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Technical Paper

A Novel Tank Heater Based on PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) Plastic Nanomaterial

2017-03-28
2017-01-0125
The emission reduction in gasoline and diesel engines is driving the introduction of systems implementing additives in liquid form: in particular water for injection systems in gasoline engines and urea solutions (AD-blue) in SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) systems in diesel engines. Owing to water and AD-Blue can freeze in the car operative temperature range, the tanks must be equipped with heaters to guarantee a sufficient amount of additives in liquid form. Currently used technologies are ceramic PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) elements and distributed metal resistors. Ceramic PTC based heaters concentrate all the power in small volumes. They need thermally conductive elements distributing the power over a wide area. The assembly is complex and the cost of the metal parts and related packaging technologies used to insulate the heater from the environment (water or urea) is typically high. Metal resistors are cheaper but must be controlled in current.
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