Self-Supporting Regeneration of Diesel Particulate Traps

Diesel soot collected in a catalytically coated ceramic honeycomb trap, burns self-supporting, if the heat loss is less than the heat release due to soot oxidation. Experimental verification has been accomplished using a 4.66″ × 6″, 100 CPI trap. Ignition time and regeneration time are measured. At low speeds, a minimum ignition time of 15 s would be sufficient for the trap regeneration. An extended channel with an observation window is provided to allow examination of the regeneration. The soot is ignited at the beginning of the channel and the flame propagation is then observed. The soot burns through the channel in a match-like manner. Manganese and iron fuel additives are observed to have an effect on the mechanism of flame propagation.