Diesel vehicle exhaust aftertreatment apparatus and method

A diesel exhaust aftertreatment apparatus for a diesel exhaust system in a motor vehicle, comprising:

• an entrance conduit;
• an engine in fluid communication with the entrance conduit;
• an exit conduit;
• a housing in fluid communication with the entrance conduit and the exit conduit;
• a filter disposed within the housing, and having a filter face;
• an exhaust concentrator being at least partially disposed within the housing and having a concentrator tube, and an actuator having modulator pivot arm connecting to the concentrator tube and the modulator, and a base pivotally attaching to the pivot arm;
• wherein the modulator comprises a spring arm, connecting to the pivot arm, and a spring attaching to the spring arm;
• a catalytic device in fluid communication with the filter and entrance conduit, and having a catalyst face;
• and
• wherein the concentrator tube slides from an open position to a closed position abutting the catalyst face during low engine loads.

A method of treating diesel exhaust from an engine in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

• exhausting diesel exhaust from the engine through an entrance conduit in fluid communication with the engine;
• allowing the diesel exhaust to flow from the entrance conduit into a housing having an exhaust concentrator being at least partially disposed within the housing and having a concentrator tube;
• concentrating the diesel exhaust with the exhaust concentrator under low load conditions;
• directing the concentrated diesel exhaust through the concentrator tube to a limited portion of a filter located downstream from the concentrator and in fluid communication with the entrance conduit;
• filtering the concentrated diesel exhaust within the filter;
• allowing the filtered diesel exhaust to flow from an exit conduit in fluid communication with the filter;
• moving the concentrator tube to abut a filter face of the filter with the modulator before concentrating the diesel exhaust;
• and
• wherein the exhaust concentrator comprises an actuator having a pivot arm connecting to the concentrator tube, a base pivotally attaching to the pivot arm, and a modulator connecting to the pivot arm.

A method of treating diesel exhaust from an engine in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

• exhausting diesel exhaust from the engine through an entrance conduit in fluid communication with the engine;
• allowing the diesel exhaust to flow from the entrance conduit into a housing having an exhaust concentrator being at least partially disposed within the housing and having a concentrator tube;
• concentrating the diesel exhaust with the exhaust concentrator under low load conditions;
• directing the concentrated diesel exhaust through the concentrator tube to a limited portion of a filter located downstream from the concentrator and in fluid communication with the entrance conduit;
• filtering the concentrated diesel exhaust within the filter;
• allowing the filtered diesel exhaust to flow from an exit conduit in fluid communication with the filter;
• moving the concentrator tube to abut a catalyst face of a catalytic device with the modulator before concentrating the diesel exhaust;
• and
• wherein the exhaust concentrator comprises an actuator having a pivot arm connecting to the concentrator tube, a base pivotally attaching to the pivot arm, and a modulator connecting to the pivot arm.