Doser and mixer for a vehicle exhaust system

• US 9,266,075 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies USA LLC (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies USA LLC (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: Chapman, Chris, Alano, Eduardo, Nappez, Philippe, Ottaviani, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEON JR, JORGE LUIS
• Application Number:
  US14/431,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20150273411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 602/95, 603/01, 603/10, 603/17, 603/24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/501 Mixing combustion ingredients, e.g. gases, for burners or combustion chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2215/0431 Numerical size values, e.g. diameter of a hole or conduit, area, volume, length, width, or ratios thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2132 using nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/10 Mixing by creating a vortex flow, e.g. by tangential introduction of flow components
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/314 wherein additional components are introduced at the circumference of the conduit
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/3141 with additional mixing means other than injector mixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/31422 with a plurality of perforations in the axial direction only
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/422 between stacked plates, e.g. grooved or perforated plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4314 with helical baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/43141 composed of consecutive sections of helical formed elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/431974 Support members, e.g. tubular collars, with projecting baffles fitted inside the mixing tube or adjacent to the inner wall
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/083 using transversal baffles defining a tortuous path for the gases or successively throttling gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/087 using tangential inlets into a circular chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/088 using vanes arranged on gas flow path or gas flow tubes with tangentially directed apertures
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/009 having two or more separate purifying devices arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/20 a flow director or deflector
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2610/02 the substance being ammonia or urea
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2610/1453 Sprayers or atomisers; Arrangement thereof in the exhaust apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/103 Oxidation catalysts for HC and CO only
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2066 Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2882 : Catalytic reactors combined or associated with other devices, e.g. exhaust silencers or other exhaust purification devices combined with absorbents or adsorbents only F01N3/0814; combined with particulate filters F01N3/035
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A vehicle exhaust system includes a mixer and a doser that sprays a reducing agent into the mixer to be thoroughly mixed with engine exhaust gases prior to introduction of the mixture into a downstream exhaust component. The doser is mounted in a tangential orientation relative to a point defined at an intersection of a doser axis with a theoretical cylinder that surrounds a center axis of the mixer and is defined by a variable radius.

Claims

1. A vehicle exhaust system comprising:

a mixer having an inlet end configured to receive engine exhaust gases and an outlet end configured to conduct engine exhaust gases to a downstream exhaust component, and wherein the mixer defines a center axis extending along a length of the mixer;

wherein the mixer includes an upstream baffle adjacent the inlet end and a downstream baffle adjacent the outlet end, and wherein the upstream baffle includes a plurality of openings with one opening of the plurality of openings being larger than the remaining openings such that a substantial portion of the engine exhaust gases flow through the one opening;

a doser configured to spray a reducing agent into the mixer, wherein the doser is positioned upstream of and adjacent to the one opening, and the doser defining a central doser axis that is tangentially oriented relative to a point defined at an intersection of the doser axis with a theoretical cylinder that surrounds the center axis and is defined by a variable radius; and

wherein the variable radius is defined within a radius range that is defined in relation to a width of the one opening.

2. The vehicle exhaust system according to claim 1 wherein the doser is configured to spray the reducing agent in a direction away from the center of the mixer.

3. The vehicle exhaust system according to claim 2 wherein the mixer has an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface, and wherein the doser is configured to spray the reducing agent toward the inner peripheral surface.

4. The vehicle exhaust system according to claim 1 wherein the central doser axis extends in a direction generally parallel to a line tangential to an outer peripheral surface of the mixer.

5. The vehicle exhaust system according to claim 1 wherein the one opening is defined by an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge spaced radially outwardly of the inner peripheral edge, and wherein the central doser axis is closer to the outer peripheral edge than the inner peripheral edge.

6. A vehicle exhaust system comprising:

a first exhaust component having an inlet to receive engine exhaust gases;

a second exhaust component positioned downstream of the first exhaust component;

a mixer positioned downstream of the first exhaust component and upstream of the second exhaust component, the mixer having an inlet end configured to receive engine exhaust gases exiting the first exhaust component and an outlet end to direct swirling engine exhaust gas to the second exhaust component, the mixer having an upstream baffle adjacent the inlet end and a downstream baffle adjacent the downstream end, the upstream baffle including a baffle opening through which a majority of the engine exhaust gases flow into the mixer, and wherein the mixer provides a theoretical cylinder defined by a variable radius extending outwardly from a center axis of the mixer, and wherein the variable radius is defined within a radius range that is defined in relation to a width of the baffle opening; and

a doser that sprays a reducing agent into the mixer, the doser being mounted to an outer peripheral surface of the mixer downstream of the baffle opening, and wherein the doser defines a central doser axis that is tangentially oriented relative to a point defined at an intersection of the doser axis with the theoretical cylinder.

7. The vehicle exhaust system according to claim 6 wherein the upstream baffle includes a plurality of openings with the baffle opening comprising one of the plurality of openings that is larger than the other openings.

8. The vehicle exhaust system according to claim 7 wherein the baffle opening is defined by an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge spaced radially outwardly of the inner peripheral edge, and wherein the central doser axis extends in a direction generally parallel to a line tangential to the outer peripheral surface of the mixer.

9. The vehicle exhaust system according to claim 7 wherein the one opening is defined by an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge spaced radially outwardly of the inner peripheral edge, and wherein the central doser axis is closer to the outer peripheral edge than the inner peripheral edge.