Patent GB-1411894-A (GB)
Title: Systems for internal combustion engines
IPC: F01N3/22
Filed: 1973-04-06
Abstract: 1411894 Purifying I.C. engine exhaust gases ROBERT BOSCH GmbH 6 April 1973 [7 April 1972] 16516/73 Heading B1W [Also in Division G3] A system for controlling the composition of exhaust gases from an I.C. engine, having a first reactor for oxidising the hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide and a second reactor in series with the first for reducing the nitrogen oxides, comprises a first servo loop controlling the exhaust temperature by adjusting the oxygen content of the exhaust and a second servo loop to adjust the air/fuel mass ratio in dependence upon the oxygen content. As shown in Fig 1 the first reactor 28 attached to the exhaust manifold 23 and the temperature is detected by a thermocouple 40, the signal from which is amplified and integrated at 42 to operate a switching circuit 43 controlling a valve 35, 39 which directs additional air pumped by an engine driven pump 32 either to the exhaust manifold or to atmosphere at 38. The amount of air fed to the manifold is regulated by an adjustable restrictor 36 controlled by the output of amplifier 42. The second reactor 29 is placed after an oxygen detector 41, the signal from which is amplified at 44 and integrated at 45 to control a valve 22 in a bypass 21 of carburettor 13, 19. The temperature control loop is effective only during warm up or in cold ambient conditions. The additional air increases the first reaction and hence raises the temperature, making the second reactor more effective. At a predetermined temperature switch 43 opens valve 35 to atmosphere. Details of the amplifiers are given, also of the oxygen detector 41 (Figs 2-4, not shown). Modifications. In Fig 5 (not shown) the additional air pump is driven by an electric motor whose speed is regulated by the amplified output of the thermocouple, obviating the need. for the valve 35 and restrictor 36. Also, instead of a carburettor bypass to control the mixture a restrictor (53) in the fuel supply line is used. In Fig 6 (not shown) the additional air pump is driven by the engine through an electromagnetic coupling (61) which is controlled by a switch as 43 in Fig 1, and a restrictor is used. The fuel is supplied by injectors (one per cylinder) operated in parallel, the fuel/air ratio being regulated by adjustment of the width of pulses applied to the injectors from a transistor circuit (Fig 7, not shown). This circuit responds to the output of integrator 45 and also to a device (58) which measures the air entering the induction manifold. The circuit has an engine cam operated contact which triggers a monostable multivibrator whose on time is set by the air intake signal and this operates the injector via an OR gate; the output of 45 controls a charging circuit for a capacitor connected to a second input of the OR gate via transistors and this increases the pulse length when 45 signals that a richer mixture is required. The arrangement is such that the increase is proportional to the original length, and the increase may also be dependent on engine temperature by the inclusion of an NTC resistor in the capacitor circuit. In Fig 8 the additional air is supplied via the inlet manifold by suitable adjustment of the fuel/air ratio. This embodiment uses two groups of injectors 73, 74 operated alternatively by transistor circuit 72 (Details in Fig 9, not shown). The on time of both groups of injectors is controlled primarily by the air intake measurement from 58, extended by the oxygen measurement via 45, as in the previous embodiment, but they are modified differentially (one group longer, the other shorter) by the temperature control loop until this reaches the predetermined value. The modification is achieved by alternately adding and subtracting the output of 42 to and from that of 45, using transistor switches controlled by a JK flip-flop. In this embodiment the first reactor is formed by heat insulating the exhaust manifold 23. In Fig 10 (not shown) two carburettors each supply half the cylinders; the fuel supply to them is controlled by respective restrictors, which are controlled in unison by the oxygen loop and differentially by the temperature loop. It is stated that features of embodiment may be used in different combinations.