Exhaust treatment system

Apparatus for reducing exhaust emissions from a diesel engine having an exhaust manifold through which pass exhaust gases from the engine, which exhaust gases contain solid particulate matter, comprising:

• a water cooled heat exchanger connected to the exhaust manifold having a plurality of water jacketed passages through which flow the exhaust gases from the engine, whereby said water cooled heat exchanger removes heat energy from the exhaust gases to cool the exhaust gases down to a predetermined temperature;
• disposable low temperature filter means connected to said water cooled heat exchanger and positioned to intercept the cooled exhaust gases and trap substantially all of the solid particulate matter entrained therein, thereby preventing the solid particulate matter from escaping with the filtered exhaust gases into the atmosphere;
• and
• intermittent water injection means connected to the exhaust manifold upstream of said water cooled heat exchanger for injecting a predetermined quantity of water into the exhaust gases at predetermined time intervals, whereby said predetermined quantity of water flashes to steam and creates a pressure pulse which pulse dislodges solid particulate matter that has accumulated on the water jacketed passages in said water cooled heat exchanger and carries the dislodged solid particulate matter downstream to said disposable low temperature filter means.

An internal combustion engine assembly, comprising:

• an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber, a fuel passageway for admitting a mixture of hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen into the combustion chamber, means for igniting the mixture, and an outlet from the combustion chamber for the products of combustion;
• a heat exchanger connected to the outlet from the combustion chamber having a plurality of passages through which pass the products of combustion and on which accumulate solid particulate soot matter from the products of combustion;
• intermittent water injection means connected between said heat exchanger and the outlet from the combustion chamber for injecting a predetermined quantity of water into the products of combustion at predetermined time intervals, whereby said predetermined quantity of water flashes to steam and creates a pressure pulse which pulse dislodges the solid particulate soot matter that has accumulated on the passages in said heat exchanger;
• filter means connected to said heat exchanger for removing the solid particulate soot matter from the products of combustion;
• and
• catalyst oxidation means positioned between the outlet from the combustion chamber and said intermittent water injection means for oxidizing some of the solid particulate soot matter in the products of combustion.