JP2012167565A - Exhaust treatment apparatus for internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an exhaust treatment apparatus for collecting particulate matter in an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine in a dust collector using corona discharge, in which deterioration in an insulation function of an insulator part of a discharge electrode due to sticking of particulate matter or moisture to the insulator part is prevented.SOLUTION: In the dust collector 1, a high voltage electrode 2 for discharge and an earth electrode 3 are arranged to be opposed to each other in a housing H connected to an exhaust pipe of the engine and the corona discharge is generated in a discharge space 12 to charge and aggregate the particulate matter. The high voltage electrode 2 is fixed to a swelled part H1 wall provided in the housing H and an outlet flow path 42 is formed by a gap between an opening part 41 of a cyclone chamber 4 formed in the swelled part H1 and an upstream side surface of the insulator part 21. Swirl flow generated in the cyclone chamber 4 is spouted from the outlet flow path 42 along the upstream side surface of the insulator part 21 to suppress the sticking of the particulate matter or the moisture itself.

Description

  The present invention relates to an exhaust treatment device that collects and collects particulate matter contained in exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine using corona discharge.

  Direct-injection gasoline engines and diesel engines that inject fuel directly into the cylinder have excellent fuel efficiency due to lean combustion, but have a problem that particulate matter (PM) is likely to be generated. The particulate matter is mainly composed of soot and a soluble organic component (SOF). In particular, the suspended particulate matter (SPM) having a diameter of 1 μm or less has a problem of floating in the air for a long period of time.

  As an exhaust gas aftertreatment device containing particulate matter, for example, in a diesel engine, a particulate filter having a honeycomb structure is generally installed. However, in order to collect minute suspended particulate matter (SPM), if the pore size of the particulate filter is reduced, clogging is likely to occur, and if the porosity is increased, slipping may occur. In addition, if a particulate filter is installed in a direct injection gasoline engine that has lower thermal efficiency than a diesel engine, there is a concern that fuel consumption will deteriorate due to an increase in exhaust resistance. Therefore, it is not appropriate to install a particulate filter in a direct injection gasoline engine.

  On the other hand, as a post-processing device that does not use a particulate filter, there is a dust collector using corona discharge (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In this apparatus, a corona discharge electrode and a ground electrode are arranged to face each other, and a high voltage is applied between the two electrodes to generate a corona discharge to charge and aggregate particulate matter. In Patent Document 1, the corona discharge electrode is a plate-like electrode having a large number of protrusions, and the ground electrode is a conductive net disposed downstream of the corona discharge electrode or a cylindrical exhaust passage wall surrounding the outer periphery. In Patent Document 2, corona discharge electrodes are arranged in the flow direction of the exhaust passage as linear or rod-shaped electrodes, and both ends of the electrodes are held by insulators.

  FIG. 8A shows an example of a conventional apparatus configuration. A corona discharge electrode 102 and a ground electrode 103 are provided in a cylindrical housing 101 serving as an exhaust passage. The corona discharge electrode 102 is, for example, a rod-shaped electrode, and is arranged in the exhaust flow direction, and the wall of the housing 101 concentrically surrounding the outer periphery thereof is used as the ground electrode 103. The insulator 104 for holding the corona discharge electrode 102 is fixed to the wall of the housing 101. When a high voltage is applied between the electrodes from a power source outside the housing 101, the particulate matter is charged by the corona discharge and the outer periphery is grounded. It is collected by the electrode 103.

JP 2005-313066 A JP 2006-342730 A

  Therefore, it has been studied to apply a dust collector using corona discharge to a diesel engine or a direct injection gasoline engine. In recent years, the regulation of particulate matter emission tends to be stricter, so in diesel engines, it is possible to improve the collection efficiency by placing a device using corona discharge in the upstream or downstream of the particulate filter. Can do.

  However, when the amount of the particulate matter concentration introduced into the dust collector increases, particulate matter (PM) accumulates on the insulator 104 holding the corona discharge electrode 102 as shown in FIG. Insulation function may be reduced. In this case, the particulate matter (PM) tends to adhere to the upstream surface of the insulator 104 where the exhaust flow collides, and when the accumulated particulate matter reaches the outer housing 101, the insulating function is lost. The apparatus configuration of Patent Document 1 is the same, and the same problem occurs when water vapor contained in the exhaust gas adheres in addition to the particulate matter. The device of Patent Document 2 has a rectangular U-shaped exhaust passage and two insulators that hold both ends of the linear electrode are fixed to the opposing wall surfaces. It is difficult to prevent adhesion.

  As a countermeasure, Patent Document 1 proposes a structure in which a ring-shaped oxidation catalyst support portion is provided on the outer periphery of the insulator portion to oxidize and remove the attached particulate matter. In this configuration, even if the particulate matter adheres, it is divided in the axial direction, so that current leakage to the exhaust pipe through the particulate matter can be suppressed. However, since it does not prevent the particulate matter itself from adhering, if the concentration of the particulate matter continues to be high, it takes time for the particulate matter to be removed by the oxidation catalyst, or if the oxidation catalyst deteriorates, There was a risk of energy loss due to leakage.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to attach particulate matter to an insulator portion that holds a corona discharge electrode in an exhaust treatment device that collects particulate matter in exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine using corona discharge. It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly efficient exhaust treatment apparatus that can prevent the occurrence of current leakage and suppress the increase in cost due to energy loss.

An exhaust treatment apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention uses a cylindrical tube-shaped housing connected to an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine as a discharge space, and generates corona discharge between a discharge electrode and a counter electrode disposed in the discharge space. Equipped with a dust collection unit to charge and aggregate particulate matter in the exhaust gas,
A portion of the housing wall is expanded radially outward to form a cyclone chamber that opens into the discharge space and forms a swirling flow in the exhaust gas introduced therein, and the discharge electrode is formed on the cyclone chamber wall. One end side of the supporting insulator portion is fixed, the other end side is projected from the opening of the cyclone chamber into the discharge space, and the upstream outer peripheral surface of the insulator portion is upstream of the opening. It is characterized in that it is arranged close to the opening edge and the gap formed between them is used as the outlet flow path for the swirling flow.

  In the invention according to claim 2, the cyclone chamber has an inner wall surface following the inlet portion as a substantially arc-shaped curved surface, the downstream side of the insulator portion of the opening portion being an inlet portion to the cyclone chamber. The exhaust gas introduced into is swirled from the downstream side to the upstream side along the inner wall surface.

  In the invention of claim 3, the cyclone chamber has a projecting height h of the cyclone chamber of 1 / 4d to 1 / 2d and a curvature R of the inner wall surface with respect to the inner diameter d of the housing serving as the discharge space. It is set to 1 / 4d to 3 / 4d.

  In the invention according to claim 4, the cyclone chamber is formed so that the opening to the discharge space has a substantially oval shape with the exhaust flow direction as a longitudinal direction and is close to a substantially circular upstream opening edge. The insulator part is arranged.

  In the invention of claim 5, in the cyclone chamber, the longitudinal length of the inlet portion is set to 2 / d or more.

  In the invention of claim 6, the discharge electrode is a rod-like electrode located along the axis of the housing.

  In a seventh aspect of the invention, the discharge electrode has protruding electrode portions that protrude radially from a plurality of axial positions.

  The invention of claim 8 is another exhaust treatment apparatus for solving the problems of the present invention, and the dust collecting section having the same configuration is configured such that a part of the housing wall bulges radially outward. Forming a chamber that opens into the discharge space and into which air is introduced from the outside, and fixes one end side of an insulator portion that supports the discharge electrode to the chamber wall, and the other end side is an opening of the chamber And an outlet channel for the air is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the insulator and the opening.

  In the invention of claim 9, the chamber is a cyclone chamber in which air introduced from outside forms a swirl flow, and is formed on the surface of the insulator portion positioned upstream with respect to the exhaust flow direction of the discharge space. The air flows out along the side.

  In the exhaust treatment apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, a part of the exhaust gas flowing from the exhaust pipe into the housing of the dust collecting portion is divided and introduced into the cyclone chamber to form a swirling flow. This swirl flow is directed from the downstream side to the upstream side of the exhaust flow, and is ejected from an outlet channel formed on the upstream side of the insulator portion at the opening of the cyclone chamber. Since this flow goes from the cyclone chamber into the housing along the upstream surface of the insulator part, it becomes difficult for particulate matter and moisture to approach the upstream side of the insulator part, and adhesion itself can be suppressed. Therefore, even when partial adhesion occurs on the insulator part, the possibility of reaching the housing through the insulator part surface is small, and it is possible to realize a high-performance exhaust treatment device with less energy loss by suppressing current leakage. .

  Specifically, the internal shape of the cyclone chamber is devised so that the exhaust gas introduced from the downstream side of the opening swirls along the curved inner wall surface. In this way, a swirling flow toward the upstream can be formed.

  Specifically, the swirl flow from the downstream to the upstream is easily formed in the cyclone chamber by appropriately setting the height h of the cyclone chamber and the curvature R of the inner wall surface as in the invention of claim 3. can do.

  Preferably, when the opening from the cyclone chamber into the housing has a substantially oval shape as in the invention of the fourth aspect, the outlet channel is provided between the upstream outer peripheral surface of the adjacent insulator portions. And a sufficiently large inlet to the cyclone chamber can be formed on the downstream side of the insulator portion.

  As in the fifth aspect of the present invention, preferably, if the longitudinal length of the inlet portion of the cyclone chamber is not less than half of the housing diameter, the exhaust gas can be easily introduced into the cyclone chamber from the inlet portion and swirl flow Can be formed.

  If the discharge electrode is a rod-like electrode as in the sixth aspect of the invention, a wide area around the discharge electrode can be used as a discharge space, and electrostatic collection can be performed efficiently.

  If the protruding electrode part is further provided on the rod-like discharge electrode as in the invention of claim 7, the discharge rate is improved and the dust collecting performance can be enhanced.

  As in the eighth aspect of the invention, instead of using the exhaust gas introduced into the dust collecting section, a chamber for introducing air from the outside can be provided. In this case, since it is easy to control the supply pressure and flow velocity of the air, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which air is ejected from the entire circumference of the insulator portion arranged in the opening to the discharge space without forming a swirl flow. . Therefore, it is possible to easily form an air flow along the outer peripheral surface of the insulator portion and prevent the adhesion of particulate matter and moisture. In addition, a high-performance exhaust treatment device can be realized while suppressing energy loss due to current leakage.

  As in the invention of claim 9, even in a chamber for introducing air from the outside, it can be configured as a cyclone chamber that forms a swirl flow inside, and by forming a flow toward the upstream side of the insulator part, Similar effects can be obtained.

(A) is a top view of the exhaust treatment apparatus in the first embodiment of the present invention, (b) is an overall cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the exhaust treatment apparatus, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in (b). FIG. It is a whole sectional view for explaining an operation effect of a dust collection part of an exhaust treatment device of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the mechanism of exhaust gas purification in the dust collection part of the exhaust-gas treatment apparatus of this invention. (A) is a whole schematic block diagram of the exhaust-gas treatment apparatus in 2nd Embodiment, (b) is a figure for demonstrating an electrode shape. It is a whole schematic block diagram of the exhaust-gas treatment apparatus in 3rd Embodiment. It is a whole schematic block diagram of the exhaust-gas treatment apparatus in 4th Embodiment. It is a whole schematic block diagram of the exhaust-gas treatment apparatus in 5th Embodiment. (A) is a whole schematic block diagram of the conventional exhaust processing apparatus, (b) is a figure for demonstrating the subject of the conventional exhaust processing apparatus.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an exhaust treatment apparatus for an internal combustion engine will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing an overall schematic configuration of the exhaust treatment apparatus, FIG. 1A is a top view thereof, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. The exhaust treatment apparatus of the present embodiment is an application example to an automobile engine that is an internal combustion engine. In FIGS. 1A and 1B, a dust collecting unit 1 connected in the middle of an exhaust pipe of an engine (not shown). It has. The engine is a direct-injection gasoline engine or a diesel engine, and has a system in which fuel is directly injected into a cylinder from an injector.

  In the present embodiment, the dust collection unit 1 of the exhaust treatment device uses a part of the cylindrical pipe-shaped exhaust pipe as the housing H. Inside the housing H is an exhaust passage 11 through which combustion exhaust gas from the engine flows. Here, the left side of the figure is the upstream side of the exhaust flow, the right side is the downstream side, and the left end opening of the housing H is from the engine This will be described as an inlet portion into which the exhaust gas is introduced. A high voltage electrode 2 serving as a discharge electrode is disposed at the center of the housing H, and a discharge space 12 is formed between the housing H and a ground electrode 3 serving as a counter electrode. Here, the ground electrode 3 is constituted by a peripheral wall of the housing H at a ground potential.

  The high voltage electrode 2 includes an insulator portion 21 held and fixed to the wall of the housing H and a discharge portion 22 supported by the insulator portion 21. As shown in FIG. 1B, the discharge part 22 is a rod-like electrode arranged along the central axis of the housing H, and faces the ground electrode 3 surrounding the outer periphery concentrically. As shown in FIG.1 (c), the insulator part 21 is cylindrical and the rod-shaped electroconductive part 23 is inserted and hold | maintained inside. The base end portion of the conductive portion 23 constitutes a terminal portion 24 that protrudes from the base end side (the upper end side in FIG. 1B) of the insulator portion 21 and is located outside the housing H, and is connected to a DC high-voltage power source (not shown). Is done. The leading end portion of the conductive portion 23 is connected to one end side (the left end side in the figure) of the discharge portion 22 located in the discharge space 12 in the housing H. The insulator part 21 of the high-voltage electrode 2 is made of a ceramic insulating material such as alumina.

  The dust collecting portion 1 of the present invention has a bulging portion H1 in which a part of the housing H is bulged outward in the radial direction, and the inside thereof is a cyclone chamber 4. The bulging portion H1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape whose longitudinal direction is the exhaust flow direction, and a screw hole H2 is provided on the rectangular protruding end surface slightly upstream from the center (left end side in the figure). Thus, the insulator portion 21 of the high-voltage electrode 2 is screwed and fixed by a bolt 25. The cyclone chamber 4 has a substantially oval cross-sectional shape with the exhaust flow direction as the longitudinal direction, and opens into the discharge space 12 through an oval opening 41. The insulator part 21 has an intermediate part located in the cyclone chamber 4 and a tip part passing through the opening 41 and projecting into the discharge space 12.

  The cyclone chamber 4 is a feature of the present invention and will be described in detail below. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the insulator portion 21 of the high-voltage electrode 2 is disposed slightly upstream from the center of the bulging portion H <b> 1 that forms the cyclone chamber 4. On the other hand, the opening 41 of the cyclone chamber 4 is formed at a position corresponding to the straight portion of the cyclone chamber 4 having an oval cross section, slightly downstream of the exhaust flow, and is larger than an arbitrary cross section of the internal space of the cyclone chamber 4. It is formed small. Thereby, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, the upstream surface of the insulator portion 21 and the upstream opening edge portion of the opening portion 41 are located close to each other. In the present invention, at this time, the opening 41 on the downstream side of the insulator part 21 is used as an inlet channel to the cyclone chamber 4 to form a swirling flow in the exhaust gas flowing into the inside, and upstream from the insulator part 21. On the side, a small gap formed between the end edge of the opening 41 is referred to as an outlet channel 42.

  The inner wall of the cyclone chamber 4 has a curved shape that gently expands from the opening 41. Preferably, in FIG. 1B, the curvature R of the downstream inner wall following the inlet channel of the opening 41 is provided. Is preferably set to R = 1 / 4d to 3 / 4d with respect to the inner diameter of the housing H, that is, the diameter φd of the exhaust passage 11. Further, it is desirable that the projecting height h of the cyclone chamber 4 is h = 1 / 4d to 1 / 2d. Thereby, a swirl flow can be easily generated in the cyclone chamber 4. Further, the distance between the upstream surface of the insulator portion 21 serving as the outlet channel 42 and the opening 41 is set to be sufficiently small as long as there is no risk of contact due to assembly crossing or the like, and the pressure in the vicinity of the insulator portion 21 is set. It is desirable to raise it and suppress the invasion of exhaust gas. For example, it can be in the range of 0.5 to 2.0 (mm) with respect to the diameter D (= φ12 mm) of the insulator portion 21.

  1C, the size of the opening 41 is such that the downstream length of the insulator 21 is d / 2 or more, and the width (distance between two parallel sides) is D + 1.0 to D + 3. It is good to set so that it may be in the range of 0 (mm). At this time, the opening 41 on the downstream side of the insulator portion 21 is made sufficiently large, so that the exhaust gas can be easily diverted from the exhaust passage 11 into the cyclone chamber 4. In addition, the gap between the outer periphery of the insulator portion 21 and the opening 41 can be reduced, and the flow rate of gas flowing out from the outlet channel 42 can be increased. Preferably, the gas flow rate in the outlet channel 42 may be equal to or higher than the gas flow rate (for example, 10-40 m / sec) in the exhaust passage 11, for example, the upstream half surface of the insulator portion 21 and the opening 41. It is preferable to set the distance to the semicircular opening edge in the range of 0.5 to 1.5 (mm). Thereby, the flow velocity of the gas flowing out from the outlet channel 42 can be increased, and the effect of preventing the adhesion of particulate matter in the exhaust gas can be enhanced.

  In the exhaust treatment apparatus having the above configuration, the operation and effect of the dust collecting unit 1 provided with the cyclone chamber 4 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, particulate matter (PM) generated in the engine and discharged to the exhaust pipe flows into the dust collection unit 1 of the exhaust treatment device together with the combustion exhaust gas. In the exhaust passage 11 of the dust collecting portion 1, exhaust gas flows in the left-right direction in the figure, and a discharge space 12 is formed between the high-voltage electrode 2 and the ground electrode 3. Particulate matter (PM) contains, for example, nanometer-scale fine particles of about several tens to several hundreds of nanometers, and is difficult to collect as it is. Therefore, in the dust collection unit 1, corona discharge is generated in the discharge space 12. To collect and collect particulate matter (PM).

  The mechanism is shown in FIG. In the figure, when a negative DC high voltage is applied to the discharge part 22 of the high-voltage electrode 2 from an external power source, corona discharge occurs and electrons are emitted. This electron causes gas molecules (oxygen) having a high electron affinity contained in the exhaust gas in the discharge space 12 to be negatively ionized to charge nearby particulate matter (PM). The charged particulate matter (PM) moves due to Coulomb force and gas flow, and is electrostatically collected by the ground electrode 3 on the outer periphery. The particulate matter (PM) emits electrons here and becomes aggregated particles. Aggregated particles are easily collected, for example, by installing a particulate filter downstream of the dust collection unit 1.

  Here, the high-pressure electrode 2 projects from the dust collection unit 1 at the center of the exhaust passage 11, and the exhaust gas easily collides. The electrostatic collection described above is mainly performed in the discharge space 12 downstream of the high-voltage electrode 2. For this reason, when the particulate matter (PM) is in a high concentration state, the particulate matter (PM) or moisture easily adheres to the insulator portion 21 of the high-voltage electrode 2, particularly the surface of the upstream end portion. Therefore, in the present invention, the exhaust gas is diverted downstream of the insulator part 21 by the cyclone chamber 4 provided in the dust collecting part 1 and flows into the cyclone chamber 4 opened in the side wall of the exhaust passage 11. At this time, downstream of the insulator part 21, the particulate matter (PM) and moisture enter the cyclone chamber 4 in a relatively low concentration state.

  The separated exhaust gas swirls along the curved inner wall surface of the cyclone chamber 4 from the downstream side of the opening 41 to form a swirling flow from the downstream side toward the upstream side. Further, the swirling flow reaches the outlet channel 42 formed by the gap between the opening 41 and the insulator portion 21 along the upstream inner wall surface of the cyclone chamber 4, passes through the outlet channel 42, and exhausts again. It flows out to the passage 11. Here, since the outlet channel 42 is a constricted portion having a small cross-sectional area, the pressure of the exhaust gas is increased, the flow velocity is increased, and a flow that is ejected along the upstream surface of the insulator portion 21 is formed. . With this flow, it is possible to prevent particulate matter (PM) and moisture present in the exhaust passage 11 from adhering to the base end side from the intermediate portion of the insulator portion 21.

  For this reason, even if particulate matter (PM) or moisture adheres to the distal end side of the insulator portion 21, it is divided in the vicinity of the outlet channel 42, so that the housing H is passed through the accumulated particulate matter (PM) and moisture. Current does not leak to Therefore, energy loss due to current leakage can be suppressed, and efficient electrostatic collection can be performed.

  Furthermore, preferably, a configuration in which a heater is embedded in the insulator portion 21 may be employed. In this way, even if particulate matter (PM) or moisture adheres not only to the distal end side but also to the proximal end side from the intermediate portion, it can be removed by heating the insulator portion 21, thus preventing current leakage with certainty. can do.

  FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the shape of the discharge part 22 of the high-voltage electrode 2 is changed in the configuration of the first embodiment. The basic configuration of the dust collecting unit 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same members. As shown in FIG. 4A, in the present embodiment, the discharge portion 22 is a rod-shaped electrode disposed along the central axis of the housing H, and a plurality of protruding electrode portions 26 are provided on the outer periphery of the rod-shaped electrode. have. Here, the protruding electrode portions 26 are arranged at approximately equal intervals at seven positions in the axial direction including the tip of the rod-shaped electrode.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, each projecting electrode portion 26 has a plurality of chevron projections 27 that are arranged radially so as to surround the entire circumference of the rod-shaped electrode. It can be appropriately set according to the amount of the particulate matter. The larger the number of protrusions 27, the higher the discharge performance. For example, by setting the number of protrusions 27 to eight, it is possible to efficiently generate discharge in the entire discharge space 12, but when it is desired to realize the required performance at a relatively low cost. , 6 mountains and 4 mountains. In any case, corona discharge can be generated uniformly in the discharge space 12 by arranging the protrusions 27 evenly around the entire circumference. Thus, by combining the protruding electrode portion 26 with the rod-shaped electrode, the discharge rate can be increased and the electrostatic trapping effect of the particulate matter can be improved.

  FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the shape of the cyclone chamber 4 in the configuration of the first embodiment is changed. The basic configuration of the dust collecting unit 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same members. As shown in FIG. 5A, in the present embodiment, the bulging portion H3 forming the cyclone chamber 43 has a bulging height outward in the radial direction from the bulging portion H1 in the first embodiment. The cyclone chamber 43 formed in the inside has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape. Also in this case, the curvature R of the inner wall of the cyclone chamber 43 is preferably set to R = 1 / 4d to 3 / 4d with respect to the inner diameter of the housing H, that is, the diameter φd of the exhaust passage 11.

  The opening 41 of the cyclone chamber 43 is formed at a position corresponding to the circular arc portion of the cyclone chamber 43 having a circular cross section and slightly downstream of the exhaust flow. Further, the insulator part 21 of the high-voltage electrode 2 is disposed slightly upstream from the center of the bulging part H3. Thereby, similarly to the said 1st Embodiment, the upstream surface of the insulator part 21 and the upstream opening edge part of the opening part 41 adjoin, and the exit flow path 42 is formed. Thus, when there is room in the installation space, by configuring the cyclone chamber 43 to be circular, a swirl flow can be easily formed in the exhaust gas flowing into the inside from the opening 41, The flow rate of the outlet channel 42 can be increased to enhance the insulation function.

  FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the cyclone chamber 4 in the configuration of the first embodiment is not provided, and the chamber 44 for introducing secondary air from the outside is provided. The basic configuration of the dust collecting unit 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same members. As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, the housing H of the dust collecting unit 1 is provided with a bulging portion H <b> 4 bulging a part thereof in the radial direction, and a chamber 44 is formed inside. . The bulging portion H4 has the same bulging height in the radially outward direction as the bulging portion H1 in the first embodiment, has a small length in the longitudinal direction, and is a chamber formed inside. The capacity of 44 is made smaller than the bulging portion H1 in the first embodiment. The chamber 44 has a substantially oval cross-sectional shape, and the inner wall of the chamber 44 is formed in a gently curved shape.

  In the present embodiment, a screw hole H2 into which the insulator portion 21 of the electrode 2 is screwed is provided in the central portion of the protruding end surface of the bar protruding portion H4. In addition, an opening 45 from the chamber 44 to the exhaust passage 11 is provided at a position facing the screw hole H2 of the sticking portion H4, and has a circular shape having a slightly larger diameter than the insulator portion 21. At this time, the insulator portion 21 is disposed concentrically with the opening 45, and an outlet channel 46 is formed in the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the insulator portion 21 and the inner peripheral edge of the opening 45. The inner wall surface of the chamber 44 leading to the outlet channel 46 is a mortar-shaped inclined surface. On the other hand, a secondary air supply passage 5 that reaches, for example, an engine intake system is connected to the upstream side wall of the sticking portion H4 so that secondary air can be introduced into the chamber 44.

  Here, the cross-sectional area A1 of the ring-shaped outlet flow path 46 formed on the outer periphery of the insulator portion 21 and the cross-sectional area A2 of the supply port 51 of the secondary air supply path 5 to the chamber 44 are the outlet flow path 46. The cross sectional area A1 <the cross sectional area A2 of the supply port 51 is set. Thereby, the pressure in the chamber 44 can be maintained at a level equal to or higher than the supply pressure from the secondary air supply passage 5, and the secondary air introduced into the chamber 44 can be ejected from the outlet channel 46. Preferably, the flow rate in the outlet channel 46 is set by appropriately setting the volume of the chamber 44, the ratio of the sectional area A1 of the outlet channel 46 to the sectional area A2 of the supply port 51, the supply pressure of the secondary air, and the like. Can be adjusted. The distance between the outer peripheral surface of the insulator portion 21 and the inner peripheral edge portion of the opening 45 is, for example, 1.0 to 2.0 (mm) so as to ensure a flow rate while preventing contact due to assembly intersection or the like. Can be set by range.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the chamber 44 for introducing the secondary air from the outside is provided, and the outlet channel 46 serving as the throttle portion is provided on the outer periphery of the insulator portion 21, so that from the entire periphery of the insulator portion 21. Secondary air can be ejected. Therefore, the effect of suppressing adhesion of particulate matter (PM) and moisture in the exhaust gas is high, and the chamber 44 can be made relatively small. Further, as a secondary air supply means, for example, an engine equipped with a turbocharger can be connected to a pressurized air circulation section, and the supply pressure can be easily increased. Of course, a configuration may be adopted in which a pump is connected to the secondary air supply passage 5 for pressurization.

  FIG. 7 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the chamber 44 in the configuration of the fourth embodiment is configured as a cyclone chamber 47 that generates a swirling flow therein. In this embodiment, the shape of the bulging portion H4 constituting the cyclone chamber 47 is the same as that of the fourth embodiment, and the secondary air supply passage 5 is connected from the downstream side of the bulging portion H4. Is different. The secondary air supply passage 5 is connected to a position relatively close to the opening 45 of the cyclone chamber 47, and further, the supply port 52 penetrating the downstream side wall of the bulging portion H <b> 4 extends along the inner peripheral curved surface of the cyclone chamber 47. And is formed so as to face the protruding end face side.

  At this time, the secondary air introduced from the supply port 52 flows from the downstream side wall of the cyclone chamber 47 along the protruding end surface and the surface of the upstream side wall to form a swirling flow. Moreover, in this embodiment, the screw hole H2 for fixing the insulator part 21 of the high voltage electrode 2 is arranged slightly upstream from the center of the bulging part H4. As a result, the insulator portion 21 of the high-voltage electrode 2 is eccentrically positioned slightly upstream of the opening 45, and the narrowed portion where the gap between the upstream surface and the inner peripheral edge of the opening 45 is smaller than the downstream side. Become.

  Since the flow rate of the swirling flow can be increased by using the throttle portion as the outlet channel 46, a flow along the upstream surface of the insulator portion 21 is formed, and particulate matter (PM) and moisture are attached. Can be prevented. With this configuration, even when the supply pressure from the secondary air supply passage 5 is relatively low, the secondary air introduced into the cyclone chamber 47 can be ejected as a swirling flow, and a sufficient effect can be obtained. It becomes.

  The exhaust treatment apparatus of the present invention is not limited to a direct injection gasoline engine or a diesel engine, but is suitable for any case where corona discharge is used for purification of particulate matter discharged from an internal combustion engine. And since the insulator part which supports a discharge electrode is protected from adhesion of a particulate matter or a water | moisture content, it becomes a highly efficient dust collection part with little energy loss by an electric current leak. Moreover, purification performance can be further improved by using together with another post-processing apparatus.

H housing H1, H3, H4 bulging part H2 screw hole 1 dust collecting part 11 exhaust passage 12 discharge space 2 high voltage electrode (discharge electrode)
21 Insulator part 22 Discharge part 23 Conductive part 3 Ground electrode (counter electrode)
4, 43, 47 Cyclone chamber 41, 45 Opening 42, 46 Outlet channel 44 Chamber 5 Secondary air supply channel 51 Supply port

Claims (9)

A cylindrical tube-shaped housing connected to the exhaust pipe of the internal combustion engine is used as a discharge space, and corona discharge is generated between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode disposed in the discharge space to charge particulate matter in the exhaust gas. It has a dust collecting part
A portion of the housing wall is expanded radially outward to form a cyclone chamber that opens into the discharge space and forms a swirling flow in the exhaust gas introduced therein, and the discharge electrode is formed on the cyclone chamber wall. One end side of the supporting insulator portion is fixed, the other end side is projected from the opening of the cyclone chamber into the discharge space, and the upstream outer peripheral surface of the insulator portion is upstream of the opening. An exhaust gas processing apparatus for an internal combustion engine, wherein the exhaust gas processing apparatus of the internal combustion engine is arranged close to an opening edge and a gap formed between the two is used as the outlet flow path of the swirl flow.   In the cyclone chamber, the downstream side of the insulator part of the opening serves as an inlet part to the cyclone chamber, the inner wall surface following the inlet part has a substantially arcuate curved shape, and exhaust gas introduced into the cyclone chamber is introduced into the cyclone chamber. 2. An exhaust gas processing apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust gas processing apparatus is turned from the downstream side to the upstream side along the inner wall surface.   The cyclone chamber has a projecting height h of the cyclone chamber of 1/4 d to 1/2 d and a curvature R of the inner wall surface of 1/4 d to 3/4 d with respect to the inner diameter d of the housing serving as the discharge space. The exhaust treatment device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein   The said cyclone chamber makes the said opening part to the said discharge space into the substantially oval shape which makes an exhaust flow direction a longitudinal direction, and arrange | positions the said insulator part close to the substantially circular upstream opening edge part. 3. An exhaust treatment device for an internal combustion engine according to 3.   The exhaust treatment apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4, wherein the cyclone chamber has a longitudinal length of the inlet portion set to 2 / d or more.   The exhaust treatment apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein the discharge electrode is a rod-shaped electrode positioned along the axis of the housing.   The exhaust treatment apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 6, wherein the discharge electrodes have projecting electrodes that project radially from a plurality of axial positions. A cylindrical tube-shaped housing connected to the exhaust pipe of the internal combustion engine is used as a discharge space, and corona discharge is generated between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode disposed in the discharge space to charge particulate matter in the exhaust gas. It has a dust collecting part
A part of the housing wall bulges radially outward to form a chamber that opens into the discharge space and into which air is introduced from the outside, and an insulator that supports the discharge electrode on the cyclone chamber wall The one end side of the part is fixed, the other end side is projected from the opening of the chamber into the discharge space, and the air outlet channel is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the insulator part and the opening. An exhaust treatment device for an internal combustion engine characterized by comprising:   The chamber is a cyclone chamber in which air introduced from the outside forms a swirling flow, and the air flows out along the surface of the insulator portion positioned on the upstream side with respect to the exhaust flow direction of the discharge space. The exhaust treatment device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 8.

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