Exhaust system with cam-operated valve assembly and associated method

#The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for controlling flow in exhaust systems.

#Exhaust systems are used with engines to manage exhaust gas discharged therefrom. Exhaust systems may include a number of valves to control flow in the exhaust system.

#According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an exhaust system for use with an engine. The exhaust system comprises at least one valve adapted to be located downstream from the engine to control flow in the exhaust system. The at least one valve is discrete from each intake valve of the engine and each exhaust valve of the engine. A camshaft is configured to operate the at least one valve. The at least one valve may comprise a plurality of valves operated by the camshaft. An associated method is disclosed.

#FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an exhaust system with at least one valve to be operated by a camshaft;

#FIG. 2 is a plan view of a valve assembly for use in the exhaust system of FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the valve assembly of FIG. 2;

#While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives following within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

#Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an exhaust system 10 for use with an internal combustion engine 12. The exhaust system 10 has at least one valve 14 (e.g., poppet valve) configured to control flow in the exhaust system 10. The at least one valve 14 is discrete from each intake valve 13a of the engine 12 and each exhaust valve 13b of the engine 12. A camshaft 16 is configured to operate the at least one valve 14. A shaft rotator 18 secured to the camshaft 16 and under the control of a controller 20 via an electrical line 22 or wireless communication may be used to rotate the camshaft 16 continuously, discretely, or as needed to open and close or otherwise adjust the at least one valve 14 to control flow in the system 10.

#The at least one valve 14 operated by the camshaft 16 may be used to control flow to at least one component 24. The at least one component 24 may take the form of a variety of exhaust system components, a few of which are listed in FIG. 1. For example, the cam-operated valve(s) 14 may be used to control flow to one or more exhaust processors and/or a burner. The category of exhaust processors includes, but is not limited to, emission abatement devices (e.g., SCR catalysts and/or emissions traps such as NOx traps and/or particulate traps) and sound abatement devices (e.g., mufflers, and/or resonators). A combustion device may be embodied as any type of combustion device including, but not limited to, a burner and/or a fuel reformer in the form of, for example, a plasma fuel reformer and/or a catalyst.