Annular ring mixer with vanes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11499489-B2
Application number	US-202117212207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2021
Priority date	Mar 25, 2021
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

An exhaust gas recirculation system for an engine includes a conduit, and a mixer. The conduit is configured to direct to direct exhaust gas away from an exhaust manifold. The mixer is configured to direct exhaust gas from the conduit, into an engine air intake system. The mixer is arranged with an exhaust gas mixing volute chamber having a plurality of mixing vanes configured to direct the exhaust gas into a central intake airflow upstream of an intake manifold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder;
an air intake system configured to deliver air to the at least one cylinder; and
an exhaust system having;
a set of conduits configured to direct an exhaust gas away from the at least one cylinder, and
an exhaust gas recirculation system having,
at least one tube configured to direct the exhaust gas away from the set of conduits, and
a mixer configured to direct the exhaust gas from the at least one tube into the air intake system, wherein the mixer forms an annular ring having a continuous volute chamber exhaust gas opening disposed radially around an inner diameter of the annular ring and attached to an intake tube, the annular ring is a portion of the air intake system that is configured downstream of a throttle valve and upstream of an intake manifold, the throttle valve includes at least one of a single twist throttle plate or a double twist throttle plate, the mixer includes at least one vane extending across the volute chamber opening and into a flow path of at least one of the exhaust gas and the air intake system, and the at least one vane has an outer surface and is configured to blend the exhaust gas and the air flowing over the outer surface and prior to introduction into the internal combustion engine.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vane is at least one of a fixed position and a moveable position, the fixed position is configured at a predetermined angle to provide a predetermined velocity of the exhaust gas, and the moveable position is a dynamic position configured to adjust the angle of the at least one vane automatically as determined by a load of the internal combustion engine and a throttle valve position.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the annular ring includes at least one exhaust gas outlet or aperture configured radially around the annular ring at the volute chamber exhaust gas opening.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the at least one vane is at least one of a straight vane, a dynamic vane, an inverted vane and a twist vane, the dynamic vane is at least one of a straight vane, a twist vane and an inverted vane, and the dynamic vane is configured to rotate to at least one of an open position, a partially open position and a closed position.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the annular ring defines a volute chamber having a gradually reducing section area along an azimuthal direction, and the volute chamber is configured to direct the exhaust gas from an exhaust gas intake conduit to the continuous volute chamber exhaust gas opening.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the at least one vane is a plurality of vanes configured radially around the annular ring, and each vane divides the continuous volute chamber exhaust gas opening into a plurality of exhaust gas outlets extending around the annular ring.

7. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the at least one vane is configured to extend at least one of into the volute chamber and into the intake tube.

8. An engine exhaust gas mixer comprising:
a housing forming an annular ring that defines a central opening extending radially around an inner diameter of the annular ring, the housing further defining,
an exhaust gas inlet,
an air intake including a twist throttle plate, the twist throttle plate having at least one curved end, the curved end directing an intake air in a non-laminar flow path, and
at least one mixing vane configured between the exhaust gas inlet and the annular ring, the at least one mixing vane extending across the central opening and including at least one of a twist or slope to swirl an exhaust gas of the engine as the exhaust gas flows over an outer surface of the at least one mixing vane.

9. The engine exhaust gas mixer of claim 8 , further comprising an exhaust gas mixing volute configured between the exhaust gas inlet and the central opening.

10. The mixer of claim 9 , wherein the at least one mixing vane is fixed at an angle relative to a flow path of an intake air.

11. The mixer of claim 9 , wherein the at least one mixing vane is configured at least partially extending into at least one of the central opening and the exhaust gas mixing volute.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kurtz Eric Matthew
• Hu Liangjun
• Styles Daniel Joseph
• Kantrow Daniel William
• Sparks Darrell

Classifications

• F02M26/42

  having two or more EGR passages; EGR systems specially adapted for engines having two or more cylinders · CPC title

• F02M26/20

  Feeding recirculated exhaust gases directly into the combustion chambers or into the intake runners · CPC title

• F02M26/19 Primary

  Means for improving the mixing of air and recirculated exhaust gases, e.g. venturis or multiple openings to the intake system · CPC title

• B01F2101/501

  Mixing combustion ingredients, e.g. gases, for burners or combustion chambers · CPC title

• B01F25/3141

  with additional mixing means other than injector mixers · CPC title