DEVICE AND METHOD FOR AN EXHAUST SYSTEM OF A MOTOR VEHICLE
A device for an exhaust system of a motor vehicle includes baffle wall, a passage, and a body having a sidewall with an exhaust conduit extending therethrough. The baffle wall has a bore in fluid communication with the exhaust conduit. The baffle wall extends from the sidewall and into the exhaust conduit for directing the flow of exhaust gas through the bore and increasing a speed of the flow of the exhaust gas. The passage extends through the sidewall of the body for fluid communication between the bore and an ambient environment. As such, the increased speed of the flow of the exhaust reduces the pressure and creates a venturi for drawing cool ambient gas into the flow of the hot exhaust gas. In addition to the venturi, the bore and the passage collectively generate a desirable engine exhaust sound when the flow of the exhaust gas passes therethrough.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/811,937 filed Apr. 15, 2013, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates generally to a device and method for an exhaust system, and more particularly, to a device and method for discharging engine exhaust from an exhaust system of a motor vehicle.
BACKGROUNDMotor vehicles, such as automobiles, motorcycles, scooters, or any other vehicle for transport, traditionally employ an internal combustion engine for converting chemical energy into thermal energy. In turn, the engine converts the thermal energy into mechanical energy for generating the power used while operating the vehicle. Of course, the production of mechanical energy via the internal combustion engine also produces exhaust gas that must be discharged from the engine. Traditionally, the thermal energy created by the engine generates significant heat, a portion of which passes from the engine through relatively high temperature exhaust gas. For example, a diesel internal combustion engine may produce exhaust gas temperatures well over 1000° F. Thus, exhaust systems have been developed for safely maintaining, treating, and discharging high temperature exhaust gas to an ambient environment.
While exhaust systems capable of withstanding high exhaust gas temperatures are well-known in the motor vehicle industry, it is also well known that vehicle exhaust systems must be carefully designed and manufactured of metals and alloys having material properties suitable at these high operating temperatures. However, metals and alloys having favorable high temperature material properties are typically more expensive and more difficult to procure than more traditional metals and alloys. Furthermore, increased environmental concerns may require relatively high combustion temperatures for various after treatment systems, which only reinforces the likelihood of high exhaust gas temperatures entering the exhaust system. For this reason, manufacturers of present exhaust systems often use high cost materials along the majority of the exhaust system or risk premature failure during use.
In addition, many vehicle owners specifically choose vehicle engine and exhaust system components for increased performance during use and may even prefer exhaust systems capable of generating enhanced or augmented engine sound produced by the exhaust gas. For this reason, after market components for generating or augmenting engine sound are common throughout the motor vehicle industry. For example, a portion of the exhaust system may be used to increase overall volume and resonance to make a relatively small engine, such as a scooter engine, sound like a larger engine, such as a motorcycle engine. However, due to high exhaust gas temperatures, these sound generation portions of the exhaust system may also be manufactured from relatively expensive metals and alloys.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device and method for use with a motor vehicle, such as an exhaust system, that addresses present challenges and characteristics such as those discussed above.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below serve to explain the invention.
With reference to
Furthermore, as will be discussed more fully below, the exhaust gas and tuned sound respectively cool and change while operatively passing through the inline exhaust device 14 to the fluidly connected downstream pipe 30. The downstream pipe 30 fluidly connects to the muffler 22 for reducing the overall engine exhaust sound. Finally, the muffler 22 fluidly connects to the tail pipe 32. The tip exhaust device 15 fluidly connects to an end 34 of the tail pipe 32 for receiving and cooling exhaust gas and generating a final desirable exhaust sound for discharge into an ambient environment 35, as described below in greater detail. While the above describes an exemplary embodiment, it will be appreciated that the motor vehicle 10 and exhaust system 12 is not intended to be limited to an automobile and traditional automobile exhaust system as described above. Rather, the inline exhaust device 14 and the tip exhaust device 15 may be fluidly connected to an exhaust pipe for receiving exhaust gas from a broad range of internal combustion engine vehicles. For example, it is contemplated that the inline exhaust device 14 and tip exhaust device 15 may be used with, but not necessarily limited to, the automobile, a truck, a scooter, or a motorcycle. Similarly, the inline exhaust device 14 and the tip exhaust device 15 may be fluidly connected at a broad range of positions along the exhaust system downstream of the engine (not shown) in accordance with the invention described herein. Also, it will be appreciated that one or more of the inline exhaust devices 14 may be connected in series or parallel via the exhaust pipe for further cooling the exhaust gas or augmenting the engine exhaust sound. Furthermore, the inline exhaust device 14 and the tip exhaust device 15 may be used together, as shown in
With respect to
The tip exhaust device 15 further includes a baffle wall 58 positioned adjacent the distal end portion 40 of the body 36. The baffle wall 58 extends generally radially inward from the sidewall 42 and into the exhaust conduit 44 for blocking and directing the flow of the exhaust gas. The baffle wall 58 also includes at least one bore 60 extending therethrough so as to be in fluid communication with the exhaust conduit 44 and the ambient environment. As such, the baffle wall 58 directs the flow of the exhaust gas from the exhaust conduit 44 and through at least one bore 60. According to an exemplary embodiment, the bore 60 defines a bore central axis positioned generally parallel to the direction of the flow of the exhaust gas moving in a direction defined by a central axis of the exhaust conduit 44. The baffle wall 58 is also generally transverse to the conduit central axis and direction of the flow of the exhaust gas. However, it will be appreciated that the alignment of the baffle wall 58 and bore 60 may vary relative to the direction of the flow of the exhaust gas in accordance with the invention described herein. Preferably, the baffle wall 58 includes a plurality of the bores 60 extending therethrough, whereas each of the bores 60 may be circumferentially positioned about the baffle wall 58 adjacent to the sidewall 42 (e.g., adjacent the periphery of the baffle wall). The purpose of positioning the bores 60 adjacent the sidewall 42 will be described below. According to an exemplary embodiment, the baffle wall 58 includes six bores 60 symmetrically positioned about the baffle wall 58, which is also generally annular in shape. As shown in
Furthermore, at least one passage 62 extends through the sidewall 42 for fluidly communicating an ambient gas, indicated by arrows 64, from the ambient environment 35 and into the at least one bore 60. Preferably, the sidewall 42 includes a plurality of passages 62 such that each passage 62 extends into one of the respective bores 60. Thus, according to an exemplary embodiment, the sidewall 42 may include six annularly positioned passages 62 that are symmetrically positioned about the body 36 for alignment with a respective one of the six bores 60 through the baffle wall. More particularly, each passage 62 extends from an ambient port 66 located in the outer surface of the sidewall 42 to an exhaust port 68 positioned in the inner surface of the bore 60. The ambient port 66 on the sidewall 42 is in fluid communication with the ambient environment 35, whereas the exhaust port 68 is in fluid communication with the exhaust gas passing through the bore 60. According to an exemplary embodiment, the exhaust port 68 is distally positioned from the ambient port 66 such that the passage 62 has a passage central axis that extends at an angle θ from the bore central axis. More particularly, the angle θ may be between 0 and 90 degrees. According to an exemplary embodiment, the angle θ is from about 10 degrees to about 25 degrees. More particularly, the angle θ is about 18 degrees and the position of the exhaust port 68 is entirely within the bore 60.
Given the similarities between the tip exhaust device 15 and the inline exhaust device 14 shown in
Operation of the exhaust devices 14, 15 will now be described. With respect to embodiments of the tip exhaust device 15 and the inline exhaust device 14 shown in
More particularly, the low pressure of the flow of the exhaust gas 74 through the bores 60 is below an ambient pressure of the ambient environment 35. The low pressure of the flow of the exhaust gas 74 then effectively generates suction, which draws cooler ambient gas from the ambient environment 35, through the passage 62, and into the bore 60. The cooler ambient gas is indicated herein by arrows 76. Finally, the cooler ambient gas mixes with the hot exhaust gas to create a mixed exhaust gas having a final temperature lower than the flow of the hot exhaust gas entering either exhaust device 14, 15. The mixed exhaust gas is indicated herein by arrows 78. As described above, the inline exhaust device 14 and tip exhaust device 15 may be used individually or in any combination. In this respect, it will be appreciated that the exhaust gas may already be mixed with ambient gas to some extent by the combination of upstream and downstream exhaust devices 14, 15. Thus, the distinction between the particular make-up of exhaust gas and mixed exhaust gas is merely exemplary and not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the exhaust gas, ambient gas, and the mixed gas may include portions of gas that may condense into fluids while cooling. Any fluids which accumulate as a product of combustion and condensation are contemplated herein and are not intended to limit the invention described herein.
An exemplary embodiment of the tip exhaust device 15 and the inline exhaust device 14 preferably includes the plurality of bores 60 and passages 62 as described above. Thus, the flow of exhaust gas 46 preferably divides into a plurality of flows of exhaust gas 74 rather than just a singular flow of exhaust gas. As such, each venturi described above more effectively mixes and cools each respective flow of exhaust gas 74 with each flow of ambient gas 76 than singular flows of exhaust through the baffle wall 58. Each of the bores 60 is preferably positioned adjacent to the sidewall 42 for increasing the speed of the flow of the exhaust gas 74 adjacent to the sidewall 42. Often times, flow speed adjacent to a wall tends to be slower, and less likely to mix with surrounding gases. Thus, by increasing the exhaust gas 74 adjacent to the sidewall 42, the placement of the bores 60 encourages more mixing with the ambient gas 64 and increased cooling effect.
In addition to cooling exhaust gas, the bore 60 and passage 62 also collectively generate a desirable exhaust sound. Specifically, the venturi created at the bore 60 and passage 62 relate to a resonance within the tip exhaust device 15 and the inline exhaust device 14. The resonance augments the existing exhaust sound when the flow of the exhaust gas is directed through the bores while the ambient gas, simultaneously, draws into each of the bores 60. Again, the desirable exhaust sound may be generated with only one of the exhaust device 14, 15 or may be selectively tuned with multiple exhaust devices 14, 15 in combination with other components of the exhaust system 12 (see
By virtue of the venturi effect cooling the flow of the exhaust gas, portions of the exhaust system 12 downstream of the inline exhaust device 14 may be manufactured from cheaper materials with less weight. For example, common exhaust materials include mild steel, stainless steel, or titanium, which require tradeoffs, readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, between relatively high cost, aesthetic appearance, and weight. However, by reducing the temperature of the flow of the exhaust gas as described above, the downstream portions may be manufactured of aluminum, which may be cheaper, lighter, and more aesthetically appealing than more common exhaust system materials.
In other words, cool ambient gas is mixed with the hot exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust devices 14, 15. The addition of this cool gas is configured to also cool the exhaust device 14, 15 itself, such that it may operate at a relatively lower temperature and cool the overall temperature of the exhaust gas. Accordingly, the mixed gas (e.g., exhaust gas from the engine and ambient gas) flowing downstream of the exhaust device 14, 15 generally has a lower temperature.
For this reason, the tip exhaust device 15 and the inline exhaust device 14 may also be manufactured from cost effective aluminum. For example, an exemplary embodiment of the tip exhaust device 15 is manufactured as described above from a unitary piece of AA6061-T5 aluminum. As such, the inline and tip exhaust devices 14, 15 both may be used to generate a desirable exhaust sound while simultaneously cooling the flow of the exhaust gas.
While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of one or more embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, they are not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. The various features shown and described herein may be used alone or in any combination. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be from such details without departing from the scope of the general inventive concept.
Claims
1. A device for an exhaust system of a motor vehicle, the exhaust system including an exhaust pipe for receiving a flow of exhaust gas from an engine of the motor vehicle and discharging the flow of exhaust gas into an ambient environment, the device comprising;
- a body having a sidewall and an exhaust conduit extending therethrough;
- a baffle wall having at least one bore, the at least one bore in fluid communication with the exhaust conduit extending therethrough for increasing a speed of the flow of exhaust gas through the bore; and
- a passage extending through the sidewall of the body from the ambient environment to the bore for fluid communication therebetween,
- wherein the bore and the passage are configured to generate a venturi and draw cooler ambient gas through the passage and into the bore.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the baffle wall and the passage are collectively configured to generate a desirable exhaust sound when simultaneously directing the flow of the exhaust gas through the bore and drawing ambient gas into the bore via the venturi.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the passage extends from an ambient port in fluid communication with the ambient gas to an exhaust port in fluid communication with the bore in the baffle wall, and the exhaust port is distally positioned from the ambient port such that the ambient gas moves into the exhaust gas at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees from a direction of the flow of the exhaust gas.
4. The device of claim 1 further comprising:
- a plurality of the bores extending through the baffle wall and in fluid communication with the exhaust conduit for directing the flow of exhaust gas through each of the bores and increasing the speed of the flow of exhaust gas through each of the bores; and
- a plurality of the passages extending through the sidewall of the body from the ambient environment, each of the passages extending to respective bores in the baffle wall for fluid communication therebetween.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein the plurality of bores are positioned adjacent to the sidewall of the body.
6. The device of claim 4 wherein the plurality of bores and the plurality of passages are symmetrically and radially positioned about the baffle wall and sidewall, respectively.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the body has an end portion for fluidly connecting to a portion of the exhaust system.
8. The device of claim 7 wherein the body has another end portion for fluidly connecting to a remaining portion of the exhaust system.
9. A device for an exhaust system of a motor vehicle, the exhaust system including an exhaust pipe for receiving a flow of exhaust gas from an engine of the motor vehicle and discharging the flow of exhaust gas into an ambient environment, the device comprising;
- a body having a sidewall and an exhaust conduit extending therethrough, the body having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, the proximal end portion having an inlet in fluid communication with the exhaust conduit and configured for connecting to the exhaust pipe to receive the flow of exhaust gas;
- a baffle wall having a bore in fluid communication with the exhaust conduit extending therethrough, the baffle wall extending from the sidewall and into the exhaust conduit at the distal end portion for directing the flow of exhaust gas through the bore and increasing a speed of the flow of exhaust gas through the bore; and
- a passage extending through the sidewall of the body from the ambient environment to the bore in the baffle wall for fluid communication therebetween,
- wherein the bore and the passage are configured to generate a venturi and draw cooler ambient gas through the passage and into the bore from the ambient environment for introducing cooler ambient gas into the flow of the exhaust gas for reducing a temperature of the flow of the exhaust gas through a remaining portion of the exhaust system.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein the baffle wall and the passage are collectively configured to generate a desirable exhaust sound when simultaneously directing the flow of the exhaust gas through the bore and drawing ambient gas into the bore via the venturi.
11. The device of claim 9 wherein the passage extends from an ambient port in fluid communication with the ambient gas to an exhaust port in fluid communication with the bore in the baffle wall, and the exhaust port is distally positioned from the ambient port such that the ambient gas moves into the exhaust gas at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees from a direction of the flow of the exhaust gas.
12. The device of claim 9 wherein the passage extends from an ambient port in fluid communication with the ambient gas to an exhaust port in fluid communication with only the bore such that all of the ambient gas is drawn directly into the bore in the baffle wall.
13. The device of claim 9 further comprising:
- a plurality of the bores extending through the baffle wall and in fluid communication with the exhaust conduit for directing the flow of exhaust gas through each of the bores and increasing the speed of the flow of exhaust gas through each of the bores; and
- a plurality of the passages extending through the sidewall of the body from the ambient environment, each of the passages extending to respective bores in the baffle wall for fluid communication therebetween.
14. The device of claim 13 wherein the plurality of bores and the plurality of passages are symmetrically and radially positioned about the baffle wall and sidewall, respectively.
15. The device of claim 9 wherein the distal end portion has an outlet in fluid communication with the exhaust conduit and configured for connecting to a remaining portion of the exhaust system.
16. A method of discharging an exhaust gas from an exhaust system of a motor vehicle into an ambient environment, comprising;
- blocking a flow of the exhaust gas with a baffle wall in order to direct the gas through a bore in the baffle wall;
- increasing a speed of the flow of the exhaust gas moving into the bore such that a pressure of the flow of the exhaust gas within the bore is reduced to create a venturi at the bore; and
- drawing an ambient gas through a passage in a sidewall and into the bore for reducing a temperature of the flow of the exhaust gas.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
- generating a desirable exhaust sound when simultaneously directing the flow of the exhaust gas through the bore and drawing ambient gas into the bore via the venturi.
18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
- dividing the flow of the exhaust into a plurality of flows of exhaust gas for mixing ambient gas with the exhaust gas.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein drawing the ambient gas further comprises:
- moving the exhaust gas into the bore at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees from a direction of the flow of the exhaust gas.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 10, 2014
Publication Date: Aug 7, 2014
Inventor: Søren B. Olsen (Vung Tau City)
Application Number: 14/249,883
International Classification: F01N 1/08 (20060101);