Catalytic converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9243540-B2
Application number	US-201214008674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2012
Priority date	Apr 8, 2011
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A catalytic converter has a catalyst support that is heated due to supply of electricity, and a pair of electrodes that are disposed so as to contact an outer periphery of the catalyst support as seen in an orthogonal cross-section that is orthogonal to a direction in which exhaust flows. By making a volume resistivity of the electrodes be higher than that of electricity supplying portions of external cables that are connected to the electrodes respectively and are for supplying current to the electrodes, heat generated at the electrodes is provided to the catalyst support, and a generated heat amount of the catalyst support in vicinities of the electrodes is made to be large as compared with a generated heat amount at an inner portion of the catalyst support.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A catalytic converter comprising:
a catalyst support that supports a catalyst for purifying exhaust discharged from an internal combustion engine, and that is heated due to electricity being supplied thereto; and
a pair of electrodes that are disposed so as to contact an outer periphery of the catalyst support at opposing positions with the catalyst support therebetween, as seen in an orthogonal cross-section that is orthogonal to a direction in which the exhaust flows; and
external cables that are connected to the electrodes respectively and supply current to the electrodes, and that are connected to positions at which a distance between the pair of electrodes is long as seen in the orthogonal cross-section, wherein, by making a volume resistivity of the electrodes higher than that of electricity supplying portions of external cables that are connected to the electrodes respectively and are for supplying current to the electrodes, heat generated at the electrodes is provided to the catalyst support, and a generated heat amount of the catalyst support in vicinities of the electrodes is made to be large as compared with a generated heat amount of an inner portion of the catalyst support, and
the pair of electrodes are structured such that the volume resistivity becomes higher, gradually or in a stepped manner, from the positions where the external cables are connected, toward directions in which the distance between the pair of electrodes becomes shorter, as seen in the orthogonal cross-section.

2. The catalytic converter of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of each of the pair of electrodes is uniform from the respective positions where the external cables are connected toward directions in which the distance between the pair of electrodes become shorter, as seen in the orthogonal cross-section.

3. A catalytic converter for use with an internal combustion engine, the catalytic converter comprising:
a catalyst support configured to support a catalyst for purifying exhaust discharged from the internal combustion engine, the catalyst support being heated by electricity;
a pair of electrodes disposed so as to contact an outer periphery of the catalyst support at opposing positions with the catalyst support disposed between the pair of electrodes, as seen in an orthogonal cross-section that is orthogonal to a direction in which the exhaust flows; and
a plurality of external cables connected to the pair of electrodes respectively and configured to supply current to the pair of electrodes, the plurality of external cables being connected to respective positions at which a distance between the pair of electrodes is greatest as seen in the orthogonal cross-section, a volume resistivity of the pair of electrodes being higher than a volume resistivity of electricity supplying portions of the plurality of external cables that are respectively connected to the pair of electrodes, the electricity supplying portions of the plurality of external cables being configured to supply current to the pair of electrodes, and heat generated by the pair of electrodes is provided to the catalyst support such that a generated heat amount of the catalyst support in vicinities of the pair of electrodes is greater than a generated heat amount of an inner portion of the catalyst support, wherein
the pair of electrodes are structured such that the volume resistivity increases, gradually or in a stepped manner, in a direction where each electrode of the pair of electrodes moves away from the respective positions where each of the external cables are connected, as seen in the orthogonal cross-section.

Assignees

• Hashimoto Keita
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hashimoto Keita

Classifications

• B01D53/9495 Primary

  Controlling the catalytic process · CPC title

• F01N3/2889 Primary

  with heat exchangers in a single housing · CPC title

• F01N3/2026

  directly electrifying the catalyst substrate, i.e. heating the electrically conductive catalyst substrate by joule effect · CPC title

• B01J23/40

  of the platinum group metals · CPC title

• Y02T10/26

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic