1. A system for controlling emissions of VOC’s by combustion of said VOC’s in an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
An inlet conduit for connection to a source of VOC’s, an internal combustion engine that is connected to the inlet conduit;
an exhaust path that receives exhaust from the internal combustion engine;
an air source of supplemental air;
a manifold comprising a first conduit that receives the exhaust from the exhaust path and a second conduit that receives supplemental air from the air source, the manifold configured to transfer heat from the exhaust in the first conduit to the supplemental air in the second conduit; and
an abatement device in fluid communication with the first conduit downstream of the manifold; and
a fourth conduit in communication with the first conduit upstream of the abatement device.
2. (canceled)
3. (canceled)
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a VOC measurement device configured to measure the amount of VOCs in the first conduit.
5. (canceled)
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the manifold is configured such that flow through the second conduit and the third conduit are in opposite directions.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the abatement device is a catalytic convertor.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the air source of supplemental air is a supercharger.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the fourth conduit in communication with the first conduit upstream of the manifold.
10. A method of controlling emissions of VOC’s, the method comprising:
transporting VOC’s to an engine,
transporting exhaust from the engine into a manifold;
transporting supplemental air into the manifold;
transferring heat from the exhaust to the supplemental air within the manifold;
mixing the supplemental air with the exhaust; and
transporting at least a portion of the supplemental air and exhaust mixture into a pollution abatement device.
11. (canceled)
12. (canceled)
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising measuring VOC concentrations.
14. (canceled)
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the supplemental air and the exhaust flow in opposite directions through the manifold.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein the abatement device is a catalytic convertor.
17. The method of claim 10, comprising pressurizing the supplemental air.
18. The method of claim 10, comprising mixing the exhaust and the supplemental air upstream of the manifold.
19. The method of claim 10, wherein the engine is an internal combustion engine.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A measurement device for determining wear in a machine, comprising:
an electromechanical head assembly comprising a housing, at least one touch point extending from the housing for contacting a surface of the machine, and a drive device for moving the touch point in contact with the surface;
an insertion probe housing at least a portion of the electromechanical head assembly and adapted to be attached to the machine;
wherein the electromechanical head assembly is releasably coupled to the insertion probe;
a sensor for measuring a distance of travel of the touch point; and
an electrical conductor for transmitting an electrical current to the touch point for determining when the touch point has contacted the surface of the machine.
2. The measurement device of claim 1, wherein the insertion probe is coupled to the machine.
3. The measurement device of claim 2, wherein the insertion probe is coupled to a vane carrier of a turbine engine and protrudes into the vane carrier to provide access for the measurement device to a root of an airfoil during operation of the turbine engine.
4. The measurement device of claim 3, wherein the touch point is movable generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the insertion probe.
5. The measurement device of claim 3, wherein the touch point is movable generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the insertion probe.
6. The measurement device of claim 5, wherein the drive device coupled to a threaded shaft for moving the touch point and is selected from the group consisting of a stepper motor and a pulsed DC motor with planetary reduction gears.
7. The measurement device of claim 6, further comprising a ball socket attachment coupled to a shaft to which the touch point is attached.
8. The measurement device of claim 1, further comprising an electrical conductor for conducting an electrical current to the touch point to determine when the touch point has contacted the surface of the machine.
9. The measurement device of claim 1, further comprising an identification key coupled to the insertion probe enabling the electromechanical head to identify the insertion probe.
10. A measurement device for determining wear in a turbo-machine, comprising:
an electromechanical head assembly comprising a housing, at least one touch point extending from the housing for contacting a surface of the turbo-machine, and a drive device for moving the touch point in contact with the surface;
an insertion probe housing at least a portion of the electromechanical head assembly, the insertion probe attached to and extending at least partially into a vane-carrier of the turbo-machine;
wherein the electromechanical head assembly is releasably coupled to the insertion probe such that the touch point of the electromechanical extends from the insertion probe and is adapted to contact the surface of the turbo-machine; and
a sensor for measuring a distance of travel of the touch point.
11. The measurement device of claim 10, wherein the touch point is movable generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the insertion probe with correction for nonlinear travel.
12. The measurement device of claim 10, wherein the touch point is movable generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the insertion probe.
13. The measurement device of claim 12, wherein the drive device is coupled to a threaded shaft for moving the touch point and is selected from the group consisting of a stepper motor and a pulsed DC motor with planetary reduction gears.
14. The measurement device of claim 13, further comprising a ball socket attachment coupled to a shaft to which the touch point is attached.
15. The measurement device of claim 10, further comprising an electrical conductor for transmitting an electrical current to the touch point to determine when the touch point has contacted the surface of the machine.
16. The measurement device of claim 10, further comprising an identification key coupled to the insertion probe enabling the electromechanical head to identify the insertion probe.
17. A method of determining wear on a component of a machine while the machine is operating, comprising:
attaching a measuring device to the machine, wherein the measuring device comprises an electromechanical head assembly comprising a housing, at least one touch point extending from the housing for contacting a surface of the machine, and a drive device for moving the touch point in contact with the surface;
an insertion probe housing at least a portion of the electromechanical head assembly and attached to the machine;
wherein the electronic head assembly is releasably coupled to the insertion probe;
a sensor for measuring a distance of travel of the touch point; and
an electrical conductor for transmitting an electrical current to the touch point for determining when the touch point has contacted the surface of the machine;
establishing a benchmark from which a measurement may be taken;
extending the touch point from the benchmark to contact a surface of the machine;
measuring a distance the touch point moved from the benchmark to contact the surface of the machine; and
determining an amount of wear of the machine using the measured distance.
18. The method of determining wear in claim 17, wherein establishing a benchmark from which a measurement may be taken comprises withdrawing the touch point into the insertion probe until a voltage applied to the touch point falls to zero.
19. The method of determining wear of claim 17, wherein measuring a distance the touch point moved from the benchmark to contact the surface of the machine comprises advancing the touch point from the insertion probe until a voltage in the touch point falls to zero indicating that the touch point has contacted a surface of the machine.
20. The method of determining wear of claim 19, further comprising calculating a distance between the benchmark and the surface of the machine and storing the distance in the electromechanical head assembly.