Method and Apparatus for Regenerating a Particulate Filter of an Emission Abatement Assembly

Abstract

A method of operating an emission abatement assembly includes supplying a first flow rate of fuel to a fuel-fired burner to generate heat to combust soot trapped in a particulate filter. The method further includes supplying a second flow rate of fuel to the burner in an attempt to increase the temperature of the heat with the second flow rate of fuel being greater than the first flow rate of fuel. The method further includes determining the temperature of the heat. The method further includes supplying a third flow rate of fuel to the burner if the temperature of the heat decreases in response to supplying the second flow rate of fuel with the third flow rate of fuel being less than the second flow rate of fuel. An associated emission abatement assembly is also disclosed.

1 . A method of operating an emission abatement assembly, the method comprising:
 supplying a first flow rate of fuel to a fuel-fired burner to generate heat to combust soot trapped in a particulate filter,   supplying a second flow rate of fuel to the burner in an attempt to increase the temperature of the heat, the second flow rate of fuel being greater than the first flow rate of fuel,   determining the temperature of the heat, and   supplying a third flow rate of fuel to the burner if the temperature of the heat decreases in response to supplying the second flow rate of fuel, the third flow rate of fuel being less than the second flow rate of fuel.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 determining the temperature of the heat comprises determining the temperature of the heat at an inlet of the particulate filter, and   supplying the third flow rate of fuel comprises supplying the third flow rate of fuel to the burner if the temperature of the heat at the inlet of the particulate filter decreases in response to supplying the second flow rate of fuel.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the temperature of the heat comprises determining the temperature of the heat with a temperature sensor. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the temperature of the heat comprises determining the temperature of the heat over a predetermined period of time. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein, determining the temperature of the heat comprises:
 (i) sampling the temperature of the heat for a plurality of samples over the predetermined amount of time to obtain a plurality of samples, and
 (ii) determining a temperature trend based upon the plurality samples. 
   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein supplying the third flow rate of fuel comprises supplying the third flow rate of fuel to the burner if the temperature trend indicates that the temperature of the heat is decreasing. 
   
   
       7 . An emission abatement assembly, comprising:
 a particulate filter,   a fuel-fired burner positioned upstream of the particulate filter, the fuel-fired burner being configured to generate heat to combust soot trapped in the particulate filter,   a temperature sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of the heat generated by the burner,   an electronically-controlled fuel delivery assembly operable to deliver fuel to the fuel-fired burner, and   a controller electrically coupled to the fuel delivery assembly, the controller comprising (i) a processor, and (ii) a memory device electrically coupled to the processor, the memory device having stored therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:   operate the fuel delivery assembly to supply a first flow rate fuel to the burner to generate heat to combust soot trapped in a particulate filter,   operate the fuel delivery assembly to supply a second flow rate of fuel to the burner in an attempt to increase the temperature of the heat, the second flow rate of fuel being greater than the first flow rate of fuel,   determine the temperature of the heat based upon the signal generated by the temperature sensor, and   operate the fuel delivery assembly to supply a third flow rate of fuel to the burner if the temperature of the heat decreases in response to supplying the second flow rate of fuel, the third flow rate of fuel being less than the second flow rate of fuel.   
   
   
       8 . The emission abatement assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the temperature sensor is positioned at an inlet of the particulate filter, the temperature sensor configured to generate a signal indicating the temperature of the heat at the inlet of the particulate filter. 
   
   
       9 . The emission abatement assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to determine the temperature of the heat at the inlet of the filter based upon the signal generated by the temperature sensor. 
   
   
       10 . The emission abatement assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to operate the fuel delivery assembly to supply the third flow rate of fuel to the burner if the temperature of the heat at the inlet of the filter decreases in response to supplying the second flow rate of fuel. 
   
   
       11 . The emission abatement assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
 sample the temperature of the heat based upon the signal generated by the temperature sensor over a predetermined amount of time to obtain a plurality of samples, and   determine the temperature of the heat based upon the plurality of samples.   
   
   
       12 . The emission abatement assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
 determine a temperature trend based upon the plurality of samples, and   operate the fuel delivery system to supply the third rate of fuel to the burner if the temperature trend indicates that the temperature of the heat decreases in response to the supplying the second flow rate of fuel.