Method and apparatus for trapping and incinerating particulate matter found in diesel engine exhaust

Claim 3

A method as defined in claim 1, which comprises passing, during said interruption, at least one backflush fluid pulse through at least said part of the filter means.

Claim 4

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said filter means contains no more than one filter zone.

Claim 5

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said filter means comprises a plurality of filter zones.

Claim 8

A method as defined in claim 5, which further comprises repeatedly performing said steps during engine operation to effect continual regeneration of each filter zone when it is in turn backflushed.

Claim 9

A method as defined in claim 1 or claim 5, wherein said preceding period of exhaust flow is of duration no more than one hour.

Claim 10

A method as defined in claim 1 or claim 5, wherein the filter means comprises a ceramic honeycomb filter material, sintered metal particles, metal mesh, ceramic fiber, ceramic foam or a granular bed.

Claim 11

A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the filter means includes a ceramic honeycomb filter material fabricated of cordierite.

Claim 12

A method as defined in claim 1 or claim 5, wherein said filter means comprises a plurality of separate filter elements.

Claim 13

A method as defined in claim 1 or claim 5, wherein said preceding period of exhaust flow is of duration no more than 0.5 hour.

Claim 14

A method as defined in claim 1 or claim 5, wherein said preceding period of exhaust flow is of duration no more than 10 minutes.

Claim 15

A method as defined in claim 5, which comprises continuously backflushing said at least one filter zone through which exhaust flow has been interrupted.

Claim 16

In a diesel engine, apparatus for decreasing exhaust emissions, which comprises filter means adapted to intercept the engine's exhaust flow and which traps solid particulate matter contained initially in the exhaust when that exhaust flows through at least a part of said filter means, thereby to remove said matter from said exhaust flow, means for interrupting the exhaust flow through at least said part of the filter means, at a time when the preceding period of exhaust flow therethrough is of sufficiently brief duration that the trapped particulate matter has not become resistant to subsequent combustion in the engine means for passing, during said interruption, backflush fluid through at least said part of the filter means thereby to dislodge from the filter means, and entrain, said solid particulate matter for the purpose of removing it from said filter means, and means for transporting said dislodged solid particulate matter to the intake of said engine so that said matter can be combusted in the engine.

Claim 17

In a diesel engine, apparatus for decreasing exhaust emissions, which comprises filter means adapted to intercept the engine's exhaust flow and which traps solid particulate matter contained initially in the exhaust when that exhaust flows through at least a part of said filter means, thereby to remove said matter from said exhaust flow, means for interrupting the exhaust flow through at least said part of the filter means, at a time when the preceding period of exhaust flow therethrough is of sufficiently brief duration that the trapped particulate matter has not become resistant to subsequent combustion in the engine means for passing, during said interruption, backflush fluid through at least said part of the filter means thereby to dislodge from the filter means, and entrain, said solid particulate matter for the purpose of removing it from said filter means, and means for transporting said dislodged solid particulate matter to the intake of said engine so that said matter can be combusted in the engine.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 14, which comprises means for passing, during said interruption, at least one backflush fluid pulse through at least said part of the filter means.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the filter means contain no more than one filter zone.

Claim 20

Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the filter means comprises plurality of filter zones.

Claim 21

In a diesel engine, apparatus for decreasing exhaust emissions, which comprises filter means having a plurality of filter zones, which means is positioned so that exhaust flow is passable through each of its filter zones to trap solid particulate matter contained initially in the exhaust flow, thereby to remove said solid particulate matter from the exhaust, and which is adapted so that exhaust flow passes through at least one of said filter zones, while there is reserved at least one other of said filter zones such that exhaust flow is not being passed through it, means for interrupting said exhaust flow through at least one said filter zone at a time when the preceding period of exhaust flow therethrough is of sufficiently brief duration that the trapped particulate matter has not become resistant to subsequent combustion in the engine, means for re-directing exhaust flow to at least one said reserved filter zone, means for backflushing each such filter zone through which exhaust flow has been interrupted thereby to dislodge from each such filter zone, and entrain, solid particulate matter trapped therein for the purpose of removing it from said filter zone, and means for transporting said dislodged solid particulate matter to the intake of said engine so that said matter can be combusted in the engine.

Claim 22

In a diesel engine, apparatus for decreasing exhaust emissions, which comprises filter means having a plurality of filter zones, which means is positioned so that exhaust flow is passable through each of its filter zones to trap solid particulate matter contained initially in the exhaust flow, thereby to remove said solid particulate matter from the exhaust, and which is adapted so that exhaust flow passes through at least one of said filter zones, while there is reserved at least one other of said filter zones such that exhaust flow is not being passed through it, means for interrupting said exhaust flow through at least one said filter zone at a time when the preceding period of exhaust flow therethrough is of sufficiently brief duration that the trapped particulate matter has not become resistant to subsequent combustion in the engine, means for re-directing exhaust flow to at least one said reserved filter zone, means for backflushing each such filter zone through which exhaust flow has been interrupted thereby to dislodge from each such filter zone, and entrain, solid particulate matter trapped therein for the purpose of removing it from said filter zone, and means for transporting said dislodged solid particulate matter to the intake of said engine so that said matter can be combusted in the engine.

Claim 23

Apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said means for backflushing is adapted to effect continuous backflushing of each said filter zone.

Claim 24

Apparatus as defined in claim 18, which is adapted for repetitious operation to effect continual regeneration of each filter zone when it is in turn backflushed.

Claim 25

Apparatus as defined in claim 14 or claim 18, wherein said preceding period of exhaust flow is of duration no more than one hour.

Claim 26

Apparatus as defined in claim 24 or claim 18, wherein the filter means comprises a ceramic honeycomb filter material, sintered metal particles, metal mesh, ceramic fiber, ceramic foam or a granular bed.

Claim 27

Apparatus as defined in claim 14 or claim 18, wherein the filter means includes a ceramic honeycomb filter material fabricated of cordierite.

Claim 28

An apparatus as defined in claim 14 or claim 18, wherein the filter means comprises a plurality of separate filter elements.

Claim 29

Apparatus as defined in claim 14 or claim 18, wherein said preceding period of exhaust flow is of duration no more than 0.5 hour.

Claim 30

Apparatus as defined in claim14 or claim 18, wherein said preceding period of exhaust flow is of duration no more than 10 minutes.

Claim 31

In a diesel engine, apparatus for decreasing exhaust emissions, which comprises filter means having two filter zones, which means is adapted so that exhaust flow is passable through each of its filter zones to trap solid particulate matter contained initally in the exhaust of said engine, thereby to remove said solid particulate matter from the exhaust, and which is adapted so that exhaust flow passes through one of said filter zones while the other is being reserved such that exhaust flow is not being passed through it, means for continuously backflushing said filter zones, adapted to effect backflushing of the filter zone through which exhaust is not passing, thereby to dislodge from said filter zone and entrain solid particulate matter trapped therein for the purpose of removing it from said filter zones, means for directing exhaust flow alternately to said filter zones, adapted to re-direct exhaust flow from one filter zone to the other in conjunction with an interruption of exhaust flow through the former zone, means for intermittently interrupting exhaust flow through either of the filter zones during the pasage of exhaust through the zone, at a time when the preceding period of exhaust is of sufficiently brief duration that the trapped particulate matter has not become resistant to subsequent combustion in the engine, means for correspondingly interrupting backflushing of the filter zone through which exhaust flow is not being passed, and means for transporting said dislodged solid particulate matter to the intake of said engine so that said matter can be combusted in the engine.

Claim 32

In a diesel engine, apparatus for decreasing exhaust emissions, which comprises filter means having two filter zones, which means is adapted so that exhaust flow is passable through each of its filter zones to trap solid particulate matter contained initally in the exhaust of said engine, thereby to remove said solid particulate matter from the exhaust, and which is adapted so that exhaust flow passes through one of said filter zones while the other is being reserved such that exhaust flow is not being passed through it, means for continuously backflushing said filter zones, adapted to effect backflushing of the filter zone through which exhaust is not passing, thereby to dislodge from said filter zone and entrain solid particulate matter trapped therein for the purpose of removing it from said filter zones, means for directing exhaust flow alternately to said filter zones, adapted to re-direct exhaust flow from one filter zone to the other in conjunction with an interruption of exhaust flow through the former zone, means for intermittently interrupting exhaust flow through either of the filter zones during the pasage of exhaust through the zone, at a time when the preceding period of exhaust is of sufficiently brief duration that the trapped particulate matter has not become resistant to subsequent combustion in the engine, means for correspondingly interrupting backflushing of the filter zone through which exhaust flow is not being passed, and means for transporting said dislodged solid particulate matter to the intake of said engine so that said matter can be combusted in the engine.