Method For Producing A Honeycomb Body

Abstract

A method for producing a honeycomb body having a housing and a honeycomb structure with a multiplicity of channels includes: providing a smooth metal sheet, forming a structure into regions of the smooth metal sheet, the structure in one longitudinal portion is formed differently than a structure in a second longitudinal portion of the metal sheet, forming the honeycomb structure by arranging and winding the structured metal sheet, such that a first cell density in an inner radial zone is increased in relation to a second cell density in an outer radial zone, inserting the honeycomb structure into the housing and, connecting the honeycomb structure to the housing.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A method for producing a honeycomb body for exhaust-gas aftertreatment, comprising: providing at least one smooth metal sheet; forming structures into at least partial regions of the at least one smooth metal sheet, wherein a first structure in at least one first longitudinal portion of the metal sheet is formed differently than a second structure in at least one second longitudinal portion of the metal sheet; forming a honeycomb structure with a multiplicity of channels by arranging and winding the at least one partially structured metal sheet, wherein the metal sheet is arranged and wound such that a cross section of the honeycomb structure has a first cell density in an inner radial zone that is increased in relation to a second cell density in an outer radial zone; inserting the honeycomb structure into a housing; and connecting the honeycomb structure to the housing.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the forming of the structures comprises: forming a primary structure in the at least one first longitudinal portion and in the at least one second longitudinal portion of the metal sheet; and forming a secondary structure in the at least one first longitudinal portion of the metal sheet.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the forming of the structures comprises: forming a primary structure in the at least one first longitudinal portion and in the at least one second longitudinal portion of the metal sheet; and varying the formed primary structure in at least the at least one first longitudinal portion or the at least one second longitudinal portion, wherein a primary width of the primary structure is at least reduced in the at least one first longitudinal portion or increased in the at least one second longitudinal portion.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the forming of the structures comprises: forming a primary structure with a first primary structure height in the at least one first longitudinal portion of the metal sheet; and forming the primary structure with a second primary structure height in the at least one second longitudinal portion of the metal sheet, wherein the second primary structure height is greater than the first primary structure height.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein, the structures are formed into the metal sheet such that, as viewed in a longitudinal direction of the metal sheet, the first longitudinal portion and the second longitudinal portion are arranged in series.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one smooth metal sheet is provided as a smooth sheet-metal strip.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the structures are formed into the smooth sheet-metal strip such that multiple first longitudinal portions and second longitudinal portions repeatedly alternate along a longitudinal direction of the sheet-metal strip.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein, the structures are formed into the smooth sheet-metal strip such that the at least one first longitudinal portion and the at least one second longitudinal portion are arranged in each case at a predetermined longitudinal position in a longitudinal direction of the sheet-metal strip, and each extend over a predetermined length.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein cutting of the sheet-metal strip is performed prior to formation of the honeycomb structure.

20. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one at least partially structured metal sheet is arranged and wound such that the at least one first longitudinal portion is arranged in the inner radial zone and the at least one second longitudinal portion is arranged in the outer radial zone.

21. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein, the structures are formed into the smooth sheet-metal strip such that the at least one first longitudinal portion and the at least one second longitudinal portion are arranged in each case at a predetermined longitudinal position in a longitudinal direction of the sheet-metal strip, and each extend over a predetermined length.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] The invention and the technical field will be explained in more detail below on the basis of the figures. It is pointed out that the invention is not to be restricted by the exemplary embodiments presented. In particular, unless explicitly indicated otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the substantive matter explained in the figures and combine these with other constituents and/or knowledge from other figures and/or from the present description. In the figures, in each case schematically:

[0054] FIG. 1 is a cross section through a honeycomb body produced in accordance with a method described here;

[0055] FIG. 2 is a cross section through a metal sheet into which a structure has been formed;

[0056] FIG. 3 is a cross section through a further metal sheet into which a structure has been formed; and

[0057] FIG. 4 is a cross section through a further metal sheet into which a structure has been formed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0058] FIG. 1 schematically shows a cross section through a honeycomb body 1 for exhaust-gas aftertreatment produced in accordance with a method described here. The honeycomb body 1 has a housing 2 and a honeycomb structure 3 with a multiplicity of channels 4. It is illustrated in FIG. 1 that a cross section 7 of the honeycomb structure 3 has radial zones 8, 9, which are of different design. Here, a first cell density 12 in an inner radial zone 8 is increased in relation to a second cell density 13 in an outer radial zone 9.

[0059] FIG. 2 schematically shows a cross section through a metal sheet 5 into which a structure 6 has been formed. As per the illustration in FIG. 2, the structure 6 in a first longitudinal portion 10 of the metal sheet 5 has been formed differently to the structure 6 in two second longitudinal portions 11 of the metal sheet 5. For this purpose, a primary structure 14 has been formed in the first longitudinal portion 10 and in the second longitudinal portions 11 of the metal sheet 5. Furthermore, a secondary structure 15 has been formed only in the first longitudinal portion 10 of the metal sheet 5. It can be seen in FIG. 2 that the secondary structure 15 in the first longitudinal portion 10 has the local primary structure 14 superimposed thereon. As per the illustration in FIG. 2, the secondary structure 15 has the effect that the cell density is virtually doubled in the first longitudinal portion 10.

[0060] It is also shown in FIG. 2 that the structure 6 has been formed into the metal sheet 5 such that, as viewed in a longitudinal direction 19 of the metal sheet 5, a second longitudinal portion 11, a first longitudinal portion 10 and a second longitudinal portion 11 are arranged (directly) in series. Furthermore, the structure 6 has been formed in such that the first longitudinal portion 10 and the second longitudinal portions 11 are arranged in each case at a predetermined longitudinal position 20 in a longitudinal direction 19 and each extend over a predetermined length 21.

[0061] FIG. 3 schematically shows a cross section through a further metal sheet 5 into which a structure 6 has been formed. The structure 6 in a first longitudinal portion 10 of the metal sheet 5 has been formed differently to the structure 6 in two second longitudinal portions 11 of the metal sheet 5. For this purpose, a primary structure 14 has been formed in the first longitudinal portion 10 and in the second longitudinal portions 11 of the metal sheet 5. The primary structure 14 formed in the first longitudinal portion 10 has been altered or deformed such that a primary structure width 16 of the primary structure 14 in the first longitudinal portion 10 has been reduced in relation to the primary structure width 16 of the primary structure 14 in the second longitudinal portions 11. The alteration or deformation illustrated in FIG. 3 of the primary structure width 16 of the primary structure 14 in the first longitudinal portion 10 is also referred to as gathering.

[0062] FIG. 4 schematically shows a cross section through a further metal sheet 5 into which a structure 6 has been formed. The structure 6 in a first longitudinal portion 10 of the metal sheet 5 has been formed differently to the structure 6 in two second longitudinal portions 11 of the metal sheet 5. For this purpose, a primary structure 14 with a first primary structure height 17 has been formed in the first longitudinal portion 10 of the metal sheet 5 and a primary structure 14 with a second primary structure height 18 has been formed in the second longitudinal portions 11. Here, the second primary structure height 18 is greater than the first primary structure height 17.

[0063] If multiple metal sheets 5, which are each designed in accordance with the design variant as per FIG. 2, FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, are arranged one above the other or so as to form a stack and wound, for example in S-shaped fashion to form a honeycomb structure 3 as shown in the cross section in FIG. 1, then the first longitudinal portion 10 of each metal sheet 5 is arranged preferably only in the inner radial zone 8 and the second longitudinal portions 11 are arranged preferably only in the outer radial zone 9 of the honeycomb structure 3. Such an arrangement and winding of the metal sheets 5 each designed in accordance with the design variant as per FIG. 2, FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 has the effect that the first cell density 12 in the inner radial zone 8 is greater than the second cell density 13 in the outer radial zone 9. Owing to the increased cell density, the inner radial zone 8 has a greater flow resistance, such that a possibly non-uniform exhaust-gas flow incident on the honeycomb structure 3 is more inclined to flow through the outer radial zone 9. It is thus possible to achieve a more uniform throughflow of the honeycomb structure 3, which generally contributes to more efficient utilization of the possibly provided catalytic and/or separation function of the honeycomb structure 3.

[0064] Here, a method for producing a honeycomb body for exhaust-gas aftertreatment is specified which at least partially solves the problems highlighted with regard to the prior art. In particular, the method permits the production of a honeycomb body which, in particular even in adverse installation situations in an exhaust system, permits the most uniform possible, or more uniform, throughflow of the honeycomb body. The method can furthermore be implemented in the most simple and inexpensive manner possible.

[0065] Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.