Improved method for the ignition and combustion of particulates in diesel exhaust gases

Apparatus for removing particulates from a flow of exhaust gas exhausted from a diesel engine and trapped in a filter comprising:

• means for producing compressed air,
• oxygen saturation means connected to the means for producing compressed air comprising at least one container provided with oxygen adsorber means receiving said compressed air and adsorbing oxygen therefrom;
• means to desorb oxygen from said oxygen adsorber means to form oxygen enriched air having more than 20.8% O.sub.2,
• conduit means providing communication of said oxygen saturation means with a filter, said filter comprising a porous ceramic monolithic structure defining a plurality of cells which extend through the structure, and
• valve means positioned in said conduit means to selectively direct oxygen enriched air of at least 20.8% O.sub.2 into the cells of said filter which with the exhaust gases passing into said filter provide for combination of particulates trapped in said filter.

Apparatus for removing particulates from a filter filtering a flow of exhaust gas exhausted from a diesel engine, comprising;

• oxygen saturation means comprising at least one container provided with an oxygen adsorbent means located downstream from a source of dry compressed air, said oxygen adsorbent means providing oxygen to the air in said container so that the oxygen in the container is enriched to a range between 30% and 60% O.sub.2 ;
• and
• conduit means communicating with said oxygen saturation means and a particulate filter means constructed with a plurality of cells;
• and
• enriched oxygen selection means connected to said conduit means to selectively direct pressurized oxygen enriched air into to a plurality of cells of said particulate filter means which are also in the path of engine exhaust gases so that said pressurized oxygen enriched air and exhaust gases form a gaseous mixture having a content greater than 20.8% O.sub.2 of the total volume of the gaseous mixture to ignite particulates in a temperature ranging between 250.degree. and 400.degree. C.

Apparatus for removing particulates from a flow of exhaust gas exhausted from a diesel engine and trapped in a filter comprising:

• means for producing compressed air,
• oxygen saturation means comprising at least one container provided with oxygen adsorber means communicating with said means for producing dry compressed air to receive compressed air and adsorb oxygen therefrom;
• conduit means providing communication of said oxygen saturation means with filter introduction means, said filter introduction means comprising a frame, a rotatable hollow shaft assembly mounted to said frame, a plurality of nozzles mounted on said shaft assembly which open towards open cells in a particulate filter to introduce oxygen enriched air into said particulate filter;
• means to rotate said shaft assembly,
• valve means positioned in said conduit means to selectively direct oxygen enriched air into said filter introduction means for distribution of said oxygen enriched air into said filter to lower the base temperature required for combustion of particulates trapped in said filter.

Apparatus for removing particulates from a flow of exhaust gas exhausted from a diesel engine and trapped in a filter comprising;

• means for producing dry compressed air,
• oxygen saturation means comprising at least one container provided with oxygen adsorber means communicating with said means for producing dry compressed air to receive compressed air and adsorb oxygen therefrom;
• conduit means providing communication of said oxygen saturation means with filter introduction means, said filter introduction means comprising a frame, a rotatable hollow shaft assembly mounted to said frame, said hollow shaft assembly comprising a hollow rotary shaft, a second pipe closed at both ends mounted to said hollow rotary shaft perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rotary shaft, nozzle means mounted to said second pipe open towards open cells in a particulate filter to introduce oxygen enriched air into said particulate filter;
• means to rotate said shaft assembly,
• valve means positioned in said conduit means to selectively direct oxygen enriched air into said filter introduction means for distribution into exhaust gases passing into said filter allowing combustion of particulates trapped in said filter.