Air control element for an agricultural vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to an air control element for an agricultural vehicle which has an internal combustion engine and an exhaust after-treatment device to discharge and clean the exhaust stream. The air control element cools a component of the exhaust after-treatment device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air control element for an agricultural work vehicle having an internal combustion engine, an exhaust after-treatment device to discharge and after-treat an exhaust stream from the internal combustion engine, a component of the exhaust after-treatment device being cooled by the air control element, wherein the air control element comprises:
 a multi-pass air control channel adjacent the component.   
     
     
         2 . The air control element of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the air control element is arranged parallel to an exhaust flow direction.   
     
     
         3 . The air control element of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the air control element includes an intake opening for cool air near a downstream end of the component in relation to the exhaust flow direction.   
     
     
         4 . The air control element of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the air control element includes an outlet opening near a downstream end of the air control element in relation to the exhaust flow direction.   
     
     
         5 . The air control element of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the air control channel includes a first control channel and a second control channel positioned inside the first control channel.   
     
     
         6 . The air control element of  claim 5 , wherein:
 an overflow chamber is formed near an end of the component; and   the first control channel has an open end which communicates with an open end of the second control channel via the overflow chamber.   
     
     
         7 . The air control element of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the overflow chamber and the open ends are positioned near an upstream end of the component.   
     
     
         8 . The air control element of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the air control element circumferentially surrounds the component.   
     
     
         9 . The air control element of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the component comprises an SCR catalytic converter.