# US 11,905,962 B2 · Vehicle exhaust dissipation system for improved lidar detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,905,962 B2 - Document ID: US11905962B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/676,440 - Filed: 2022-02-21 - Published: 2023-08-24 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-21 - Assignees: Toyota Research Institute, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Research Institute, Inc. - Inventors: Rafael Castillo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11905962B2 ## CPC - F04D 27/004: {by varying driving speed} - F01N 13/08: Other arrangements or adaptations of exhaust conduits {(pipes, joints or supports therefor in general F16L; collecting or removing exhaust gases of vehicle engines in workshops B08B15/00, on highways E01C1/005)} - F01N 13/082: {of tailpipe, e.g. with means for mixing air with exhaust for exhaust cooling, dilution or evacuation (F01N13/20 takes precedence)} - F04D 19/002: {Axial flow fans} - F04D 25/08: the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation - F04D 27/008: {Stop safety or alarm devices, e.g. stop-and-go control; Disposition of check-valves} - F01N 2900/12: said parameters being related to the vehicle exterior - F01N 2900/1404: Exhaust gas temperature - F05D 2270/303: Temperature - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - 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) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A vehicle exhaust dissipation system includes a fan unit and one or more processors. A memory is communicably coupled to the one or more processors and stores a fan control module including computer-readable instructions that when executed by the processor(s) cause the processor(s) to, responsive to a determination that an ambient temperature is equal to or below a fan rotor activation temperature, control operation of the fan unit to generate an airflow directed into an exhaust gas exiting the vehicle from a vehicle exhaust opening. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle exhaust dissipation system comprising: a fan unit; one or more processors; and a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing a fan control module including computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to, responsive to a determination that an ambient temperature is equal to or below a fan rotor activation temperature, control operation of the fan unit to generate an airflow directed into an exhaust gas exiting a vehicle from a vehicle exhaust gas opening. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the fan rotor activation temperature is an estimated dew point temperature of the exhaust gas. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to determine a temperature of the exhaust gas prior to exiting the exhaust gas opening. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to determine a flowrate of exhaust gas toward the exhaust gas opening. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 comprising a mounting base structured to be securable to a portion of the vehicle proximate the exhaust gas opening, and wherein the fan unit is structured to be removably securable to the mounting base. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the fan unit comprises: a rotor having a rotor central axis; and a diffuser defining a grating including plurality of grating sections, the grating being structured so that an angle formed between a surface of each grating section and a central axis of a fan rotor of the fan unit increases with an increasing radial distance of the grating section from the central axis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the fan unit includes a fan rotor structured to be rotatable to generate the airflow, and wherein the fan control module includes computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to: responsive to an increase in a flowrate of the exhaust gas toward the exhaust gas opening, control operation of the fan unit to increase a rotation speed of the rotor; and responsive to a decrease in a flowrate of the exhaust gas toward the exhaust gas opening, control operation of the fan unit to decrease a rotation speed of the rotor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the fan unit includes a fan rotor structured to be rotatable to generate the airflow, and wherein the fan control module includes computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to control a rotation speed of the rotor so as to be proportional to a flowrate of exhaust gas toward the exhaust gas opening. ### Claim 9 A vehicle exhaust dissipation system comprising: a fan unit including a rotor, the fan unit being structured to be positionable to generate an airflow into exhaust gas exiting an exhaust gas opening of a vehicle; one or more processors; and a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing a fan control module including computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to: generate an airflow directed into the exhaust gas exiting the exhaust gas opening; responsive to an increase in a flowrate of the exhaust toward the exhaust opening, control operation of the fan unit to increase a rotation speed of the rotor; and responsive to a decrease in a flowrate of the exhaust toward the exhaust opening, control operation of the fan unit to decrease a rotation speed of the rotor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the fan control module includes computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to, responsive to a determination that an ambient temperature is equal to or below a fan rotor activation temperature, control operation of the fan unit to generate the airflow directed into the exhaust gas exiting the exhaust gas opening. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein the fan assembly includes a fan rotor structured to be rotatable to generate the airflow, and wherein the fan control module includes computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to control a rotation speed of the rotor so as to be proportional to a flowrate of exhaust gas toward the exhaust gas opening. ### Claim 12 A method of dispersing an exhaust gas exiting a vehicle exhaust gas opening, the method comprising a step of, responsive to a determination that an ambient temperature is equal to or below a fan rotor activation temperature, controlling operation of a fan unit to generate an airflow directed into the exhaust gas where the exhaust gas exits the vehicle exhaust gas opening. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 further comprising steps of: detecting an increase in a flowrate of exhaust gas toward the exhaust gas opening; and responsive to detecting the increase in the flowrate of the exhaust gas toward the exhaust gas opening, controlling operation of a fan unit to increase a rotation speed of a fan rotor of the fan unit, to increase a flowrate of air into the exhaust gas exiting the exhaust gas opening. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 further comprising steps of: detecting a decrease in a flowrate of exhaust gas toward the exhaust gas opening; and responsive to detecting the decrease in the flowrate of the exhaust gas toward the exhaust gas opening, controlling operation of a fan unit to decrease a rotation speed of a fan rotor of the fan unit, to decrease a flowrate of air into the exhaust gas exiting the exhaust gas opening. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the fan unit includes a rotor structured to be rotatable to generate the airflow, and wherein the method further comprises a step of controlling a rotation speed of the rotor so as to be proportional to a flowrate of exhaust gas toward the exhaust gas opening. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle exhaust dissipation system is mounted on a first vehicle, and wherein the first vehicle includes a wireless communications interface configured to receive control commands from other vehicles for operating the vehicle exhaust dissipation system.