Exhaust Gas Reactant Heat Exchanger for Urea Superheating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exhaust systems for internal combustion engines require significant electrical energy to heat reactants like urea/water solutions for effective nitrogen oxide reduction, increasing the load on the on-board electrical system.
Innovation Solution
An exhaust system that utilizes an exhaust gas/reactant heat exchanger to transfer heat from combustion waste gases to the reactant, eliminating the need for additional electricity to superheat the reactant, with optional electric heating for supplementary preheating and pressure regulation to prevent evaporation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If an electrically operable heater is used to superheat the reactant, then the reactant can be brought into a superheated state for effective mixing with exhaust gas, but the electrical energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful waste heat from exhaust gas into a beneficial resource for heating the reactant. The exhaust gas, which would otherwise be discarded, is used as a heat source in a heat exchanger to superheat the reactant, eliminating the need for electrical heating and converting a waste product into a useful energy source.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own exhaust gas to heat the reactant, creating a self-sufficient thermal management system. The exhaust gas that is already present in the system serves dual purposes: it is both the medium to be treated and the heat source for preparing the reactant, reducing external energy requirements.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the reactant is superheated to improve mixing with exhaust gas, then the mixing quality improves, but the load on the on-board electrical system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the waste heat from exhaust gas into the energy source required for reactant superheating. This eliminates the need for electrical heating elements and associated power consumption, while still achieving the necessary temperature increase for optimal reactant-exhaust gas mixing and nitrogen oxide reduction.
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 solution reduces the electrical load by leveraging waste heat from the engine, ensuring efficient reactant superheating and mixing with exhaust gases without compromising the exhaust gas flow, thereby enhancing the nitrogen oxide reduction process while minimizing energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
the heating unit comprises an exhaust gas/reactant heat exchanger unit for transferring heat being transported in the exhaust gas to the reactant
Implementation Method 2
this urea/water mixture decompresses spontaneously, so that this mixture with partially evaporate, on the one hand, and very fine liquid particles will be generated, on the other hand
Data Source
AI summary
An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine, especially for a vehicle, includes an exhaust gas-carrying pipe (12) and a reactant release unit (14) for releasing reactant (R) into exhaust gas (A) flowing in the exhaust gas-carrying pipe (12). The reactant release unit (14) includes a reactant injection unit (20), a reactant delivery unit (18) delivering reactant (R) from a reactant reservoir to the reactant injection unit (20) and a heating unit (24) for heating reactant (R) being delivered to the reactant injection unit (20). The heating unit (24) includes an exhaust gas/reactant heat exchanger unit (26) for transferring heat, being transported in the exhaust gas (A), to the reactant (R).