Exhaust aftertreatment device with star-plugged turbulator

1. An exhaust aftertreatment device comprising:

a housing having an upstream inlet for receiving exhaust, and a downstream outlet for discharging said exhaust;

an aftertreatment element in said housing for treating said exhaust;

an injector in said housing upstream of said aftertreatment element and injecting chemical species mixing with said exhaust prior to reaching said aftertreatment element;

a turbulator in said housing between said injector and said aftertreatment element, said turbulator comprising a tube having a perforated star-plugged downstream end, wherein:

said housing and said tube extend coaxially along an axis;

said housing comprises an upstream housing section and an aftertreatment element housing section meeting at a junction;

said injector has an injection tip in said upstream housing section, said injection tip being upstream of said junction;

said aftertreatment element is in said aftertreatment housing section;

said tube has an upstream segment, an intermediate segment, and a downstream segment;

said upstream segment of said tube provides said upstream housing section;

said intermediate segment of said tube extends axially through and into said aftertreatment housing section at said junction of said upstream and aftertreatment housing sections;

said aftertreatment housing section has a sidewall spaced radially outwardly of said intermediate segment and said downstream segment of said tube by an annular gap therebetween;

said downstream segment of said tube provides said perforated star-plugged downstream end;

said downstream segment of said tube is axially spaced from said junction of said upstream and aftertreatment housing sections by said intermediate segment of said tube therebetween.

2. The exhaust aftertreatment device according to claim 1 wherein said upstream and intermediate segments of said tube are of the same diameter, which diameter is less than the diameter of said sidewall of said aftertreatment housing section.

3. The exhaust aftertreatment device according to claim 1 wherein said injector comprises a tubular member within said tube.

4. The exhaust aftertreatment device according to claim 3 wherein said tubular member has a J-shape.

5. The exhaust aftertreatment device according to claim 1 wherein said injector comprises one or more apertures through said housing.

6. The exhaust aftertreatment device according to claim 1 comprising a catalytic coating on said turbulator including said perforated star-plugged downstream end.