TECHNICAL FIELD

The present inventive concept relates to a vehicle exhaust gas abatement apparatus, and more particularly, to a vehicle exhaust gas abatement apparatus capable of contributing to preventing air and environmental pollution because it may effectively remove harmful components in an exhaust gas and then discharging the exhaust gas at the initial stage of start by significantly reducing an activation temperature arrival time of a catalyst unlike a conventional electric heating manner and an exhaust gas discharging unit itself may directly combust the exhaust gas to abate a predetermined amount of harmful components and smoke in the exhaust gas in advance and then move the exhaust gas to a catalytic converter, and significantly improving practical utilization because it may be easily applied to any place due to a compact and efficient structure.

BACKGROUND ART

Recently, as vehicles increase in downtown areas, it has been reported that an exhaust gas generated from vehicle engines is a main cause of air pollution.

Particularly, because a large amount of harmful components such as CO, HC, and NOx, which are harmful to a human body, are contained the exhaust gas emitted from the vehicle engine (hereinafter referred to as an engine), in a case where the exhaust gas is discharged as it is, air pollution is caused.

Therefore, recently, a technology for removing the harmful components in the exhaust gas by installing a catalytic converter on one side of an exhaust pipe of the vehicle has been suggested.

In a vehicle in which the catalytic converter is used, a catalyst should be activated in order to perform its function, that is, a function of removing the harmful components in the exhaust gas. It has been known that an activation temperature of the catalyst is approximately 300 to 400° C. or higher.

Meanwhile, in a case where the vehicle is driving, a temperature of the exhaust gas is much higher than the above-described activation temperature of the catalyst, and an operation of removing the harmful components of the exhaust gas by the catalyst may be performed well.

However, at the initial stage of start of the engine, that is, in a so-called cold state, the temperature of the exhaust gas is low and a cylinder head and an exhaust manifold are also cooled, such that a predetermined time cannot but be required for the catalyst to be heated by the discharged exhaust gas to arrive at the activation temperature, and the operation of removing the harmful components of the exhaust gas by the catalyst cannot be performed at all during this time. Therefore, the exhaust gas containing the harmful components cannot but be inevitably discharged into the atmosphere as it is. It has been reported that more than 95% of hydrocarbon compounds are discharged at the initial stage of the start in fact.

Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, an electric heating-type catalytic converter as illustrated inFIG. 1has been suggested.

In a catalytic heating-type catalytic converter ofFIG. 1, catalysts2may be heated in advance by using electric heat plates6and7in the vicinity of the catalysts2. The electric heat plates6and7allow the catalysts2to be able to be heated in advance while generating heat by electricity.

However, since this manner is a manner of disposing the electric heat plates6and7in the vicinity of the catalysts2and heating the catalysts2by the electricity, it is difficult to shorten a heating time required to heat the catalysts2and a practical effect is not high due to a limitation of an electric capacity of the vehicle. Considering such a situation, there is a need to develop a technology for a vehicle exhaust gas abatement apparatus of a new concept that has not been known in the related art.

Related art documents related to the technical field of the present inventive concept include Korean Patent Application No. 10-1997-0062345, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2003-0070728, Korean Utility Model No. 20-1993-0028110, and Korean Utility Model No. 20-2002-0008298.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

An object of the present inventive concept is to provide a vehicle exhaust gas abatement apparatus capable of contributing to preventing air and environmental pollution because it may effectively remove harmful components in an exhaust gas and then discharging the exhaust gas at the initial stage of start by significantly reducing an activation temperature arrival time of a catalyst unlike a conventional electric heating manner and an exhaust gas discharging unit itself may directly combust the exhaust gas to abate a predetermined amount of harmful components and smoke in the exhaust gas in advance and then move the exhaust gas to a catalytic converter, and significantly improving practical utilization because it may be easily applied to any place due to a compact and efficient structure.

Further, another object of the present inventive concept is to provide a vehicle exhaust gas abatement apparatus capable of abating harmful components and smoke contained in an exhaust gas.

Technical Solution

In order to accomplish the above objects, there is provided a vehicle exhaust gas abatement apparatus including: an exhaust gas discharging unit having an exhaust gas discharging pass which is formed on one side thereof and along which an exhaust gas generated from an engine of a vehicle is discharged; a catalytic converter connected to a rear end of the exhaust gas discharging unit along a direction in which the exhaust gas is discharged and removing harmful components in the exhaust gas using a catalyst; and a surface combustion unit coupled to one side of the exhaust gas discharging unit and heating an inner portion of the exhaust gas discharging unit so that the exhaust gas is heated to an activation temperature or higher of the catalyst and then arrives at the catalytic converter.

The surface combustion unit may be a fuel-type surface combustion unit heating an inner portion of the exhaust gas discharging unit by heat of a flame via a fuel.

The exhaust gas discharging unit may include: a discharging housing portion which has a pipe shape and forms a place where the fuel-type surface combustion unit is coupled; and an engine connection portion which is coupled to one side of the discharging housing portion and is connected to the engine.

The exhaust gas discharging unit may further include an inner partition wall portion which is disposed inside the discharging housing portion in a radial direction with a spaced interval interposed between the inner partition wall portion and the discharging housing portion and has a pipe shape.

The exhaust gas discharging unit may further include a mixing duct portion which is coupled to the other side of the discharging housing portion and is connected to the catalytic converter and in which the exhaust gas and the heat by the flame are mixed with each other.

The fuel-type surface combustion unit may include: a unit body portion which is coupled to the discharging housing portion so as to surround the discharging housing portion in an open portion of the discharging housing portion and has an inner portion forming an empty space portion; and a supply connector which includes a fuel supply unit supplying a fuel and an air supply unit supplying air to be mixed with the fuel and is coupled to the unit body portion to supply the fuel and the air to the space portion in the unit body portion.

The fuel-type surface combustion unit may include: at least one distribution guide which is provided in the space portion in the unit body portion and distributes and guides the fuel and the air directed to the space portion; a surface combustion mat which is disposed in an opening portion of the unit body portion in contact with the discharging housing portion; and an ignition module which is provided on one side of the unit body portion and allows the surface combustion mat to ignite.

The vehicle exhaust gas abatement apparatus may further include: an engine start sensor sensing whether or not the engine is started; and a controller controlling an operation of the surface combustion unit based on a sensing signal of the engine start sensor.

The vehicle exhaust gas abatement apparatus may further include a timer connected to the controller and setting an operation time of the surface combustion unit, wherein the fuel is selected from methane, butane, propane, a self-fuel.

Advantageous Effects

According to the present inventive concept, it is possible to contribute to preventing air and environmental pollution because a vehicle exhaust gas abatement apparatus may effectively remove harmful components in an exhaust gas and then discharging the exhaust gas at the initial stage of start by significantly reducing an activation temperature arrival time of a catalyst unlike a conventional electric heating manner and an exhaust gas discharging unit itself may directly combust the exhaust gas to abate a predetermined amount of harmful components and smoke in the exhaust gas in advance and then move the exhaust gas to a catalytic converter and significantly improve practical utilization because the vehicle exhaust gas abatement apparatus may be easily applied to any place due to a compact and efficient structure.

