Method and apparatus for operating an airless fuel-fired burner of an emission abatement assembly

• US 20050150215A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ET US Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: ET US Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Berkman, Mert E., Kong, Yougen, Taylor, William III, Crane, Samuel N. Jr., Huckaby, Jon J.
• Application Number:
  US10/931,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20050150215A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/295
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/009 having two or more separate purifying devices arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/011 having two or more purifying devices arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/14 a fuel burner
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/20 a flow director or deflector
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2330/06 Ceramic, e.g. monoliths
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2330/10 Fibrous material, e.g. mineral or metallic wool
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2330/12 Metallic wire mesh fabric or knitting
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2510/065 for reducing soot ignition temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/023 using means for regenerating the filters, e.g. by burning trapped particles by electrically controlling the supply of combustible mixture or its constituents only F02D41/0235
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/025 using fuel burner or by adding fuel to exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0256 the fuel being ignited by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2892 Exhaust flow directors or the like, e.g. upstream of catalytic device
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/30 Arrangements for supply of additional air control, e.g. using by-passes or variable air pump drives, F01N3/22
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/303 Filtering additional air
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/323 Electrically driven air pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/36 Arrangements for supply of additional fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/002 of filter regeneration, e.g. detection of clogging
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method of operating an emission abatement assembly to remove soot from the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine includes determining if the engine is operating with predetermined operating conditions and regenerating a particulate filter if the engine is within such conditions. An emission abatement assembly is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of operating an emission abatement assembly to remove soot from the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if the engine is operating within predetermined operating conditions, and

operating a fuel-fired burner to regenerate a particulate filter if the engine is operating within the predetermined operating conditions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining step comprises determining if engine speed of the engine is within a predetermined range, and

the operating step comprises operating the fuel-fired burner to regenerate the particulate filter if the engine speed of the engine is within the predetermined range.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining if the engine speed of the engine is within a predetermined range comprises monitoring output from an engine speed sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining step comprises determining if engine load of the engine is within a predetermined range, and

the operating step comprises operating the fuel-fired burner to regenerate the particulate filter if the engine load of the engine is within the predetermined range.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining if engine load of the engine is within the predetermined range comprises querying an engine load map.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining step comprises determining if an exhaust mass flow from the engine is within a predetermined range, and

the operating step comprises operating the fuel-fired burner to regenerate the particulate filter if the exhaust mass flow from the engine is within the predetermined range.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining if an exhaust mass flow from the engine is within the predetermined range comprises monitoring output from a mass flow sensor.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining if an exhaust mass flow from the engine is within the predetermined range comprises estimating the exhaust mass flow from sensed engine operation parameters.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating step comprises operating the fuel-fired burner without assistance from a supplemental air supply.

10. An emission abatement assembly for removing soot from the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, the assembly comprising:

a particulate filter,

a fuel-fired burner positioned upstream of the particulate filter, and

a controller configured to control the fuel-fired burner, the controller comprising (i) a processor, and (ii) a memory device electrically coupled to the processor, the memory device having stored therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

determine if the engine is operating within predetermined operating conditions, and

operate the fuel-fired burner to regenerate the particulate filter if the engine is operating within the predetermined operating conditions.

11. The emission abatement assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

determine if engine speed of the engine is within a predetermined range, and

operating the fuel-fired burner to regenerate the particulate filter if the engine speed of the engine is within the predetermined range.

12. The emission abatement assembly of claim 11, further comprising an engine speed sensor, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to monitor output from the engine speed sensor to determine if the engine speed of the engine is within the predetermined range.

13. The emission abatement assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

determine if engine load of the engine is within a predetermined range, and

operate the fuel-fired burner to regenerate the particulate filter if the engine load of the engine is within the predetermined range.

14. The emission abatement assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to query an engine load map to determine if engine load of the engine is within the predetermined range.

15. The emission abatement assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

determine if an exhaust mass flow from the engine is within a predetermined range, and

operate the fuel-fired burner to regenerate the particulate filter if the exhaust mass flow from the engine is within the predetermined range.

16. The emission abatement assembly of claim 15, further comprising a mass flow sensor, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to monitor output from the mass flow sensor to determine if the exhaust mass flow from the engine is within the predetermined range.

17. The emission abatement assembly of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to estimate the exhaust mass flow from sensed engine operation parameters.