# US 2018/0023447 A1 · Urea mixer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0023447 A1 - Document ID: US20180023447A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/214,974 - Filed: 2016-07-20 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-20 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Xiaogang Zhang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023447A1 ## CPC - F01N 3/2892: {Exhaust flow directors or the like, e.g. upstream of catalytic device} - B01F 23/2132: {using nozzles} - B01F 25/3131: {with additional mixing means other than injector mixers, e.g. screens, baffles or rotating elements} - B01F 25/3141: {with additional mixing means other than injector mixers} - B01F 25/31423: {with a plurality of perforations in the circumferential direction only and covering the whole circumference} - B01F 25/32: wherein the additional components are added in a by-pass of the main flow - B01F 25/4521: {the components being pressed through orifices in elements, e.g. flat plates or cylinders, which obstruct the whole diameter of the tube} - B01F 25/45211: {the elements being cylinders or cones which obstruct the whole diameter of the tube, the flow changing from axial in radial and again in axial} - F01N 3/2066: {Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]} - B01F 2025/918: {Counter current flow, i.e. flows moving in opposite direction and colliding} - F01N 2240/20: a flow director or deflector - F01N 2610/02: the substance being ammonia or urea - F01N 2610/1453: Sprayers or atomisers; Arrangement thereof in the exhaust apparatus - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - 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) - B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Methods and systems are provided for a urea mixer. In one example, a urea mixer may include a tube for mixing exhaust gas with urea outside of a main exhaust passage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mixer comprising: a concave plate located inside an exhaust passage with an opening fluidly coupling the exhaust passage to an auxiliary passage having a urea injector, and where the auxiliary passage is fluidly coupled to a hollow ring physically coupled to an outer surface of the exhaust passage, and where the hollow ring is upstream of the concave plate relative to a direction of incoming engine exhaust gas flow. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mixer of claim 1, wherein the concave plate comprises a plurality of perforations angled relative to the direction of incoming exhaust gas flow, and flow in the auxiliary passage flows in an opposite direction to the incoming engine exhaust gas flow. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The mixer of claim 1, wherein the opening is defined by the smallest circumference of the concave plate, and where the opening admits exhaust gas into the auxiliary passage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The mixer of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary passage is formed by a J-shaped tube comprising a first tube, a second tube, and a third tube, and where a diameter of the auxiliary passage is less than a diameter of the exhaust pipe. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The mixer of claim 4, wherein the first tube is located inside the exhaust pipe and is physically coupled to the concave plate and a portion of the second tube located in the exhaust pipe, the urea injector is located at an intersection between the third tube and the second tube outside of the exhaust pipe, and where the third tube is entirely located outside of the exhaust pipe and is physically coupled to a downstream surface of the hollow ring. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The mixer of claim 1, wherein the hollow ring and concave plate are concentric about a central axis of the exhaust pipe, and where the direction of incoming exhaust gas flow is parallel to the central axis of the exhaust pipe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The mixer of claim 1, wherein the hollow ring comprises a plurality of perforations located along the outer surface of the exhaust pipe, and where the perforations are located along a central axis of the hollow ring, the central axis of the hollow ring being perpendicular to a central axis of the exhaust pipe. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The mixer of claim 7, wherein the perforations expel exhaust gas to the exhaust passage in a radially inward direction oblique to a direction of incoming exhaust gas flow. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The mixer of claim 7, wherein the hollow ring comprises an annular chamber uninterruptedly spanning an entire circumference of the exhaust pipe, and where the annular chamber is fluidly coupled to the exhaust passage via the plurality of perforations. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The mixer of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary passage receives exhaust gas adjacent the opening of the concave plate proximal to a central axis of the exhaust pipe, and where the auxiliary passage expels exhaust gas to the exhaust passage via the hollow ring adjacent the exhaust pipe. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: injecting a reductant outside of a main exhaust passage into a tube of a mixer configured with an opening in a downstream portion of the mixer in the main exhaust passage to conduct exhaust gas into the tube for mixing with the reductant outside the main exhaust passage; and flowing the reductant and exhaust gas parallel to and outside of the main exhaust passage via the tube to an upstream portion of the mixer configured to angularly expel the reductant and exhaust gas into the main exhaust passage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein expelling the reductant and exhaust gas into the main exhaust passage further includes flowing the reductant and exhaust gas toward the downstream portion, where the reductant and exhaust gas flow through the opening or through a plurality of perforations. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the upstream portion is in face-sharing contact with an outer surface of an exhaust pipe of the main exhaust passage, and where the upstream portion flows reductant and exhaust gas to the main exhaust passage via a plurality of outlets angled relative to a direction of incoming exhaust gas flow. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein injecting the reductant includes injecting the reductant in a direction opposite exhaust gas flow in the tube. ### Claim 15 A urea mixer comprising: a curved downstream portion and an annular upstream portion cascaded along an exhaust pipe of an exhaust passage, the upstream portion located outside of the exhaust pipe and the downstream portion located interior to the exhaust pipe; a first plurality of perforations located along a portion of the exhaust pipe corresponding to a location of the upstream portion and a second plurality of perforations located along the downstream portion; and an injector positioned to inject urea outside the exhaust passage along a vertical axis parallel to a central axis of the upstream portion into a tube. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The urea mixer of claim 15, wherein the downstream portion comprises an opening located along a central axis of the exhaust pipe, and where the opening is configured to admit exhaust gas into a portion of the tube located inside the exhaust pipe. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The urea mixer of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of perforations are outlets fluidly coupling an annular chamber of the upstream portion to the exhaust passage, and where exhaust gas flowing out of the first plurality of perforations of the upstream portion flows into the exhaust passage before flowing into the downstream portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The urea mixer of claim 15, wherein the downstream portion is physically coupled to the exhaust pipe along its outer circumference and comprises an opening interior to its inner circumference, and where the downstream portion is curved and comprises the second plurality of perforations between the outer and inner circumferences. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The urea mixer of claim 15, wherein the tube comprises a tube diameter that is less than a diameter of the exhaust pipe. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The urea mixer of claim 15, wherein there are no other inlet and no additional outlets other than the first and second pluralities of perforations and the opening.