Method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of a fuel-fired burner of an emission abatement assembly

• US 20050150219A1
• 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: Johnson, Randall J., Crawley, Wilbur H., Crane, Samuel N. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/931,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20050150219A1
• 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 includes determining the temperature of the heat generated by a fuel-fired burner during regeneration of a particulate filter and adjusting the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner based thereon. An emission abatement assembly is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of operating an emission abatement assembly, comprising the steps of:

generating heat with a fuel-fired burner to combust soot trapped in a particulate filter,

determining the temperature of the heat, and

adjusting the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner based on the temperature of the heat.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining step comprises determining temperature of the heat and generating a temperature signal in response thereto, and

the adjusting step comprises adjusting fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner based on the temperature signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining step comprises determining if the temperature of the heat is above a predetermined temperature limit, and

the adjusting step comprises decreasing the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat is above the predetermined temperature limit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining step comprises determining if the temperature of the heat is below a predetermined temperature limit, and

the adjusting step comprises increasing the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat is below the predetermined temperature limit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining step comprises determining if the temperature of the heat is within a predetermined temperature range, and

the adjusting step comprises increasing the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat is outside the predetermined temperature range.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining step comprises determining if the temperature of the heat is within a predetermined temperature range, and

the adjusting step comprises decreasing the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat is outside the predetermined temperature range.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining the temperature of the heat subsequent to adjustment of the amount of fuel being supplied to the fuel-fired burner, and

ceasing to supply fuel to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat, as determined subsequent to adjustment of the amount of fuel being supplied to the fuel fired burner, is outside a predetermined range.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining the temperature of the heat subsequent to the adjusting step, and

ceasing to supply fuel to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat, as determined subsequent to the adjusting step, is outside of the predetermined temperature range.

8. A method of operating an emission abatement assembly, comprising the steps of:

generating heat with a fuel-fired burner to combust soot trapped in a particulate filter,

determining if the temperature of the heat is within a predetermined temperature range, and

adjusting the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat is outside of the predetermined temperature range.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining step comprises sensing the temperature of the heat with a temperature sensor.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the adjusting step comprises decreasing the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat is above a predetermined upper limit of the temperature range.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the adjusting step comprises increasing the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat is below a predetermined lower limit of the temperature range.

13. An emission abatement assembly, comprising:

a particulate filter,

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

an electronically-controlled fuel delivery assembly operable to deliver fuel to the fuel fired burner,

a temperature sensor positioned to sense the temperature of heat generated by the fuel-fired burner, and

a controller electrically coupled to the fuel delivery assembly and the temperature sensor, 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;

operate the fuel delivery assembly to generate heat with the fuel-fired burner to combust soot trapped in the particulate filter,

communicate with the temperature sensor to determine if the temperature of the heat is within a predetermined temperature range, and

operate the fuel delivery assembly to adjust the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat is outside of the predetermined temperature range.

14. The emission abatement assembly of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to operate the fuel delivery assembly to decrease the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat is above a predetermined upper limit of the temperature range.

15. The emission abatement assembly of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to operate the fuel delivery assembly to increase the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat is below a predetermined lower limit of the temperature range.

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

communicate with the temperature sensor to determine the temperature of the heat subsequent to adjustment of the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner, and

operate the fuel delivery system to cease to supply fuel to the fuel-fired burner if the temperature of the heat, subsequent to adjustment of the amount of fuel supplied to the fuel-fired burner, is outside of the predetermined temperature range.