Apparatus and method for cooling an exhaust gas
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorCharles E. Freese, V
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An exhaust gas cooling apparatus and method for cooling an exhaust gas is provided. The exhaust cooling apparatus has a first fluid conduit and a variable nozzle extending from the first fluid conduit. The variable nozzle being disposed in an inlet end of a second fluid conduit, wherein the variable nozzle has at least two dissimilar materials adjacent to each other and a fluid inlet opening is located between an outer periphery of the variable nozzle and an inner surface of the inlet end of the second fluid conduit. The at least two dissimilar materials vary the size of an opening of the variable nozzle by moving toward or away from a center line of the first fluid conduit in response to a temperature of an exhaust gas flowing through the first fluid conduit.
Claims18
An exhaust gas cooling apparatus, comprising:
- a first fluid conduit;
- a variable nozzle extending from the first fluid conduit, the variable nozzle further comprising at least two dissimilar materials adjacent to each other;
- and
- a second fluid conduit having an inlet end and an outlet end, at least a portion of the variable nozzle being disposed in the second fluid conduit proximate to the inlet end of the second fluid conduit such that a fluid inlet opening is located between an outer periphery of the variable nozzle and an inner surface of the inlet end of the second fluid conduit, the at least two dissimilar materials vary the size of an opening of the variable nozzle by moving toward or away from a center line of the first fluid conduit in response to a temperature of an exhaust gas flowing through the first fluid conduit to mix the exhaust gas with a fluid surrounding a portion of the first fluid conduit proximate to the fluid inlet opening by drawing the fluid into the second fluid conduit, wherein the size of the opening of the variable nozzle decreases in response to the temperature of the exhaust gas increasing above a predetermined temperature.
A method for cooling an exhaust gas of an engine, comprising:
- directing an exhaust gas through a first fluid conduit having a variable nozzle defined by at least two dissimilar materials adjacent to each other and extending from the first fluid conduit, the variable nozzle being received in an inlet end of a second fluid conduit, the variable nozzle being disposed in the second fluid conduit proximate to the inlet end of the second fluid conduit such that a fluid inlet opening is defined between an outer periphery of the variable nozzle and an inner surface of the inlet end of the second fluid conduit;
- introducing a fluid into the second fluid conduit through the fluid inlet opening, the fluid having a temperature lower than that of the exhaust gas;
- mixing the fluid with the exhaust gas in the second fluid conduit to provide a mixed gas, the mixed gas having a temperature less than that of the exhaust gas;
- and
- varying a size of an opening of the variable nozzle by moving the at least two dissimilar materials toward or away from a center line of the first fluid conduit in response to a temperature of the exhaust gas flowing through the first fluid conduit thereby increasing or decreasing the amount of fluid introduced into the second fluid conduit, wherein varying the size of the opening of the variable nozzle further comprises decreasing the size of the opening of the variable nozzle in response to the temperature of the exhaust gas increasing above a predetermined temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.