U.S. patent application number 11/576568 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-24 for exhaust system for an internal combustion engine, and method for operating such an exhaust system.
Invention is credited to Markus Widenmeyer.
Application Number | 20080016848 11/576568 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35160050 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080016848 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Widenmeyer; Markus |
January 24, 2008 |
Exhaust System For An Internal Combustion Engine, and Method For
Operating Such An Exhaust System
Abstract
An exhaust system of an internal combustion engine includes a
first filter device and a second filter device located downstream
of the first. Both filter devices filter soot particles out of the
exhaust gas. At least the first filter device has a catalytic
material, which promotes an exothermic soot burnoff in such a way
that as a result of the corresponding heating up of the exhaust
gas, the soot burnoff in the second filter device is set in motion.
The materials of the two filter devices are selected such that the
soot burnoff in the first filter device ensues at a lower
temperature and/or at a similar temperature is stronger than in the
second filter device.
Inventors: |
Widenmeyer; Markus;
(Schoenaich, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RONALD E. GREIGG;GREIGG & GREIGG P.L.L.C.
1423 POWHATAN STREET, UNIT ONE
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
35160050 |
Appl. No.: |
11/576568 |
Filed: |
September 1, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
September 1, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP05/54295 |
371 Date: |
April 3, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
60/282 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 2255/915 20130101;
B01D 2255/104 20130101; B01D 53/945 20130101; B01D 46/2418
20130101; B01D 2255/1021 20130101; Y02T 10/22 20130101; B01D
46/0063 20130101; B01D 53/9459 20130101; Y02T 10/12 20130101; B01D
2255/1023 20130101; F01N 3/035 20130101; Y02A 50/2324 20180101;
Y02A 50/20 20180101; B01D 2258/012 20130101; F01N 3/021
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
060/282 |
International
Class: |
F01N 3/021 20060101
F01N003/021 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 5, 2004 |
DE |
10 2004 048 313.2 |
Claims
1-11. (canceled)
12. In an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine, in
particular in a motor vehicle, having a first filter device and a
second filter device, located downstream of the first, each of
which filters soot particles out of the exhaust gas, and at least
the first filter device has a catalytic material which promotes an
exothermic soot burnoff, in such a manner that as a result of the
corresponding heating up of the exhaust gas, the soot burnoff in
the second filter device is set in motion, the improvement wherein
the materials of first and second filter devices are selected such
that the soot burnoff in the first filter device ensues at a lower
temperature and/or at a similar temperature is stronger than in the
second filter device.
13. The exhaust system as defined by claim 12, wherein essentially
no catalytic material that promotes the soot burnoff is present in
the second filter device.
14. The exhaust system as defined by claim 12, wherein the first
filter device comprises a depth filter, preferably comprising an
open-pore ceramic foam, and the second filter device comprises a
surface filter, preferably of metal and even more preferably of
special steel.
15. The exhaust system as defined by claim 13, wherein the first
filter device comprises a depth filter, preferably comprising an
open-pore ceramic foam, and the second filter device comprises a
surface filter, preferably of metal and even more preferably of
special steel.
16. The exhaust system as defined by claim 12, wherein the second
filter device comprises a catalytic material which promotes the
oxidation of CO to CO.sub.2 and/or the oxidation of NO to
NO.sub.2.
17. The exhaust system as defined by claim 13, wherein the second
filter device comprises a catalytic material which promotes the
oxidation of CO to CO.sub.2 and or the oxidation of NO to
NO.sub.2.
18. The exhaust system as defined by claim 14, wherein the second
filter device comprises a catalytic material which promotes the
oxidation of CO to CO, and/or the oxidation of NO to NO.sub.2.
19. The exhaust system as defined by claim 16, wherein the second
filter device comprises a catalytic material, which includes
platinum and/or palladium.
20. The exhaust system as defined by claim 17, wherein the second
filter device comprises a catalytic material, which includes
platinum and/or palladium.
21. The exhaust system as defined by claim 18, wherein the second
filter device comprises a catalytic material, which includes
platinum and/or palladium.
22. The exhaust system as defined by claim 19, wherein the
catalytic material is coated on a large-surface-area oxide or
directly on a filter body.
23. The exhaust system as defined by claim 20, wherein the
catalytic material is coated on a large-surface-area oxide or
directly on a filter body.
24. The exhaust system as defined by claim 21, wherein the
catalytic material is coated on a large-surface-area oxide or
directly on a filter body.
25. The exhaust system as defined by claim 12, wherein the first
filter device and the second filter device are located immediately
adjacent one another.
26. The exhaust system as defined by claim 14, wherein the first
filter device and the second filter device are located immediately
adjacent one another.
27. The exhaust system as defined by claim 16, wherein the first
filter device and the second filter device are located immediately
adjacent one another.
28. The exhaust system as defined by claim 12, wherein the first
filter device and the second filter device are integrated into a
filter unit.
29. The exhaust system as defined by claim 12, wherein the first
filter device comprises at least one catalytic material, which is a
member of the following group: 1 to 50 weight % Ag on an oxidic
substrate, and/or V and/or Mo and/or W and/or Mn and/or Cu on an
oxidic substrate, the substrate including: Al.sub.2O.sub.3,
TiO.sub.2, CeO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, and/or SiO.sub.2; Ag in chemical
combination with oxides of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn,
Re, Al, and/or Zr, in particular Ag.sub.2CrO.sub.4 or
AgMn.sub.2O.sub.5; metal vanadate; molybdate; tungstenates; metal-V
mixed oxide, in particular Cs.sub.2V.sub.2O.sub.4; Cr mixed oxide;
Mo mixed oxide; manganese oxide; rhenium oxide; metal manganate;
metal rhenate.
30. A method for operating an exhaust system for an internal
combustion engine, in particular in a motor vehicle, having a first
filter device and a second filter device, located downstream of the
first, each of which filter soot particles out of the exhaust gas,
and at least the first filter device has a catalytic material which
promotes an exothermic soot burnoff in such a manner that as a
result of the corresponding heating up of the exhaust gas, the soot
burnoff in the second filter device is set in motion, the method
comprising selecting the materials of the two filter devices are
selected such that the soot burnoff in the first filter device
ensues at a lower temperature and/or at a similar temperature is
stronger than in the second filter device.
31. The method as defined by claim 30, wherein, for regenerating
the filter devices, the exhaust gas temperature upstream of the
first filter device is elevated to a first level, at which in the
first filter device a soot burnoff ensues to such an extent that as
a result the exhaust gas temperature is additionally elevated to a
second level, at which in the second filter device a soot burnoff
is likewise set into motion.
Description
PRIOR ART
[0001] The invention relates first to an exhaust system for an
internal combustion engine, in particular in a motor vehicle,
having a first filter device and a second filter device, located
downstream of the first, which each filter soot particles out of
the exhaust gas, and at least the first filter device has a
catalytic material which promotes an exothermic soot burnoff in
such a manner that as a result of the corresponding heating up of
the exhaust gas, the soot burnoff in the second filter device is
set in motion. The invention also relates to a method for operating
an exhaust system of this kind.
[0002] An exhaust system and a method of the type defined at the
outset are known from German Patent Disclosure DE 101 56 191 A1.
This shows an exhaust system which has a main filter device and a
prefilter device preceding it. In both the prefilter device and the
main filter device, soot from the exhaust gas is accumulated. For
regeneration, the soot accumulated in the prefilter device is
burned off. As a result, so much heat is released that the exhaust
gas flowing through is also heated to the soot ignition
temperature, which serves to initiate the burnoff of the soot that
has accumulated in the main filter device. It is also known to
provide both the main filter device and the prefilter device with a
catalytic coating, by which ignition temperature of the soot is
lowered. For heating the soot that has accumulated in the prefilter
device, a heater is provided, for instance a heating element
protruding into the filter body of the prefilter device, or an
external burner by which a hot gas is generated.
[0003] However, it is a problem that many catalytic materials that
promote the soot burnoff lead to corrosion problems in the filter
structure onto which they are applied. This necessitates the use of
special filter materials, which increases the production costs.
[0004] It is therefore the object of the present invention to
refine an exhaust system and a method of the type defined at the
outset such that the exhaust system can be produced as
inexpensively as possible.
[0005] This object is attained, in an exhaust system of the type
defined at the outset, in that the materials of the two filter
devices are selected such that the soot burnoff in the first filter
device ensues at a lower temperature and/or at a similar
temperature is stronger than in the second filter device. In a
method of the type defined at the outset, the stated object is
attained accordingly.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is true of many catalytic materials that promote soot
burnoff that their corrosive aggressiveness increases with the
intensity of the catalytic property. Since according to the
invention that catalytic activity in the second filter device is
less than in the first filter device, the corrosive activity in the
second filter device is also reduced, so that a less-expensive
substrate or filter material can be used there. As a result, the
production costs of the exhaust system are reduced.
[0007] Because the catalytic activity of the first filter device is
greater than in the second filter device, soot burnoff there can
already be set into motion with a comparatively slight energy
input. As a result of the soot burnoff, which is an exothermic
reaction, the exhaust gas flowing through the first filter device
is heated so markedly that even in the second filter device, the
soot ignition temperature, which is higher there, can be reached
and the soot accumulated there can be accommodated. In the exhaust
system and the method of the invention, reliable regeneration of
both the first and second filter devices is thus possible, despite
lower production costs.
[0008] The exhaust system of the invention is especially
appropriate if the first filter device has a filter efficiency of
at most 90%, because soot particles in the second filter device can
then be accumulated and burned off to an adequate extent.
[0009] Advantageous refinements of the invention are recited in the
dependent claims.
[0010] For instance, it is proposed that in the second filter
device, no catalytic material that promotes the soot burnoff is
present. This not only makes it possible to use a comparatively
inexpensive material for the structure of the second filter device,
but the comparatively complex process of coating with a catalytic
material is also dispensed with, which additionally reduces costs.
Furthermore, damage to the filter structure from excessively strong
soot burnoff is avoided. Since the "ignition temperature" in the
second filter device is then comparatively high, however, a
correspondingly active catalytic material must be used in the first
filter device, so that the required heating of the exhaust gas can
be attained with a reasonable energy input.
[0011] It is especially advantageous if the first filter device
includes a depth filter, preferably comprising an open-pore ceramic
foam, and the second filter device includes a surface filter,
preferably of metal and even more preferably of special steel.
Because of the large effective surface area, an especially good
catalytic action can be attained with a depth filter. This is
especially true when so-called molten salt catalysts are used,
which are in liquid form in the operating range in question. A
surface filter in turn has a very good filter action and can be
inexpensively made from metal, especially special steel, while at
the same time having good high-temperature strength and thermal
shock resistance.
[0012] A further advantageous feature of the exhaust system of the
invention is distinguished in that the second filter device
includes a catalytic material which promotes the oxidation of CO to
CO.sub.2 and/or the oxidation of NO to NO.sub.2. By the likewise
exothermic oxidation reaction of CO to CO.sub.2 in the second
filter device, heat is additionally liberated, which contributes to
attaining the ignition temperature required for burning off the
soot in the second filter device. The ignition temperature in the
second filter device thus need not be achieved solely by way of the
heating of the exhaust gas. Moreover, whenever in the second filter
device there is no catalytic material that promotes the soot
burnoff, this embodiment has the advantage of spatially separating
the various oxidation processes. As a result, unwanted interactions
are prevented.
[0013] A catalytic material that is simple to process and promotes
the oxidation of CO and NO is platinum and palladium. These
materials can be substrated onto a large-surface-area oxide or
directly onto a filter body, which keeps the production costs
low.
[0014] It is especially advantageous if the first filter device and
the second filter device are located immediately adjacent one
another. This prevents the exhaust gas, heated in the soot burnoff
in the first filter device, from cooling down excessively along its
way to the second filter device. In this embodiment of the exhaust
system of the invention, the efficiency of the soot burnoff is thus
especially high. The first filter device and the second filter
device can be integrated into a filter unit, which is accommodated
in a common housing, for instance. It is even possible for a single
filter to be embodied in its upstream region like the first filter
device and in its downstream region like the second filter device.
This makes for an especially compact design.
[0015] To assure the high catalytic activity, provided according to
the invention, in the first filter device, a catalytic material can
be used which is a member of the following group: 1 to 50 weight %
Ag on an oxidic substrate, and/or V and/or Mo and/or W and/or Mn
and/or Cu on an oxidic substrate, the substrate including:
Al.sub.2O.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, CeO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, and/or SiO.sub.2;
Ag in chemical combination with oxides of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta,
Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Re, Al, and/or Zr, in particular Ag.sub.2CrO.sub.4
or AgMn.sub.2O.sub.5; metal vanadate; molybdate; tungstenates;
metal-V mixed oxide, in particular Cs.sub.2V.sub.2O.sub.4; Cr mixed
oxide; Mo mixed oxide; manganese oxide; rhenium oxide; metal
manganate; metal rhenate.
[0016] In an advantageous refinement of the method of the
invention, it is proposed that for regenerating the filter devices,
the exhaust gas temperature upstream of the first filter device is
elevated to a first level, at which in the first filter device a
soot burnoff ensues to such an extent that as a result the exhaust
gas temperature is additionally elevated to a second level, at
which in the second filter device a soot burnoff is likewise set
into motion. An exhaust system operated in this way can be produced
very inexpensively, since the use of a separate heater, with which
the first filter device is heated to the ignition temperature
required for the soot burnoff, can be dispensed with. Instead, the
soot burnoff is set into motion by provisions associated with the
motor.
DRAWINGS
[0017] Especially preferred exemplary embodiments of the present
invention are described in further detail below in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an internal combustion
engine with an exhaust system having a first and a second filter
device;
[0019] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the first and second filter
devices of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a detail of the first filter device in FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a detail of the second filter device in FIG. 1;
and
[0022] FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of an alternative
embodiment of an exhaust system.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0023] In FIG. 1, an exhaust system of an internal combustion
engine 10 is identified by reference numeral 12. It includes an
exhaust tube 14, which delivers the exhaust gases from combustion
first to a first filter device 16 and after that to a second filter
device 18. The engine 10 operates on the diesel principle. Soot
particles produced in combustion are at least partially filtered
out of the exhaust gas in the two filter devices 16 and 18.
[0024] As FIG. 2 shows, the first filter device 16 includes a
housing 20, in which a filter structure in the form of an open-pore
ceramic or metal foam 22 is located. The first filter device 16 is
accordingly a depth filter. The second filter device 18 likewise
includes a housing 24, in which a filter structure 26 in the form
of alternatingly closed honeycombs or conduits 28 is located.
[0025] A detail of an internal region of the filter structure 22 of
the first filter device 16 is show in FIG. 3. As shown, this filter
structure 22 has pores 30, which are present in the material
comprising the filter structure 22. This material is identified in
FIG. 3 by reference numeral 32. Here, it is silicon carbide.
However, in principle, all open-pore bodies and bulk materials
comprising ceramic and metal material, and combinations of the two,
which are suitable for filtering soot particles out of the exhaust
gas that flows through the exhaust tube 14, can be considered for
the filter structure 22.
[0026] As also seen from FIG. 3, the silicon carbide material 32 of
the filter structure 22 of the first filter device 16 is provided
with a catalytic material 34. This material is selected such that
it promotes the oxidation or burnoff of soot particles (reference
numeral 36 in FIG. 3), which have accumulated in the first filter
device 16, at comparatively tow temperatures. This kind of soot
burnoff prevents the first filter device 16 from becoming clogged
over time.
[0027] The catalytic material 34 used in the first filter device 16
is highly active in view of the promotion of soot burnoff and
reduces the ignition temperature at which the exothermic soot
burnoff in the first filter device 16 is set into motion by from
100 to 250 K or even more. It is also especially advantageous if
the catalytic material 34 promotes the soot burnoff in such a way
that CO.sub.2 is also formed (see hereinafter).
[0028] The second filter device 18, show in detail in FIG. 4, is a
surface filter, which is embodied here as a wall flow filter. It
has a filter structure 38, which is honeycomblike as viewed in the
flow direction and is made from special steel. Some of the
honeycombs are open on the side toward the engine 10 and closed on
the side away from the engine 10 (the exhaust gas stream is
represented by arrows 40 in FIG. 4). These honeycombs are
identified by reference numeral 28a in FIG. 4. Other honeycombs
28b, adjacent to the honeycombs 28a, are closed on the side toward
the engine 10 and open on the side away from the engine 10.
[0029] The filter action is due to the porosity of the walls of the
filter structure 38 that are located between the honeycombs 28a and
28b. The exhaust gas stream accordingly passes through the wall
surfaces from the honeycombs 28a into the honeycombs 28b, as
indicated by the arrow 42 in FIG. 4. The filter efficiency of the
second filter device 18 is approximately 95% to 99%. The filter
action is selected such that small soot particles are
preferentially filtered out of the exhaust gas stream. The filter
efficiency of the first filter device 16 is approximately 50%.
Through this filter device 16, large soot particles are
preferentially filtered out of the exhaust gas stream. The result
is accordingly a total efficiency of over 99%.
[0030] In the course of time, more and more soot particles 36 are
deposited in the first filter device 16 and the second filter
device 18. To prevent clogging of the exhaust system 12, the
temperature of the exhaust gas flowing from the engine 10 into the
exhaust tube 14 is raised from time to time by motor provisions,
specifically to a temperature in the range from 350 to
approximately 550.degree. C.
[0031] It is true that normally, soot burnoff to the relevant
extent does not occur until temperatures of above approximately
600.degree.. Because of the presence of the catalytic material 34
in the first filter device 16, however, the aforementioned
temperature level does suffice to put the burnoff of the deposited
soot particles 36 into motion in the first filter device 16. The
minimum temperature required for this is also called the "ignition
temperature". Burning off the deposited soot particles involves an
exothermic oxidation reaction. By the energy released as a result,
the exhaust gas flowing through the first filter device 16 is
heated.
[0032] Because of the high catalytic activity of the catalytic
material 34 in the first filter device 16, the ensuing exothermic
reaction is very strong at the temperature level of the exhaust gas
attained, which leads to a correspondingly strong increase in the
temperature of the exhaust gas flowing from the first filter device
16 to the second filter device 18. A typical temperature of the
exhaust gas flowing from the first filter device 16 to the second
filter device 18 during an ongoing soot burnoff in the first filter
device 16 is approximately 600 to 700.degree. C. This temperature
is above the ignition temperature of the soot particles 36 in the
second filter device 18, in which no catalytic material that
promotes the soot burnoff is present. Thus even in the second
filter device 18, the soot burnoff of the deposited soot particles
36 is set into motion.
[0033] As a result of the soot burnoff in the first filter device
16, which because of the use of a special and highly active
catalytic material 34 proceeds quickly and with high energy output
once ignition has occurred, the exhaust gas temperature is
accordingly increased such that the soot particles 36 themselves,
located in the second filter device 18, ignite. This effect is
enhanced still further in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4
because the filter structure 38 of the second filter device 18 is
also provided with a catalytic material 43, which, however, is of a
completely different type from the catalytic material 34 of the
first filter device 16:
[0034] In the soot burnoff in the first filter device 16,
specifically, CO is also released, which is now oxidized into
CO.sub.2 in the second filter device 18, thanks to the catalytic
material 43 present there. This oxidation is likewise an exothermic
reaction, or accordingly one in which heat is released. This energy
can be utilized to reach the ignition temperature in the second
filter device 18, which in turn makes it possible to use a
less-active catalytic material 34 in the first filter device 16, or
in all less catalytic material 34 in the first filter device 16.
Platinum or palladium can be considered, as an example, for the
catalytic material 43 in the second filter device 18. It can be
substrated on a large-surface-area oxide or can be located directly
on the special steel filter structure 38.
[0035] As FIG. 1 shows, the first filter device 16 and the second
filter device 18 are located immediately adjacent one another. As a
result, the exhaust gas heated in the soot burnoff in the first
filter device 16 is prevented from cooling down excessively along
its way to the second filter device 18. In this respect, the
embodiment of FIG. 5, in which the first filter device 16 and the
second filter device 18 are integrated into a filter unit 44, is
optimal. It should be pointed out that in FIG. 5, those regions and
elements that have equivalent functions to elements and regions in
the preceding drawings have the same reference numerals and are not
described again in detail. It can be seen from FIG. 5 that the
filter structure 22 of the first filter device 16 is integral with
the filter structure 38 of the second filter device 18 (the
dividing line between the two filter structures). The first filter
device 16 is accordingly distinguished from the second filter
device 18 only in that it includes a catalytic material, not shown
in FIG. 5, which is especially active and which promotes the soot
burnoff in the first filter device 16.
* * * * *