Regeneratable particle filter

Abstract

The invention relates to a particle filter, especially for exhaust gases of diesel-fuelled internal-combustion engines, with a plurality of filter walls that can be flowed through by the fluid for separating particles from a fluid stream, where the filter walls form a filter body, where the filter displays an inflow side and an outflow side and can be flowed through by the fluid to be cleaned in one direction of flow. In order to create a particle filter that can be regenerated quickly and easily, flow ducts for a purging fluid are provided in a direction transverse to the direction of flow of the fluid to be cleaned, extending through it and having a purging fluid inlet opening and a purging fluid outlet opening, through which the particles retained by the filter walls can be discharged from the filter body through the purging fluid flow ducts by means of the purging fluid.

1 . Particle filter, especially for exhaust gases of diesel-fuelled internal-combustion engines, with a plurality of filter walls that can be flowed through by the fluid for separating particles from a fluid stream, where the filter walls form a filter body, where the filter displays an inflow side and an outflow side and can be flowed through by the fluid to be cleaned in one direction of flow, characterized in that, in a direction transverse to the direction of flow of the fluid to be cleaned, flow ducts for a purging fluid are provided, extending through it and having a purging fluid inlet opening and a purging fluid outlet opening, through which the particles retained by the filter walls can be discharged from the filter body through the purging fluid flow ducts by means of the purging fluid.  
   
   
       2 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that one or both openings of the purging fluid inlet opening and the purging fluid outlet opening are each located on sides of the particle filter other than the inflow side and the outflow side of the filter body for the fluid to be cleaned.  
   
   
       3 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that, over part or all of the length of the filter body, the flow ducts for fluid to be cleaned are of slit-like design, at least essentially over the full width of the filter body.  
   
   
       4 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the filter walls consist of a fabric that can be structured by deformation, where the plurality of filter walls of the filter, or of a filter segment, is formed by a continuous strip of filter material, which is deposited to create a three-dimensional body, forming deflection areas in the process.  
   
   
       5 . Particle filter according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the inlet opening and the outlet opening for the purging fluid are provided on side surfaces of the particle filter that are bordered by the deflection areas of the filter material strip on both sides.  
   
   
       6 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that feed lines are provided, which, referred to the direction of flow of the fluid to be cleaned, supply the purging fluid laterally to the slit-like areas of the fluid ducts, or in that purging fluid discharge lines are provided, which discharge the purging fluid laterally from the slit-like ducts for the fluid to be cleaned, or in that both types of lines are provided.  
   
   
       7 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the purging fluid flow ducts merge into and emerge from slit-like areas of the flow ducts for fluid to be cleaned that extend at least essentially over the full length and width of the filter body.  
   
   
       8 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the outflow-side flow ducts for fluid to be cleaned are at least partially isolated from the purging fluid flow ducts.  
   
   
       9 . Particle filter according to  claim 8 , characterized in that the filter walls consist of a deformable material, in that edge areas of the filter body constructed of the filter walls are folded over in such a way that they form purging fluid inlets into flow ducts that are open on the inflow side in relation to the fluid to be cleaned, and at least partially seal flow ducts open on the outflow side in relation to the cleaned fluid for the purging fluid.  
   
   
       10 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that stiffening elements are provided on the filter body, on the purging fluid inlet, on the purging fluid outlet, or on both.  
   
   
       11 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that a particle accumulator is provided, as well as feed lines for passing the particle-laden purging fluid stream leaving the filter body to the particle accumulator, in which the particles discharged from the filter body in the purging fluid stream accumulate.  
   
   
       12 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that a return line is provided, which feeds fluid discharged from the filter body and at least partly stripped of particles back to the purging fluid inlet.  
   
   
       13 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that a heating device is provided for heating the purging fluid supplied to the purging fluid inlet opening.  
   
   
       14 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that a regeneration control device is provided for controlling regeneration of the filter by purging of the inflow-side filter chambers with purging fluid, and in that sensors are provided on the filter for detecting parameters relating to the need for regeneration, or the implementation of regeneration, or both.  
   
   
       15 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that a temperature sensor is provided for measuring the temperature of the filter body, or for measuring fluids passing through the filter body, and in that a purging fluid feed device is provided, which controls the purging fluid supply as a function of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.  
   
   
       16 . Particle filter according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the regeneration control device is configured to perform regeneration, which comprises the step of purging the filter chambers with purging fluid, while a device or system generating the particle-laden fluid stream continues to operate, if necessary.  
   
   
       17 . Particle filter, especially for exhaust gases of diesel-fuelled internal-combustion engines, with a plurality of filter walls that can be flowed through by the fluid for separating particles from a fluid stream, where the filter walls form a filter body, where the filter displays an inflow side and an outflow side and can be flowed through by the fluid to be cleaned in one direction of flow, characterized in that, in a direction transverse to the direction of flow of the fluid to be cleaned, continuous flow ducts for a purging fluid are provided, extending through it and having a purging fluid inlet opening and a purging fluid outlet opening, through which the particles retained by the filter walls can be discharged from the filter body through the purging fluid flow ducts by means of the purging fluid, and in that the purging fluid inlet opening and the purging fluid outlet opening merge into and emerge from laterally open areas of slit-like flow ducts or filter pockets, through which fluid to be cleaned flows through the filter body in the direction of the outflow side.  
   
   
       18 . Device or system generating particle-laden fluid, with a particle filter according to  claim 1 , where at least one or more of the following elements of a regeneration device, selected from particle accumulator, heating device for heating purging fluid, regeneration control device and temperature sensor, are permanently provided on the device or system.