23, 64), the cathodes (23, 64) of said pair being connected to each other by a bar (27, 67) of predetermined length, said bar (27, 67) being connected by insulating means (29, 69) to an electric terminal (28, 68) fitted to said casing (13, 113).