Self-Cleaning EGR Valve for Current and Future Diesel Applications

In this paper, an innovative EGR valve, containing an integrated self-cleaning function to mitigate the progressive buildup of carbon deposits, is described. Conventional EGR valves use Butterfly and Poppet mechanisms to open and close a round shaped exhaust gas port with limited ability to remove exhaust carbon deposits from the affected surfaces and mechanical elements.

The self-cleaning EGR valve, instead, combining both rotational and linear motions, continuously sweeps its internal passages while delivering the gas flow, removing the carbon deposits before they can adhere to the internal surfaces.