Applications of an Active Diesel Particulate Filter Regeneration System

An active diesel particulate filter regeneration system has been developed to remove diesel particulate matter (PM) accumulation from diesel particulate filters. Diesel particulate filters (DPF) are an effective means of significantly reducing PM emissions from vehicles powered by diesel engines. This paper outlines the use of the ActiveClean^™ Thermal Regenerator (TR) system to reduce PM emissions in several different applications. Test cell data was collected using a 15.8L diesel engine to provide exhaust flow. The objective of this test was to evaluate the steady state HC, CO and NOx emissions of the engine and TR combination during regeneration of the filter. The data reveals only a slight increase in HC and CO emissions depending on configuration (single-or dual-leg) for steady state regenerations. It also showed that the TR had very little impact on NOx emissions during regeneration. The ActiveClean^™ Thermal Regenerator was also tested in a FTP cycle on two different diesel engines, and these tests showed that the system was able to achieve over 80% PM reduction. The systems were also installed on several vehicles in various configurations: a 10″ single-leg unit was installed on a 4.8L diesel engine, 12″ single-leg units were installed on 5.5L and 6.1L diesel engines, and a dual-leg 12″ system was installed on a 12.5L and a 14.6L diesel engine. The installations demonstrated that with an ActiveClean^™ Thermal Regenerator visible PM emissions were eliminated. These applications show the potential for significant reduction in diesel engine particulate matter emissions over a wide range of applications.