Sponge-Based Reducing Agent Supply Device for Exhaust Gas Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing devices for supplying reducing agents in automotive exhaust gas treatment systems face challenges such as freezing at low temperatures, additional weight and maintenance effort, and inefficiency in storing and delivering the reducing agent, particularly in varying operational conditions like sloshing movements and changing tank positions.
Innovation Solution
A device with a tank, a delivery device in a separate chamber at the tank bottom, and a sponge element with a cleaning layer that absorbs and filters the reducing agent, ensuring maximum usage and minimizing weight, featuring a sponge element that uses capillary forces to extract the agent and a filter or screen to prevent impurities, with a design that allows for efficient delivery and cleaning under variable conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a large volume of reducing agent is stored in the tank, then the service life is extended, but the device weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a sponge element with porous structure that can absorb and store reducing agent. The porous material allows the system to store liquid reducing agent within the sponge matrix, enabling complete extraction and utilization of the stored agent, thereby extending service life while minimizing residual weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and distribution of reducing agent by using a sponge element that absorbs and holds the liquid through capillary forces. This parameter change enables the delivery device to extract reducing agent completely from the sponge, ensuring maximum utilization and minimizing remaining weight in the tank.
2Productivity
If a delivery device is added to the tank, then the reducing agent can be delivered to the exhaust gas treatment device, but the device weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sponge element serves itself by using capillary forces to draw reducing agent from the tank interior to the delivery device without requiring additional pumping mechanisms. This self-service capability enables delivery functionality while minimizing the weight of the delivery system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical delivery systems (such as pumps) with a capillary action-based system using porous sponge material. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical components, reducing device weight while maintaining effective delivery capability to the exhaust gas treatment device.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the tank is designed to be completely emptied, then the service life is extended, but the delivery device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sponge element's porous structure naturally facilitates complete extraction of reducing agent through its capillary network. The porous material's inherent properties enable the delivery device to extract all stored agent without requiring complex emptying mechanisms, thus extending service life while maintaining simple device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The sponge element automatically delivers reducing agent to the intake opening through capillary forces, enabling the system to empty itself without complex mechanical intervention. This self-service mechanism ensures complete utilization of stored reducing agent while keeping the delivery device simple in design.
4Reliability
If a cleaning layer is added to prevent impurities, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning layer is implemented as a porous filter element that integrates impurity removal functionality into the existing sponge-based delivery system. The porous structure of the cleaning layer allows it to filter impurities while maintaining compatibility with the capillary action mechanism, thus improving reliability without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the cleaning/filtering function with the existing sponge element and delivery mechanism by positioning the cleaning layer within the same capillary action system. This integration allows impurity prevention to be achieved without adding separate complex filtering subsystems, maintaining device simplicity while improving reliability.
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 device enables complete utilization of the reducing agent, reduces weight and maintenance effort, ensures precise operation under changing conditions, and effectively prevents impurities from entering the delivery system, allowing for efficient and economical operation.
Implementation Method 1
an intermediate space, in which there is provided at least one sponge element, which can absorb reducing agent and from which the delivery device can extract reducing agent via the intake
Implementation Method 2
a cleaning layer, which covers the intake
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for supplying liquid reducing agent for an exhaust gas treatment device (6), having at least: a tank (2) with an interior (3), in which reducing agent can be stored, an intake (4) in the interior (3), a delivery device (5), which is situated in a separate chamber (11) in the tank bottom (12) of the tank (2) a line (20) from the delivery device (5) to the exhaust gas treatment device (6), said line passing through the tank bottom (12) at the separate chamber (11), and a cleaning layer (8), which covers the intake (4), wherein an intermediate space (10), in which there is provided at least one sponge element (7), which can absorb reducing agent and from which the delivery device (5) can extract reducing agent via the intake (4), is formed between the intake (4) and the cleaning layer (8).