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US 7,150,147 B2Granted
Exhaust system
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKiyohito Murata
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exhaust system (1) is provided with an exhaust passage that allows exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine to pass therethrough, an exhaust emission control unit including a catalyst (2,3) such as a three-way catalyst (27) to purify the exhaust gas, and an exhaust heat collecting unit that converts thermal energy of the exhaust gas into electric energy. The exhaust passage (25) is formed in the center of the exhaust system provided with the exhaust emission control unit. By-pass passages (26) are formed at both sides of the exhaust passage (25) through which the exhaust gas flows without passing through the exhaust emission control unit. The exhaust heat collecting unit (29) is provided on the outer side of each of the by-pass passages (26).
Claims17
An exhaust system comprising:
- an exhaust passage that allows exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine to pass therethrough;
- a primary exhaust emission control unit including a catalyst to purify the exhaust gas;
- a first exhaust heat collecting unit including a thermoelectric element that converts thermal energy of the exhaust gas into electric energy, the exhaust passage being divided into a first passage provided with the primary exhaust emission control unit, and having a first inlet and a first outlet, defining a first flowpath, with an upstream end and a downstream end, and a cut-off valve downstream of the catalyst, and a second passage provided with the first exhaust heat collecting device including the thermoelectric element and having a second inlet and a second outlet, and an outlet door, the second outlet and the outlet door being downstream of the cut-off valve in said first passage;
- and
- a controller that controls said cut-off valve,
- wherein said cut-off valve is responsive to a signal from said controller,
- wherein in response to said signal from said controller, said cut-off valve either opens to allow exhaust gas to flow through said first passage, or closes to allow exhaust gas to flow through said second passage to said outlet door, said outlet door being closed when said cut-off valve is open, said outlet door being open when said cut-off valve is closed, and
- wherein said signal to open or shut said cut-off valve is sent based on a temperature in the catalyst.
5 more elements
An exhaust system, comprising:
- an exhaust passage that allows exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine to pass therethrough;
- a primary exhaust emission control unit including a catalyst to purify the exhaust gas;
- a first exhaust heat collecting unit including a thermoelectric element that converts thermal energy of the exhaust gas into electric energy, the exhaust passage being divided into a first passage provided with the primary exhaust emission control unit and a second passage provided with the first exhaust heat collecting device including the thermoelectric element;
- a control member that is operated to change a flow of the exhaust gas between the first passage and the second passage;
- a secondary exhaust emission control unit provided on the exhaust passage where the first passage and the second passage are joined;
- and
- a second exhaust heat collecting unit including a thermoelectric element downstream of the secondary exhaust emission control unit;
- wherein an operation of the control member is controlled based on a temperature in the primary exhaust emission control unit;
- the control member is operated such that the exhaust gas flows through the second passage when the temperature in the primary exhaust emission control unit exceeds a predetermined temperature;
- and
- the predetermined temperature is determined based on an activation temperature of the catalyst in the primary exhaust emission control unit.
8 more elements
An exhaust system comprising:
- an exhaust passage through which flows exhaust gas from an engine;
- a first catalytic converter, including a primary passage, said primary passage including a first inlet, a first outlet, a first catalyst between said first inlet and said first outlet, and a cut-off valve downstream of said catalyst, and a by-pass passage, including a second inlet, a second outlet, an exhaust heat power generator unit between the second inlet and the second outlet, and an outlet door with which the second outlet is provided, the second outlet and outlet door being downstream of said cut-off valve;
- a controller including a temperature sensor for measuring temperature of said first catalyst and for providing signals to said cut-off valve in response to preselected temperature setpoints;
- wherein at a first temperature setpoint, said cut-off valve opens, providing exhaust gas flow through said primary passage, said exhaust gas flow holding shut said outlet door of said by-pass passage;
- and
- wherein at a second setpoint, said cut-off valve closes, preventing exhaust gas flow in said primary passage, allowing said outlet door of said by-pass passage to open, and providing exhaust gas flow through said by-pass passage.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.