EP0465183A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Catalytic converter with resistance heater
Assignee: NGK Insulators Ltd
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Filing: 1991-07-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-07-01
Abstract
Abstract A resistance adjusting type heater (14) for use as an element of a catalytic converter comprises a honeycomb structure (10) with at least two electrodes (13) provided thereon to supply a current to the honeycomb structure (10) and with a resistance adjusting means such as a plurality of slits (11) provided in the honeycomb structure between the electrodes. The heater (14) is formed such that the cross-section of its heating portion is substantially the same as that of a main monolithic catalyst (15). The catalytic converter includes a first flow passage (20) with a honeycomb heater (14) and a second flow passage (23) to bypass the heater (14). At the beginning of the operation, the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine whose temperature is low is caused to flow through the first flow passage (20). When the temperature of the exhaust gases exceeds a predetermined value, the flow passage is switched over from the first flow passage (20) to the second flow passage (23). In one embodiment a honeycomb heater (14) is disposed downstream of the main monolithic catalyst (15) or between two monolithic catalysts (15). In another embodiment two honeycomb heaters (14) are respectively disposed upstream and downstream of a main monolithic catalyst (15).
Inventors
- 👤 Takashi Harada
- 👤 Fumio Abe
- 👤 Hiroshige Mizuno
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 12:59
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B3/00; H05B3/10; H05B3/12; F; F01; F01N; F01N3/00; F01N3/08; F01N3/10; F01N3/18; F01N3/20; F01N3/2006; F01N3/2013; F01N3/2026; F01N3/2053; F01N2330/00; F01N2330/14; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
76 words
A resistance adjusting type heater for use as an element of a catalytic converter having a main monolithic catalyst, comprising a honeycomb structure with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current to the honeycomb structure and with a resistance adjusting means provided hetween the electrodes, said resistance adjusting means being formed such that a cross-section of a heating portion of said heater is substantially the same as that of a main monolithic catalyst.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
21 words
A resistance adjusting type heater according to claim 1, wherein said heater has a larger diameter than said main monolithic catalyst.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A resistance adjusting type heater according to claim 1, wherein said heater has a catalyst carried thereon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A resistance adjusting type heater according to claim 1, wherein said resistance adjusting means comprises a slit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
95 words
A catalytic converter comprising: at least one main monolithic catalyst; and a resistance adjusting type heater disposed upstream of said main monolithic catalyst or between said main monolithic catalysts, said resistance adjusting heater comprising a honeycomb structure with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current to the honeycomb structure and with a resistance adjusting means provided between said electrodes, said resistance adjusting means being formed such that a cross-section of a heating portion of said heater is substantially the same as that of said main monolithic catalyst disposed downstream of said heater.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
86 words
A catalytic converter comprising: a main monolithic catalyst; and a resistance adjusting heater disposed downstream of said main monolithic catalyst, said resistance adjusting heater comprising a honeycomb structure with a catalyst carried thereon, with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current to the honey'comb structure and with a resistance adjusting means provided between said electrodes, said resistance adjusting means being formed such that a cross-section of a heating portion of said heater is substantially the same as that of said main monolithic catalyst.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said heater has a diameter larger than that of said main monolithic catalyst.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 5, wherein said heater has a catalyst thereon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said resistance adjusting means comprises a slit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
A catalytic converter suitable for use in controlling automotive exhaust emissions, comprising: at least one main monolithic catalyst; and a honeycomb heater disposed downstream of said main monolithic catalyst or between said main monolithic catalysts, said honeycomb heater comprising a honeycomb structure with a catalyst carried thereon and with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current to said honeycomb structure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
66 words
A catalytic converter suitable for use in controlling automotive exhaust emissions, comprising: at least one main monolithic catalyst; a honeycomb heater disposed downstream of said main monolithic catalyst or between said main monolithic catalysts, said honeycomb heater comprising a honeycomb structure with at least two electrodes provided thereon supply a current thereto; and a monolithic catalyst for ignition which is disposed downstream of said honeycomb heater.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 11, wherein said honeycomb heater comprises a honeycomb structure with a catalyst carried thereon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein said honeycomb heater has a resistance adjusting means between said electrodes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein said honeycomb structure is manufactured forming metal powders into a honeycomb configuration and then by sintering a formed body.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
78 words
A catalytic converter suitable for use in controlling automotive exhaust emissions, comprising: at least one main monolithic catalyst; and a module which is removably disposed upstream or downstream of said main monolithic catalyst, or between said main monolithic catalysts, said module being composed of a catalyzed light-off honeycomb heater or of a honeycomb heater and a light-off monolithic catalyst, said honeycomb heater comprising a honeycomb structure with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current thereto.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
A catalytic converter suitable for use in controlling automotive exhaust emissions, comprising: a main monolithic catalyst; and honeycomb heaters respectively disposed upstream and downstream of said main monolithic catalyst, each honeycomb heater comprising a honeycomb structure with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current to the honeycomb structure.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
43 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 16, wherein among said honeycomb heaters respectively disposed upstream and downstream of said main monolithic catalyst, at least the honeycomb heater disposed downstream of said main monolithic catalyst comprises a honeycomb structure with a catalyst carried thereon.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 16 or 17, wherein said honeycomb heater has a resistance adjusting means between said electrodes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 16, 17 or 18, wherein said honeycomb structure is prepared by extruding metal powders into a honeycomb configuration and then by sintering the formed honeycomb body.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
88 words
A catalytic converter suitable for use in controlling an automotive exhaust gas, comprising: a main monolithic catalyst; a first flow passage for the automotive exhaust gas which is disposed upstream of said main monolithic catalyst, said first flow passage containing a honeycomb heater comprising a honeycomb structure with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current to the honeycomb structure; and a second flow passage provided upstream of said main monolithic catalyst and parallel to said first flow passage through which the exhaust gas is bypassed.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
98 words
A catalytic converter suitable for use in controlling an automotive exhaust gas, comprising: a main monolithic catalyst; a first flow passage for the automotive exhaust gas which is disposed upstream of said main monolithic catalyst, said first flow passage containing a honeycomb heater comprising a honeycomb structure with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current to the honeycomb structure, and a light-off catalyst disposed downstream of said honeycomb heater, and a second flow passage provided upstream of said main monolithic catalyst and parallel to said first flow passage through which the exhaust gas is bypassed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
73 words
A catalytic converter suitable for use in controlling an automotive exhaust gas, comprising: a first flow passage for the automotive exhaust gas in which a honeycomb heater comprising a honeycomb structure with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current to the honeycomb structure is disposed upstream of a light-off catalyst: and a second flow passage provided parallel to said first flow passage in which a main monolithic catalyst is disposed.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 20, 21 or 22, wherein said honeycomb heater has a resistance adjusting means between said electrodes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 20, 21 or 22, wherein said honeycomb structure has a catalyst carried thereon.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
A catalytic converter according to claim 20, 21 or 22, wherein said honeycomb structure is manufactured by forming metal powders into a honeycomb configuration and then by sintering the formed honeycomb body.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of controlling an automotive exhaust gas comprising the steps of: providing a first flow passage upstream of a main monolithic catalyst and a second flow passage upstream of said main monolithic catalyst and parallel to said first flow passage, said first flow passage containing a honeycomb heater comprising a honeycomb structure with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current to the honeycomb structure; causing the exhaust gas to flow through said first flow passage until a temperature of the exhaust gas reaches a predetermined value after an engine is started; and switching over the flow passage from said first flow passage to said second flow passage when the temperature of the exhaust gas exceeds said predetermined value.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of controlling an automotive exhaust gas comprising the steps of: providing a first flow passage for the automotive exhaust gas and a second flow passage parallel to said first flow passage, said first flow passage containing a light-off catalyst and a honeycomb heater comprising a honeycomb structure with at least two electrodes provided thereon to supply a current to the honeycomb structure, said light-off catalyst being disposed in said first flow passage downstream of said honeycomb heater, said second flow passage containing a main monolithic catalyst; causing the exhaust gas to flow through said first flow passage until a temperature of the exhaust gas reaches a predetermined value after an engine is started; and switching over the flow passage from said first flow passage to said second flow passage when the temperature of the exhaust gas exceeds said predetermined value.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method of controlling an automotive exhaust gas according to claim 26 or 27, wherein said honeycomb heater has a resistance adjusting means between said electrodes.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of controlling an automotive exhaust gas according to claim 26 or 27, wherein said honeycomb structure has a catalyst carried thereon.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method of controlling an automotive exhaust gas according to claim 26 or 27, wherein said honeycomb structure is manufactured by forming metal powders into a honeycomb configuration and then by sintering the formed honeycomb body.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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