Diesel Particulate Filter Heat Exchanger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Diesel engines' exhaust systems require additional energy to reach the critical temperature for effective operation of after-treatment devices like diesel particulate filters, leading to increased fuel consumption and system complexity.
Innovation Solution
An after-treatment device with a heat exchanger positioned within the housing, featuring concentric passages to direct untreated and treated exhausts, which helps maintain high core temperatures and reduces external heat loss, combined with a heating element to supplement heat when necessary, optimizing energy use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If extra heat is applied to exhaust or after treatment devices to reach critical temperature, then proper functioning of after treatment devices is ensured, but fuel consumption increases and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heat exchanger with the after treatment device housing, integrating thermal management functionality into the existing structure. The heat exchanger is positioned within the housing and surrounds the core, merging two functional elements into a unified assembly that reduces overall system complexity while maintaining reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers waste heat from the treated exhaust and uses it to preheat the incoming untreated exhaust. This converts the harmful waste heat that would otherwise be lost into a beneficial resource that helps maintain critical temperature, reducing the need for additional heating systems and fuel consumption.
2Reliability
If extra heat is applied to exhaust or after treatment devices to reach critical temperature, then proper functioning of after treatment devices is ensured, but fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers thermal energy from the treated exhaust that would otherwise be discarded. The heat exchanger captures this waste heat and transfers it to the incoming exhaust stream, reducing the amount of additional energy required to maintain critical temperature and thereby lowering fuel consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the harmful waste heat into a beneficial resource by using it to preheat incoming exhaust. This reduces the energy gap that must be filled by additional heating, directly lowering fuel consumption while ensuring reliable operation.
3Use of energy by moving object
If heat exchanger is added to recover and utilize heat, then energy expenditure is reduced and fuel consumption is lowered, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is integrated within the after treatment device housing rather than being a separate external component. This merging of functions reduces the number of discrete parts and simplifies installation and maintenance, offsetting the added complexity of the heat recovery functionality itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger serves multiple functions: it recovers waste heat, preheats incoming exhaust, and maintains critical temperature for proper device operation. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by delivering multiple benefits from a single integrated component.
4Temperature
If heat is retained close to core and external heat leakage paths are reduced, then core temperature is maintained and energy efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is nested around the core in a concentric arrangement, with the core positioned centrally within the heat exchanger structure. This nested configuration naturally reduces heat leakage paths and maintains core temperature while using standard manufacturing tolerances for the concentric passages.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces energy expenditure by utilizing recovered heat to maintain core temperatures, lowering fuel consumption and system complexity while ensuring efficient particulate matter removal without increasing backpressure or requiring extensive insulation.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger positioned substantially within the housing and about at least a portion of the core. The heat exchanger includes a first passage substantially surrounding the at least a portion of the core and configured to direct untreated fluid from the inlet toward the core, and a second passage substantially surrounding the at least a portion of the core and configured to direct treated fluid from the core toward the outlet
Data Source
AI summary
An after treatment device includes a housing defining an inlet and an outlet. The after treatment device also includes a core positioned substantially within the housing. The core is configured to treat a fluid. The after treatment device further includes a heat exchanger positioned substantially within the housing and about at least a portion of the core. The heat exchanger includes a first passage substantially surrounding the at least a portion of the core and configured to direct untreated fluid from the inlet toward the core, and a second passage substantially surrounding the at least a portion of the core and configured to direct treated fluid from the core toward the outlet.