EP1489275A1 - System of additive supply for combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

The system has an additive tank associated with an oil filter (10). Additive in the tank is mixed with engine lubrication oil when oil is introduced in a diesel engine (2) of a motor vehicle. The additive is deposited on a particle filter (6) that is integrated in an exhaust line (4) of the engine, to lower combustion temperature of soot trapped in the line. An oxidation catalyst (5) is integrated in the exhaust line.

Description

The present invention relates to an additive supply system intended to be deposited on a particulate filter integrated in an exhaust line of a diesel engine of a motor vehicle.

These additives are in fact intended to be deposited within the soot bed retained on the particulate filter, to lower the combustion temperature of them.

This additive in association with a particular engine operation, makes it possible to facilitate the regeneration of the particulate filter, in particular in duration.

In particular, motors of this type are associated with means of control of their operation which triggers during a regeneration phase of the filter, injecting fuel into the engine cylinders during their expansion phase to increase the temperature of the exhaust gases.

In the state of the art, the additive is contained in a specific tank associated with the fuel tank via a system of pumping / dosing, which injects a determined quantity into the fuel tank additive depending on the amount of fuel added to the tank during a filling operation thereof for example.

However, this structure has a number of drawbacks, especially in terms of the complexity of such a pumping / metering system, its size, cost and the fact that certain fuels are incompatible with this additive.

In addition, some vehicles are also fitted with equipment requiring for their operation a fuel that does not contain that nature.

The object of the invention is therefore to solve these problems.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a system for supplying an additive. intended to be deposited on a particulate filter integrated in an exhaust line of a diesel engine of a motor vehicle, to lower the temperature of combustion of soot trapped therein, characterized in that the additive is mixed with the engine lubricating oil when the oil is introduced into the engine.

• l'additif est contenu dans un réservoir d'additif associé au filtre à huile pour être mélangé à celle-ci lors de l'introduction de l'huile dans le moteur ;
• l'additif est contenu dans un réservoir associé au circuit d'huile de lubrification du moteur par des moyens de pompage/dosage ;
• l'additif est contenu dans l'élément filtrant du filtre à huile pour être mélangé à celle-ci lors de son introduction dans le moteur ;
• le filtre à huile est porté par un bouchon de vidange d'huile du moteur;
• l'additif est contenu dans un réservoir d'additif porté par un bouchon de vidange d'huile du moteur ;
• le moteur est associé à un turbocompresseur ;
• le filtre à particules est associé à un catalyseur ; et
• le moteur est associé à des moyens de contrôle de son fonctionnement, permettant de déclencher une phase de régénération du filtre à particules en déclenchant une phase d'injection de carburant dans les cylindres du moteur pendant leur phase de détente.

According to other characteristics:

• the additive is contained in an additive reservoir associated with the oil filter to be mixed with the latter when the oil is introduced into the engine;
• the additive is contained in a reservoir associated with the lubricating oil circuit of the engine by pumping / metering means;
• the additive is contained in the filter element of the oil filter to be mixed with it when it is introduced into the engine;
• the oil filter is carried by an engine oil drain plug;
• the additive is contained in an additive tank carried by an engine oil drain plug;
• the engine is associated with a turbocharger;
• the particulate filter is associated with a catalyst; and
• the engine is associated with means for controlling its operation, making it possible to trigger a regeneration phase of the particle filter by triggering a fuel injection phase in the engine cylinders during their expansion phase.

• la Fig.1 représente un schéma synoptique illustrant la structure et le fonctionnement d'un système d'apport d'un additif de l'état de la technique ;
• la Fig.2 représente un schéma synoptique illustrant la structure et le fonctionnement d'un système d'apport d'un additif selon l'invention ;
• la Fig.3 représente un schéma synoptique d'un filtre à huile utilisé dans un mode de réalisation d'un système selon l'invention ; et
• les Figs.4, 5 et 6 représentent des variantes de réalisation d'un filtre à huile et d'un bouchon de vidange entrant dans la constitution d'un système selon l'invention.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• Fig.1 shows a block diagram illustrating the structure and operation of a supply system of an additive of the prior art;
• Fig.2 shows a block diagram illustrating the structure and operation of an additive supply system according to the invention;
• Fig.3 shows a block diagram of an oil filter used in an embodiment of a system according to the invention; and
• Figs.4, 5 and 6 show alternative embodiments of an oil filter and a drain plug forming part of a system according to the invention.

FIG. 1 has indeed illustrated a block diagram illustrating the structure and operation of a system for adding an additive to the state of technical.

We recognize in this figure, a fuel tank designated by the general reference 1, a vehicle diesel engine designated by the general reference 2, possibly associated with a turbocharger designated by the reference general 3, placed in an exhaust line 4 of it, this line exhaust also comprising for example an oxidation catalyst 5 and a particle filter 6.

A temperature sensor 7 can also be associated with this line, as well as a differential pressure measurement system at the terminals of the catalyst and the particulate filter, this system being designated by the reference general 8. These different means are linked to means of controlling the operation of the engine to trigger for example a regeneration phase of the filter.

Conventionally, the lower part of the engine 2 forms an oil reservoir lubrication thereof, designated by the general reference 9 and an oil filter 10 is also associated with this engine.

In the state of the art, the additive intended to be deposited on the filter particles to lower the combustion temperature of soot trapped in this is contained in an additive tank designated by the general reference 11, associated with the fuel tank 1 via a pumping / metering system designated by the general reference 12.

It can therefore be seen that each time fuel is added to the tank of fuel 1, a determined quantity of additive is injected into this tank of fuel 1 by the pumping / metering system 12, so that the additive either mixed with this fuel and transported through the engine, in the filter with particles to settle there.

As previously indicated, these structures have a number of drawbacks.

Illustrated in Figure 2, in the form of a block diagram, a exemplary embodiment of a supply system according to the invention.

In this figure 2, the same reference numbers as those used in FIG. 1, designate parts identical or analogous to those illustrated in this figure 1.

This is how we recognize in this figure 2, the fuel tank 1, engine 2, turbocharger 3, exhaust line 4, catalyst 5 and the particle filter 6.

In the system according to the invention, the fuel tank is no longer associated with a specific additive tank through a pumping / metering system.

In fact, and according to the invention, the additive is mixed with the lubricating oil of the motor.

Several solutions can then be envisaged.

For example, the additive can be mixed with the oil before its introduction into the engine. A specific oil already containing the additive is then developed and introduced into the engine, during the first filling of this or during each oil change.

A specific oil filler neck for this engine can then be used, this chute having a keying system to avoid that a conventional oil can be used.

Another solution consists in associating with the lubrication oil circuit engine, an additive tank associated with a pumping / metering system allowing during the first oil filling or during each oil change, introduce in the lubricating oil, a determined quantity of additive.

Finally, yet another solution may be to use an oil filter specific with an integrated additive tank.

Such an embodiment is illustrated in Figure 3, where we recognize the oil filter 10 fixed on the engine 2 and connected to the lubrication circuit of the engine.

This oil filter 10 then comprises an additive reservoir presenting itself for example in the form of an additive capsule designated by the general reference 13 containing a predetermined quantity of additive intended to be mixed with oil during the first filling or each oil change.

Specific means of fixing an oil filter of this type to the motor can then be used to authorize the fitting of only one filter of this type.

Likewise, means for indicating the oil level of the engine may be used to deliver to the engine operating control means, information relating to the fact that an emptying has been carried out, in order to impose a change of the used oil filter and its replacement by a filter new containing additive.

If this oil filter has not been replaced, means of alert may then be piloted to inform of this non-replacement.

Similarly, a strategy for operating the engine in degraded mode can also be implemented by the operating control means of the engine in order to oblige the maintenance of the vehicle and to impose the changing the oil filter.

Once the oil filter fitted with the additive tank is in position on the engine, the internal oil circulation system of the engine through the pump oil, makes it possible to homogenize the additive thus brought to the lubricating oil.

This then also makes it possible to introduce the additive into the gases. engine exhaust so that it settles on the particulate filter.

Indeed, in such an engine, oil is consumed through the seal segmentation with respect to the walls of the engine cylinders, so that oil is burnt in the combustion chamber, through the bearing turbocharger lubrication, in which case oil is also burnt in hot exhaust gases or on the catalyst and through the guides intake valves, in which case oil is also burnt in the engine combustion chamber.

The additive content of the lubricating oil is then fixed to keep account of average engine fuel consumption and consumption in lubricating oil thereof, to achieve the same rate of additive brought by the oil in the particulate filter, than the one brought by the system conventional contribution of the state of the art, via fuel.

By way of example, such an additive used can be cerine and an additive lubricating oil from an engine consuming an average of 0.1 liters of oil on 1000 kms and 7 liters of fuel per 100 kms added to a few ppm of additive by mass, is of the order of percent of cerine by mass or any other compound making it possible to maintain the same combustion kinetics soot trapped in the internal structure of the particulate filter.

Of course, other types of additives and other structures can be used.

So for example, the filter element of the oil filter can also be soaked in additive to ensure mixing with the oil, as shown in figure 4.

We recognize in this figure, the engine 2 and the oil filter 10 fixed thereon and the filter element 14 of which is soaked with additive.

This filter element is in fact generally formed of a cardboard material porous whose properties allow it to adsorb the additive and restore it when introducing and circulating oil in the engine.

In addition, this oil filter and additive assembly can also be designed to be placed in the engine oil pan and carried by the plug engine oil drain as shown in figure 5.

In this figure, the engine oil pan is designated by the reference 15 and the oil filter with the general reference 10, including the filter element 14 is soaked with additive. This filter is then carried by an oil drain plug 16 fixed to the rest of the engine by any suitable means allowing for example prohibit the reassembly of a used filter after disassembly.

This then ensures that the vehicle maintenance operator change the filter containing the additive well each time you change it, so that very simple, since the filter and drain plug assembly is connected, only one operation is necessary unlike motors in which the filter is separate and separated from the drain plug.

According to yet another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, the additive is contained in a capsule 17 carried by the drain plug 16, so as to be engaged in the oil pan 15 of the engine.

In this case also, the fixing of the plug on this casing is carried out using means prohibiting the reassembly of a used capsule after disassembly. This ensures that the vehicle maintenance operator change the capsule well at each drain, the capsule is then adapted to release the additive to allow mixing with the oil.

For example, the capsule can be made of thermally dilutable material in the oil so that when the engine oil heats up during operation from it, the additive can be released.

Of course, still other embodiments can be envisaged.

Claims (9)

Additive supply system intended to be deposited on a particulate filter (6) integrated in an exhaust line (4) of a diesel engine (2) of a motor vehicle, to lower the combustion temperature of soot trapped in it, characterized in that the additive is mixed with the engine lubricating oil when the oil is introduced into the engine. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the additive is contained in an additive reservoir (13) associated with the oil filter (10) to be mixed with the latter during the introduction of the oil into the motor (2). System according to claim 1, characterized in that the additive is contained in a reservoir associated with the engine lubricating oil circuit by pumping / metering means. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the additive is contained in the filter element (14) of the oil filter (10) to be mixed with the latter when it is introduced into the engine. System according to claims 2 or 4, characterized in that the oil filter (10) is carried by an oil drain plug (16) of the engine. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the additive is contained in an additive tank (17) carried by an oil drain plug (16) of the engine. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the engine is associated with a turbocharger (3). System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the particle filter (6) is associated with a catalyst (5). System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the engine (2) is associated with means for controlling its operation, making it possible to trigger a regeneration phase of the particle filter (6) by triggering a phase of injection of fuel into the engine cylinders (2) during their expansion phase.

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