Matthew I Denis, Age 5559 Railroad Ave, Seabrook, NH 03874

6591939, Jul 15, 2003

Apr 27, 2001

09/844712

Joseph I. Smullin - Swampscott MA
Matthew E. Denis - Marblehead MA

Smullin Corporation - Marblehead MA

F01N 114

181260, 181262, 181272

A silencer is disclosed that reduces the acoustic energy of a fluid mixture of a liquid coolant and of exhaust gas from an engine. The engine may be a marine engine. The silencer according to this aspect includes a receiving chamber that receives the fluid mixture and exhaust gas, at least one lifting conduit; and a separation chamber. The lifting conduit has a receiving portion with a first opening and an expelling portion with a second opening. The receiving portion is fluidly coupled with the receiving chamber so that the fluid mixture enters the first opening from the receiving chamber and is lifted through the lifting conduit to the expelling portion. This lifting may be accomplished, at least in part, by dynamic effects. The separation chamber is fluidly coupled with the second opening of the lifting conduit, and has at least one interior surface. The expelling portion of the lifting conduit is disposed so that fluid mixture expelled from the second opening is directed toward the at least one interior surface of the separation chamber.

6024617, Feb 15, 2000

Aug 6, 1997

8/907197

Joseph I. Smullin - Swampscott MA
Matthew E. Denis - Marblehead MA

Smullin Corporation - Marblehead MA

B63H 2132

440 89

An apparatus and method for silencing marine engines. In one embodiment, a separation chamber receives a fluid mixture of exhaust gas and liquid coolant and a dynamic separation member separates the exhaust gas from the liquid coolant. In one aspect of the invention, a horizontal axial-flow silencer includes a separation plate, having at least one dynamic separator, horizontally positioned in the separation chamber. A dam maintains the free surface of the fluid mixture at or slightly above the separation plate at an engine speed within nominal operating range, and provides for the continuing passage of exhaust gas through the liquid coolant. The separation plate employs inertial effects introduced by a series of vanes that deflect the gas-coolant mixture upstream to separate the coolant with a greater inertia from the exhaust gas with a lesser inertia. Alternatively, the separation plate may consist of a mesh pad that employs frictional effects to achieve a similar result. The separated exhaust gas is passed through a resonator tube or tubes to further attenuate the acoustic energy of the gas.