Title of Invention | INJECTION NOZZLE HAVING HEATING ELEMENT AND HEAT ACCUMULATOR, AND METHOD FOR INTRODUCING AN OXIDIZABLE FLUID INTO AN EXHAUST SYSTEM UPSTREAM OF A CATALYTIC CONVERTER OR FILTER |
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Abstract | This invention relates to an injection nozzle (8), in particular for introducing an oxidizable fluid into an exhaust system upstream of a catalyst (7) or filter (7), comprising a heating element (22) and a heat accumulator (18), which can be heated up by the heating element (22) and can dissipate the stored heat to the fluid. This invention also relates to a method for introducing an oxidizable fluid into an exhaust system upstream of a catalyst (7) or filter (7), wherein an injection nozzle (8) is used, which includes a heating element (22) and a heat accumulator (18), wherein the heating element (22) is switched on before an injection process, so that the heat accumulator (18) is heated up, and the fluid only is injected later, so that the heat accumulator (18) can release energy to the fluid and can evaporate the same. |
Full Text | PCT/EP2006/008678 Injection Nozzle Having a Heating Element and a Heat Accumulator; and Method for Introducing an Oxidizable Fluid into an Exhaust System Upstream of a Catalytic Converter or Filter This invention relates to an injection nozzle which can be used in particular for introducing an oxidizable fluid into an exhaust system upstream of a catalyst or filter. This invention also relates to a method for introducing an oxidizable fluid into an exhaust system upstream of a catalyst or filter. Modern exhaust systems frequently include Diesel particulate filters or NOx- storing catalysts. These filters or catalysts must be regenerated in regular intervals, as otherwise their flow resistance will increase excessively or their efficiency will decrease. Regeneration generally can be referred to as "burnIi- off", since a thermal reaction takes place during the regeneration. This reaction can be initiated in that the air/fuel mixture supplied to the internal combustion engine is enriched. Alternatively, fuel or some other suitable, oxidizable fluid can directly be introduced into the exhaust system upstream of the filter or catalyst From the prior art, various systems are known for injecting fuel or also urea into the exhaust pipe. If the fuel is injected directly, it evaporates in the exhaust pipe. However, this leads to the fact that heat is withdrawn from the exhaust gas stream, which in turn is disadvantageous for the regeneration; for regeneration, an increased exhaust gas temperature is desired. Alternatively, a glow plug might be used, which evaporates the fuel to be injected into the exhaust system outside the exhaust system. It was found out, however, that the power consumption of a glow plug powerful enough for this purpose would lead to an inadmissibly high load acting on the electric system of the motor vehicle. Thus, it is the object of the invention to create an injection nozzle or a method for injection, by means of which the necessary amount of fuel or some other suitable fluid can be introduced into the exhaust system without an undesired decrease in the exhaust gas temperature and without an excessive load acting on the electric system of the motor vehicle. -2- For the solution of this object an injection nozzle is provided in accordance with the invention, in particular for introducing an oxidizable fluid into an exhaust system upstream of a catalyst or filter, comprising a heating element and a heat accumulator, which can be heated by the heating element and can dissipate the stored heat to the fluid. In accordance with the invention, there is also provided a method for introducing an oxidizable fluid into an exhaust system upstream of a catalyst or filter, wherein an injection nozzle is used, which includes a heating element and a heat accumulator, wherein the heating element is switched on before the injection process, so that the heat accumulator is heated up, and the fluid only is injected later, so that the heat accumulator can release energy to the fluid and evaporate the same. The invention is based on the fundamental idea of using a heating element with a comparatively low power consumption The power consumption is so low that the heating element cannot evaporate the fluid to be introduced in the short period of the actual injection process. Instead, the heating element substantially is used for heating up the heat accumulator, so that after a certain "preheating time" a large enough amount of heat is stored, by means of which the entire fluid is evaporated during the comparatively short injection process. As heating element, a glow plug known per se can be used. A power consumption in the order of 200 W should be sufficient. For the heat accumulator, metal can be used as material. Beside a good heat- storage capacity, a particularly high thermal conductivity is important, so that the stored heat can be dissipated to the fluid to be injected within a very short period. Preferably, a gap, through which the fluid can flow, is provided between the heating element and the heat accumulator. This ensures that during the actual injection process, the heating element also is flown around by fluid, which can directly be evaporated. Preferably, a housing is provided, in which the heat accumulator is accommodated, wherein an insulating material is arranged between the housing and the heat accumulator. The insulating material prevents heat losses to the outside. -3- It can be provided that the heating element is switched on a predetermined time before the injection process, remains switched on during injection, and is switched off upon completion of the injection process. The heating element is switched on again in due time before the next injection process. It should be sufficient to switch on the heating element about 20 seconds before the actual injection process. This period substantially depends on the heating power of the heating element. The lower the heating power, the earlier the heating element must be switched on. The actual injection process takes a time in the order of two to three seconds. Alternatively, it can be provided that the heating element remains switched on continuously. The heating power of the heating element then is chosen so low that the heating element can again heat up the heat accumulator to the temperature necessary for evaporating the fluid in the period between two injection processes. Mostly, a period of two to four minutes lies between two successive injection processes. The invention will subsequently be described with reference to an embodiment, which is illustrated in the attached drawings, in which: - Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a system in accordance with the invention; - Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through an injection nozzle in accordance with the invention; - Figure 3 shows a cross-section through the injection nozzle of Figure 2 along the plane Ill-Ill; and - Figure 4 shows a diagram in which the heating power P of the heating element, the temperature T of the heat accumulator and the injected volume V are plotted over the time. Figure 1 schematically shows an internal combustion engine 5, in particular a Diesel engine, whose exhaust gases are passed via an exhaust pipe 6 to a catalyst, in particular a NOx-storing catalyst, or a Diesel particulate filter. This _4- component, which reduces the amount of noxious substances in the exhaust gas, here is generally designated with the reference numeral 7. On the exhaust pipe 6, an injection nozzle 8 is mounted, which via a line/pump system 9 can be supplied with an oxidizable fluid, in particular fuel, from a suitable reservoir. The principles of such system are known from the prior art. It generally serves to introduce oxidizable fluid into the exhaust gas stream upstream of the component 7, in order to initiate the regeneration of the component 7. The injection nozzle 8 (see Figures 2 and 3) includes a housing 10, in which there are provided an inlet 12 for the oxidizable fluid and an outlet 14 for the evaporated fluid towards the exhaust system. Inside the housing 10, an insulating material 16 is arranged, which has a low thermal conductivity. Inside the insulating material 16, a heat accumulator 18 is arranged, which is formed of a material with a high thermal capacity and a high thermal conductivity. Most metals can be used as material. The heat accumulator 18 generally is of annular shape and includes a plurality of ribs 20 towards a central opening. The ribs end at a small distance from a centrally arranged heating element 22, which can be supplied with electric energy P. As heating element, a glow plug can be used Due to the narrow gap between the heating element 22 and the heat accumulator 18 with the ribs 20, a comparatively large surface is available for heat transfer from the heating element 22 and the heat accumulator 18 to the fluid. In Figure 4, it is illustrated how the fluid can be introduced into the exhaust pipe 6 by means of the injection nozzle 8 described. The letter P designates the energy supplied to the heating element 22, the letter V designates the volume of the fluid injected through the injection nozzle 8, and the letter T designates the temperature of the heat accumulator 18. At the time ti, the heating element 22 is switched on. Shortly afterwards, the temperature of the heat accumulator 18 starts to rise at the time t?. With a delay in the order of 20 to 30 seconds, the injection process starts at the time t3 As soon as the oxidizable fluid F is pumped through the gap between the heat accumulator 18 and the heating element 22, the fluid evaporates, as the heat accumulator 18 and the heating element 22 release energy to the fluid In the process, the temperature of the heat accumulator 18 is decreased. The injection -5- process takes a time in the order of two to three seconds and is completed by the time t4. At this time, the heating element 22 is switched off. Alternatively, the heating element can be switched off shortly before the time t4 and the residual heat can be utilized. The heating power of the heating element 22, the interval between switching on the heating element 22 and the start of the injection (t3-t-i), and the thermal capacity in the heat accumulator are dimensioned such that the entire amount of fluid to be injected is evaporated during the injection process. In this way, it is ensured that heat for evaporating the fluid need not be withdrawn from the exhaust gas stream. In accordance with an alternative embodiment, it can be provided that the heating element remains switched on continuously. In this case, a very much smaller heating power is required, as between two injection cycles very much more time is available for heating up the heat accumulator 18. -6- List of Reference Numerals 5 internal combustion engine 6 exhaust pipe 7 component for exhaust gas cleaning 8 injection nozzle 9 line/pump system 10 housing 12 fluid inlet 14 fluid outlet 16 insulating material 18 heat accumulator 20 rib 22 heating element -7- Claims 1. An injection nozzle (8), in particular for introducing an oxidizable fluid into an exhaust system upstream of a catalyst (7) or filter (7), comprising a heating element (22) and a heat accumulator (18), which can be heated up by the heating element (22) and can dissipate the stored heat to the fluid. 2. The injection nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that the heating element (22) is a glow plug. 3. The injection nozzle according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the heat accumulator (18) is made of metal. 4. The injection nozzle according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating element (22) is arranged inside the heat accumulator (18). 5. The injection nozzle according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that between the heating element (12) and the heat accumulator (18) a gap is provided, through which the fluid can flow. 6. The injection nozzle according to claim 5, characterized in that the heat accumulator (18) includes a plurality of ribs (20), which face the heating element (22). 7. The injection nozzle according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a housing (10) is provided, in which the heat accumulator (18) is accommodated, wherein an insulating material (16) is arranged between the housing and the heat accumulator (18). 8. A method for introducing an oxidizable fluid into an exhaust system upstream of a catalyst (7) or filter (7), wherein an injection nozzle (8) is used. which includes a heating element (22) and a heat accumulator (18), wherein the heating element (22) is switched on before an injection process, so that the heat accumulator is heated up, and the fluid only is injected later, so that the heat accumulator (18) can release energy to the fluid and evaporate the same. 9. The injection nozzle according to claim 8, characterized in that the heating element (22) is switched on a predetermined time before the injection process, -8- remains switched on during injection, and is switched off upon completion of the injection process. 10. The injection nozzle according to claim 8, characterized in that the heating element (22) is switched on a predetermined time before the injection process, remains switched on during injection, and is switched off shortly before completion of the injection process. 11. The injection nozzle according to any of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the heating element (22) is switched on in the order of 20 seconds before the injection process. 12. The injection nozzle according to claim 8, characterized in that the heating element (22) remains switched on continuously. 13. The injection nozzle according to any of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the injection process takes a time in the order of two to three seconds. 14. The injection nozzle according to any of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that the injection process is repeated after a predetermined time, which is in the order of two to four minutes. This invention relates to an injection nozzle (8), in particular for introducing an oxidizable fluid into an exhaust system upstream of a catalyst (7) or filter (7), comprising a heating element (22) and a heat accumulator (18), which can be heated up by the heating element (22) and can dissipate the stored heat to the fluid. This invention also relates to a method for introducing an oxidizable fluid into an exhaust system upstream of a catalyst (7) or filter (7), wherein an injection nozzle (8) is used, which includes a heating element (22) and a heat accumulator (18), wherein the heating element (22) is switched on before an injection process, so that the heat accumulator (18) is heated up, and the fluid only is injected later, so that the heat accumulator (18) can release energy to the fluid and can evaporate the same. |
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01213-kolnp-2008-correspondence others.pdf
01213-kolnp-2008-description complete.pdf
01213-kolnp-2008-international publication.pdf
01213-kolnp-2008-international search report.pdf
01213-kolnp-2008-pct priority document notification.pdf
01213-kolnp-2008-pct request form.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-(06-02-2012)-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-(14-11-2011)-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-(14-11-2011)-OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-CORRESPONDENCE 1.2.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 1.1.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-CORRESPONDENCE-1.2.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-EXAMINATION REPORT.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-FORM 18-1.1.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-GRANTED-ABSTRACT.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-GRANTED-CLAIMS.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-GRANTED-DESCRIPTION (COMPLETE).pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-GRANTED-DRAWINGS.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-GRANTED-FORM 1.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-GRANTED-FORM 2.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-GRANTED-SPECIFICATION.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-INTERNATIONAL PRELIMINARY REPORT.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-INTERNATIONAL SEARCH AUTHORITY REPORT 1.1.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-OTHERS-1.1.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-REPLY TO EXAMINATION REPORT.pdf
1213-KOLNP-2008-TRANSLATED COPY OF PRIORITY DOCUMENT.pdf
Patent Number | 265062 | |||||||||
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Indian Patent Application Number | 1213/KOLNP/2008 | |||||||||
PG Journal Number | 06/2015 | |||||||||
Publication Date | 06-Feb-2015 | |||||||||
Grant Date | 04-Feb-2015 | |||||||||
Date of Filing | 25-Mar-2008 | |||||||||
Name of Patentee | EMCON TECHNOLOGIES GERMANY (AUGSBURG)GMBH | |||||||||
Applicant Address | BIBERBACHSTRASSE 9, 86154 AUGSBURG | |||||||||
Inventors:
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PCT International Classification Number | F01N 3/20,B01D 53/94 | |||||||||
PCT International Application Number | PCT/EP2006/008678 | |||||||||
PCT International Filing date | 2006-09-06 | |||||||||
PCT Conventions:
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