# US 11,441,460 B2 · Vane mixer in engine exhaust system

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- Number: US 11,441,460 B2
- Document ID: US11441460B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/080,076
- Filed: 2020-10-26
- Published: 2022-04-28
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-10-26
- Assignees: Caterpillar Inc.
- Applicants: Caterpillar Inc.
- Inventors: Khaja Mohiuddin; Yong Yi; Tejashree Nanasaheb Shirke; Vikas Bhupendra Sheth
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441460B2

## CPC

- F01N 3/035: with catalytic reactors
- F01N 3/2066: {Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]}
- F01N 3/106: {Auxiliary oxidation catalysts}
- F01N 3/2892: {Exhaust flow directors or the like, e.g. upstream of catalytic device}
- F01N 13/1816: {the pipe sections being joined together by flexible tubular elements only, e.g. using bellows or strip-wound pipes}
- F01N 2250/02: filtering and catalytic conversion
- F01N 2330/38: flow channels with means to enhance flow mixing,(e.g. protrusions or projections)
- F01N 2610/02: the substance being ammonia or urea
- F01N 2610/102: after addition to exhaust gases, e.g. by a passively or actively heated surface in the exhaust conduit
- F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16)

## Abstract

An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine includes an exhaust pipe, and a vane mixer attached to an upstream pipe end of the exhaust pipe and including a fluid injector mount, and a fluid injection side port in the injector mount and fluidly connected to an exhaust passage in the vane mixer. The vane mixer further includes a vane extending across the exhaust passage and dividing the exhaust passage into a major flow area and a minor flow area. The minor flow area is in overlapping angular alignment, circumferentially around a longitudinal exhaust passage axis, with the fluid injection side port.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An exhaust system for an engine comprising:
an exhaust pipe including an upstream pipe end and a downstream pipe end;
a vane mixer defining a longitudinal passage axis and forming an exhaust passage extending between a downstream mixer end attached to the upstream pipe end, and an upstream mixer end, and including an injector mount, and a fluid injection side port formed in the injector mount and fluidly connected to the exhaust passage; and
the vane mixer further including a vane extending across the exhaust passage and dividing the exhaust passage into a major flow area and a minor flow area, and the minor flow area is in overlapping angular alignment, circumferentially around the longitudinal passage axis, with the fluid injection side port, and extends from an originating location to a terminating location each downstream of the fluid injection side port.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The exhaust system of claim 1 wherein the exhaust pipe forms a first turn and a second turn between the upstream pipe end and the downstream pipe end, and includes a bellows between the first turn and the second turn.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The exhaust system of claim 2 further comprising an exhaust turbine fluidly connected to the upstream pipe end, a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) fluidly connected to the downstream pipe end, and a particulate filter (DPF) fluidly connected to the DOC.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The exhaust system of claim 1 wherein the fluid injection side port defines a transverse port axis intersecting the longitudinal passage axis and forming an acute angle with the longitudinal passage axis opening in an upstream direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The exhaust system of claim 4 further comprising a fuel injector mounted to the injector mount and structured to inject a liquid fuel into the vane mixer, and wherein the fuel injector defines an injector axis parallel to the transverse port axis, and the acute angle is between 45° and 60°.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The exhaust system of claim 4 wherein the vane includes a trailing edge positioned downstream of the fluid injection side port, and a leading edge, and a clearance extends, in a longitudinal direction, between the transverse port axis and the leading edge of the vane.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The exhaust system of claim 4 wherein the minor flow area is bisected by the transverse port axis, in an axial projection plane.

### Claim 8

A vane mixer for an exhaust system in an internal combustion engine comprising:
a mixer body including an exhaust conduit defining a longitudinal passage axis, and having an outer conduit surface, and an inner conduit surface extending circumferentially around the longitudinal axis to form an exhaust passage extending between an upstream mixer end and a downstream mixer end;
the mixer body further including an injector mount, and a fluid injection side port formed in the injector mount and defining a transverse port axis forming an acute angle with the longitudinal passage axis; and
a vane extending across the exhaust passage and including a trailing vane edge positioned downstream of the fluid injection side port, and a leading vane edge positioned for impingement by merging flows of exhaust through the exhaust passage and injected fluid through the fluid injection side port in a spray plume path parallel to the transverse port axis;
the vane dividing the exhaust passage into a major flow area and a minor flow area, and the minor flow area is in overlapping angular alignment, circumferentially around the longitudinal passage axis, with the fluid injection side port.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The vane mixer of claim 8 wherein the exhaust conduit defines a circle centered on the longitudinal axis, and the vane defines a chord of the circle, and the transverse port axis bisects the minor flow area and the chord of the circle, in an axial projection plane.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The vane mixer of claim 9 wherein the vane and the mixer body are formed integrally in a single piece.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The exhaust system of claim 8 wherein the upstream mixer end includes a first axial end surface, and the downstream mixer end includes a second axial end surface, and the trailing vane edge is coplanar with the second axial end surface.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The vane mixer of claim 8 wherein a clearance extends, in a longitudinal direction, between the transverse port axis and the leading vane edge.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The vane mixer of claim 8 wherein the injector mount stands proud of the outer conduit surface and includes a mounting face having the fluid injection side port and a plurality of fastener holes formed therein.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The vane mixer of claim 8 wherein the inner conduit surface forms an incoming exhaust passage segment, an outgoing exhaust passage segment, and a middle exhaust passage segment, and the outgoing exhaust passage segment is larger in diameter than the incoming exhaust passage segment.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The vane mixer of claim 14 wherein the middle exhaust passage segment has a diameter that is increased, in a longitudinal direction, from the incoming exhaust passage segment to the outgoing exhaust passage segment, and the fluid injection side port opens to the middle exhaust passage segment.

### Claim 16 (depends on 8)

The vane mixer of claim 8 wherein the minor flow area is less than the major flow area by a factor greater than 10.

### Claim 17 (depends on 8)

The vane mixer of claim 8 wherein the upstream mixer end includes a connecting flange forming a first axial end surface of the mixer body, and the downstream mixer end includes a second axial end surface of the mixer body, and a second connecting flange is formed adjacent to the second axial end surface.

### Claim 18

A vane mixer for an exhaust system in an internal combustion engine comprising:
a mixer body including an exhaust conduit defining a longitudinal passage axis, and having an outer conduit surface, and an inner conduit surface extending circumferentially around the longitudinal axis to form an exhaust passage extending between an upstream mixer end and a downstream mixer end;
the mixer body further including a fluid injection side port fluidly connected to the exhaust passage at a location longitudinally between the upstream mixer end and the downstream mixer end, and defining a transverse port axis intersecting the longitudinal passage axis and forming an acute angle with the longitudinal passage axis; and
a vane extending across the exhaust passage and including a trailing vane edge positioned downstream of the fluid injection side port, and a leading vane edge, and a clearance extends, in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal passage axis, between the transverse port axis and the leading vane edge.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The vane mixer of claim 18 wherein:
the vane includes an inside vane surface forming, together with the inner conduit surface, a minor flow area of the exhaust passage, and an outside vane surface forming, together with the inner conduit surface, a major flow area of the exhaust passage; and
the minor flow area is in overlapping angular alignment, circumferentially around the longitudinal passage axis, with the fluid injection side port;
the inner conduit surface forms an incoming exhaust passage segment, an outgoing exhaust passage segment, and a middle exhaust passage segment; and
the middle exhaust passage segment has a diameter that is increased, in a longitudinal direction, from the incoming exhaust passage segment to the outgoing exhaust passage segment, and the fluid injection side port opens to the middle exhaust passage segment.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The vane mixer of claim 19 wherein the transverse bore axis intersects the longitudinal passage axis at a location that is downstream of the leading vane edge.