Diesel pollution control system

Abstract

A pollution control system for diesel engines includes a PCV valve and an oil filter positioned together in a canister. The PCV valve has an inlet and an outlet adapted to vent blow-by gas from a diesel combustion engine. A fluid regulator associated with the PCV valve selectively modulates engine vacuum pressure to adjustably increase or decrease a fluid flow rate of blow-by gas venting from the diesel combustion engine. The oil filter cleans particulate matter out of the blow-by gas, and condenses oil to return to the engine. A controller regulates the amount of blow-by gas vented through the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A diesel pollution control system, comprising:
 a PCV valve having an inlet and an outlet adapted to vent blow-by gas from a crankcase of a diesel combustion engine;   an oil separator having an inlet and top and bottom outlets, wherein the inlet is fluidly coupled to the crankcase, the bottom outlet is fluidly coupled to a return port on the crankcase and the top outlet is fluidly coupled to the PCV valve;   a blow-by line fluidly connecting the outlet of the PCV valve to an intake manifold on the diesel combustion engine; and   a controller for selectively modulating an open/closed state of the PCV valve so as to adjustably increase or decrease a fluid flow rate of blow-by gas from the crankcase.   
     
     
         2 . . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the oil separator comprises a plurality of permeable mesh layers adapted to separate the blow-by gas into fuel vapors and oil droplets. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of permeable mesh layers have differing gauges. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of mesh layers having differing gauges all comprise the same material. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of mesh layers are metal and comprise steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass or bronze. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the PCV valve and the oil separator are integral such that the top outlet is the inlet of the PCV valve. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an oil filter disposed between and fluidly coupled with the bottom outlet of the oil separator and the return port on the crankcase. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising an oil accumulator disposed between and fluidly coupled with the oil filter and the return port on the crankcase. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of oil separators arranged in parallel or in series. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blow-by line is fluidly coupled to a main fuel line into the diesel combustion engine. 
     
     
         11 . A process for controlling pollution in a diesel combustion engine, comprising the steps of:
 capturing blow-by gasses from a crankcase of a diesel combustion engine;   separating the blow-by gasses into liquid oil and fuel vapors;   returning the liquid oil to the crankcase; and   recycling the fuel vapors to an intake manifold of the diesel combustion engine.   
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of filtering the liquid oil prior to the returning step. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of varying vacuum pressure of the diesel combustion engine for controlling a fluid flow rate of blow-by gasses vented from the crankcase. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of mixing the fuel vapors with an alternative fuel prior to the recycling step. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 sensing engine conditions; and   controlling a position of a PCV valve for varying the vacuum pressure of the diesel combustion engine based, at least in part, on the sensed engine conditions.