Internal combustion engine having a catalytic reactor

• Main Authors: WEN CHAUR S, ROBERTS PETER B
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.12.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; BLASTING; COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION ENGINES; COMBUSTION PROCESSES; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES ORENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGHVELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SEPARATION; STEAM ENGINES; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

Internal combustion engines produce a number of emissions including oxides of nitrogen, NOx. One manner of reducing NOx production used in gas turbine engines is through the use of catalytic reactors. Catalytic reactors reduce the ignition temperatures required for complete combustion of a fuel air mixture. However, high temperatures present in catalytic reactors cause sintering of the substrate, vaporization of the catalyst, and sintering of catalyst and metal substrate. The present invention is directed at controlling the temperature of a catalytic reactor in an internal combustion engine. An exothermic catalyst coats a first side of a substrate in the catalytic reactor. An endothermic catalyst coats a second side of the substrate.