A urea water agitation control device has an agitation control portion and a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of a urea water. The agitation control portion operates an agitation portion in a specified period which includes a part of a period in which the urea water temperature detected by the temperature sensor is kept at a eutectic point and the urea water radiates a latent heat of solidification.

Methods and systems are provided for a single heat exchanger coupled to a main exhaust passage upstream of one or more exhaust catalysts or in between two exhaust catalysts for exhaust heat recovery and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooling. In one example, in the pre-catalyst configuration of the heat exchanger, during exhaust heat recovery, a portion of exhaust may be routed via the heat exchanger while the remaining portion of exhaust may be routed directly to the exhaust catalysts, and fueling may be adjusted on a per-cylinder basis to maintain a target exhaust air-fuel-ratio at the exhaust catalysts.

A control system for a heating system of an exhaust system is provided. The control system includes at least one electric heater disposed within an exhaust fluid flow pathway, and a control device adapted to receive at least one input selected from the group consisting of mass flow rate of an exhaust fluid flow, mass velocity of an exhaust fluid flow, flow temperature upstream of the at least one electric heater, flow temperature downstream of the at least one electric heater, power input to the at least one electric heater, parameters derived from physical characteristics of the heating system, and combinations thereof. The control device is operable to modulate power to the at least one electric heater based on at least one input.

A method and a system (20) for transmitting heat for a vehicle (10) are described. In this case, the waste heat which is contained in the exhaust gas (3) of the vehicle (10) is stored in a heat accumulator (1) of the vehicle (10). The thermal energy stored in the heat accumulator (1) is conducted to at least one heat sink (11-16). The heat accumulator (1) can be thermally coupled to the at least one heat sink (11-16) and uncoupled therefrom. In the coupled state the amount of heat per time unit that is conducted to the at least one heat sink is set.

Methods and systems are provided for a heat exchanger phase change material installed as a component of a variable exhaust tuning system. In one example, a method may include absorbing excess heat energy from exhaust gases during and after an engine-on event within a heat exchanger material, releasing heat energy stored in the heat exchanger material during and after an engine-off event, and heating an adjustable exhaust valve with the heat energy stored in the heat exchanger material.

A porous honeycomb heat storage structure including: a honeycomb structure which has a porous partition wall which defines a plurality of cells extending one end face to the other end face and allows a reaction medium to flow into the cells; and a heat storage portion which is configured by filling a heat storage material performing heat storage and heat dissipation by a reversible chemical reaction with the reaction medium or physical adsorption/desorption in at least a portion of each cells, wherein the heat storage portion has an area ratio in a range from 60% to 90% with respect to a cross sectional area of a honeycomb cross section orthogonal to an axial direction of the honeycomb structure.

A method of predicting temperature of at least one location in a fluid flow system that has a heating system for heating fluid. The method includes obtaining a mass flow rate of fluid flow of the fluid flow system, obtaining at least one of a fluid outlet temperature and a fluid inlet temperature of a heater of the heating system, obtaining power provided to the heater, and calculating temperature at the at least one location based on a model of the fluid flow system and the obtained mass flow rate, fluid outlet temperature, and fluid inlet temperature.

A susceptor for use in a heated fluid flow system is provided. In one form, a susceptor is arranged within a conduit and adapted to absorb radiant energy from at least one heating element and inhibit the radiant energy from being absorbed by the at least one wall of the conduit and/or other components. In another form, the susceptor absorbs and inhibits the radiant energy from being absorbed by the outer wall of the conduit.

A system and method for treating an engine exhaust is provided. In particular, waste heat from an engine exhaust is stored in a latent heat storage structure through a controllable heat exchanger and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalytic converter is heated by the stored thermal energy in the latent heat storage structure using the controllable heat exchanger. The exhaust treatment system includes a selective catalytic reduction catalytic converter that has an inlet for connecting to an internal combustion engine to intake an engine exhaust and an outlet to output a catalytically treated engine exhaust. The system further includes a latent heat storage structure and a controllable heat exchanger for selectively exchanging heat to and from the catalytic converter and the latent heat storage structure.

Methods and systems are provided for a heat exchanger phase change material installed as a component of a variable exhaust tuning system. In one example, a method may include absorbing excess heat energy from exhaust gases during and after an engine-on event within a heat exchanger material, releasing heat energy stored in the heat exchanger material during and after an engine-off event, and heating an adjustable exhaust valve with the heat energy stored in the heat exchanger material.