Cantilevered Flow Distributing Apparatus

• US 20160376969A1
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: ZHANG, Yanping, YANG, Fulun, ADAMS, William, GOLIN, Michael, OWEN, Daniel J., LU, Meng-Huang
• Granted Patent: US 10,100,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2132 using nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/3141 with additional mixing means other than injector mixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4521 the components being pressed through orifices in elements, e.g. flat plates or cylinders, which obstruct the whole diameter of the tube
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/45211 the elements being cylinders or cones which obstruct the whole diameter of the tube, the flow changing from axial in radial and again in axial
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/0097 the purifying devices are arranged in a single housing
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/20 a flow director or deflector
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2470/04 characterised by shape, disposition or dimensions of apertures
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2470/18 the axis of inlet or outlet tubes being other than the longitudinal axis of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2610/02 the substance being ammonia or urea
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/021 by means of filters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0253 adding fuel to exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/103 Oxidation catalysts for HC and CO only
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/206 Adding periodically or continuously substances to exhaust gases for promoting purification, e.g. catalytic material in liquid form, NOx reducing agents F01N3/2066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2066 Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2892 Exhaust flow directors or the like, e.g. upstream of catalytic device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

An exhaust aftertreatment system may include a housing, an aftertreatment device, and a cantilevered flow distributing element. The housing receives exhaust gas output from an engine and has a main body and an exhaust gas inlet that is angled relative to the main body. The flow distributing element is disposed within the housing upstream of the exhaust aftertreatment device and includes a baffle plate and a collar. The baffle plate is attached to an inner wall of the main body. The collar may include a plurality of first apertures, a downstream axial edge and an upstream axial edge. A portion of the downstream axial edge may abut an upstream-facing surface of the baffle plate. The baffle plate may have a plurality of second apertures extending through the upstream-facing surface. The collar may extend across and partially block at least some of the second apertures.

Claims

1. An exhaust aftertreatment system comprising:

a housing receiving exhaust gas output from a combustion engine and having a main body and an exhaust gas inlet that is angled relative to the main body;

an exhaust aftertreatment device disposed within the main body; and

a cantilevered flow distributing element disposed within the housing upstream of the exhaust aftertreatment device, the flow distributing element including a baffle plate and a collar fixed to the baffle plate, the baffle plate including a radially outer periphery that is attached to an inner circumferential wall of the main body, the collar having a plurality of first apertures, a downstream axial edge and an upstream axial edge opposite the downstream axial edge, at least a portion of the downstream axial edge abuts an upstream- facing surface of the baffle plate, the baffle plate having a plurality of second apertures extending through the upstream-facing surface, the collar extending across and partially blocking at least some of the second apertures.

2. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 1, wherein the downstream axial edge of the collar includes a plurality of attachment zones that are circumferentially spaced apart from each other, wherein the attachment zones are locations at which the downstream axial edge is welded to the baffle plate.

3. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 2, wherein the downstream axial edge includes a plurality of buffer zones, each of the buffer zones including a circumferentially extending segment of the downstream axial edge that abuts the upstream-facing surface and is disposed between and directly adjacent to one of the attachment zones and one of a plurality of open zones, wherein the open zones are circumferentially extending segments of the downstream axial edge that extend across and partially block some of the second apertures.

4. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 3, wherein each of the attachment zones includes a tab that projects into one of a plurality of slots in the baffle plate, and wherein the welds are applied along circumferential lengths of the tabs.

5. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 4, wherein a sum of circumferential lengths of all of the attachment zones is 32%-36% of a total circumference of the downstream axial edge of the collar.

6. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 5, wherein a sum of circumferential lengths of all of the attachment zones and all of the buffer zones is 64%-68% of the total circumference of the downstream axial edge of the collar.

7. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 6, wherein a sum of circumferential lengths of all of the open zones is 32%-38% of the total circumference of the downstream axial edge of the collar.

8. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 1, wherein the upstream-facing surface of the baffle plate extends axially upstream such that central portion of the upstream-facing surface is disposed upstream relative to the radially outer periphery of the baffle plate.

9. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 1, wherein the collar is a tubular member that extends entirely around a longitudinal axis of the baffle plate.

10. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 1, wherein the collar extends circumferentially around only a portion of a longitudinal axis of the baffle plate.

11. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 1, wherein the exhaust aftertreatment device is one of a particulate filter, an oxidation catalyst and a selective catalytic reduction catalyst.

12. An exhaust aftertreatment system comprising:

a housing receiving exhaust gas output from a combustion engine and having a main body and an exhaust gas inlet that is angled relative to the main body, the housing defining an end chamber at an intersection of longitudinal axes of the main body and the inlet;

an exhaust aftertreatment device disposed within the main body downstream of the end chamber; and

a cantilevered flow distributing element disposed within the housing upstream of the exhaust aftertreatment device, the flow distributing element including a baffle plate and a collar fixed to the baffle plate, the collar extending into the end chamber, the baffle plate including a radially outer periphery that is attached to an inner circumferential wall of the main body, the collar having a plurality of first apertures, a downstream axial edge and an upstream axial edge opposite the downstream axial edge, at least a portion of the downstream axial edge abuts an upstream-facing surface of the baffle plate, the baffle plate having a plurality of second apertures extending through the upstream-facing surface, the collar extending across and partially blocking at least some of the second apertures.

13. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 12, wherein the downstream axial edge of the collar includes a plurality of attachment zones that are circumferentially spaced apart from each other, wherein the attachment zones are locations at which the downstream axial edge is welded to the baffle plate, wherein the downstream axial edge includes a plurality of buffer zones, each of the buffer zones including a circumferentially extending segment of the downstream axial edge that abuts the upstream-facing surface and is disposed between and directly adjacent to one of the attachment zones and one of a plurality of open zones, and wherein the open zones are circumferentially extending segments of the downstream axial edge that extend across and partially block some of the second apertures.

14. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 13, wherein each of the attachment zones includes a tab that projects into one of a plurality of slots in the baffle plate, and wherein the welds are applied along circumferential lengths of the tabs.

15. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 14, wherein a sum of circumferential lengths of all of the attachment zones is 32%-36% of a total circumference of the downstream axial edge of the collar.

16. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 15, wherein a sum of circumferential lengths of all of the attachment zones and all of the buffer zones is 64%-68% of the total circumference of the downstream axial edge of the collar.

17. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 16, wherein a sum of circumferential lengths of all of the open zones is 32%-38% of the total circumference of the downstream axial edge of the collar.

18. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 12, wherein the upstream-facing surface of the baffle plate extends axially upstream such that central portion of the upstream-facing surface is disposed upstream relative to the radially outer periphery of the baffle plate.

19. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 12, wherein the collar is a tubular member that extends entirely around the longitudinal axis of the baffle plate.

20. The exhaust aftertreatment system of claim 12, wherein the collar extends circumferentially around only a portion of the longitudinal axis of the baffle plate.