Exhaust gas heating apparatus

Abstract

An exhaust gas heating apparatus ( 31 ) according to the present invention comprises an expansion chamber ( 37 ) having an inflow port ( 42 ) and an outflow port ( 43 ), a fuel supplying element ( 38 ) for supplying fuel into the expansion chamber, a fuel diffusing plate ( 39 ) for dispersing the fuel in the expansion chamber, and ignition means ( 40 ) for igniting the fuel in the expansion chamber, wherein an exhaust passage ( 28 ) communicated with the inflow port is connected tangentially to a circular peripheral surface ( 37 a ) of the expansion chamber, an axis (A) thereof is deviated from an axis (B) of the exhaust passage communicated with the outflow port, and the fuel diffusing plate extends along the peripheral surface of the expansion chamber from close proximity of the inflow port in such a manner as to form a partition between the inflow and outflow ports.

1 .- 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . An exhaust gas heating apparatus for an internal combustion engine for heating an exhaust gas introduced to an exhaust emission purifier from the internal combustion engine comprising:
 an expansion chamber having an inflow port into which the exhaust gas flows and an outflow port for discharging the exhaust gas inpouring from the inflow port, wherein the inflow port and the outflow port are communicated with an exhaust passage;   a fuel supplying element disposed in the expansion chamber to supply fuel into the expansion chamber;   a fuel diffusing plate disposed in the expansion chamber to be opposed to the fuel supplying element, wherein the fuel supplied into the expansion chamber from the fuel supplying element collides with the fuel diffusing plate to be dispersed in the expansion chamber; and   ignition means disposed in the expansion chamber to ignite the fuel supplied into the expansion chamber from the fuel supplying element, wherein   the expansion chamber has a circular peripheral surface,   the exhaust passage communicated with the inflow port is connected tangentially to the peripheral surface of the expansion chamber, wherein an axis thereof is deviated from an axis of the exhaust passage communicated with the outflow port, and   the fuel diffusing plate extends along the peripheral surface of the expansion chamber from close proximity of the inflow port in such a manner as to form a partition between the inflow port and the outflow port of the expansion chamber.   
     
     
         6 . An exhaust gas heating apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a catalytic converter oxidation disposed in the exhaust passage between the expansion chamber and the exhaust emission purifier.   
     
     
         7 . An exhaust gas heating apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to  claim 5 , wherein the fuel supplying element and the ignition means are disposed away from the inflow port of the expansion chamber. 
     
     
         8 . An exhaust gas heating apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to  claim 6 , wherein the fuel supplying element and the ignition means are disposed away from the inflow port of the expansion chamber. 
     
     
         9 . An exhaust gas heating apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to  claim 5 , wherein an exhaust turbine of a turbocharger is disposed in the exhaust passage upstream of the expansion chamber, wherein a swirling stream of the exhaust gas generated by the exhaust turbine is introduced into the expansion chamber.