Method for operating a device for providing a liquid additive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9765665-B2
Application number	US-201414898073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2014
Priority date	Jun 13, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A method for operating a device for providing a liquid additive, the device having a delivery path running from a tank to an additive dispensing device, at least one section of the delivery path forming a jacket, includes: delivering the liquid additive from the tank to the additive dispensing device along the delivery path in a delivery direction; stopping the delivery of the liquid additive; at least partially evacuating the section of the delivery path; and forming a thermal insulator in the jacket by the evacuated delivery path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a device ( 1 ) that provides a liquid additive ( 2 ), the device having a delivery path ( 3 ) running from a tank ( 4 ) storing the liquid additive ( 2 ) to an additive dispensing device ( 5 ), a delivery unit ( 10 ) arranged within the tank ( 4 ), and a partitioned-off chamber ( 14 ) arranged within the tank ( 4 ), the delivery unit ( 10 ) being arranged within the partitioned-off chamber ( 14 ), wherein at least one section ( 6 ) of the delivery path ( 3 ) forms a jacket ( 7 ) around the partitioned-off chamber ( 14 ) and around the delivery unit ( 10 ), the method comprising:
a) delivering the liquid additive ( 2 ) from the tank ( 4 ) to the additive dispensing device ( 5 ) along the delivery path ( 3 ) in a delivery direction ( 8 );
b) stopping the delivery of the liquid additive ( 2 );
c) at least partially evacuating the section ( 6 ) of the delivery path ( 3 ); and
d) forming a thermal insulator ( 9 ) in the jacket ( 7 ) around the partitioned-off chamber ( 14 ) and around the delivery unit ( 10 ) by the evacuated delivery path ( 3 ), such that the thermal insulator provides insulation of the delivery unit ( 10 ) with respect to the tank interior at a circumferential surface of the partitioned-off chamber ( 14 ).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the section ( 6 ) of the delivery path ( 3 ) is evacuated by the liquid additive ( 2 ) being delivered from the delivery path ( 3 ) back into the tank ( 4 ) counter to the delivery direction ( 8 ).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the section ( 6 ) of the delivery path ( 3 ) is evacuated by the liquid additive ( 2 ) in the section ( 6 ) of the delivery path ( 3 ) being at least partially evaporated.

4. A device ( 1 ) that provides a liquid additive ( 2 ), the device comprising:
a delivery path ( 3 ) running from a tank ( 4 ) storing the liquid additive ( 2 ) to an additive dispensing device ( 5 ), wherein at least one section ( 6 ) of the delivery path ( 3 ) forms a jacket ( 7 );
a delivery unit ( 10 ) at least partially surrounded by the jacket ( 7 ), the delivery unit ( 10 ) being arranged in a partitioned-off chamber ( 14 ) in the tank ( 4 ) storing the liquid additive ( 2 ),
wherein the jacket ( 7 ) runs at least partially along a wall ( 15 ) of the partitioned-off chamber ( 14 ) and forms an areal cavity ( 17 ), such that the thermal insulator ( 9 ) insulates the partitioned-off chamber ( 14 ) with respect to a tank interior ( 16 ), and
wherein the delivery path ( 3 ) is, in a region of the jacket ( 7 ), formed by the areal cavity ( 17 ) between the wall ( 15 ) of the partitioned-off chamber ( 14 ) and a bell-shaped cover ( 20 ) surrounding the partitioned-off chamber ( 14 ), wherein the delivery path ( 3 ) opens from the tank interior ( 16 ) into the areal cavity ( 17 ) at a base region ( 21 ) of the bell-shaped cover ( 20 ) and exits the areal cavity through an internal suction point ( 23 ) at a top region ( 22 ) of the bell-shaped cover ( 20 ), the device ( 1 ) being configured to carry out a method including:
a) delivering the liquid additive ( 2 ) from the tank ( 4 ) to the additive dispensing device ( 5 ) along the delivery path ( 3 ) in a delivery direction ( 8 );
b) stopping the delivery of the liquid additive ( 2 );
c) at least partially evacuating the section ( 6 ) of the delivery path ( 3 ); and
d) forming a thermal insulator ( 9 ) in the jacket ( 7 ) by the evacuated delivery path ( 3 ).

5. The device according to claim 4 , the device further having a heater ( 11 ), wherein the jacket ( 7 ) is arranged at least partially between the heater ( 11 ) and the delivery unit ( 10 ), such that the thermal insulator ( 9 ) in the jacket ( 7 ) at least partially thermally insulates the delivery unit ( 10 ) with respect to the heater ( 11 ).

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the heater ( 11 ) has at least one active heating section ( 12 ) and at least one passive heat distribution section ( 13 ), wherein the passive heat distribution section ( 13 ) is insulated with respect to the delivery unit ( 10 ) by the thermal insulator ( 9 ) in the jacket ( 7 ).

7. The device according to claim 4 , the device further having a filter ( 18 ) arranged proximate the jacket ( 7 ), the filter ( 8 ) being configured to filter the liquid additive in the delivery path ( 3 ).

8. The device ( 1 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the wall ( 15 ) of the partitioned-off chamber ( 14 ) and the bell-shaped cover ( 20 ) each comprise plastic, and at least one section of at least one heater ( 11 ) for heating liquid additive ( 2 ) in the tank interior ( 16 ) is at least partially embedded into the bell-shaped cover ( 20 ).

9. A motor vehicle ( 24 ) comprising:
an internal combustion engine ( 25 );
an exhaust-gas treatment device ( 26 ) configured to purify exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine ( 25 ); and
the device ( 1 ) according to claim 4 , by which the liquid additive ( 2 ) can be supplied to the exhaust-gas treatment device ( 26 ).

Assignees

• Continental Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Hodgson Jan
• Kopp Yves
• Maguin Georges

Classifications

• F01N2610/1426

  Filtration means · CPC title

• F01N2610/1486

  Means to prevent the substance from freezing · CPC title

• F01N3/2066 Primary

  Selective catalytic reduction [SCR] · CPC title

• F01N3/206 Primary

  Adding periodically or continuously substances to exhaust gases for promoting purification, e.g. catalytic material in liquid form, NOx reducing agents · CPC title

• F01N2610/1406

  Storage means for substances, e.g. tanks or reservoirs · CPC title