Vehicular exhaust resonator with cooling feature
View Patent ↗A vehicular exhaust resonator features an exhaust inlet conduit which narrows down in a manner such as to define a venturi effect region. Air entrainment apertures in the housing of the resonator provide fluid communication between outside cooling air and an air inlet chamber in the resonator. A further air inlet aperture in an outlet conduit section of the resonator is in fluid communication with the air inlet chamber. Due to the venturi effect inside the inlet conduit, a pressure drop is created to pull air from the outside into the air inlet chamber and then into an outlet conduit of the resonator for mixing with the exhaust gas to provide cooling thereof.
1. A vehicular exhaust resonator comprising:
a housing having a lateral surface, an inlet header and an outlet header positioned at opposite ends of the lateral surface;
an exhaust inlet conduit having an inlet end opening at the inlet header for receipt of vehicle exhaust gas and an outlet end, a cross-sectional area of the inlet end being larger than a cross-sectional area of the outlet end thereby creating a venturi effect region;
an exhaust outlet conduit having an inlet end larger in cross-sectional area than and being in receipt of the outlet end of the exhaust inlet conduit, the exhaust outlet conduit having an outlet end at an opening in the outlet header and a portion having perforations therethrough;
a first partition in the housing having a central aperture for receipt of the venturi effect region and a radially outer section coupled to an interior surface of the lateral surface of the housing;
a second partition in the housing positioned downstream of the first partition and having a central aperture for receipt of the exhaust outlet conduit and a radially outer section coupled to the interior surface of the lateral surface of the housing, the first partition, the second partition and the lateral surface of the housing defining an air inlet chamber surrounding the venturi effect region and the inlet end of the exhaust outlet conduit;
a plurality of apertures in the lateral surface of the housing for receipt of outside air into the air inlet chamber; and
an open annular region of the inlet end of the exhaust outlet conduit in fluid communication with the air inlet chamber.
2. The resonator of claim 1 wherein the first partition further includes a plurality of tuning indentations therein.
3. The resonator of claim 1 wherein the second partition further defines a wall of a cavity containing a sound absorbing material, the perforations being in fluid communication with the cavity.
4. The resonator of claim 3 wherein the second partition, the outlet header, the exhaust outlet conduit and the housing define the cavity.
5. The resonator of claim 1 wherein the exhaust outlet conduit includes a substantially constant cross section from the outlet end of the exhaust inlet conduit to the outlet header.
6. The resonator of claim 1 wherein the exhaust inlet conduit includes a wall having a concave curved cross-section.
7. The resonator of claim 1 wherein the apertures in the lateral surface are circumferentially spaced apart from one another.
8. The resonator of claim 1 wherein the plurality of apertures in the lateral surface are positioned at a location upstream from the outlet end of the exhaust inlet conduit.
9. A vehicular exhaust resonator comprising:
A housing having a lateral surface, an inlet header and an outlet header positioned at opposite ends of the lateral surface;
an exhaust inlet conduit having an inlet end at the inlet header for receipt of vehicle exhaust gas and an outlet end, a cross-sectional area of the inlet end being larger than a cross-sectional area of the outlet end thereby creating a venturi effect region; and
an exhaust outlet conduit spaced apart from the inlet conduit, the exhaust outlet conduit having an inlet end in fluid communication with the venturi effect region and an outlet end at an opening in the outlet header;
wherein the housing has an air entrainment opening positioned adjacent to the inlet end of the exhaust outlet conduit for drawing cooling air into an inlet chamber, and the exhaust outlet conduit has an opening adjacent to the venturi effect region in fluid communication with the inlet chamber for pulling air into the exhaust outlet conduit due to lowered pressure therein created by the venturi effect.
10. The resonator of claim 9 wherein a portion of the exhaust outlet conduit surrounds the exhaust inlet conduit to define an annular space therebetween.
11. The resonator of claim 10 wherein the cooling air is drawn from the inlet chamber, through the annular space and into the exhaust outlet conduit by the venturi effect.
12. The resonator of claim 9 wherein the exhaust outlet conduit includes a substantially constant diameter extending from a location downstream of the venturi effect region to the outlet header.
13. The resonator of claim 9 wherein the exhaust outlet conduit opening is positioned at a terminal end of the exhaust outlet conduit.
14. The resonator of claim 9 wherein the air entrainment opening is formed in the lateral surface of the housing.
15. The resonator of claim 9 wherein at least a portion of the exhaust outlet conduit is perforated and surrounded by sound absorbing material placed between the exhaust outlet conduit and the lateral surface of the housing.
16. The resonator of claim 15 wherein the inlet chamber is positioned upstream of the sound absorbing material.
17. A vehicular exhaust resonator comprising:
a housing having a lateral surface, an inlet header and an outlet header positioned at opposite ends of the lateral surface;
an exhaust inlet conduit having an inlet end opening at the inlet header for receipt of vehicle exhaust gas and an outlet end, a cross-sectional area of the inlet end being larger than a cross-sectional area of the outlet end thereby creating a venturi effect region;
an exhaust outlet conduit having an inlet end larger in cross-sectional area and surrounding the venturi effect region and in fluid communication therewith and an outlet end at an opening in the outlet header, a portion of the exhaust outlet conduit having perforations therethrough;
a first partition in the housing having a central aperture for receipt of the venturi effect region and a radially outer section coupled to an interior surface of the lateral surface of the housing;
a second partition in the housing positioned downstream of the first partition and having a central aperture for receipt of the exhaust outlet conduit and a radially outer section coupled to the interior surface of the lateral surface of the housing, the first partition, the second partition and the lateral surface of the housing defining an air inlet chamber surrounding the venturi effect region and the inlet end of the exhaust outlet conduit, wherein the second partition, the outlet header, the exhaust outlet conduit and the housing define a cavity containing a sound absorbing material, the perforations being in fluid communication with the cavity;
a plurality of apertures in the lateral surface of the housing for receipt of outside air into the air inlet chamber; and
an open annular region of the inlet end of the exhaust outlet conduit in fluid communication with the air inlet chamber.
18. The resonator of claim 17 wherein the exhaust outlet conduit includes a substantially constant cross-section from the outlet end of the exhaust inlet conduit to the outlet header.
19. The resonator of claim 17 wherein the exhaust inlet conduit includes a wall having a concave curved cross-section.
20. The resonator of claim 17 wherein the plurality of apertures in the lateral surface are positioned at a location upstream from the outlet end of the exhaust inlet conduit.