Regenration Process of Ceramic Foam Diesel-Particulate Traps

Periodic regeneration of the diesel particulate trap is essential to maintain the collection efficiency and exhaust gas hack pressure at acceptable levels. The objectives of this study are to describe the phenomenology of ceramic foam filter regeneration process and to present its mathematical model. Further simulation study is carried out to estimate the effects of various factors including fuel additive on the ignition and the filter bed temperature and to investigate conditions of excessive temperature which could result in filter destruction.

The model is based on the assumption that the regeneration process is composed of two steps. The first step is the additional heat supply from the external energy source, and the second step is the spontaneous combustion propagation. The results from the analytical model agreed very well with the experimental results. Additional energy is required above normal engine operating conditions to initiate the incineration under lower exhaust gas temperature. Regeneration must be carried out within a narrow range of particulate loading to avoid the melting of the filter material. The effects of fuel additives have been estimated by using the simulation.