Diesel soot burning device

A hot resistance wire is used to react with the water vapor and soot produced in the diesel engine forming carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas. These are further oxidized or burned with oxygen from air to form carbon dioxide and water vapor. In this manner the soot is eliminated.

EXAMPLE 1 This invention is based on the discovery of a method of using nichrome wire or any high resistance wire connected to an electrical source so that the wire gets hot or red hot in order for the water gas reaction to occur. This reaction will only occur if the soot sticks or accumulates on the surface of the resistance wire or nichrome wire. See FIG. 1 . The nichrome wire is placed inside a compartment ( 1 ) which is connected to the manifold ( 2 ) (the tube that is connected to the muffler). A limited amount of air is allowed to enter ( 1 ) by means of a screw that regulates the air flow ( 3 ). Air enters ( 1 ) if the velocity of the gas from the manifold is high. This is sometimes called the venturi effect. When the opening of 3 is large the venturi effect disappears. Inside ( 1 ) is the coiled nichrome wire ( 2 ), which is held in place by threading through slots ( 5 ) of a ceramic holder ( 4 ). See FIG. 2 . After the wire is threaded in bottom slots it is threaded to the top slots. The nichrome wire in the top slots are threaded perpendicular to the bottom slots. In this manner maximum accumulation of soot on the surface of the nichrome wire is attained. The nichrome wire in the slots and the ceramic holder are sealed with a high temperature cent. dThe end of the nichrome wire in the top half is inserted into a ceramic insulator ( 7 ) and connected to the positive side ( 8 ) iof the battery. The other end ( 9 ) of the nichrome wire on the bottom half is spot welded to ( 1 ) the case of the burner which is also the negative side of the battery ( 8 ). The outer end of this device is connected to a tube ( 10 ) leading to the muffler. The reaction of moisture and the soot (carbon) is endothermic, the hot nichrome wire will produce the carbon monoxide and hydrogen known as water gas reaction. The carbon monoxide and hydrogen combines with oxygen in air will immediately produce carbon dioxide and water vapor, respectively which are stable and non-toxic. This reaction is exothermic and will no longer need the heat from the nichrome wire. A carbon monoxide detector ( 11 ) placed above the muffler which will immediately indicate the presence of carbon monoxide and that means not enough air has been allowed to enter 1 . The air regulator is now increased by loosening the screw until the carbon monoxide will no longer detect any carbon monoxide. This also indicates that the soot is completely burned. To give the driver a warning that no more carbon monoxide is produced, the positive side of the nichrome wire resistor is connected to an LED (light emitting diode) ( 12 ) and installed in the dashboard so that the driver will know that his diesel no longer emits soot and the system is working. The external source of electric current can be obtained either from the battery of the diesel engine or from a separate source of battery. It is preferable to use the diesel engine's battery after the engine has been running and the battery is being charged by the alternator. In this manner, the battery will not be discharged completely, This method of reducing or eliminating the diesel soot is economical and can be readily incorporated in the diesel motor because the reaction is readily attained in the muffler. The modification of the diesel engine requires very little cost.