EXHAUST SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OF A VEHICLE

Abstract

An exhaust system, especially for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, includes an exhaust gas-carrying duct (14) and a reactant injection device (20) for injecting reactant (R) into exhaust gas (A) flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying duct (14). Downstream of the reactant injection device (20), a mixer device (22) supports the mixing of reactant (R) injected by the reactant injection device (20) with exhaust gas (A) flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying duct (14). Downstream of the reactant injection device (20) and upstream of the mixer device (22), a reactant heating device (24) extends in the exhaust gas-carrying duct (14). The exhaust gas (A) flows in and reactant (R) injected through the reactant injection device (20) flow around the heating device (24).

Claims

1. An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the exhaust system comprising: an exhaust gas-carrying duct; a reactant injection device injecting reactant into exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying duct; a mixer device for supporting a mixing of reactant injected by the reactant injection device with exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying duct, the mixer device being disposed downstream of the reactant injection device; and a reactant heating device which extends in the exhaust gas-carrying duct downstream of the reactant injection device and upstream of the mixer device, the reactant being positioned such that exhaust gas, flowing in said duct and reactant injected by the reactant injection device flow around the reactant heating device.

2. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reactant heating device extends in a volume area covered by a reactant spray cone formed at the reactant injection device.

3. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the reactant heating device comprises at least one heating element comprised of a heat conductor element, which is heated by electrical energization and around which exhaust gas and reactant flow.

4. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the heat conductor element is comprised of a closed heat conductor loop.

5. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the heat conductor element has a band-shape configuration and has a band surface that is essentially parallel to an exhaust gas flow direction.

6. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 5, wherein a plurality of band-shape configuration heat conductor elements are arranged following one another in the exhaust gas flow direction.

7. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 3, wherein at least one heat conductor element is wound in a meandering pattern in at least some areas.

8. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reactant heating device comprises at least one heating element heated by electrical energization and at least one essentially plate-shaped heat transmission element, which is in heat transmission connection with the heating element.

9. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the at least one plate-shaped heat transmission element has a heat transmission element surface that is essentially parallel to an exhaust gas flow direction.

10. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 8, wherein at least one heating element is held between two plate-shaped heat transmission elements, which are connected to one another and are in contact with one another in at least some areas.

11. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 8, wherein a heat transmission medium comprising metal powder or graphite material or both metal powder and graphite material, is arranged between the at least one plate-shaped heat transmission element and a heating element.

12. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 8, wherein at least one of the plate-shaped heat transmission elements has a plurality of exhaust gas passage openings or a plurality of exhaust gas guide elements or both a plurality of exhaust gas passage openings and a plurality of exhaust gas guide elements.

13. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reactant heating device comprises at least one ceramic heating element heated by electrical energization.

14. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 13, wherein at least one ceramic heating element comprises a plurality of rod-shaped heating sections.

15. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reactant heating device comprises at least one heating element heated by electrical energization and a porous reactant receiving body made of metal foam material or wire mesh, which porous reactant receiving body surrounds the heating element in at least some areas.

16. An exhaust system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a reactant treatment device arranged downstream of the mixer device, wherein the reactant treatment device comprises a catalytic converter device for selective catalytic reaction or a particle filter or a catalytic converter and a particle filter.

17. An exhaust system reactant heating device heating element for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle with an exhaust system comprising an exhaust gas-carrying duct, a reactant injection device injecting reactant into exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying duct, a mixer device for supporting a mixing of reactant injected by the reactant injection device with exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying duct, the mixer device being disposed downstream of the reactant injection device and a reactant heating device which extends in the exhaust gas-carrying duct downstream of the reactant injection device and upstream of the mixer device, the reactant being positioned such that exhaust gas, flowing in said duct and reactant injected by the reactant injection device flow around the reactant heating device, the heating element comprising at least two heat conductor sections, which are wound in a meandering pattern, adjoin each other in a connection area and extend essentially next to one another.

18. An exhaust system reactant heating device in accordance with claim 17, wherein each heat conductor section has, following one another in a longitudinal direction of the heat conductor section, a plurality of bulges, which are oriented alternatingly opposite each other essentially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the heat conductor section, wherein bulges oriented in the same direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the heat conductor in at least two heat conductor sections are offset in relation to one another in the longitudinal direction of the heat conductor.

19. An exhaust system reactant heating device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the heat conductor sections have a band-shape configuration with the connection area connecting the band-shape configurations.

20. An exhaust system reactant heating device in accordance with claim 19, wherein band surfaces of the heat conductor sections, which surfaces are provided on broad sides of the heat conductor sections, are oriented essentially parallel to one another.

21. An exhaust system reactant heating device in accordance with claim 17, wherein two heat conductor sections have a connection area for electrical contacting in a respective first end area and are connected to another heat conductor section via a connection area in a respective second end area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In the drawings:

[0034] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an exhaust system with a reactant injection device, with a mixer device downstream of the reactant injection device and with a reactant heating device between them;

[0035] FIG. 2 is an end view of the electrically energizable heat conductor element of the reactant heating device according to FIG. 1;

[0036] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an electrically energizable heat conductor element having a band-like configuration and a meandering structure;

[0037] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an exhaust gas-carrying duct with a heat conductor element according to FIG. 3 arranged in the reactant spray cone;

[0038] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the heat conductor element according to FIG. 3 with the exhaust gas flow passed through same;

[0039] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative type of embodiment of a heat conductor element having a band-like configuration and a meandering structure;

[0040] FIG. 7a is a schematic view of one or more heat conductor elements having a meandering configuration, which are arranged next to one another;

[0041] FIG. 7b is a schematic view of one or more heat conductor elements having a meandering configuration, which are arranged next to one another;

[0042] FIG. 7c is a perspective view of a heat conductor element with a plurality of heat conductor sections, which have a meandering configuration and are arranged next to one another;

[0043] FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment of an exhaust system, which view corresponds to FIG. 1;

[0044] FIG. 9 is a top view of a reactant heating device used in the embodiment according to FIG. 8;

[0045] FIG. 10 is a front view of the reactant heating device according to FIG. 9 in the direction of view X in FIG. 9;

[0046] FIG. 11 is a view of an alternative embodiment, which view corresponds to FIG. 10;

[0047] FIG. 12 is a sectional view of an alternatively embodied exhaust system, which view corresponds to FIG. 1;

[0048] FIG. 13 is a type of embodiment of a reactant heating device with a plurality of rod-shaped heating sections of a ceramic heating element;

[0049] FIG. 14 is a view of the reactant heating device according to FIG. 13 in the direction of view XIV in FIG. 13; and

[0050] FIG. 15 is a sectional view of an alternative type of embodiment of an exhaust system, which view corresponds to FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0051] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a section of an exhaust system 10, for example, for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle. The exhaust system 10 comprises in an exhaust pipe 12 an exhaust gas-carrying duct generally designated by 14. A first exhaust gas treatment device 16, which may be configured, for example, as a diesel oxidation catalytic converter or as a lean NOx trap, may be provided in an upstream area of the section shown in FIG. 1. A second exhaust gas treatment device 18 may be provided in a downstream area of the shown section of the exhaust system 10. This treatment device may comprise, for example, a catalytic converter device for selective catalytic reduction or a particle filter.

[0052] A reactant injection device 20 generally also called injector, is provided in the section of the exhaust gas-carrying duct 14 located between the two exhaust gas treatment devices 16, 18. This device injects a reactant, for example, a urea/water mixture, into the exhaust gas-carrying duct 14 in order to achieve mixing of the reactant R thus injected with the exhaust gas A flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying duct.

[0053] A mixer device 22 is provided in the exhaust gas-carrying duct 14 downstream of the reactant injection device 20. This is used to achieve improved mixing of the reactant R with the exhaust gas A and may comprise a plurality of deflecting surfaces, which are positioned obliquely in relation to the exhaust gas flow direction and thus ensure swirling of the flow. Since the comparatively hot exhaust gas A flows around the mixer device 22, the mixer device is also heated by this exhaust gas, so that the reactant R, which initially still reaches the deflecting surfaces of the mixer device 22 in the form of droplets, is heated by the mixer device 22 itself and thus its evaporation is intensified.

[0054] A reactant heating device 24 is provided downstream of the reactant injection device 20 and upstream of the mixer device 22 in the exhaust gas flow direction. This reactant heating device comprises a heating element 26, which can be heated by electrical energization and is carried on the exhaust pipe 12 via a carrier 28 and an insulation device 30, for example, mica or the like. The heating element 26 extends into the volume area V occupied by the spray cone of the reactant R, which spray cone is formed by means of the reactant injection device 20 and is thus available for the thermal interaction with the exhaust gas A flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying duct with nearly its entire length of extension.

[0055] An example of such a heating element 26 that can be heated by electrical energization is shown in FIG. 2. The heating element 26 is configured as a heat conductor element 27 and forms between two connection areas 30, 32, which may be carried via the carrier 28 shown in FIG. 1 on the exhaust pipe 12, a closed loop 34 with two loop sections or heat conductor sections 36. 38, which are located next to one another and are wound in a meandering pattern, i.e., essentially have an undulated or wave-like structure. The heat conductor element 27 may comprise a core area, which can be heated in case of electrical energization based on its ohmic resistance and which is surrounded by an electrically insulating jacket. The heat conductor element 27 may, of course, also have other profiling, as is shown in FIG. 2. It is configured essentially with a V section or U section, and the configuration shown in FIG. 2 as a closed loop with meandering loop sections is especially advantageous because of the comparatively great interaction length with the reactant R released by the reactant injection device.

[0056] The embodiment of a heat conductor element 27 shown in FIG. 2 shows that due to its meandering structure, each of the two heat conductor sections 36, 38 has a plurality of bulges oriented at right angles to the longitudinal direction HL of the heat conductor following one another and alternatingly at right angles to the longitudinal direction HL of the heat conductor. The bulges of the two heat conductor sections 36, 38 oriented in the same manner at right angles to the longitudinal direction HL of the heat conductor are offset in relation to one another in the longitudinal direction HL of the heat conductor.

[0057] The reactant R flowing around the heating element 26 or heat conductor element 27 is heated and at least partially evaporated by the heating element 26 or heat conductor element 27. The reactant R, which reaches the mixer device 22 in this already evaporated or heated state, can be further heated and thus completely evaporated in the mixer device 22 based on the effect already described above and mixed completely and uniformly with the exhaust gas A flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying duct 14.

[0058] An alternative embodiment of the reactant heating device 24 is shown in FIGS. 3 through 7. FIG. 3 shows a heating element 26, which can be heated by electrical energization and which is provided as a band-like heat conductor element 40, for example, as a metal band, optionally with electrical insulation. The heating element 26 or the heat conductor element 40 is provided with a meandering structure between its two connection areas 30, 32 provided for the electrical contacting and thus it has a plurality of longitudinal sections 42, which are located essentially parallel to one another and adjoin each other in respective curvature areas 44.

[0059] The band surface O provided essentially by the two broad sides B1, B2 of the heat conductor element 40, which are located facing away from one another, is oriented especially in the longitudinal sections 42 and in curvature areas 44 such that it is located, as this is indicated in FIG. 5, essentially parallel to the flow direction of the exhaust gas A. The flow of the exhaust gas A is thus largely prevented from being compromised especially in the area of the volume area V occupied by the spray cone of the reactant R. At the same time, the heat conductor element 40 provided with its meandering structure provides a comparatively large surface O, which the reactant R released by the reactant injection device 20 can reach and said surface can thus absorb heat. The heat conductor element 40 is preferably arranged such that the reactant R released by the reactant injection device 20 has a flow direction component parallel to the surface O, so that it can enter intermediate spaces formed between the sections 42 and thus it can reach the surface O.

[0060] An embodiment of the heating element 26 or of the heat conductor element 40, which has a different configuration especially in respect to the positioning, is shown in FIG. 6. It is seen that unlike in the embodiment according to FIG. 3, the two connection areas 30, 32 are not located in a common plane and oriented away from one another in this embodiment, but are arranged in planes located offset in relation to one another and such that they essentially continue the two last band sections 42 essentially in a straight line.

[0061] In a general view, FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7c show different embodiments of the heating device 24. The view in FIG. 7a corresponds essentially to the embodiment according to FIG. 3 or to FIG. 6 with a heat conductor element 40, which provides the heating element 26 and which has three band sections 42 oriented essentially parallel to one another in the example being shown. Three such heat conductor elements 40 are provided in FIG. 7b, which are located following one another essentially in the flow direction of the exhaust gas A and have, for example, each likewise three length sections 42 oriented essentially parallel to one another. The heat conductor elements 40 following each other in the flow direction of the exhaust gas A are preferably positioned such that their length sections 42 are arranged such that they continue one another in the flow direction, i.e., essentially aligned with one another, to reduce the flow resistance for the exhaust gas A flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying duct 14.

[0062] FIG. 7c shows a heating element 26 provided as a heat conductor element 40 having a band-like configuration. The heat conductor element 40 has two heat conductor sections 40′, 40″, which extend essentially next to one another in the longitudinal direction HL of the heat conductor section and are each wound in a meandering pattern, i.e., they are provided with essentially wave-like structure. Bulges oriented alternatingly away from one another essentially at right angles to the longitudinal direction HL of the heat conductor section are formed in the area of the respective curvature areas 44′, 44″ of the heat conductor sections 40′, 40″, and the sections 42′, 42″ extend between said bulges.

[0063] The two heat conductor sections 40′, 40″ located next to one another have a connection area 30, 32 each in respective first end areas 31′, 31″. In respective second end areas 33′, 33″, the two heat conductor sections 40′, 40″ adjoin each other via a connection area and thus form an integral structure of the heat conductor element 40. The two connection areas 30, 32 are thus located directly next to each other and can electrically be contacted with correspondingly shaped opposite contact areas, for example, at an exhaust gas-carrying pipe, in a simple manner.

[0064] The surfaces O′, O″ of the heat conductor sections 40′, 40″, which are formed on respective broad sides B1, B2, are oriented essentially parallel to one another, so that there is a much lower flow resistance for the exhaust gas A flowing around the heat conductor element 40, while a comparatively large surface is at the same time available for heating the reactant R injected into the exhaust gas A. To make it possible to utilize the surface as efficiently as possible, the bulges of the two heat conductor sections 40′, 40″ formed in the area of the curvature areas 44′, 44″ are offset in relation to one another in the longitudinal direction HL of the heat conductor section in this heat conductor element 40 as well, so that, for example, a bulge is oriented in a second direction opposite the first direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction HL of the heat conductor section in the same length area of the other heat conductor section essentially where a bulge is oriented in a first direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction HL of the heat conductor section in one of the heat conductor sections 40′, 40″. The two heat conductor sections 40′, 40″ thus have a phase-shifted course in relation to one another, and the phase shift may be in the range of half the wavelength of the meandering or wave-like structure, but it may also assume other values. Therefore, when viewed in the flow direction of the exhaust gas A, they are not congruent. The length areas 42′, 42″ of the different heat conductor sections 40′, 40″, which extend between respective bulges or curvature areas 44′, 44″ are preferably also offset in relation to one another in the longitudinal direction HL of the heat conductor sections. It is ensured in this way that the heat conductor section positioned farther downstream is not shielded by the heat conductor section positioned farther upstream.

[0065] A structure as is indicated in FIG. 7b can be built, in principle, with the heat conductor element 40 shown in FIG. 7c, where heat conductor sections of a heat conductor element rather than individual heat conductor elements having mutually separate configurations follow each other in the flow direction of the exhaust gas A. A plurality of such heat conductor elements 40 may also be arranged, in principle, such that they follow one another, as is shown in FIG. 7c. Such a heat conductor element comprising a plurality of heat conductor sections may also be built with more than two heat conductor sections. For example, three heat conductor sections located essentially next to each other may be provided, in which case the two connection areas are not located next to each other, on mutually opposite sides.

[0066] FIGS. 8 through 11 show another alternative type of embodiment of a reactant heating device 24. In this type of embodiment, the reactant heating device 24 comprises a heating element 26, which is designed, for example, as a glow plug, which is carried with a body area 46, for example, on the exhaust pipe 12 and protrudes into the exhaust gas-carrying duct 14 with a heating area or glow area 48 heatable by electrical energization. Two plate-shaped heat transmission elements 50, 52 are carried on this heating area 48 in the example shown in FIGS. 8 through 10. The two heat transmission elements 50, 52 are shaped such that they form an essentially semicircular bulge 54 each in their section, which surrounds the heating area 48 and is located approximately in the longitudinal central area thereof, so that a volume area is formed, in which the heating area 48 is received, for example, via the intermediary of a heat transmission medium 58, e.g., metal powder or graphite film. The two heat transmission elements 50, 52 may be fastened to one another, for example, by pressing, welding or the like and are thus carried on the heating area 48 in a stable manner. To reduce the flow resistance and to improve the mixing of the reactant R released by the reactant injection device 20 with the exhaust gas A flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying duct 14, exhaust gas passage openings 60 may be formed in the heat transmission elements 50, 52, and exhaust gas guide elements may be provided, for example, adjoining these exhaust gas passage openings 60, for example, by bending out sections of the heat transmission elements 50, 52.

[0067] An alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 11. Only a single, plate-shaped heat transmission element 50′ is provided in this embodiment with a circular bulge 54′, which is arranged such that it surrounds the heating element 26 in the heating area 48 thereof. To achieve stable holding, the heating element 48 may be permanently connected to the heat transmission element 50, for example, by a weld seam 62, in the area not surrounded by the bulge 54′.

[0068] The reactant heating device with the plate-shaped heat transmission elements 50, 52 and 50′, which are used for heat transmission, are also oriented in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 through 11 such that the heat transmission element surface OW provided by these is oriented essentially parallel to the flow direction of the exhaust gas A in the exhaust gas guide flow within the exhaust gas-carrying duct 14. This orientation provides the lowest possible flow resistance for the exhaust gas A.

[0069] Another alternative type of embodiment of a reactant heating device 24 is shown in FIGS. 12 through 14.

[0070] The reactant heating device 24 comprises a heating element 26, which can be heated by electrical energization and which is designed as a ceramic heating element 64 in his case. This comprises a carrier 66, which is fixed, for example, on the exhaust pipe 12, and a plurality of—four in the example being shown—rod-shaped heating sections 68 extending from the carrier 66 into the volume area V. These may be arranged in a star-shaped configuration in relation to one another, which is shown in FIG. 14, for efficient thermal interaction with the reactant R.

[0071] Another type of embodiment of a reactant heating device 24 is shown in FIG. 15. The reactant heating device 24 comprises a heating element 26, which may correspond in terms of its configuration essentially to the heating element 26 shown in FIG. 9, and a heating area 48, which can be heated by electrical energization and which extends especially in the area of the volume area V. The heating area 48 is surrounded by a reactant receiving body 70 consisting of a porous material. The reactant R released by the reactant injection device 20 reaches the surface of the porous reactant receiving body 70 and can enter the inner volume area thereof by capillary delivery action. The reactant receiving body 70 thus forms a reactant storage means, in which the reactant is heated and released in the form of a vapor. This leads to a homogenization of the reactant flow released in vapor form into the flow of the exhaust gas A and then mixed completely with the exhaust gas A by the mixer device 22.

[0072] The reactant receiving body 70 is preferably made of a metal foam material or another porous material, e.g., wire mesh.

[0073] It should finally be noted that the exhaust system configured according to the present invention may, of course, also comprise a plurality of the above-described reactant heating devices having different configurations.

[0074] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.