Pipe structure

Abstract

A pipe structure includes a pipe disposed in a state of contact with the air, a fluid with a temperature of at least 100° C. flowing inside the pipe; and a coating material containing nickel oxide and coated onto an outer periphery portion of the pipe.

Claims

1. A pipe structure comprising: a pipe disposed in a state of contact with air, a fluid with a temperature of at least 100° C. flowing inside the pipe; and a coating material containing nickel oxide and coated onto an outer periphery portion of the pipe, a base material of the coating material is a porous material.

2. The pipe structure according to claim 1, wherein the pipe is an exhaust pipe provided at a vehicle.

3. The pipe structure according to claim 2, wherein the coating material is coated onto a surface of a sub-muffler that structures a portion of the exhaust pipe.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side view showing an exhaust pipe of a vehicle at which a pipe structure according to a present exemplary embodiment is employed; and

(2) FIG. 2 is a graph showing a comparison of ozone concentrations over time between a vicinity of the exhaust pipe at which the pipe structure according to the present exemplary embodiment is employed and a vicinity of an exhaust pipe at which the pipe structure is not employed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) Herebelow, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail in accordance with the drawings.

(4) A pipe structure 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment can be excellently employed at an exhaust pipe 14 (of a vehicle), which serves as an example of a pipe 12. Below, descriptions are given using the exhaust pipe 14 of the vehicle as an example. For convenience of description, the arrow UP shown in FIG. 1 indicates a vehicle upper direction and the arrow FR indicates a vehicle front direction.

(5) As shown in FIG. 1, the exhaust pipe 14 is provided at a lower portion of the vehicle (which is not shown in the drawings). The exhaust pipe 14 extends toward the vehicle rear side from an engine (not shown in the drawings) disposed at the vehicle front side. The exhaust pipe 14 is disposed in a state of contact with the atmosphere. A muffler 16 that constitutes a portion of the exhaust pipe 14 is connected in fluid communication with a rear end portion of the exhaust pipe 14.

(6) In a side view seen in the vehicle width direction, the muffler 16 is formed in a substantially elliptical shape with an axial direction in the vehicle width direction. The rear end portion of the exhaust pipe 14 is connected in fluid communication with a substantially central portion in the vehicle width direction of a front end portion of the muffler 16. A muffler cutter 17 extends toward the vehicle body rear side from a right side portion of the muffler 16.

(7) A sub-muffler 18 that constitutes another portion of the exhaust pipe 14 is connected in fluid communication at an intermediate portion of the exhaust pipe 14. The sub-muffler 18 is a two-layer tube structure formed with a larger diameter than other regions of the exhaust pipe 14. The sub-muffler 18 acts as a high-temperature region inside which exhaust gases flow as a fluid with a temperature of 100° C. or more.

(8) A coating material 20 containing nickel oxide is coated onto a surface (a whole outer periphery face) 18A of the sub-muffler 18. Nickel oxide is an inorganic compound that functions as a catalyst that decomposes and removes ozone when heated to 100° C. or more. In some embodiments, a base material (a material that serves as a base containing the nickel oxide) of the coating material 20 is a porous material.

(9) Now, operations of the pipe member 10 structured as described above are described.

(10) As described above, the coating material 20 containing nickel oxide is coated onto the surface 18A of the sub-muffler 18. Hence, during running of the vehicle, the surface 18A of the sub-muffler 18 is heated by exhaust gas with a temperature of 100° C. or more flowing inside the sub-muffler 18. Thus, the nickel oxide is heated by the exhaust gas with a temperature of 100° C. or more. Consequently, during running of the vehicle, ozone in the air in the vicinity of the sub-muffler 18 (the exhaust pipe 14) may be decomposed and removed by the catalytic action of the nickel oxide.

(11) Test results are shown in FIG. 2. The graph depicted as a broken line in FIG. 2 represents a situation in which the coating material 20 is not coated onto the sub-muffler 18. The graph depicted as a solid line in FIG. 2 represents a situation in which the coating material 20 is coated onto the sub-muffler 18. Natural decomposition of ozone is facilitated by heating. Consequently, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 2, even when the coating material 20 (nickel oxide) has not been coated, ozone in the air in the vicinity of the sub-muffler 18 (the exhaust pipe 14) naturally decomposes and is removed as time passes (as around 600 seconds passes).

(12) However, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, when the coating material 20 (nickel oxide) has been coated onto the sub-muffler 18, ozone in the air in the vicinity of the sub-muffler 18 (the exhaust pipe 14) may be decomposed and removed in a shorter time, around 100 seconds, which is about six times faster than in the situation in which the coating material 20 (nickel oxide) has not been coated onto the sub-muffler 18. In particular, if the base material of the coating material 20 is a porous material, because a contact surface area between the nickel oxide and the air is increased, the effectiveness of removal of ozone from the air in the vicinity of the sub-muffler 18 (the exhaust pipe 14) may be improved.

(13) As described above, the sub-muffler 18 acts as a high-temperature region with a temperature of 100° C. or more. Therefore, when the coating material 20 (nickel oxide) is coated onto the sub-muffler 18, the catalytic action of the nickel oxide may be facilitated compared to a situation in which the coating material 20 (nickel oxide) is coated onto a region of the exhaust pipe 14 other than the sub-muffler 18. Thus, ozone in the air in the vicinity of the sub-muffler 18 (the exhaust pipe 14) may be removed efficiently.

(14) Hereabove, the pipe structure 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment has been described in accordance with the attached drawings. However, the pipe structure 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment is not limited to the illustrated structure; suitable design modifications may be applied within a scope not departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, a region onto which the coating material 20 containing nickel oxide is coated is not limited to the sub-muffler 18 and may be an alternative region of the exhaust pipe 14, although removing ozone efficiently may then be more difficult.

(15) Further, the base material of the coating material 20 is not limited to porous materials. Further still, the pipe structure 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment is not limited to a structure that is employed at the exhaust pipe 14 (the sub-muffler 18) of a vehicle. The pipe structure 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment may be employed at any pipe 12, provided a high-temperature fluid with a temperature of 100° C. or more flows in the pipe 12 and provided a region onto which the coating material 20 may be coated is formed at an outer periphery portion of the pipe 12.