Diesel particulate filter cleaning machine with filter cleaning time prediction
AssigneeEcoClean Advantage, LLC
InventorsBryan J. Case, Gregory J. Lukins, David L. Butler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A diesel particulate filter cleaning machine. The filter is filed with a soaking solution comprising water and a surfactant and retained within the filter during a soaking interval. The filter is placed in a rinsing station after the soaking interval. A rinse water head positioned above an upper surface of the filter supplies rinse water into the filter, the rinse water passes through and drains from the filter. During the rinsing process, an actuator moves the rinse water head relative to the upper surface of the filter. A drain receives the rinse water after draining from the filter.
Claims32
A diesel particulate filter (DPF) cleaning machine comprising:
- a soaking station wherein a soaking solution comprising water and a surfactant is supplied into a DPF, the soaking solution retained within the DPF during a soaking interval;
- a rinsing station for receiving the DPF after the soaking interval;
- a rinse water head positioned above an upper surface of the DPF for supplying rinse water into the DPF while the DPF is in the rinsing station, the rinse water passing through the DPF and draining from the DPF;
- an actuator for moving the rinse water head in a predetermined pattern relative to the upper surface;
- a gray water tank for receiving gray water from the rinsing station, the rinse water referred to as gray water after passing through and rinsing the DPF;
- a gray water filter for receiving and filtering the gray water from the gray water tank, the gray water referred to as clean water after passing through the gray water filter, the clean water supplied to a clean water tank;
- the clean water tank for supplying rinse water to the rinse water head;
- a first level sensor for determining a level of gray water in the gray water tank;
- a second level sensor for determining a level of clean water in the clean water tank;
- a controller configured to control the flow of rinse water from the clean water tank to the rinse water head responsive to the gray water level and the clean water level;
- and
- an indicator for issuing an indication to replace the gray water filter.
A diesel particulate filter (DPF) cleaning machine comprising:
- a soaking station in which a soaking solution comprising water and a surfactant is placed in a DPF, the soaking solution retained within the DPF during a soaking interval;
- a rinse water head positioned above an upper surface of the DPF and moved relative to the upper surface, the rinse water head for supplying rinse water into the DPF after the soaking interval, the rinse water passing through the DPF and draining from the DPF;
- a rinse water valve for controlling a flow of rinse water to the rinse water head;
- a clean water tank for receiving clean water from a clean water source and for supplying rinse water to the rinse water head;
- and
- a controller configured to control the rinse water valve responsive to one or more of a clean water level in the clean water tank, a clean water flow rate into the clean water tank, and a rinse rate flow rate out from the clean water tank.
A diesel particulate filter (DPF) cleaning machine comprising:
- a soaking station in which a soaking solution comprising water and a surfactant is applied to a DPF, the soaking solution retained within the DPF during a soaking interval;
- a rinse water head positioned above and perpendicular to an upper surface of the DPF for supplying rinse water into the DPF after the soaking interval, the rinse water passing through the DPF and draining from the DPF as gray water;
- a gray water tank for capturing the gray water;
- a gray water filter for receiving the gray water from the gray water tank and for filtering the gray water to produce clean water;
- a clean water tank for receiving the clean water;
- a rinse water valve for controlling a flow of clean water from the clean water tank to the rinse water head;
- and
- a controller configured to monitor at least one of a level of clean water in the clean water tank, a rate of clean water flow into the clean water tank, and a rate of clean water flow out from the clean water tank, and configured to control the rinse water valve responsive to one or more of the level of clean water in the clean water tank, the rate of clean water flow into the clean water tank, and the rate of clean water flow out from the clean water tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.