ASSEMBLY FOR MIXING LIQUID WITHIN GAS FLOW

• US 20130091830A1
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Li, Jianwen, Wang, Chijou, Mital, Rahul, Rodgers, James B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,826,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/295
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2132 using nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4314 with helical baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4315 the baffles being deformed flat pieces of material B01F25/4314 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4316 the baffles being flat pieces of material, e.g. intermeshing, fixed to the wall or fixed on a central rod
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/431972 Mounted on an axial support member, e.g. a rod or bar
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/20 a flow director or deflector
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2892 Exhaust flow directors or the like, e.g. upstream of catalytic device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

An assembly for mixing liquid within a gas flow includes a hollow conduit that is configured for containing a flow of gas and liquid droplets. The assembly also includes multiple spaced blades and an impingement element. Each of the blades is operatively connected to and extends from the impingement element and is connected to an inner wall of the conduit. The impingement element is upstream of the blades in the flow of gas. The impingement element and the blades are configured to create a preferred distribution of the liquid droplets within the gas flow downstream of the blades within the conduit.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a hollow conduit having an inner wall and configured for containing a flow of gas and liquid droplets;

multiple spaced blades;

an impingement element;

wherein each of the blades is operatively connected to and extends from the impingement element and is connected to the inner wall of the conduit;

wherein the impingement element is upstream of the blades in the flow of gas; and

wherein the impingement element and the blades are configured to create a preferred distribution of the liquid droplets within the gas flow downstream of the blades within the conduit.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the blades extends at least partially radially outward from the impingement element within the conduit and has a generally helical shape.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the impingement element has a generally cone-shaped surface facing the flow of gas and tapering radially outward downstream.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the impingement element has a generally central opening creating an axial flow region in the flow of gas that is unobstructed by the blades.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the blades has an inner periphery at which it extends to connect with an adjacent one of the blades and an outer periphery at which it extends to connect with another adjacent one of the blades such that the blades form an endless unit when connected with one another.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the blades are connected with one another at the outer peripheries by welding.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the impingement element and the blades are configured to direct the liquid droplets toward an outer region of the flow of gas within the conduit.

8. A vehicle exhaust liquid mixer assembly comprising:

a hollow conduit having an inner wall and configured for containing a flow of gas and liquid droplets;

multiple spaced blades;

an impingement element having a generally cone-shaped surface facing the direction of the flow of gas and tapering outward downstream, and having a generally central opening to create an axial flow in a center region of the flow of gas that is unobstructed by the blades;

wherein each of the blades is operatively connected to and extends from the impingement element and is connected to the inner wall of the conduit;

wherein the impingement element is upstream of the blades in the flow of gas to thereby deflect the liquid droplets toward an outer region of the flow of gas; and

wherein each of the blades extends at an inner periphery to connect with an adjacent one of the blades and extends at an outer periphery to connect with another adjacent one of the blades.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein each of the blades extends at least partially radially outward from the impingement element within the conduit and has a generally helical shape.

10. A vehicle system comprising:

a hollow conduit having an inner wall and configured for containing a flow of gas with liquid droplets;

a mixer assembly having;

multiple spaced blades;

an impingement element;

wherein each of the blades is operatively connected to and extends from the impingement element and is connected to the inner wall of the conduit;

wherein the impingement element is upstream of the blades in the flow of gas to thereby deflect the liquid droplets and affect the flow of gas within the conduit; and

a vehicle component operatively connected to the conduit downstream of the mixer assembly and operable to process the liquid droplets;

wherein the mixer assembly is configured to create a desired disbursement of the liquid droplets in the flow of gas to the vehicle component.

11. The vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle component is a diesel oxidation catalyst, the liquid droplets are hydrocarbon, and the impingement element and the blades are configured to create a generally axial flow along a center region of the flow of gas within the conduit and a swirling flow along the outer region within the conduit, the mixer assembly thereby improving disbursement of the hydrocarbon to an outer annular region within the diesel oxidation catalyst.

12. The vehicle system of claim 11, further comprising a diesel particulate filter downstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst, wherein a radial temperature gradient in the diesel particulate filter is reduced due to the disbursement of the hydrocarbon within the diesel oxidation catalyst, regeneration efficiency of the diesel particulate filter thereby being improved.

13. The vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle component is a selective catalyst reduction catalyst, the liquid droplets are diesel exhaust fluid, and the mixer assembly improves disbursement of the diesel exhaust fluid within the selective catalyst reduction catalyst.

14. The vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle component is an engine, the liquid droplets are hydrocarbon, and the desired disbursement of the liquid droplets in the flow of gas improves combustion efficiency in the engine.

15. The vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle component is a trap configured to trap oxides of nitrogen during a lean operating mode, the liquid droplets are hydrocarbon, and the mixer assembly improves disbursement of the hydrocarbon within the trap.