Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to exhaust treatment systems for internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to exhaust treatment systems capable of fully mixing and vaporizing injected fluids into the exhaust gas flow for improved performance thereof.
Manufacturers of internal combustion engines must satisfy customer demands while meeting various government regulations for reduced emissions and improved fuel economy. One example of a way to improve fuel economy is to operate an engine at an air/fuel ratio that is lean (an excess of oxygen) of stoichiometry. Examples of such lean-burn engines include compression ignition engines (diesel) and lean-burn spark-ignition engines. However, while lean burn engines may have improved fuel economy, the exhaust gas emitted from such an engine, particularly a diesel engine, may be a heterogeneous mixture that includes gaseous emissions such as carbon monoxide (“CO”), unburned hydrocarbons (“HC”) and oxides of nitrogen (“NOx”) as well as condensed phase materials (liquids and solids) that constitute particulate matter (“PM”). Catalyst compositions typically disposed on catalyst supports or substrates are provided in various exhaust system devices to convert certain, or all of these exhaust constituents into non-regulated exhaust gas components.
An exhaust treatment technology in use for high levels of particulate matter reduction, particularly in diesel engines, is the Diesel Particulate Filter (“DPF”) device. There are several known filter structures used in DPF devices that have displayed effectiveness in removing the particulate matter from engine exhaust gas such as ceramic honeycomb wall flow filters, wound or packed fiber filters, open cell foam filters, sintered metal foams, etc. Ceramic wall flow filters have experienced significant acceptance in automotive applications.
The filter is a structure for removing particulates from the exhaust gas and, as a result, the accumulation of filtered particulate matter will eventually have the effect of increasing the exhaust system backpressure experienced by the engine. Such increase in backpressure will eventually have a negative impact on engine performance and fuel economy. To address exhaust system backpressure increases caused by the accumulation of particulate matter, the DPF device is periodically cleaned, or regenerated. Regeneration of a DPF device in vehicular applications is typically automatic and is carried out by an engine or other controller based on signals received by engine and exhaust system sensors. The regeneration event typically involves raising the temperature of the DPF device to levels that are often above 600 C in order to burn the accumulated particulates thereby cleaning the DPF device.
One method of generating the temperatures required in the exhaust system for regeneration of the DPF device is to deliver unburned HC, often in the form of raw fuel to an oxidation catalyst (“OC”) device that is disposed upstream of the DPF device. The OC device typically carries an oxidation catalyst compound which aides in oxidizing HC in an exothermic event which raises the temperature of the exhaust gas. The heated exhaust gas travels downstream to the DPF device where it burns the particulates trapped therein. Injection of the fuel into the exhaust treatment system is often carried out using injection devices similar to fuel injectors used in engines. A common challenge for exhaust system designers is to inject the HC upstream of the OC device in a manner that allows for the HC to fully disperse in order to utilize the entire OC for oxidation and to fully vaporize so as to completely combust as it passes through the OC device.
Accordingly it is desirable to provide an HC delivery system that achieves substantially uniform mixing, distribution and vaporization of a fluid injected into the exhaust gas of an exhaust gas treatment system.
In an exemplary embodiment, an exhaust treatment system for an internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust gas conduit configured to receive an exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine and to deliver the exhaust gas to an exhaust treatment device. A fluid delivery system is located upstream of the exhaust treatment device and is configured to deliver a fluid thereto. The fluid delivery system comprises a fluid injector, a fluid tube in fluid communication with the fluid injector and extending radially into the exhaust gas conduit for receipt of fluid from a spray tip of the fluid injector, a controller configured to energize the fluid injector to deliver fluid to the fluid tube, and an opening in the tube, disposed beyond the boundary layer of exhaust gas flow in the exhaust gas conduit, for release of the fluid into the exhaust gas flow.
The above feature and advantages and other features and advantages of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.
Referring to
The exhaust gas treatment system 10 includes an exhaust gas conduit 14, which may comprise several segments, that functions to transport exhaust gas 16 from the diesel engine 12 to the various exhaust gas treatment devices of the exhaust gas treatment system. In an exemplary embodiment, the exhaust treatment devices may include a first oxidation catalyst device (“OC1”) 18. The OC118 may include a flow-through metal or ceramic monolith substrate 20 that is wrapped in an intumescent mat (not shown) that expands when heated, securing and insulating the substrate 20. The substrate 20 is packaged in a rigid shell or canister having an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with exhaust gas conduit 14. The substrate 20 has an oxidation catalyst compound (not shown) disposed thereon. The oxidation catalyst compound may be applied as a washcoat and may contain platinum group metals such as platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh) or other suitable oxidizing catalyst, or combination thereof. The OC118 is useful in treating unburned gaseous and non-volatile HC and CO, which are oxidized to form carbon dioxide and water.
A selective catalytic reduction device (“SCR”) 22 may be disposed downstream of the OC118. In a manner similar to the OC1, the SCR 22 may also include a flow-through ceramic or metal monolith substrate 24 that is wrapped in an intumescent mat (not shown) that expands when heated, securing and insulating the substrate 24. The substrate 24 is packaged in a rigid shell or canister having an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with exhaust gas conduit 14. The substrate 24 has an SCR catalyst composition (not shown) applied thereto. The SCR catalyst composition preferably contains a zeolite and one or more base metal components such as iron (“Fe”), cobalt (“Co”), copper (“Cu”) or vanadium (“V”) which can operate efficiently to convert NOx constituents in the exhaust gas 16 in the presence of an injected exhaust fluid such as an ammonia (“NH3”) reductant 26. The NH3 reductant 26, supplied from reductant supply tank 28 through conduit 30, may be injected into the exhaust gas conduit 14 at a location upstream of the SCR 22 using a fluid delivery system 32 to be described below. The reductant may be in the form of a liquid or an aqueous urea solution when it is delivered to the exhaust gas 16 by the fluid delivery system 32. A mixer or turbulator 50 may also be disposed within the exhaust conduit 14 in close downstream proximity to the fluid delivery system to further assist in thorough mixing of the reductant 26 with the exhaust gas 16.
In one exemplary embodiment, an exhaust gas filter assembly, in this case a diesel particulate filter device (“DPF”) 34 is located within the exhaust gas treatment system 10, downstream of the SCR 22 and operates to filter the exhaust gas 16 of carbon and other particulates. The DPF 34 may be constructed using a ceramic wall-flow monolith filter 36 that is wrapped in an insulating mat that secures and insulates the filter 36. The filter 36 may be packaged in a rigid shell or canister having an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with exhaust gas conduit 14. Exhaust gas 16 entering the filter 36 is directed to migrate through adjacent longitudinally extending walls (not shown) and, it is through this wall-flow mechanism that the exhaust gas 16 is filtered of carbon and other particulates. The filtered particulates are deposited in the filter 36 and, over time, will have the effect of increasing the exhaust gas backpressure experienced by the diesel engine 12. It is appreciated that a ceramic wall-flow monolith filter 36 is merely exemplary in nature and that the DPF 34 may include other filter devices such as wound or packed fiber filters, open cell foams, sintered metal fibers, etc.
In an exemplary embodiment, the increase in exhaust backpressure caused by the accumulation of particulate matter requires that the DPF 34 be periodically cleaned, or regenerated. Regeneration involves the oxidation or burning of the accumulated carbon and other particulates in what is typically a high temperature (>600° C.) and excess oxygen environment. For regeneration purposes a second oxidation catalyst device (“OC2”) 38 may be located upstream of the filter 36, proximate to its upstream end. In the embodiment illustrated in
Disposed upstream of the DPF 34, in fluid communication with the exhaust gas 16 in the exhaust gas conduit 14, is a fluid delivery system 42 to be described below. The fluid delivery system 42, in fluid communication with HC fluid 44 in fuel supply tank 46 through fuel conduit 48, is configured to introduce unburned HC fluid 44 (raw fuel) into the exhaust gas stream for delivery to the OC238 associated with the DPF 34. A mixer or turbulator 50 may also be disposed within the exhaust conduit 14, in close, downstream proximity to the fluid delivery system 42, to further assist in thorough mixing, breakup, vaporization and distribution of the HC with the exhaust gas 16.
A controller such as vehicle controller 52, for example, is operably connected to, and monitors, the exhaust gas treatment system 10 through signal communication with a number of sensors. As used herein the term controller may include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated or group) and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality. In an exemplary embodiment, a backpressure sensor 54, located upstream of DPF 34 or between OC 38 and turbulator 50, generates a signal indicative of the carbon and particulate loading in the ceramic wall flow monolith filter 36. This pressure sensor 54 may also be of a delta pressure type with the downstream part located after the DPF 36. Upon a determination that the particulate loading in the DPF (which may be determined by a signal that the backpressure has reached a predetermined level indicative of the need to regenerate the DPF 34), the controller 52 activates the fluid delivery system 42 to deliver HC fluid 44 into the exhaust gas conduit 14 for mixing with the exhaust gas 16. The fuel/exhaust gas mixture enters the OC238 inducing oxidation of the HC fluid 44 in the exhaust gas 16 and raising the exhaust gas temperature to a level (e.g. >600° C.) suitable for regeneration of the carbon and particulate matter in the filter 36. The controller 52 may monitor the temperature of the exothermic oxidation reaction in the OC238 and the ceramic wall-flow monolith filter 36 through temperature sensor 56 and adjust the HC delivery rate of fluid delivery system 42 to maintain a predetermined temperature depending on many factors such as temperature upstream of the OC 38, the exhaust mass flow rate 16, etc.
Referring now to
HC fluid openings 70A, 70B are located in the fluid tube 64 at various locations along the length of the fluid tube 64. These openings 70A, 70B may face upstream, into the oncoming flow of the exhaust gas 16, downstream, away from the flow of the exhaust gas or they may be placed in a tangential orientation to the flow of the exhaust gas. The number and placement of the HC fluid openings 70A, 70B may be determined by the exhaust flow rate (i.e. velocity, flow volume) of the particular engine 12 and exhaust treatment system 10 as well as the configuration (i.e. diameter, etc.) of the exhaust gas conduit 14 at the location at which the fluid tube 64 is placed. Upstream facing openings 70A allow the exhaust gas 16 to enter the fluid tube 64 and entrain the HC fluid 44 for flow out of downstream facing openings 70B for example FIGS. 2A,B,C,D,F,G,H. Downstream only openings 70B,
Referring again to
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Fuel passages 86 open at various locations along the length of the fluid tube 64,
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In exemplary embodiments, the distance from the atomizer 62 and the fuel tube 64 to the OC 38, the design of the tube, and the design location and number of mixers 50 may be varied based on the type of the engine 12 and the desired performance characteristics of the exhaust gas treatment system 10.
While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the present application.
This patent application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/680,826 filed Aug. 8, 2012 which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61680826 | Aug 2012 | US |