# US 7,461,506 B2 · Exhaust gas cooler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,461,506 B2 - Document ID: US7461506B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/533,780 - Filed: 2006-09-21 - Published: 2008-03-27 - Granted: 2008-12-09 - Earliest claimed: 2006-09-21 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: Thomas E. McNally; Carson F. Langdon; Jenny L. Wang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7461506B2 ## CPC - F01N 3/02: for cooling, or for removing solid constituents of, exhaust (by means of electric or electrostatic separators F01N3/01 {; mixing air with exhaust in tailpipes F01N13/082, F01N13/20}) - 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) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract The invention concerns an exhaust gas cooler employed with a tailpipe of a vehicle exhaust system and a method of cooling exhaust gasses before being emitted from the exhaust system into the atmosphere. The exhaust gas cooler may include a cooler housing having a substantially cylindrical shape with an open forward edge, an open rearward edge, and an internal diameter that is larger than the external diameter of the tailpipe, and a cooler support attached to and supporting the cooler housing such that the rearward edge of the tailpipe is located within the cooler housing between the forward and rearward edges of the cooler housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An exhaust system for a vehicle having an engine comprising: a tailpipe having an outlet at a rearward edge and having an external diameter adjacent to the rearward edge; and an exhaust gas cooler including a cooler housing having a substantially cylindrical shape with an open forward edge, an open rearward edge, and an internal diameter that is larger than the external diameter of the tailpipe; a cooler support attached to and supporting the cooler housing such that the rearward edge of the tailpipe is located within the cooler housing between the forward and rearward edges of the cooler housing; and a cross vane assembly including a vane mounted in the cooler housing between the rearward edge of the tailpipe and the open rearward edge of the cooler housing. the vane extending radially across substantially the entire inner diameter of the cooler housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The exhaust system of claim 1 wherein the cooler support locates the cooler housing in a coaxially aligned relationship with the tailpipe. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The exhaust system of claim 1 wherein the vane includes a vane blade portion that is angled relative to the rearward edge of the tailpipe, whereby the vane blade portion imparts a swirling motion to exhaust gasses exiting the outlet of the tailpipe. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The exhaust system of claim 3 wherein the vane blade includes an attachment flange secured to the cooler housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The exhaust system of claim 1 wherein the cooler support includes a plurality of fasteners secured between the tailpipe and the cooler housing, the fasteners supporting the cooler housing on the tailpipe. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The exhaust system of claim 1 including a diesel particulate filter located between the engine and the tailpipe. ### Claim 7 A method of cooling exhaust gasses produced by a vehicle engine before the exhaust gasses are discharged from a vehicle exhaust system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an exhaust gas cooler around a rearward edge of a tailpipe such that the exhaust gas cooler includes a cooler housing having a rearward edge and a forward edge, with the rearward edge of the tailpipe being located between the rearward and forward edges of the cooler housing; (b) operating the engine, causing the exhaust gasses to flow from an outlet on the rearward edge of the tailpipe; (c) drawing ambient air into the exhaust gas cooler; (d) mixing the exhaust gasses and the ambient air by imparting a swirling motion to the exhaust gasses and the ambient air; and (e) expelling an exhaust gas/ambient air mixture out of the rearward edge of the cooler housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein step (c) is further defined by drawing the ambient air into the cooler housing through the forward edge of the cooler housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein step (d) is further defined by providing a cross vane assembly adjacent to the rearward edge of the tailpipe to thereby impart the swirling motion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 including the steps of (f) providing a diesel particulate filter in the vehicle exhaust system; and (g) supplying heat to the diesel particulate filter to cause regeneration of the diesel particulate filter. ### Claim 11 An exhaust system for a vehicle having an engine comprising: a tailpipe having an outlet at a rearward edge and having an external diameter adjacent to the rearward edge; and an exhaust gas cooler including a cooler housing having a substantially cylindrical shape with an open forward edge, an open rearward edge, and an internal diameter that is larger than the external diameter of the tailpipe; a cooler support attached to and supporting the cooler housing such that the rearward edge of the tailpipe is located within the cooler housing between the forward and rearward edges of the cooler housing; and a cross vane assembly mounted in the cooler housing between the rearward edge of the tailpipe and the rearward edge of the cooler housing, the vane assembly configured to impart a swirling motion in at least one of exhaust gasses exiting the tailpipe and ambient air flowing from the open forward edge of the cooler housing past the rearward edge of the tailpipe. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The exhaust system of claim 11 wherein the cooler support supports the cooler housing in a coaxially aligned relationship with the tailpipe. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The exhaust system of claim 11 wherein the cross vane assembly includes a plurality of cross vanes that extend in a radial direction across substantially the entire internal diameter of the cooler housing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The exhaust system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of cross vanes are located adjacent to the rearward edge of the tailpipe and the vanes are configured to impart the swirling motion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The exhaust system of claim 11 wherein the cooler support includes a plurality of fasteners secured between the tailpipe and the cooler housing to support the cooler housing on the tailpipe. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The exhaust system of claim 11 including a diesel particulate filter located upstream from the tailpipe.