Steam Permeable Membrane for Engine Air Moisturization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) in internal combustion engine exhaust gases, such as selective catalytic reduction and water-based methods, face challenges including high costs, inefficiencies, and inability to meet stringent emission standards like Tier III, due to issues with water droplet corrosion, viscosity increases, and insufficient moisturization leading to incomplete NOx reduction.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a steam permeable membrane where pressurized air is moisturized by water flowing along its surface, and the moisturized air is introduced into the engine, allowing for enhanced NOx reduction without water droplet formation and improved humidity control, using a membrane module with a steam permeable membrane that prevents liquid water permeation while allowing steam to pass through.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If water is sprayed to feed air to moisturize it for NOx reduction, then humidity of feed air is improved, but water droplets remain causing corrosion of combustion chamber
Solution Approach 1:
A membrane is introduced as an intermediary between water and feed air. The membrane allows selective passage of water molecules while blocking larger water droplets, enabling humidification without corrosion. The membrane acts as a filter that permits beneficial moisture transfer while preventing harmful liquid water penetration into the combustion chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
A thin membrane film is used to separate water from feed air while allowing selective permeation. The membrane's thin structure enables efficient moisture transfer through diffusion and permeation, while its continuous film structure blocks liquid water droplets, solving the contradiction between humidification and corrosion prevention.
2Productivity
If SCR technique is used to reduce NOx, then NOx reduction efficiency is improved, but cost and chemical management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the need for external chemicals (urea, ammonia) from the NOx reduction system. By using only moisture from air humidification, the system eliminates chemical storage, handling, and management infrastructure while maintaining NOx reduction capability through modified combustion chemistry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses naturally available moisture in air and the engine's own operational characteristics to achieve NOx reduction. The humidified feed air modifies combustion conditions in-situ, making the system self-sufficient without external chemical inputs or complex management systems.
3Productivity
If water is added to fuel as W/O emulsion to reduce NOx, then NOx reduction is achieved, but fuel viscosity increases limiting water addition amount
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts water addition from the fuel stream and relocates it to the air intake stream. This separation prevents water-fuel mixing issues and viscosity problems while achieving the same NOx reduction effect through humidified air modification of combustion conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively reduces NOx emissions by suppressing combustion temperatures and reactions, achieving significant NOx reduction while preventing corrosion and allowing for efficient humidity control, thus meeting stringent emission standards with a simpler and more reliable system.
Implementation Method 1
using a membrane module with a steam permeable membrane that prevents liquid water permeation while allowing steam to pass through
Implementation Method 2
pressurized air is moisturized by water flowing along its surface
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a method for reducing a nitrogen oxide in an exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, a membrane module, an apparatus for reducing a nitrogen oxide from an internal combustion engine using the membrane module, and an internal combustion engine apparatus. A method for reducing a nitrogen oxide in an exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, the method comprising: a step of bringing pressurized air into contact with one surface of a steam permeable membrane (11), and allowing water to flow along the other surface of the steam permeable membrane (11) to moisturize the pressurized air; and a step of introducing the moisturized air into the internal combustion engine.