Exhaust Gas Heating Unit With Bent Flat Strip Conductor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exhaust gas heating units for internal combustion engines have limited heat transfer capacity and thermal inertia, which hampers the rapid heating of exhaust gas treatment systems like catalytic converters and particle filters, especially during engine startup when temperatures are low.
Innovation Solution
An exhaust gas heating unit constructed from bent flat strip material with a wave-like or meandering structure, providing a large heat transfer surface area, and optionally coated with catalytically active materials, is used to efficiently transfer heat to exhaust gases, reducing pollutant emissions by preheating treatment units before they reach operational temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a jacket heating conductor with wave-like structure and spiral shape is used, then heat transfer surface area is increased, but thermal inertia increases due to additional components (jacket, insulation material)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the jacket and insulation material components from the heating system. The heating conductor element is directly exposed to exhaust gas without requiring a protective jacket or thermal insulation, thereby removing the thermal inertia associated with these additional components while maintaining the wave-like structure for enhanced heat transfer surface area
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of insulating the heating conductor element from exhaust gas as in conventional designs, the patent inverts this approach by directly exposing the heating conductor element to exhaust gas flow. This allows the heating element to transfer heat directly to the exhaust gas without the thermal barrier of insulation material, reducing thermal inertia while maintaining effective heat transfer
2Power
If heating conductor element with large surface area is used, then heat transfer capacity is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heating function and heat transfer surface into a single integrated component - the heating conductor element itself. The wave-like shaped heating conductor element combines the heating function (through electrical resistance heating) and the heat transfer surface (through its extended wave structure) into one component, eliminating the need for separate jackets and insulation materials
Solution Approach 2:
The heating conductor element serves multiple functions simultaneously: it generates heat through electrical resistance, provides the heat transfer surface through its wave-like structure, and directly interfaces with exhaust gas for heat transfer. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate components and reduces overall device complexity
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
The solution enhances heat transfer efficiency, reduces pollutant emissions during engine startup by quickly heating exhaust gas treatment units, and minimizes thermal inertia through a compact, low-flow-resistance design.
Implementation Method 1
heat can be transferred to exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust gas system
Implementation Method 2
the at least one electrically conductive heating conductor element, through which electric current flows
Implementation Method 3
the at least one electrically conductive heating conductor element, through which electric current flows in the heating mode
Implementation Method 4
optionally coated with catalytically active materials, is used to efficiently transfer heat to exhaust gases, reducing pollutant emissions
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure is directed to an exhaust gas heating unit for an exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine. The exhaust gas heating unit includes at least one electrically conductive heating conductor element, wherein the at least one electrically conductive heating conductor element is configured from bent flat strip material. The exhaust gas system conducts exhaust gas defining an exhaust gas primary flow direction (H). The heating conductor element can have a plurality of broad sides arranged to be substantially parallel to the exhaust gas primary flow direction (H) and a plurality of end faces arranged substantially orthogonally to the exhaust gas primary flow direction (H).