Abstract:
A filter for removing pollutants from gases, particularly exhaust gases, includes a plurality of paths for the gases to flow through and a source of magnetic field arranged to apply the magnetic field to the gases. Optionally, one or more heaters are also provide to raise the temperature of the gases to a predetermined temperature. As the hot gases through the passageway and the magnetic field, pollutants contained therein are effectively burned or otherwise removed from the gases.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims priority to provisional application _____filed_____and entitled EXHAUST SYSTEM FOR ALL DIESEL AND GASOLINE APPLICATIONS, incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    A. Field of Invention  
           [0003]    This invention pertains to a novel device and method for removing pollutants and other similar gaseous byproducts resulting from burning of fossil fuels, recyclable materials, garbage, etc. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a method and apparatus that includes a filter defining a passageway through which the gases are channeled and means for applying a magnetic field to these gases.  
           [0004]    B. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    One of the biggest environmental problems facing the world today is atmospheric pollution. While some air pollution can be traced to natural causes, it is presently believed that a large portion of air pollution is produced by human activities and, more specifically, by burning of fossil fuels, garbage, recyclable materials and so on. Some progress has been made in reducing the production of pollutants. For example, cars and other vehicles using internal combustion engines are now equipped with catalytic converters. These converters are formed of honeycombed materials constructed and arranged to restrict the flow of exhaust gasses along predetermined paths while these gases are exposed to catalytic materials based usually on platinum and palladium.  
           [0006]    In the presence of these catalysts certain chemical reactions take place that eliminate or at least reduce the amount of pollutants from the exhaust gases. However, catalytic converters have certain disadvantages. First, they require rare materials and hence are expensive. Second, they cannot be used with leaded fuel. Third, certain materials in the exhaust, and/or the atmosphere may interfere with the operation of these converters. Moreover, catalytic converters are not 100% efficient.  
           [0007]    Other pollutant producing plants, such as incinerators, power plants, etc., use stack scrubbers for pollutant reductions. These scrubbers have similar disadvantages.  
         OBJECTIVES AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    An objective of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and effective filter for removing pollutants from gases, particularly exhaust gases.  
           [0009]    A further objective is to provide a filter that uses in combination heat and a magnetic field to remove pollutants from gases.  
           [0010]    A further objective is to provide a filter that is easily adapted to a variety of devices using internal combustion engines, diesel engines, other fossil fuel burning devices and generally to any apparatus that generates gases with pollutants.  
           [0011]    Other objectives and advantages of the invention shall become apparent from the following description.  
           [0012]    Briefly, a filter constructed in accordance with this invention includes a housing with a filter element or other similar means arranged and constructed to define paths for gases. Also includes is a source of magnetic field arranged to apply a magnetic field in a parallel with, or transversely to these paths. The gases may have sufficient heat to burn within the housing or alternatively, one or more heaters are included for heating the gases. The passage of gases through the paths and the magnetic field causes the pollutants to be removed or at least removed from the gases.  
           [0013]    In one embodiment, the housing includes a filter element formed of one or more magnetized cores arranged along a common longitudinal axis and honeycombed to form the paths for the gases. The magnetized cores generate the magnetic field. In another embodiment, magnets are provided that are arranged to generate the required magnetic field.  
           [0014]    A protective sheath is also provided around the core. The sheath can be made fiberglass, asbestos, etc, and is designed to absorb the heat generated by the gases during burning. The protective sheath also protects the filter element from mechanical vibrations. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 shows a side elevational orthogonal view of a magnetic filter element constructed in accordance with this invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 shows a side elevational view of a magnetic filter constructed in accordance with this invention and incorporating the filter element of FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 shows a cross-view of the filter of FIG. 2;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 shows a side elevational sectional view of the interior of an alternate embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    The present inventor has discovered that a very effective pollution filter can be constructed using a magnetic filter element and, optionally, a heater. A typical filter element  10  that can be used for this purpose is shown in FIG. 1. Filter element  10  is shown as having a cylindrical shape, however, it can have any desired shape as well. Importantly, the filter element or core  10  is made of a magnetic material that it is magnetized along its longitudinal axis to form magnetic North pole N and a magnetic South pole S as shown. The filter element  10  is honeycombed with a plurality of thin holes  12  extending from between the two ends  14 ,  16 . Holes  12  can have a diameter in the order of magnitude of about 1mm. The filter element  10  may be made by casting, molding or other similar techniques. Alternatively, the filter element  10  may be made with a solid body and the holes  12  can be drilled through the body. The core  10  may be made of a standard magnetic material, a material generating a high strength material or an electromagnet.  
         [0021]    Referring now to FIG. 2, the filter element  10  is shown incorporated into a magnetic pollution filter  18  having a housing  20  with a gas inlet  22  and a gas outlet  24 . The housing  20  can be made of steel, aluminum or other similar materials.  
         [0022]    Filter element  10  is disposed concentrically within the housing  20 . Preferably a sleeve  26  is provided between the filter element  10  and the housing  20 . This sleeve  26  may be made of a heat insulating material such as fiberglass, asbestos, etc. The sleeve  26  protects the filter element  10  from mechanical vibrations, and insures that the housing  20  does not overheat. At one end of the housing  20 , for example, adjacent to the inlet  22 , the housing  20  may be provided with a chamber  28 . This chamber  28  is used to hold a heating element  30 . Heating element  30  may comprise a glow plug, a spark plug adapted to generate arcs, an electrical heater with heating coil or other resistive heating element, and so on. Alternatively, the heating element  30  can be installed in the inlet  22 . A single heating element  30  is shown in the drawings for the sake of clarity, however, it should be understood that a number of such elements may be provided as required, to heat the gases and the filter element  10  to a sufficiently high temperature to insure that the pollutants are burned. In order to insure that this temperature is high enough, a temperature sensor  32  is provided that senses the temperature of the gases. This temperature is sent to a control device  34 . The control device  34  controls the operation of the heating element as required to maintain a predetermined temperature. The sensor  32  is shown disposed in chamber  28 , however, it may also be positioned and arranged to sense the temperature at the inlet  22 , outlet  24 , and so on.  
         [0023]    The magnetic pollution filter  18  operates as follows. The inlet  22  is coupled to the exhaust of a device or system producing exhaust gases with pollutants. For example the inlet  22  may be connected to the exhaust of the internal combustion engine of a car. As the exhaust gases flow into the filter  18 , their temperature is detected by sensor  32  and fed to control device  34 . The control device  34  determines if this temperature is high enough. If it is not, for example, if it is not at least 90-100° C. then the control device  34  activates the heater element  30 . The gases flow through holes  12  of the filter element  12  and as they flow through these holes, they are subjected to the magnetic field of the filter element as well. During this process, the pollutants within the exhaust burn away, or otherwise removed or reduced. The cleaned gases are released or flow out of the filter  18  through the outlet  24 .  
         [0024]    While in the preferred embodiment described above one filter element is shown, any number of such filters may be suitable. For example, in FIG. 4 shows an alternate embodiment of the invention in which, instead of a single filter element  10 , three filter elements  10 A,  10 B and  10 C are used, these filter elements being axially spaced along the longitudinal axis of the filter  18 . The filter elements may be positioned the same direction, for example, with their North poles oriented toward the intake  22 . The filter elements  10 A,  10 B,  10 C can also be positioned so that they are not all oriented in the direction. For example, elements  10 A,  10 C can be positioned with their North poles facing the intake  22  while element  10 B can be positioned with its North pole oriented toward the outlet  24  (as indicated in FIG. 4 by the letters in parentheses).  
         [0025]    The filter elements are separated by respective heating chambers  28 A,  28 B. In each of these chambers a heater element  30 A,  30 B may be provided to heat the gases flowing therethrough and, indirectly, the filter elements  10 A,  10 B and  10 C. These filter elements are also provided with holes that allow the gases to pass therethrough. The basic operation of this embodiment is the same as the operation of the embodiment in FIG. 2.  
         [0026]    Another embodiment shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment filter  18 A is provided with a housing  20 A, a sleeve  26 A and a filter element  10 A formed of a central core  11  surrounded by magnets  40 . Core  11  may be made of ceramics, plastics or a metal which may or may not be magnetizable when exposed to a magnetic field. The core  11  also has small holes (not shown) for passing exhaust gases with pollutants. Magnets  40  are disposed circumferentially about the core  22 . These magnets may be magnetized longitudinally, in a manner similar to filter element  10 , or they may be magnetized radially. In this manner the magnets can generate magnet fields that can be parallel or transversal to the longitudinal axis of the housing and the flow of gases through the holes  12 .  
         [0027]    In all the embodiments exhaust gases with pollutants flow through the subject magnetic filter and are subjected to heat and a magnetic field which cause the pollutants to burn or otherwise be eliminated or at least reduced. As a result, the gases exiting from the magnetic filter have much lower level of pollutants then the gases entering the filter. These pollutants include unburned or partially burned fuel, Nox, carbon monoxide, and other green house effect gases.  
         [0028]    The magnetic filter presented herein can be used in various industries and fields of applications associated with the generation of exhaust gases leaden with pollutants, such as motor vehicles and other apparatus having an internal combustion engine, including outboard and inboard motor boats, lawn mowers as well as other apparatus and plants such as apparatus with diesel engines, smoke stacks, coal, oi and other fossil fuel burners, incinerators etc.  
         [0029]    The size and shape of the housing,  20 , and the size, shape and number of filter elements may vary from application to application. For an automobile, the filter of FIG. 2 may be placed downstream of the muffler system and may have a length of about {fraction (1 1/2)}to 2 feet and a diameter of about a foot. When the filter is incorporated in or mounted on a motor vehicle, the heater elements can be powered from the battery of the vehicle. If the apparatus is fixed, the heater can be powered from outer electrical sources. In some applications, if the exhaust gases are hot enough (i.e. at least 90-100° C. the heaters may be omitted.  
         [0030]    Obviously numerous modifications may be made to this invention without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims.