Tecogen Announces Issuance of Two Additional US Patents Protecting Its Ultera Emissions Reduction Technology

WALTHAM, MA, Sept. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Tecogen Inc. (OTCQX: TGEN), a clean energy company providing ultra-efficient and clean on-site power, heating and cooling equipment, is pleased to announce that on September 15, 2020 the US Patent and Trademark Office issued two additional patents to Tecogen relating to its Ultera emissions reduction technology.   

The technology covered by US patent No. 10,774,720 titled, “NOx Reduction Using a Dual-Stage Catalyst System with Intercooling in Vehicle Gasoline Engines under Real Driving Conditions,” improves the removal of Non-Methane Organic Gases (NMOG) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) from vehicle emissions.  The improved performance, consisting of up to 90% reductions in NMOG and CO results from increased oxidation of NMOG and CO due to a lower temperature environment in the second stage catalyst.  Conventional single stage catalysts reform NOx in the high temperature environment of the vehicle exhaust. The second stage catalyst provides up to a 30% reduction in NOx by improved ammonia storage. A secondary benefit of the Ultera technology covered by the patent is improved NOx reduction without using a urea reductant. Urea reductant-based systems need to be replenished periodically whereas the catalyst-based systems are not consumed as part of the emissions reduction process. The technology is described in the linked technical paper published by SAE International in 2018.  

The second patent, US Patent No. 10,774,724, titled, “Dual Stage Internal Combustion Engine Aftertreatment System Using Exhaust Gas Intercooling and Charger Driven Air Ejector,” relates to the use of turbo compressors and exhaust gas intercoolers in turbocharged engines to reduce the complexity and cost of Ultera emissions reduction systems. 

“I am pleased that Tecogen’s Ultera emissions reduction technology will benefit from the expanded IP protection provided by these additional patents,” stated Robert Panora, President and COO at Tecogen.  “The Ultera emissions reduction technology provides significant environmental benefits and we hope to expand the use of Ultera in a variety of applications. We are already implementing Ultera in stationary engine applications, and we are working toward implementation in off-road vehicle applications, including forklift trucks.”