Filter service system

• US 7,462,222 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2004
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Lane, William H., Crandell, Richard A., Habeger, Craig F., Fei, Dong, Nordyke, Daniel S., Sellers, Cheryl L., Tomlins, Gregory, Panov, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLEMENTE, ROBERT ARTHUR
• Application Number:
  US10/958,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20060070359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 553/02, 553/03, 552/82, 553/01, 553/05, 552/91, 552/94, 552/83, 552821-2825, 554/66, 55D/IG.30, 552/90, 95278-280, 952/84, 603/10, 603/17
• US Class Current: 95/279
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2273/28 Making use of vacuum or underpressure
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2279/30 for treatment of exhaust gases from IC Engines
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0089 Anti-return means
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/68 by means acting on the cake side involving movement with regard to the filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/71 with pressurised gas, e.g. pulsed air
• 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 3/0233 periodically cleaning filter by blowing a gas through the filter in a direction opposite to exhaust flow, e.g. exposing filter to engine air intake
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/30 Exhaust treatment

Abstract

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for removing matter from a filtering device includes a gas pressurization assembly. An element of the assembly is removably attachable to a first orifice of the filtering device. The system also includes a vacuum source fluidly connected to a second orifice of the filtering device.

Claims

1. A system for removing matter from a filtering device, comprising:

a gas pressurization assembly configured to selectively deliver a flow of pressurized gas to a desired portion of the filtering device, an element of the assembly being removably attachable to a first orifice of the filtering device,

and an inlet valve disposed proximate an inlet of the filtering device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas pressurization assembly includes a flow distribution device fluidly connected to a gas source.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a component of the flow distribution device is rotatably movable within the filtering device.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the flow distribution device is fixed relative to the filtering device.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the flow distribution device includes a portion configured to change the direction of a flow through the filtering device.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the gas source includes a compressor.

7. The system of claim 2, further including a gas storage device coupled to the gas source, the gas storage device being controllably fluidly connectable to the first orifice of the filtering device.

8. The system of claim 7, further including a gas storage valve disposed between the gas storage device and the filtering device, wherein the gas storage valve is controlled by an electrically controlled actuator.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the electrically controlled actuator comprises a piezoelectric material.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the gas storage valve is a membrane valve.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the gas storage valve is disposed proximate an outlet of the gas storage device.

12. The system of claim 7, further including at least one sensor configured to sense at least one of pressure, flow, or temperature within the gas storage device.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the gas storage device includes a high pressure gas tank.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the high pressure gas tank is configured to store gas at a pressure in excess of 70 psi.

15. The system of claim 2, further including an actuation device connected to the flow distribution device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the actuation device imparts rotational movement to the flow distribution device relative to a substrate of the filtering device.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein the flow distribution device has a surface that is substantially the same shape as a face of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the surface of the flow distribution device is substantially circular.

19. The system of claim 1, further including an outlet valve disposed proximate an outlet of the filtering device.

20. The system of claim 1, further including a receptacle configured to collect at least a portion of the matter removed by the system.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the filtering device is a particulate filter.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the desired portion of the filtering device is less than an entire cross section of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the desired portion of the filtering device is less than half of a cross-section of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein an element of the gas pressurization assembly is configured to prohibit flow from passing through a section of the filtering device.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas pressurization assembly further includes a component configured to fluidly block a portion of face of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow of pressurized gas is an unheated flow.

27. A method of removing matter from a filtering device, comprising:

connecting a gas pressurization assembly to a first orifice of the filtering device;

selectively delivering a flow of pressurized gas through a controllable membrane valve to a desired portion of the filtering device with the gas pressurization assembly via a funnel-shaped element; and

controlling an inlet valve disposed proximate an inlet of the filtering device.

28. The method of claim 27, further including storing a gas at a positive pressure in a gas storage device fluidly connected to the gas source.

29. The method of claim 28, further including controllably fluidly coupling the gas storage device to the filtering device so as to release the stored gas from the gas storage device via the controllable membrane valve.

30. The method of claim 29, further including controlling a flow of gas across at least a portion of the filtering device in a direction opposite from the direction of normal flow through the filtering device.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the gas storage device is removably coupled to the filtering device.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein connecting a gas pressurization assembly includes attaching an actuation device to the filtering device.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the actuation device is configured to impart rotational movement to a flow distribution device of the gas pressurization assembly.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the desired portion of the filtering device is less than an entire cross section of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein the desired portion of the filtering device is less than half of a cross section of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein an element of the gas pressurization assembly is configured to prohibit flow from passing through a section of the filtering device.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein the gas pressurization assembly further includes a component configured to fluidly block a portion of face of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein the flow of pressurized gas is an unheated flow.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein the gas pressurization assembly further includes a flow distribution device.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein an element of the gas pressurization assembly is removably attachable to the filtering device.

41. A system for removing matter from a filtering device, comprising:

a gas pressurization assembly, an element of the assembly being removably attachable to a first orifice of the filtering device, the gas pressurization assembly being configured to deliver a flow of pressurized gas through a controllable membrane valve to the first orifice and through a funnel-shaped element to restrict the flow of pressurized gas to a desired portion of the filtering; and

and an inlet valve disposed proximate an inlet of the filtering device.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the element of the assembly includes an actuation device.

43. The system of claim 42, further including a flow distribution device connected to the actuation device.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the actuation device is configured to rotate the flow distribution device relative to a substrate of the filtering device.

45. The system of claim 41, wherein the desired portion of the filtering device is less than an entire cross section of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

46. The system of claim 41, wherein the desired portion of the filtering device is less than half of a cross section of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

47. The system of claim 41, wherein the gas pressurization assembly further includes a component configured to fluidly block a portion of face of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

48. The system of claim 41, wherein the flow of pressurized gas is an unheated flow.

49. A method of removing matter from a filtering device, comprising:

removably attaching a gas pressurization assembly to a first orifice of the filtering device;

delivering a flow of pressurized gas through a controllable membrane valve to the first orifice of the filtering device via a funnel-shaped element;

controlling an inlet valve disposed proximate an inlet of the filtering device; and

restricting the flow of pressurized gas to a desired portion of the filtering device.

50. The method of claim 49, further including rotating an element of the gas pressurization assembly relative to a substrate of the filtering device.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the desired portion of the filtering device is less than an entire cross section of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein the desired portion of the filtering device is less than half of a cross section of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

53. The method of claim 49, further including fluidly blocking a portion of face of a substrate disposed within the filtering device.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein the flow of pressurized gas is an unheated flow.