CATALYTIC CONVERTER FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A CATALYTIC CONVERTER

Abstract

A catalytic converter for an internal combustion engine has a housing (2) and a catalyst element (12) formed in the housing (2). The housing (2) is formed such that exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine can flow through the housing (2). The catalyst element (12) is formed such that fluid can flow around and through it. Additionally, the catalyst element (12) has a plurality of ribs (15) on its surface (14) that faces the exhaust gas.

Claims

1. A catalytic converter for an internal combustion engine, having a housing and a catalyst element in the housing, the housing being formed such that exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine can flow through the housing, wherein the catalyst element is formed such that fluid can flow around and through the catalyst element, and a surface of the catalyst element that faces the exhaust gas has a plurality of ribs.

2. The catalytic converter of claim 1, further comprising a pipe in the housing and through which fluid can flow, the catalyst element being arranged in an annular channel formed between the housing and the pipe, the pipe enabling at least part of the exhaust gas to circumvent the catalyst element.

3. The catalytic converter of claim 2, wherein the catalyst element has a helical configuration.

4. The catalytic converter of claim 3, wherein latching elevations are formed on surfaces of at least one of the pipe and the housing that face the catalyst element.

5. The catalytic converter of claim 3, further comprising a regulating element that regulates fluid flow through the catalyst element and along its helical element axis.

6. The catalytic converter of claim 2, wherein the pipe has an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and further comprising a regulating element that opens and closes a flow cross section of the pipe, recesses formed downstream of the inlet opening and upstream of a regulating element and configured to accommodate a fluid flow in a radial direction.

7. The catalytic converter as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pipe has further recesses downstream of the regulating element and upstream of the outlet opening to accommodate a fluid flow in the radial direction.

8. The catalytic converter of claim 1, wherein the catalyst element of a ribbed pipe.

9. The catalytic converter of claim 1, wherein the catalyst element has an active surface defined by a catalytic coating.

10. The catalytic converter of claim 1, further comprising a regulating element that regulates fluid flow through the catalyst element and along a longitudinal axis of the catalytic converter.

11. The catalytic converter of claim 10, wherein the regulating element is a disk that can be pivoted about its center axis.

12. A method for operating the catalytic converter of claim 1, comprising: causing a hot fluid to flow through the catalyst element in the case of a cold exhaust gas stream, and causing a cold fluid to flow through the catalyst element in the case of a hot exhaust gas stream.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: causing a hot fluid to flow around the catalyst element in the case of a cold exhaust gas stream, and causing a cold fluid to flow around the catalyst element in the case of a hot exhaust gas stream.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: starting the flow of hot fluid through the catalyst element when the internal combustion engine is started.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: starting the flow of hot fluid through the catalyst element before the internal combustion engine is started.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a catalytic converter according to the invention in a first operating state.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a partial section through the catalytic converter according to FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the catalytic converter according to the invention in a second operating state.

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a partial section through the catalytic converter according to FIG. 3.

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the catalytic converter in its first operating state.

[0035] FIG. 6 shows a front view of the catalytic converter in its second operating state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] A catalytic converter 1 according to the invention, illustrated in a first operating state in FIG. 1, has a housing 2 through which fluid can flow. The housing is a hollow cylinder with a longitudinal axis 3. A pipe 5 through which fluid can flow is arranged in a housing interior 4, and an annular channel 6 through which fluid can flow is formed between the pipe 5 and the housing 2. The pipe 5 is coaxial with the housing 2.

[0037] The catalytic converter 1 has an inlet opening 7 for the inflow of exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine into the housing 2 and has an outlet opening 8 for the outflow of the exhaust gas that has been treated catalytically. The inlet opening 7 corresponds to a first end 9 of the pipe 5. The outlet opening 8 corresponds to a second end 10 of the pipe 5 that is opposite the first end 9. The housing 2 and the pipe 5 are sealed in relation to the surrounding areas in the regions of the inlet opening 7 and the outlet opening 8. This sealing can be achieved with the aid of a cohesive connection and/or by using a sealing element and/or by a force-fitting connection between the pipe 5 and the housing 2 or other sealing techniques known to those skilled in the exhaust system art.

[0038] The pipe 5 is a substantially hollow-cylinder, and the housing 2 has truncated cone-like end regions 11 on a hollow-cylindrical central part between the end regions 11.

[0039] A catalyst element 12 through which fluid can flow in the direction of the longitudinal axis 3 and in the direction of its element axis 13 is arranged in the annular channel 6. The catalyst element 12 is embodied in a tubular manner, with the pipe 5 being arranged in a helically winding manner in the housing 2. That surface 14 of said catalyst element that is formed to face the exhaust gas has a large number of ribs 15.

[0040] FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively show a longitudinal section and a partial section through the catalytic converter 1 in its first operating state. The pipe 5 is closed with the aid of a regulating element 16, and no exhaust gas can flow into the interior 17 of the pipe 5 in the first operating state since a flow cross section 19 of the pipe 5 is closed by the regulating element 16.

[0041] The regulating element 16 is a disk mounted pivotably in the pipe 5 and can be pivoted about its center axis 18, preferably similar to a throttle valve.

[0042] Exhaust gas that enters the catalytic converter 1 via the inlet opening 7, flows into the annular channel 6 via recesses 20 when the regulating element 16 has closed the interior 17 of the pipe 5 in the flow direction.

[0043] The recesses 20 are formed between the inlet opening 7 and the regulating element 16 in the axial direction so that the exhaust gas (which also may be called the exhaust gas mass flow) can flow into the annular channel 6 via the inlet opening 7 when the flow cross section 19 is closed. For the purpose of simple production of the pipe 5, the recesses 20 are separated from one another merely by thin webs 21, so that the exhaust gas can enter the annular channel 6 in a relatively problem-free manner. In one exemplary embodiment, the webs 21 have a flow-optimized, teardrop-shaped cross section.

[0044] The exhaust gas flows around the catalyst element 12 that is arranged in the annular channel 6. An active surface 22 of the catalyst element 12 is increased in size in an installation-space-optimized manner relative to its surface 14 with the aid of the large number of ribs 15. The active surface 22 is the surface of the catalyst element 12 around which the exhaust gas flows and is larger than the surface 14 due to the large number of ribs 15. More particularly, the large number of ribs 15 are arranged on the surface 14 and the active surface 22 is formed with the large number of ribs 15. The active surface 22 is equipped with a catalytic layer 33.

[0045] The exhaust gas flows in the direction of the longitudinal axis 3 from the inlet opening 7 to the outlet opening 8. The exhaust gas that reaches the end of the annular channel 6 is purified on account of the flow of fluid around the catalyst element 12. The exhaust gas then flows out of the annular channel 6 in the radial direction into the pipe interior 17 via further recesses 23, and from there flows farther in the axial direction into the outlet opening 8.

[0046] In addition to the axial flow of fluid through the catalyst element 12 that takes place along the longitudinal axis 3, fluid can flow through the catalyst element in the direction of its element axis 13. More particularly, the catalyst element 12 is formed in a hollow manner so that fluid to flow through it. The fluid is, by way of example, a gaseous medium that functions to cool or warm the exhaust gas, depending on an operating range of the internal combustion engine. The fluid could likewise also be a liquid medium. The flow of fluid through the catalyst element 12, and the action of the fluid on the catalyst element 12 is regulated depending on operating points of the internal combustion engine. Therefore, the flow of fluid through the catalyst element 12 can be actively created.

[0047] To accommodate the fluid flow, the catalyst element 12 has a first fluid connection 25 at its first element end 24, which is formed in the region of the first end 9, and has a second fluid connection 27 at its second element end 26, which is opposite the first element end 24. Therefore, fluid can flow through the catalyst element from its first element end 24 to its second element end 26 and vice versa.

[0048] FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively show a longitudinal section and a partial section through the catalytic converter 1 in its second operating state. Here, the flow cross section 19 is cleared by the regulating element 16 so that the exhaust gas can flow into the pipe interior 17. This means that the exhaust gas does not flow or flows only to an insignificant extent into the annular channel 6 via the recesses 20 and therefore circumvents or bypasses the catalyst element 12.

[0049] For the purpose of secured positioning of the catalyst element 12, the pipe 5 and the housing 2 have latching elevations 31 on their surfaces 30 that face the catalyst element 12. The latching elevations 31 are in the form of a helix and hold the catalyst element 12 in a secured manner between the latching elevations 31.

[0050] FIGS. 5 and 6 are front views of the catalytic converter 1 for improved explanation of the regulating element 16. FIG. 5 depicts the catalytic converter 1 in its first operating state, so that a flow cross section 19 is closed by the regulating element 16. The regulating element 16 is a throttle valve positioned in the flow cross section 19 with a movement gap 28 dimensioned so that the quantity of exhaust gas that flows across the movement gap 28 in the first operating state is negligible.

[0051] FIG. 6 shows the catalytic converter 1 in its second operating state with the regulating element 16 set to clear the flow cross section 19. The disk-like shaped regulating element 16 forms an only low flow resistance in the second operating state of the catalytic converter 1.

[0052] In a third operating state of the catalytic converter 1, not illustrated in any detail, the regulating element 16 is adjusted for fluid to flow through the annular channel 6 and the pipe interior 17.

[0053] The catalytic converter 1 of the invention is provided for warming up the exhaust gas and for cooling the catalyst element 12. In operating states of the internal combustion engine in which the exhaust gas is relatively cold, for example during cold-starting operation or during a warm-up phase of the internal combustion engine, the catalytic converter 1 is adjusted to its first operating state.

[0054] The exhaust gas then flows in the direction of the flow arrow 32, as shown in FIG. 1, via the inlet opening 7 and the recesses 20 formed in a radial manner in the pipe 5, into the annular channel 6 in which it is forcibly guided with the aid of the catalyst element 12 and flows through intermediate spaces that are formed with the large number of ribs 15. For the purpose of warming up the exhaust gas and therefore for the purpose of enhancing the catalytic effect of the catalyst element 12, a hot fluid, for example a hot gas from an auxiliary heater, flows through the catalyst element 12. This can be performed at the same time as the internal combustion engine is started or even before the internal combustion engine is started. This has the advantage that the catalytic layer 33 is heated by the warm fluid starting from the element interior 29.

[0055] At the time at which the internal combustion engine is started and thereafter, additional heating of the catalytic layer 33 takes place due to the exhaust gas that flows around it. Therefore, a usually existing time period from the point at which the internal combustion engine is started to the point at which the minimum operating temperature of the catalytic converter 1 is reached is shortened.

[0056] Provided that hot fluid is already flowing through the catalytic converter 1 before the internal combustion engine is started, it is possible for the catalytic converter 1 to reach its minimum operating temperature before the internal combustion engine is started. The advantage is that effective exhaust gas purification can already take place when the internal combustion engine is started.

[0057] Even the flow of hot fluid through the catalyst element 12 at the same time as the internal combustion engine is started results in a time period between starting and the point at which the minimum operating temperature of the catalytic converter 1 is reached which is substantially shortened in comparison to the prior art.

[0058] Cold fluid may flow through the catalyst element 12 at operating points of the internal combustion engine at which a high to maximum exhaust gas temperature of the internal combustion engine is reached. Operating points of this kind are full-load points of the internal combustion engine and operating points in the upper load and rotation speed ranges. In this case, the catalytic converter 1 is at its second operating point and the exhaust gas flows completely, according to the arrows 32 of FIG. 3, through the pipe interior 17. Thus, the exhaust gas completely or virtually completely bypasses the annular channel 6 and the catalyst element 12. The flow of cold fluid through the catalyst element 12 prevents thermal overloading of the catalytic layer 33 of the catalyst element 12 that usually occurs at exhaust gas temperatures of above 850. Therefore, heat can be drawn from the catalytic layer 33 and discharged by the fluid that flows through the catalyst element 12.