Filter service system and method

• US 8,608,834 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Sellers, Cheryl Lynn, Thaler, David, Grimm, Mark T., Trethewey, Jeremy, Vanderspiegel, Natalie Noel, Crandell, Richard A., Fei, Dong, Hudson, Roger A., Gasper, Mark Alan, DaCosta, Herbert, Fluga, Eric Charles, Mallampalli, Hemant Prasad, Frazier, Bruce, Fletcher, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): CLEMENTE, ROBERT ARTHUR
• Application Number:
  US13/595,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20120318134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 952/78, 952/79, 952/80, 952/82, 952/83, 552/823, 552/91, 552/93, 552/95, 553/00, 553/01, 553/02, 553/03, 553/04, 555/23, 55D/IG.30, 602/74, 603/11
• 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

Abstract

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for removing matter from a filtering device of a work machine includes a gas pressurization assembly. An element of the gas pressurization assembly is removably attachable to a first orifice of the filtering device without removing the filtering device from a work machine to which the filtering device is connected. The system also includes a heat source fluidly connected to the gas pressurization assembly.

Claims

1. A method for removing matter from a filtering device of a machine, comprising:

fluidly disconnecting the filtering device from an internal combustion engine of the machine;

connecting a gas pressurization assembly to an orifice of the filtering device while the gas pressurization assembly and the filtering device are mounted to the machine;

directing a flow of compressed gas from the gas pressurization assembly to the filtering device via a flow distribution device moveable relative to the filtering device such that matter disposed within the filtering device is dislodged; and

removing the dislodged matter from the filtering device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein fluidly disconnecting the filtering device from the combustion engine comprises fluidly disconnecting the filtering device from an exhaust line, the exhaust line connecting an exhaust flow of the engine to an inlet of the filtering device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the flow of compressed gas from the gas pressurization assembly includes directing a pulsed flow of compressed gas to the filtering device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the flow of compressed gas from the gas pressurization assembly includes storing gas in a gas storage device fluidly connected to a gas source, and directing the flow of compressed gas from the gas storage device to the filtering device.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

sensing a characteristic of the filtering device; and

controlling the gas pressurization assembly based on the sensed characteristic of the filtering device.

6. A method for removing matter from a filtering device of a machine, the method comprising:

fluidly disconnecting the filtering device from an internal combustion engine of the machine;

fluidly connecting a gas pressurization assembly to the filtering device while the filtering device and the gas pressurization assembly are mounted to the machine;

positioning a first component of the gas pressurization assembly proximate a portion of the filtering device;

supplying a flow of pressurized gas from the gas pressurization assembly to the filtering device via the first component; and

changing an orientation of at least a portion of the first component relative to the portion of the filtering device while the flow of compressed gas is supplied from the gas pressurization assembly.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first component of the gas pressurization assembly comprises a flow distribution device and the portion of the filtering device comprises a filter media, the filter media being configured to remove particulate matter from an exhaust flow of the internal combustion engine.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein positioning the first component of the gas pressurization assembly includes rotating the flow distribution device relative to the filter media.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein positioning the first component of the gas pressurization assembly includes adjusting an angle of the flow distribution device relative to the filter media.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein positioning the first component of the gas pressurization assembly includes adjusting a position of a tip of the flow distribution device via an actuation device connected to a flow distribution device.

11. The method of claim 6, further including positioning a second component of the gas pressurization assembly proximate the portion of the filtering device and directing a negative pressure to the filtering device via the second component.

12. A method for removing matter from a filtering device of a machine, comprising:

fluidly disconnecting the filtering device from an internal combustion engine of the machine;

connecting a gas pressurization assembly to an orifice of the filtering device while the gas pressurization assembly and the filtering device are mounted to the machine;

directing a flow of compressed gas from the gas pressurization assembly to the filtering device such that matter disposed within the filtering device is dislodged;

increasing a temperature of the flow of compressed gas with a heat source fluidly connected to the gas pressurization assembly; and

removing the dislodged matter from the filtering device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein fluidly disconnecting the filtering device from the combustion engine comprises fluidly disconnecting the filtering device from an exhaust line, the exhaust line connecting an exhaust flow of the engine to an inlet of the filtering device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein directing the flow of compressed gas from the gas pressurization assembly includes directing a pulsed flow of compressed gas to the filtering device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein directing the flow of compressed gas from the gas pressurization assembly includes storing gas in a gas storage device fluidly connected to a gas source, and directing the flow of compressed gas from the gas storage device to the filtering device.

16. The method of claim 12, further including:

sensing a characteristic of the filtering device; and

controlling the gas pressurization assembly based on the sensed characteristic of the filtering device.