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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Continuous rotary regeneration system for a particulate trap

Patent ·
OSTI ID:7050754
An apparatus is described for continuously regenerating a particulate trap for an internal combustion engine. The apparatus has means for normally conducting exhaust gas flow of the engine to and through the entrance face of the trap, the entrance face of the trap being a circle, the trap having generally aligned flow channels extending from the entrance face and along which columns of the particulates are collected. The apparatus comprises: (a) movable means effective to shield a sector of the circle of the trap entrance face from the full flow of the exhaust gas, while permitting a portion of the exhaust gas flow to bleed therethrough at a flow rate substantially less than the flow rate of the exhaust gas flow; (b) electrical resistance heating means having a moveable heating element carried only by the shield and interposed between the filter trap face and the shield; and (c) means for substantially moving the shield and element conjointly about the apex of the sector to transverse the entire frontal entrance of the trap to ignite one or more columns of the particulates in the trap aligned with the shield and element, the ignited particles and bleed flow causing oxidation to proceed throughout the extent of the columns of particulates without need of additional exterior heat.
Assignee:
Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, MI
Patent Number(s):
US 4641496
OSTI ID:
7050754
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English