Benteler Automotive Corporation

John Peter Biel, Jr

Frederick B Hill, Jr

Steven D Burch

Donald R Rigsby

Lance Mews

David K Benson

C Edwin Tracy

Matthew Allen Keyser

Terry R Penney

A thermally-activated exhaust treatment device, such as a catalytic converter, for vehicles includes a core having an inner housing and a catalytic material. A jacket includes an outer housing enclosing the inner housing, but characteristically not contacting the inner housing. The inner and outer housings include walls forming a vacuum-drawn sealed insulation cavity around the inner housing. A temperature-activated variable insulator device is positioned within the outer housing and includes a hydrogen source and controls for controlling the variable insulator device. A vacuum-maintenance device is incorporated into the insulation cavity, and includes a small container, getter material positioned in the container, and a porous member allowing gas in the insulation cavity to communicate with the getter material. A multi-layered radiation shield is positioned in the vacuum space and is loosely coupled to the inner housing. A vacuum detector includes a visible indicator of the vacuum in the insulation cavity.

Vacuum-insulated exhaust treatment devices, such as catalytic converters, with passive controls

A thermally-activated exhaust treatment device, such as a catalytic converter (); for vehicles includes a core having an inner housing () and a catalytic material ('). A jacket includes an outer housing () enclosing the inner housing () but characteristically not contacting the inner housing (). The inner and outer housings () includes walls () forming a vacuum-drawn scaled insulation cavity () around the inner housing (). A temperature-activated variable insulator device is positioned within the outer housing () and includes a hydrogen source () and controls for controlling the variable insulator device. A vacuum-maintenance device is incorporated into the insulation cavity (), and includes a small container, getter material positioned in the container, a porous member allowing gas in the insulation cavity () to communicate with the getter material. A multi-layered radiation shield is position in the vacuum space and is loosely coupled to the inner housing (). A vacuum detector includes a visible indicator of the vacuum in the insulation cavity ().

An exhaust treatment device, such as a catalytic converter assembly () for vehicles includes an inner housing () having an inlet and an outlet defining a longitudinal direction () and having a catalytic material (') therein chosen to reduce undesirable emissions from the exhaust of a combustion engine as the exhaust passes from the inlet to the outlet. The catalytic converter assembly () further includes an outer housing () enclosing the inner housing () but characteristically not contacting the inner housing (), the outer housing () including an inlet and an outlet that align with the inlet and outlet of the inner housing (), the inner and outer housing () including walls () forming a sealed cavity () around the inner housing (), the cavity () having a vacuum drawn therein. The catalytic converter assembly () further includes supports () of various configurations and materials that extend radially between the inner and outer housings ().

Vacuum-insulated exhaust treatment devices with radially-extending support structures

A thermally-activated exhaust treatment device, such as a catalytic converter () adapted to control exhaust emissions in a vehicle, includes a core having an inner housing () and a catalytic material () chosen to reduce undesirable emissions from the exhaust of a combustion engine. A jacket includes an outer housing () enclosing the inner housing () but characteristically not contacting the inner housing (). The inner and outer housings () include walls () forming a vacuum-drawn sealed insulation cavity () around the inner housing (). A chamber () positioned adjacent the inner housing () includes low melting point metal phase change material (). A thermal management system is operably connected to the insulation cavity () that is constructed to control heat flow from the inner housing () to maximize the time the catalytic material () is within a predetermined optimum temperature operating range or limit catalyst maximum temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

John Peter Biel, Jr