Tapered Reactant Delivery Body for Exhaust Gas Mixing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing reactant delivery arrangements for internal combustion engines struggle to effectively mix reactants with exhaust gases independently of external conditions, leading to inefficient catalytic reactions and reactant deposition.

Innovation Solution

A reactant delivery arrangement featuring a tapered reactant holding volume with a heating device integrated into the body wall, ensuring efficient evaporation and mixing of reactants with exhaust gases, utilizing a funnel-like structure and a heating conductor to maintain consistent reactant vaporization and minimize deposition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a mixer with flow deflection surfaces is used to improve mixing, then mixing effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemixing effectivenessVSAvoidmixer structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the mixing function from a separate mixer component and integrates it into the reactant release body itself. The body wall with its tapered inner wall surface creates turbulence and mixing directly where the reactant is released, eliminating the need for additional flow deflection surfaces and downstream mixers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the reactant release function and the mixing function into a single integrated body structure. The reactant release body simultaneously serves as both the containment vessel and the mixing element, with the tapered inner wall surface providing both structural definition and turbulent mixing action.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If reactant is injected into cold exhaust gas, then reactant delivery is simple, but evaporation and mixing efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereactant delivery simplicityVSAvoidevaporation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary heating action by equipping the reactant release body with a heating device that pre-heats the reactant before it is injected into the exhaust gas. This ensures the reactant is already in a vaporized or pre-vaporized state, guaranteeing efficient evaporation and mixing regardless of the exhaust gas temperature.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If the reactant holding volume is large, then reactant storage capacity is improved, but evaporation efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereactant storage capacityVSAvoidevaporation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a tapered inner wall surface within the reactant holding volume that concentrates heating energy and reactant vaporization at specific locations. The tapering geometry ensures that the reactant film thickness varies locally, optimizing evaporation rates while maintaining adequate storage capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Reliability

If heating is applied to the reactant release body, then evaporation efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveevaporation efficiencyVSAvoidheating energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by designing the heating device to be integrated into the reactant release body structure itself, allowing the system to self-regulate and self-heat without external energy input systems. The heating element is positioned to directly contact or closely approach the reactant holding volume, creating a self-contained thermal management system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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

Ensures reliable reactant evaporation and thorough mixing with exhaust gases, even at low temperatures, enhancing the catalytic reduction process and reducing reactant deposition.

Implementation Method 1

the heating of the body wall delimiting the reactant receiving volume ensures that reactant injected into this volume and impinging on the inner surface of the wall is heated and thereby evaporated

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

a heating device for heating the reactant release body at least in the region of the inner wall surface of the body wall

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 3

exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust gas flow channel around the outer wall surface of the body wall

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 4

a mixer is arranged downstream of the point at which the reactant is introduced, which mixer is intended to bring about turbulence in the exhaust gas flow

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTurbulence: Turbulence

Data Source

PatentEP3321484B1Reaction agent dispensing assembly
Publication Date: 2021.04.07 EBERSPACHER EXHAUST TECH GMBH & CO
  • EP3321484B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3321484B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3321484B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A reaction agent delivery arrangement for delivering reaction agent into the exhaust gas stream of an internal combustion engine comprises: - an exhaust gas guide element (12) providing an exhaust gas flow channel (13) through which exhaust gas can flow in a main exhaust gas flow direction (A), - a reaction agent delivery body (14) with a body wall (16) carried on the exhaust gas guide element (12) extending into the exhaust gas flow channel (13) along a longitudinal axis (K) of the body, wherein a reaction agent receiving volume (20) surrounded by an inner wall surface (32) of the body wall (16) is provided in the reaction agent delivery body (14), and wherein the reaction agent delivery body (14) is open to flow of exhaust gas (G) flowing in the exhaust gas flow channel (13) at an outer wall surface (18) of the body wall (16), wherein the reaction agent receiving volume (20) is open to the exhaust gas flow channel (13) via at least one through-opening (44, 46). is,- a reaction agent delivery unit (22) for delivering reaction agent (M) into the reaction agent receiving volume (20), wherein a heating device (38) for heating the reaction agent delivery body (14) is assigned to the body wall (16) at least in the area of ​​the inner surface (32) of the body wall (16).