Ammonia storage device and exhaust line equipped with such a device

• US 20140075922A1
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Systemes D'Echappement (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Systemes D'Echappement (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Guinehut, Sebastien
• Application Number:
  US14/023,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20140075922A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/282
• CPC Class Codes: C01C 1/006 making use of solid ammonia storage materials, e.g. complex ammine salts
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2610/02 the substance being ammonia or urea
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2610/1406 Storage means for substances, e.g. tanks or reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2066 Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/208 Control of selective catalytic reduction [SCR], e.g. dosing of reducing agent
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/00 Use of gas-solvents or gas-sorbents in vessels absorbing compositions for acetylene C10L3/04; absorbing compositions for hydrogen C01B3/0005
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

An ammonia storage device has an enclosure, a solid material provided to absorb and desorb ammonia, and a heating member that heats the solid material. The storage device also has a metal foam that is positioned in the enclosure and which has open pores. The solid material essentially includes particles of suitable sizes to be housed in the pores.

Claims

1. An ammonia storage device comprising:

an enclosure;

a solid material provided to absorb and desorb ammonia;

a heating member for heating the solid material; and

a metal foam positioned in the enclosure and having open pores, the solid material essentially including particles of suitable sizes to be housed in said pores.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the foam is an aluminum or aluminum alloy metal foam.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the pores have an average diameter comprised between 0.1 and 10 mm.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the particles not charged with ammonia have an average diameter comprised between 50 μ

m and 5 mm.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating member is situated outside the enclosure.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating member comprises a glow plug situated inside the enclosure.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating member comprises two electrodes placed inside the enclosure, and an electrical generator connected to the two electrodes, to circulate an electrical current in the metal foam.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure is rigidly fastened to the metal foam by at least one weld line.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the enclosure is a is a skin integral with the metal foam.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure delimits an inner volume that has a plurality of zones not occupied by the metal foam, and which are separated from each other by zones that are occupied by the metal foam.

11. A vehicle exhaust system comprising:

an exhaust line; and

an ammonia storage device associated with the exhaust line, and wherein the ammonia storage device includes an enclosure, a solid material provided to absorb and desorb ammonia, a heating member for heating the solid material, and a metal foam positioned in the enclosure and having open pores, the solid material essentially including particles of suitable sizes to be housed in said pores.