Passive pumping for recirculating exhaust gas
AssigneeWoodward, Inc.
InventorsGregory James Hampson, Domenico Chiera
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An exhaust gas recirculation mixer includes a convergent nozzle in a flow path from an air inlet of the mixer to an outlet of the mixer. The convergent nozzle is oriented converging toward the outlet of the mixer. The nozzle accelerates the flow to high velocity, which is released as a free-jet. The mixer includes an exhaust gas housing having an exhaust gas inlet into an interior of the exhaust gas housing, and a convergent-divergent nozzle having an air-fuel-exhaust gas inlet in fluid communication to receive fluid flow from the convergent nozzle (i.e., the free-jet), the interior of the exhaust gas housing, and a fuel supply into the mixer.
Claims21
An exhaust gas recirculation mixer, the mixer comprising:
- a convergent nozzle in a flow path from an air inlet of the mixer to an outlet of the mixer, the convergent nozzle converging toward the outlet of the mixer;
- an exhaust gas housing comprising an exhaust gas inlet into an interior of the exhaust gas housing;
- and
- a convergent-divergent nozzle comprising an air-fuel-exhaust gas inlet in fluid communication to receive fluid flow from the convergent nozzle;
- and
- a fuel supply into the mixer, the fuel supply comprising a fuel supply tube positioned parallel to and centrally within the air flow path, the fuel supply tube configured to supply fuel into the air flow path upstream of the convergent nozzle.
-3. (canceled)
A method comprising:
- increasing a velocity and decreasing a pressure of an air flow with a convergent nozzle to form a free jet exiting the converging nozzle;
- introducing an exhaust flow, in response to the decreased pressure of the free jet air flow, downstream of the convergent nozzle;
- mixing the air flow and the exhaust flow to form a mixture with a second convergent nozzle downstream of the convergent nozzle;
- and
- increasing a pressure and reducing a velocity of the combustion mixture with a divergent nozzle.
An engine system comprising:
- an intake manifold configured to receive a combustible mixture configured to be combusted within a combustion chamber;
- a throttle upstream of the intake manifold, the throttle configured to at least partially regulate an air flow into the intake manifold;
- an exhaust manifold configured to receive combustion products from the combustion chamber;
- and
- an exhaust gas recirculation mixer downstream of the throttle and upstream of an intake manifold, the exhaust gas recirculation mixer comprising:
- a convergent nozzle in a flow path from an air inlet of the mixer to an outlet of the mixer, the convergent nozzle converging toward the outlet of the mixer;
- an exhaust gas housing comprising an exhaust gas inlet into an interior of the exhaust gas housing;
- and
- a convergent-divergent nozzle comprising an air-fuel-exhaust gas inlet in fluid communication to receive fluid flow from the convergent nozzle, the interior of the exhaust gas housing, and a fuel supply into the mixer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.