Engine exhaust gas treatment device including electrically actuated hydrocarbon adsorber bypass valve

Abstract

An engine exhaust gas treatment device may include a housing, a hydrocarbon adsorber, an adsorber bypass passage, and a bypass valve assembly. The hydrocarbon adsorber may be located within the housing and may define a first flow path between an exhaust gas inlet and an exhaust gas outlet of the housing. The adsorber bypass passage may define a second flow path between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet. The bypass valve assembly may include a bypass valve and an electric actuation mechanism engaged with the bypass valve. The bypass valve may be displaceable between open and closed positions by the electric actuation mechanism.

1 . An engine exhaust gas treatment device comprising:
 a housing defining an exhaust gas inlet and an exhaust gas outlet;   a hydrocarbon adsorber located within the housing between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet and defining a first flow path between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet;   an adsorber bypass passage within the housing between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet and defining a second flow path between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet, the first and second flow paths forming parallel flow paths between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet; and   a bypass valve assembly including a bypass valve and an electric actuation mechanism engaged with the bypass valve, the bypass valve located within the housing and displaceable between open and closed positions by the electric actuation mechanism, the bypass valve providing communication between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet through the adsorber bypass passage when in the open position and inhibiting communication between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet through the adsorber bypass passage when in the closed position.   
     
     
         2 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust gas inlet of the housing includes a nozzle having a nozzle outlet located adjacent an inlet of the adsorber bypass passage, the nozzle outlet and the inlet of the adsorber bypass passage defining a spacing therebetween. 
     
     
         3 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 2 , wherein the nozzle outlet has a first inner diameter less than a second inner diameter of the inlet of the adsorber bypass passage. 
     
     
         4 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 3 , wherein the nozzle outlet is axially spaced from the inlet of the adsorber bypass passage. 
     
     
         5 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 4 , wherein the nozzle outlet is axially spaced less than 10 millimeters from the inlet of the adsorber bypass passage. 
     
     
         6 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 4 , wherein the nozzle outlet and the inlet of the adsorber bypass passage are concentrically aligned with one another. 
     
     
         7 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 3 , wherein the first inner diameter is between 80 percent and 95 percent of the second inner diameter. 
     
     
         8 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 2 , wherein the adsorber bypass passage is formed by an adsorber bypass conduit defining the inlet of the adsorber bypass passage and extending axially beyond the hydrocarbon adsorber toward exhaust gas inlet. 
     
     
         9 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 8 , wherein the housing defines an annular chamber surrounding the adsorber bypass conduit at a location axially between the inlet of the adsorber bypass passage and the hydrocarbon adsorber. 
     
     
         10 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 9 , wherein the annular chamber is in communication with the exhaust gas inlet through the spacing between the nozzle outlet and the inlet of the adsorber bypass passage. 
     
     
         11 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 10 , wherein the annular chamber operates at a first pressure less than a second pressure within the housing at an outlet of the adsorber bypass passage when the bypass valve is in the open position, an exhaust gas provided to the engine exhaust gas treatment device flowing in a first direction from the exhaust gas inlet to the exhaust gas outlet through the adsorber bypass passage and flowing in a second direction from the exhaust gas outlet to the exhaust gas inlet through the hydrocarbon adsorber when the bypass valve is in the open position, the exhaust gas flowing through the hydrocarbon adsorber in the first direction when the bypass valve is in the closed position. 
     
     
         12 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 1 , wherein the first flow path is an annular flow path surrounding the second flow path. 
     
     
         13 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon adsorber is formed from a zeolite for treatment of ethanol emissions. 
     
     
         14 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 1 , further comprising a catalyst member located within the housing between the hydrocarbon adsorber and the exhaust gas outlet. 
     
     
         15 . An engine exhaust gas treatment device comprising:
 a housing defining an exhaust gas inlet and an exhaust gas outlet;   a hydrocarbon adsorber located within the housing between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet and defining a first flow path between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet;   an adsorber bypass conduit extending through the hydrocarbon adsorber and defining a second flow path between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet, the first and second flow paths forming parallel flow paths between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet; and   a bypass valve assembly including a bypass valve and an electric actuation mechanism engaged with the bypass valve, the bypass valve located within the housing and displaceable between open and closed positions by the electric actuation mechanism, the bypass valve providing communication between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet through the adsorber bypass conduit when in the open position and inhibiting communication between the exhaust gas inlet and the exhaust gas outlet through the adsorber bypass conduit when in the closed position.   
     
     
         16 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 15 , wherein the exhaust gas inlet of the housing includes a nozzle having a nozzle outlet located adjacent an inlet of the adsorber bypass conduit, the nozzle outlet and the inlet of the adsorber bypass conduit defining a spacing therebetween. 
     
     
         17 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 16 , wherein the nozzle outlet has a first inner diameter less than a second inner diameter of the inlet of the adsorber bypass conduit and the nozzle outlet is axially spaced from the inlet of the adsorber bypass conduit. 
     
     
         18 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 17 , wherein the nozzle outlet is axially spaced less than 10 millimeters from the inlet of the adsorber bypass conduit and the first inner diameter is between 80 percent and 95 percent of the second inner diameter. 
     
     
         19 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 18 , wherein the housing defines an annular chamber surrounding the adsorber bypass conduit at a location axially between the inlet of the adsorber bypass conduit and the hydrocarbon adsorber, the annular chamber being in communication with the exhaust gas inlet through the spacing between the nozzle outlet and the inlet of the adsorber bypass conduit, the annular chamber operating at a first pressure less than a second pressure within the housing at an outlet of the adsorber bypass conduit when the bypass valve is in the open position, an exhaust gas provided to the engine exhaust gas treatment device flowing in a first direction from the exhaust gas inlet to the exhaust gas outlet through the adsorber bypass conduit and flowing in a second direction from the exhaust gas outlet to the exhaust gas inlet through the hydrocarbon adsorber when the bypass valve is in the open position, the exhaust gas flowing through the hydrocarbon adsorber in the first direction when the bypass valve is in the closed position 
     
     
         20 . The engine exhaust gas treatment device of  claim 15 , further comprising a catalyst member located within the housing between the hydrocarbon adsorber and the exhaust gas outlet.