Burner assembly for particulate trap regeneration

A work machine having an exhaust treatment system, comprising:

• an exhaust gas producing engine;
• an exhaust conduit for directing an exhaust flow to a particulate trap configured to remove one or more types of particulate matter from the exhaust flow, the exhaust flow including at least a portion of a totality of exhaust gases produced by the engine;
• and
• a burner assembly configured to increase a temperature of the exhaust flow at a location upstream from the particulate trap, the burner assembly including:
• an exhaust inlet configured to direct the exhaust flow into the burner assembly;
• an exhaust outlet configured to direct the exhaust flow out of the burner assembly toward the particulate trap, the exhaust outlet being oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the exhaust inlet;
• a fuel injector having a longitudinal axis in substantial alignment with the direction in which the exhaust outlet is oriented;
• a cylindrical combustion chamber member defining a combustion chamber, having a longitudinal axis in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector, and configured to house a flame that is fueled by the fuel injector within the combustion chamber;
• and
• an exhaust flow distribution member positioned about the combustion chamber member and configured to substantially evenly distribute the exhaust flow about the combustion chamber member and in a heat exchange relation to the combustion chamber member.

A method of regenerating an exhaust particulate trap, comprising:

• directing an exhaust flow, produced by an engine, into a burner assembly, the exhaust flow including at least a portion of a totality of exhaust gases produced by an engine, the burner assembly being located upstream from a particulate trap configured to remove one or more types of particulate matter from the exhaust flow;
• directing the exhaust flow through an exhaust flow distribution member and thereby substantially evenly distributing the exhaust flow about a combustion chamber member to remove heat from the combustion chamber member, the heat being created by a flame within the combustion chamber member;
• heating the exhaust flow in stages as the exhaust flow passes through the burner assembly by exposing a portion of the exhaust flow to the flame at a first stage and exposing additional portions of the exhaust flow to the flame at each subsequent stage to create a heated exhaust flow;
• directing the heated exhaust flow out of the burner assembly and to the particulate trap to thereby increase a temperature of the particulate trap.