Compact mixer with flow diverter
First Claim
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1. A mixer assembly for an exhaust system comprising:
- an outer housing defining a mixer center axis and providing an internal cavity that receives engine exhaust gases;
an inner wall positioned within the internal cavity and spaced radially inward of the outer housing by a first gap;
an injection member having an injection inlet configured to receive injected fluid spray and an injection outlet to direct a mixture of injected fluid spray and exhaust gas into the internal cavity; and
a flow diverter including a flow directing surface spaced radially inward from the inner wall to provide an exhaust gas inlet area, wherein the inner wall defines an inner wall surface that faces the flow directing surface and an outer wall surface that faces the first gap, and wherein the flow directing surface terminates at a distal end that is spaced apart from the inner wall surface to provide an orifice between the distal end and the inner wall surface through which exhaust gas flow accelerates and is directed to flow along the inner wall surface, and wherein flow exiting the orifice is directed toward a surface opposite of the injection outlet.
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Abstract
A mixer assembly for a vehicle exhaust system includes an inner wall surface and a flow diverter with a flow directing surface that is spaced apart from the inner wall surface to provide an exhaust gas inlet area. The flow directing surface terminates at a distal end that is spaced apart from the inner wall surface to provide an orifice between the distal end and the inner wall surface through which exhaust gas flow accelerates and is directed to flow along the inner wall surface. A vehicle exhaust component assembly that includes the mixer and a method for mixing injected fluid spray into the mixer are also disclosed.
10 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A mixer assembly for an exhaust system comprising:
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an outer housing defining a mixer center axis and providing an internal cavity that receives engine exhaust gases; an inner wall positioned within the internal cavity and spaced radially inward of the outer housing by a first gap; an injection member having an injection inlet configured to receive injected fluid spray and an injection outlet to direct a mixture of injected fluid spray and exhaust gas into the internal cavity; and a flow diverter including a flow directing surface spaced radially inward from the inner wall to provide an exhaust gas inlet area, wherein the inner wall defines an inner wall surface that faces the flow directing surface and an outer wall surface that faces the first gap, and wherein the flow directing surface terminates at a distal end that is spaced apart from the inner wall surface to provide an orifice between the distal end and the inner wall surface through which exhaust gas flow accelerates and is directed to flow along the inner wall surface, and wherein flow exiting the orifice is directed toward a surface opposite of the injection outlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A vehicle exhaust component assembly comprising:
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a mixer housing defining an internal cavity and surrounding a mixer center axis, wherein the mixer housing has a first inner wall surface;
an inner wall that is spaced radially inward of the first inner wall surface of the mixer housing and extends at least partially about the mixer center axis, and wherein the inner wall provides a second inner wall surface that faces the mixer center axis;an inlet baffle supported by an upstream end of the mixer housing, wherein the inlet baffle includes a plurality of inlet openings; an outlet baffle supported by a downstream end of the mixer housing, wherein the outlet baffle includes at least one outlet opening; an injection cone positioned between the inlet and outlet baffles, the injection cone having a cone inlet configured to receive injected fluid spray and a cone outlet to direct a mixture of injected fluid spray and exhaust gas into the internal cavity; and a flow diverter including a flow directing surface spaced apart from the second inner wall surface to provide an exhaust gas inlet area that receives exhaust gas from at least one of the inlet openings and which is free from injected fluid spray, and wherein the flow directing surface terminates at a distal end that is spaced apart from the second inner wall surface to provide an orifice between the distal end and the second inner wall surface that accelerates exhaust gas flow through the orifice and directs the exhaust gas flow to flow along the second inner wall surface to mix with the mixture of injected fluid spray and exhaust gas exiting the cone outlet, and wherein flow exiting the orifice is directed toward a surface opposite of the cone outlet. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for mixing an injected fluid spray and exhaust in a mixer comprising the steps of:
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providing a mixer housing defining a mixer center axis and including an internal cavity that receives engine exhaust gases, and providing an inner wall positioned within the internal cavity and spaced radially inward of the mixer housing by a gap, the inner wall having an inner wall surface that faces the mixer center axis; positioning an injection cone in the internal cavity; injecting fluid spray into a cone inlet of the injection cone to mix with exhaust gas prior to exiting a cone outlet; spacing a flow diverter with a flow directing surface apart from the inner wall surface to provide an exhaust gas inlet area; positioning the flow directing surface to terminate at a distal end that is spaced apart from the inner wall surface to provide an orifice between the distal end and the inner wall surface; and accelerating exhaust gas flow through the orifice and directing the exhaust gas flow to flow along the inner wall surface to mix with injected fluid spray and exhaust gas exiting the cone outlet, and wherein flow exiting the orifice is directed toward a surface opposite of the cone outlet. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification