Vortex generators and virtual mixers for aftertreatment systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11624305-B2
Application number	US-202117186428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2021
Priority date	Mar 2, 2020
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

An aftertreatment system for treating constituents of an exhaust gas produced by an engine, comprising: a housing; a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system disposed within the housing; a reductant injector disposed on a sidewall of the housing upstream of the SCR system and configured to insert a reductant into the exhaust gas; and a vortex generator disposed in the housing, the vortex generator comprising at least one deflector disposed on a surface within the housing, the at least one deflector configured to generate vortices in a portion of the exhaust gas flow flowing over the at least one deflector such that the portion of the exhaust gas remains attached to the surface at a downstream location of the surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aftertreatment system for treating constituents of an exhaust gas produced by an engine, comprising:
a housing;
a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system disposed within the housing;
a reductant injector disposed on a sidewall of the housing upstream of the SCR system and configured to insert a reductant into the exhaust gas through a reductant port defined in a surface of the housing; and
a vortex generator disposed in the housing, the vortex generator comprising a first deflector disposed on said surface of the housing through which the reductant port is defined, wherein:
the first deflector is disposed proximate to and upstream of the reductant port, and
the first deflector has an upstream lateral surface that extends perpendicularly from said surface of the housing, a downstream lateral surface that extends from said surface of the housing, and an end surface that connects the plurality of lateral surfaces, the end surface being angled so as to extend away from said surface of the housing in a direction of exhaust gas flow, such that the first deflector is configured to generate vortices in a portion of the exhaust gas flowing over the first deflector and said portion of the exhaust gas remains attached to the surface of the housing at a downstream location of the surface.

2. The aftertreatment system of claim 1 , wherein:
the vortex generator further comprises an impaction plate disposed within the housing along an axial flow path of the exhaust gas, the impaction plate disposed along an injection axis of the reductant injector; and
at least one second deflector is disposed on the impaction plate upstream of the reductant injector.

3. The aftertreatment system of claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one second deflector comprises a plurality of second deflectors, and
adjacent second deflectors of the plurality of second deflectors are oriented at opposing angles relative to each other.

4. The aftertreatment system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a virtual mixer disposed in the housing upstream of the SCR system, the virtual mixer comprising at least one electrode configured to generate an electric field across the mixer, the electric field configured to cause droplets of the reductant inserted into the exhaust gas to break into smaller droplets.

5. The aftertreatment system of claim 4 , wherein:
the virtual mixer is disposed between the reductant injector and the housing, and
the at least one electrode comprises an electromagnet defining an aperture configured to allow the reductant to be inserted therethrough into the housing, the electromagnet configured to generate an electromagnetic field across a spray plume of the reductant inserted by the reductant injector into the housing.

6. The aftertreatment system of claim 5 , wherein:
the virtual mixer further comprises a mounting plate on which the reductant injector is mounted, and
the electromagnet is integrated into the mounting plate.

7. The aftertreatment system of claim 4 , wherein the cathode and the anode are integrated within the reductant injector.

8. The aftertreatment system of claim 4 , wherein:
the virtual mixer comprises:
a mixer tube, and
a pair of electrodes disposed on opposing radial ends of the mixing tube proximate to a downstream end of the mixing tube; and

the at least one deflector of the vortex generator is disposed on the mixer tube proximate to an upstream end of the mixer tube.

9. The aftertreatment system of claim 1 , further comprising a virtual mixer, the virtual mixer comprising:
a cathode disposed on a first side of an outlet of the reductant injector, and
an anode disposed on a second side of the outlet of the reductant injector, which is opposite the first side,
wherein the virtual mixer is configured to generate an electric field between the cathode and the anode to induce electrolysis in the reductant prior to insertion of the reductant into the housing.

10. An aftertreatment system for treating constituents of an exhaust gas produced by an engine, comprising:
a housing;
a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system disposed within the housing;
a reductant injector disposed on a sidewall of the housing upstream of the SCR system and configured to insert a reductant into the exhaust gas through a reductant port defined in a surface of the housing; and
a vortex generator disposed in the housing, the vortex generator comprising:
at least one first deflector disposed on said surface of the housing through which the reductant port is defined, the at least one first deflector being disposed proximate to and upstream of the reductant port, the at least one first deflector configured to generate vortices in a portion of the exhaust gas flowing over the at least one first deflector such that the portion of the exhaust gas remains attached to the surface of the housing at a downstream location of the surface, and
an impaction plate disposed within the housing along an axial flow path of the exhaust gas, the impaction plate disposed along an injection axis of the reductant injector; and
at least one second deflector is disposed on the impaction plate upstream of the reductant injector.

11. The aftertreatment system of claim 10 , wherein:
the impaction plate further comprises a plurality of at least one second deflectors, and
adjacent second deflectors of the plurality of at least one second deflectors are oriented at opposing angles relative to each other.

Assignees

• Cummins Emission Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Samuel
• Albers Andrew J
• Mishra Shashank
• Negron Rivas Otto A
• Harris Jeremy Dale

Classifications

• F01N3/2892

  Exhaust flow directors or the like, e.g. upstream of catalytic device · CPC title

• B01F25/43163

  in the form of small flat plate-like elements · CPC title

• F01N2610/02

  the substance being ammonia or urea · CPC title

• F15D1/009

  by means of vortex rings · CPC title

• F01N2610/11

  the substance or part of the dosing system being cooled · CPC title