An exhaust system actively protecting a vehicle from heat damage and a vehicle

Abstract

This invention provides an exhaust system and vehicle for active protection against thermal damage to the entire vehicle. The exhaust system includes a front exhaust section, a middle exhaust section corresponding to the battery assembly, a rear exhaust section, and a control component. One end of the front exhaust section forms a connection end for connection to the engine, and the other end is connected to the middle exhaust section. One end of the rear exhaust section forms a gas exhaust end, and the other end is connected to the middle exhaust section. The middle exhaust section is coated with an electro-phase change layer. The control component is electrically connected to the electro-phase change layer to drive the electro-phase change layer to controllably change its heat exchange coefficient. In this invention, by controlling the electro-phase change layer and changing its heat exchange coefficient, the heat exchange coefficient is changed, thereby regulating its external heat radiation and forming active thermal management, thus protecting its surrounding components and extending their service life.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive technology, and more particularly to an exhaust system and vehicle that actively protects against thermal damage to the entire vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Since the late 1920s, the popularity of new energy vehicles in my country has been increasing year by year. At the same time, the trend of increasing battery capacity is inevitable. Larger batteries will inevitably lead to a more compact chassis layout. A compact space will not only reduce the airflow of the chassis, but also increase the risk of heat damage to various heat-prone components.

[0003] Currently, conventional technologies employ three solutions: adding a heat shield to the exhaust pipe, adding a heat shield to the vehicle body, or adding heat shields to both the exhaust and vehicle body ends simultaneously. The choice of solution depends on the overall vehicle's thermal field and boundaries. For example, patent WO2017165589A1 provides a vehicle exhaust system component including a heat shield assembly with an encapsulated cavity. This component includes a heat shield and a mounting structure for attaching the heat shield to the outer shell of the exhaust component. The mounting structure includes a main heat shield located between the outer surface of the outer shell and the inner surface of the heat shield. The main heat shield includes a material sheet with at least one encapsulated heat shield cavity and at least one secondary heat shield positioned adjacent to the main heat shield. It can be seen that the above solutions employ a traditional heat insulation arrangement, adding a complex heat insulation system to the surface of the exhaust system to effectively reduce most of the heat radiation from the heat source surface area.

[0004] The above-mentioned technology has the following problems: the above-mentioned solution has a complex installation structure and high manufacturing cost. At the same time, it is greatly affected by the layout of the vehicle boundary. Since the heat insulation component will encroach on the layout space of other components, more seriously, some components need to be redesigned and manufactured, which greatly increases the overall cost. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, it is necessary to provide an exhaust system and vehicle that actively protects against thermal damage to the entire vehicle, and can solve the above problems.

[0006] This invention provides an exhaust system that actively protects against heat damage to the entire vehicle, comprising: The exhaust front section has a connection end that connects to the engine. The rear section of the exhaust system has a gas discharge end at one end. The exhaust mid-section, corresponding to the battery assembly, has its two ends connected to the other ends of the exhaust front section and the exhaust rear section, respectively. The exhaust mid-section is coated with an electro-phase change layer. A control component, which is electrically connected to the electro-phase change layer, to drive the electro-phase change layer to controllably change its heat exchange coefficient.

[0007] In other embodiments, the exhaust middle section includes a connecting pipe, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the exhaust front section and the exhaust rear section, and the inner wall of the connecting pipe is coated with the electro-phase change layer.

[0008] In other embodiments, the electro-phase change layer is made of a high-temperature electro-phase change material.

[0009] In other embodiments, the high-temperature electro-phase change material is a combination of boron carbide, a metal alloy, and silicon nitride.

[0010] In other embodiments, the exhaust front section includes a catalytic converter assembly and a bellows. One end of the catalytic converter assembly forms a connection end for connecting to the engine, and the other end is connected to one end of the bellows. The other end of the bellows is connected to the exhaust middle section.

[0011] In other embodiments, the exhaust rear section includes a muffler, one end of which is connected to the exhaust middle section and the other end of which is connected to the exhaust tailpipe.

[0012] In other embodiments, the control component includes a power supply unit, a control unit, and a connecting electrode. The power supply unit is electrically connected to the control unit, the control unit is electrically connected to the connecting electrode, and the connecting electrode is disposed inside the connecting tube and electrically connected to the electro-phase change layer.

[0013] In other embodiments, a temperature sensor is also included, which is disposed on the exhaust tail section and the battery assembly and electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit is used to detect the temperature in the exhaust tail section 3 and send the detection result to the control unit.

[0014] In other embodiments, the bellows is a flexible metal tube.

[0015] This solution also provides a vehicle including a body and a drive assembly, the drive assembly being disposed on the body, the drive assembly including an engine, an exhaust assembly as described in any of the above claims, and a battery assembly, the exhaust mid-section being disposed corresponding to the battery assembly.

[0016] The present invention also provides a vehicle comprising a body and a drive assembly, the drive assembly being disposed on the body, the body comprising at least, along its length, an exhaust system for active protection against vehicle heat damage as described above and an occupant compartment, the exhaust system for active protection against vehicle heat damage being disposed at the front end of the occupant compartment and connected to the occupant compartment.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention provides an exhaust system and vehicle for active protection against thermal damage to the entire vehicle, including an exhaust front section, an exhaust middle section corresponding to the battery assembly, an exhaust rear section, and a control component. One end of the exhaust front section forms a connection end for connection to the engine, and the other end is connected to the exhaust middle section. One end of the exhaust rear section forms a gas exhaust end, and the other end is connected to the exhaust middle section. An electro-phase change layer is coated inside the exhaust middle section. The control component is electrically connected to the electro-phase change layer to drive the electro-phase change layer to controllably change its heat exchange coefficient. In this invention, by controlling the electro-phase change layer and changing its heat exchange coefficient, the heat exchange coefficient is changed, thereby regulating its external heat radiation and forming active thermal management, thus protecting its surrounding components and extending the service life of the surrounding components. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This invention provides a schematic diagram of the structure of an exhaust system for actively protecting the vehicle from thermal damage, as shown in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the connecting pipe; Figure 3 The circuit schematic for the control components; Wherein: 1-exhaust front section, 11-catalytic converter assembly, 12-bellows, 2-exhaust middle section, 21-electro-induced phase change layer, 22-connecting pipe, 3-exhaust rear section, 31-muffler, 4-control components, 41-power supply unit, 42-control unit, 43-connecting electrode, 44-temperature sensor, 5-powertrain. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this application and are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to illustrate the principles of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0021] This application provides a vehicle. It should be noted that the vehicle in this application can refer to large automobiles, small automobiles, special-purpose vehicles, trams, trolleybuses, or electric vehicles, etc., and this application does not limit it. For example, according to vehicle type, the vehicle in this application can be a sedan, an off-road vehicle, a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), or other types of vehicles.

[0022] For a vehicle, it includes a body and a drive system. The drive system is located on the body and is used to drive the vehicle forward. The body generally includes the front engine compartment, passenger compartment and rear engine compartment in sequence along the length direction.

[0023] For hybrid vehicles, the drive system includes a fuel component and an electric drive component. The fuel component includes an engine and an exhaust system. The engine burns fuel to generate power output, and the exhaust system is connected to the engine to guide the gases produced by the combustion of fuel in the engine out. The electric drive component includes a battery pack, which stores electrical energy to drive the vehicle.

[0024] Generally, the engine and other components are located in the front engine compartment, the battery pack is placed at the bottom of the passenger compartment, and the exhaust assembly is connected to the engine at one end, passes through the passenger compartment, and extends to the rear engine compartment, guiding the gases produced by the engine combustion to the rear of the vehicle for exhaust. The exhaust assembly inevitably passes through the location of the battery pack, and the high-temperature gases within the exhaust assembly will inevitably affect the battery pack. However, in related technologies, vehicle heat insulation treatment involves complex installation structures and high manufacturing costs.

[0025] The vehicle in this embodiment includes a body and a drive assembly. The body includes a front engine compartment, a passenger compartment, and a rear engine compartment. The drive assembly includes an engine, an exhaust system, and a battery assembly. The portion of the exhaust system passing through the battery assembly has a switchable thermal conductivity, allowing the exhaust system to adjust its heat radiation to surrounding systems under different operating conditions to meet the vehicle's thermal management requirements. Compared to existing technologies, this solution eliminates the complex body-side heat shields and pipe heat shields in the exhaust system, significantly reducing the weight of the exhaust system and saving space in the vehicle body, thus substantially reducing manufacturing costs.

[0026] Please see Figures 1-3An embodiment of the present invention provides an exhaust system for actively protecting the vehicle from thermal damage, comprising: an exhaust front section 1, an exhaust middle section 2 corresponding to a battery assembly 5, an exhaust rear section 3, and a control component 4. One end of the exhaust front section 1 forms a connection end connected to the engine, and the other end is connected to the exhaust middle section 2. One end of the exhaust rear section 3 forms a gas discharge end, and the other end is connected to the exhaust middle section 2. An electro-phase change layer 21 is coated inside the exhaust middle section 2. The control component 4 is electrically connected to the electro-phase change layer to drive the electro-phase change layer 21 to controllably change its heat exchange coefficient.

[0027] Specifically, the exhaust front section 1 includes a catalytic converter assembly 11 and a bellows 12. One end of the catalytic converter assembly 11 forms a connection end for connecting to the engine, and the other end is connected to one end of the bellows 12. The other end of the bellows 12 is connected to the exhaust middle section 2.

[0028] The catalytic converter assembly 11 is a core external purification device in the automotive exhaust system. Generally, it is installed after the exhaust manifold and before the muffler. Gasoline vehicles typically use a three-way catalytic converter (TWC), while diesel vehicles generally use a direct oxidation catalytic converter (DOC) + particulate filter (DPF). China VI gasoline vehicles often integrate a TWC + GPF. Its core function is to use precious metals for catalysis at high temperatures to remove CO, HC, and NO. X It is converted into CO2, H2O, and N2; GPF / DPF filters particulate matter.

[0029] The corrugated pipe 12 is a metal flexible hose. When the engine is running, the corrugated pipe 12 can absorb the vibration and prevent the force from being directly transmitted to the exhaust pipe, hanger, and body. When the engine starts, accelerates, or expands and contracts due to heat, it will move back and forth or up and down. The corrugated pipe can expand, contract, and bend, which can achieve a certain displacement compensation. In addition, the corrugated pipe 12 can also reduce exhaust resonance and ensure that the exhaust is sealed without air leakage or noise leakage.

[0030] Specifically, the exhaust middle section 2 includes a connecting pipe 22, the two ends of which are connected to the exhaust front section 1 and the exhaust rear section 3, respectively. The inner wall of the connecting pipe 22 is provided with the electro-phase change layer 21. The controller drives the electro-phase change layer to undergo a phase change, thereby changing the thermal conductivity of the electro-phase change layer 21.

[0031] Furthermore, the electro-phase change layer 21 is made of a high-temperature electro-phase change material. In this embodiment, the high-temperature electro-phase change material is a combination of boron carbide (B4C) + metal alloy (AL-Si) + silicon nitride (Si3N4), and the heat exchange coefficient of this material in the energized state ranges from 5 to 10 (W / m). Between k), the heat exchange coefficient is 40-80 (W / (m²)) under power-off conditions. The data between the two are more than 8 times, and the long-term high temperature resistance limit of the synthetic material is about 800℃, which can meet the high temperature environment working conditions of the exhaust system.

[0032] This high-temperature electro-phase change material is commonly used in vehicle exhaust systems and battery packs in high-temperature environments. It can be formed using conventional processes such as alloy and ceramic particle mixing, making it suitable for mass production.

[0033] When the high-temperature electro-induced phase change material is energized, when the voltage reaches the working value of the high-temperature phase change material, the material changes to a free state, and the physical thermal conductivity is greatly reduced; while when the power is off, the high-voltage phase change material is in a crystalline state without voltage passing through it, and the physical thermal conductivity of the material is greatly increased at this time.

[0034] In some other embodiments, ceramic-based electroosmotic materials or carbon-ceramic electrostrictive materials may also be used; the matrix material of the ceramic-based electroosmotic material is aluminum nitride + carbon nanotubes + molten salt electrolyte; its heat exchange coefficient under energized conditions ranges from 3 to 8 (W / m). Between k), the heat exchange coefficient is 25-40 (W / (m²)) under power-off conditions. The temperature resistance ranges from 2 to 700 degrees Celsius; while the matrix material of the carbon-ceramic electrostrictive material is silicon carbide fiber + barium titanate ceramic + graphite; its heat exchange coefficient under energized conditions ranges from 2 to 6 (W / m). Between k), the heat exchange coefficient is 15-30 (W / (m²)) under power-off conditions. Between k) and ), the upper limit of the temperature resistance is 650 degrees Celsius.

[0035] All three materials mentioned above can achieve variations in thermal conductivity, allowing users to choose according to their needs.

[0036] Furthermore, the exhaust rear section 3 includes a muffler 31, one end of which is connected to the exhaust middle section 2, and the other end is connected to the exhaust tailpipe.

[0037] The muffler 31 is a device installed at the rear end of the engine exhaust pipe to reduce exhaust noise and smooth exhaust airflow. The muffler 31 can significantly reduce the explosive exhaust sound pressure of the engine, allow the exhaust gas to be discharged smoothly, reduce airflow impact and resonance, control exhaust resistance, not affect engine power, and reduce exhaust temperature to protect rear components.

[0038] The control component 4 includes a power supply unit 41, a control unit 42, and a connecting electrode 43. The power supply unit 41 is electrically connected to the control unit 42, and the control unit 42 is electrically connected to the connecting electrode 43. The connecting electrode 43 is disposed inside the connecting tube 22 and is electrically connected to the electro-phase change layer 21. In use, the power supply unit 41 supplies power to the control unit 42, and the control unit 42 can choose whether to supply power to the connecting electrode 43 as needed.

[0039] The control component 4 also includes a temperature sensor 44, which is located on the exhaust rear section 3 and the battery assembly and is electrically connected to the control unit 42. The control unit 42 is used to detect the temperature in the exhaust rear section 3 and send the detection result to the control unit 42.

[0040] To better understand the present invention, the working principle of an exhaust system for actively protecting a vehicle from heat damage will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings: 1. When the vehicle load is high, such as during high-speed or medium-speed uphill climbing, the exhaust gas temperature and flow rate of the exhaust system are high, which causes severe heat radiation to the chassis and surrounding components. When the temperature sensor 44 detects that the air temperature at the surface of the battery pack exceeds a certain temperature (e.g., 85°C), the control unit 42 controls the low-voltage power supply control switch to close, so that the low-voltage circuit on the exhaust pipe is in a conducting state. When the voltage reaches the working value of the electro-phase change layer 21, the material changes to a free state, and the physical thermal conductivity is greatly reduced. This can isolate a portion of the exhaust gas heat energy in the exhaust pipe from being transferred to the environment through thermal radiation, thus achieving the effect of heat insulation. 2. When the vehicle load is low, such as during idling or medium-high cruising, the exhaust gas temperature and flow rate are low, resulting in minimal heat radiation to the chassis and surrounding components. When the temperature sensor 44 detects that the air temperature at the surface of the battery pack is below a certain threshold temperature (e.g., 85°C), the control unit 42 controls the low-voltage power supply switch to disconnect, thus de-energizing the low-voltage circuit on the exhaust pipe. With no current flowing through the electro-phase change layer 21, it remains in a crystalline state, significantly increasing its thermal conductivity. At this point, the heat radiation from the exhaust system to surrounding components has not reached a critical state, allowing the vehicle to operate under normal conditions.

[0041] The two states described above are changed by switching the voltage on and off of the electro-phase change layer 21, causing the material to change between a free state and a crystalline state. This alters the heat exchange coefficient between the exhaust mid-section 2 and the environmentally hot components, thereby protecting the components from aging by hot air when appropriate and achieving a controllable active protection function.

[0042] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention provides an exhaust system and vehicle for active protection against thermal damage to the entire vehicle, including an exhaust front section, an exhaust middle section corresponding to the battery assembly, an exhaust rear section, and a control component. One end of the exhaust front section forms a connection end for connection to the engine, and the other end is connected to the exhaust middle section. One end of the exhaust rear section forms a gas exhaust end, and the other end is connected to the exhaust middle section. An electro-phase change layer is coated inside the exhaust middle section. The control component is electrically connected to the electro-phase change layer to drive the electro-phase change layer to controllably change its heat exchange coefficient. In this invention, by controlling the electro-phase change layer and changing its heat exchange coefficient, the heat exchange coefficient is changed, thereby regulating its external heat radiation and forming active thermal management, thus protecting its surrounding components and extending the service life of the surrounding components.

[0043] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper" and "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the module or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] It should be noted that in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0045] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An exhaust system that actively protects a vehicle from thermal damage, characterized in that, include: The exhaust front section has a connection end that connects to the engine. The rear section of the exhaust system has a gas discharge end at one end. The exhaust mid-section, corresponding to the battery assembly, has its two ends connected to the other ends of the exhaust front section and the exhaust rear section, respectively. The exhaust mid-section is coated with an electro-phase change layer. A control component, which is electrically connected to the electro-phase change layer, to drive the electro-phase change layer to controllably change its heat exchange coefficient.

2. The exhaust system for actively protecting the vehicle from thermal damage as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The exhaust section includes a connecting pipe, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the exhaust front section and the exhaust rear section, and the inner wall of the connecting pipe is coated with the electro-phase change layer.

3. The exhaust system for actively protecting the entire vehicle from thermal damage as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The electro-phase change layer is made of a high-temperature electro-phase change material.

4. The exhaust system for actively protecting the vehicle from thermal damage as described in claim 3, characterized in that, High-temperature electro-induced phase change materials are combinations of boron carbide, metal alloys, and silicon nitride.

5. The exhaust system for actively protecting the entire vehicle from thermal damage as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The exhaust front section includes a catalytic converter assembly and a bellows. One end of the catalytic converter assembly forms a connection end for connecting to the engine, and the other end is connected to one end of the bellows. The other end of the bellows is connected to the exhaust middle section.

6. The exhaust system for actively protecting the entire vehicle from thermal damage as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The exhaust rear section includes a muffler, one end of which is connected to the exhaust middle section and the other end of which is connected to the exhaust tailpipe.

7. The exhaust system for actively protecting the entire vehicle from thermal damage as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The control component includes a power supply unit, a control unit, and a connecting electrode. The power supply unit is electrically connected to the control unit, and the control unit is electrically connected to the connecting electrode. The connecting electrode is disposed inside the connecting tube and is electrically connected to the electro-phase change layer.

8. The exhaust system for actively protecting the entire vehicle from thermal damage as described in claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a temperature sensor, which is located on the exhaust rear section and the battery assembly and is electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit is used to detect the temperature in the exhaust rear section 3 and send the detection result to the control unit.

9. The exhaust system for actively protecting the entire vehicle from thermal damage as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The corrugated pipe is a flexible metal tube.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes a body and a drive assembly, the drive assembly being disposed on the body, the drive assembly including an engine, an exhaust assembly as described in any one of claims 1-9, and a battery assembly, wherein the exhaust mid-section is disposed corresponding to the battery assembly.

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