Method and Apparatus for Controlling Regeneration of a Particulate Filter

Abstract

A method of operating an emission abatement assembly includes igniting a fuel-fired burner of the emission abatement assembly to combust soot trapped in a particulate filter of the emission abatement assembly. The method also includes detecting an engine exhaust intake failure of the emission abatement assembly. Furthermore, the method includes extinguishing the fuel-fired burner in response to detecting the engine exhaust intake failure of the emission abatement assembly. An emission abatement system is also disclosed.

1 . A method of operating an emission abatement assembly, the method comprising:
 detecting a regeneration event for a particulate filter of the emission abatement assembly,   detecting whether an engine exhaust intake failure of the emission abatement assembly exists, and   igniting the fuel-fired burner of the emission abatement assembly to regenerate the particulate filter in response to detecting the regeneration event and detecting that the engine exhaust intake failure does not exist.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a differential pressure across the particulate filter, wherein
 detecting whether the engine exhaust intake failure exists comprises detecting whether the engine exhaust intake failure exists based upon the differential pressure across the particulate filter.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a differential pressure across the particulate filter, wherein
 detecting whether the engine exhaust intake failure exists comprises detecting that the engine exhaust intake failure exists in response to determining that the differential pressure across the particulate filter has a predetermined relationship to a threshold differential pressure.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a differential pressure across the particulate filter, wherein
 detecting whether the engine exhaust intake failure exists comprises detecting whether the engine exhaust intake failure exists based upon a rate of change of the differential pressure across the particulate filter.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a differential pressure across the particulate filter, wherein
 detecting whether the engine exhaust intake failure exists comprises detecting that the engine exhaust intake failure exists in response to determining that a rate of change of the differential pressure across the particulate filter has a predetermined relationship to a threshold rate of change.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 monitoring a first pressure toward an inlet of the particulate filter, wherein   detecting whether the engine intake failure exists comprises detecting whether the engine exhaust intake failure exists based upon the first pressure toward the inlet of the particulate filter.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 monitoring a first pressure toward an inlet of the particulate filter, and   monitoring a second pressure toward an outlet of the particulate filter, wherein   detecting whether the engine intake failure exists comprises detecting whether the engine exhaust intake failure exists based upon the first pressure and the second pressure.   
   
   
       8 . A method of operating an emission abatement assembly, the method comprising:
 igniting a fuel-fired burner of the emission abatement assembly to combust soot trapped in a particulate filter of the emission abatement assembly,   detecting an engine exhaust intake failure of the emission abatement assembly, and   extinguishing the fuel-fired burner in response to detecting the engine exhaust intake failure of the emission abatement assembly.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising
 monitoring a first pressure toward an inlet of the particulate filter, wherein   detecting comprises detecting the engine exhaust intake failure based upon the first pressure toward the inlet of the particulate filter.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising monitoring a differential pressure across the particulate filter, wherein
 detecting comprises detecting the engine exhaust intake failure in response to determining that a rate of change of the differential pressure across the particulate filter has a predetermined relationship a threshold rate of change.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising monitoring a differential pressure across the particulate filter, wherein
 detecting the engine exhaust intake failure comprises detecting the engine exhaust intake failure in response to the differential pressure across the particulate filter having a predetermined relationship to a threshold pressure associated with an engine exhaust intake failure.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising extinguishing the fuel-fired burner in response to the differential pressure across the particulate filter having a predetermined relationship to a threshold pressure associated with a regenerated particulate filter. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the threshold pressure associated with an engine exhaust intake failure is less than the threshold pressure associated with a regenerated particulate filter. 
   
   
       14 . An emission abatement system, comprising
 a particulate filter to trap particulates of engine exhaust as engine exhaust flows between an inlet to an outlet of the particulate filter,   a fuel-fired burner comprising an engine exhaust inlet via which engine exhaust is introduced to the fuel-fired burner, an air inlet via which a flow of air is introduced into the fuel-fired burner, and a fuel inlet nozzle via which a flow of fuel is introduced in the fuel-fired burner, the fuel-fired burner being coupled to the particulate filter inlet to supply the particulate filter with engine exhaust and in response to being ignited to supply the particulate filter with heat to combust soot trapped in the particulate filter,   a sensor comprising a inlet-side port proximate to the particulate filter inlet and an outlet-side port proximate to the particulate filter outlet, the sensor to generate a signal indicative a differential pressure sensed between the inlet-side port and the outlet-side port, and   a controller to detect whether an engine exhaust inlet failure exists based upon the signal from the sensor, and to control burning of the fuel-fired burner based upon detection of an engine exhaust inlet failure.   
   
   
       15 . The emission abatement system of  claim 14 , wherein
 the sensor comprises a differential pressure sensor, and   the differential pressure sensor comprises the inlet-side port proximate to the particulate filter inlet and the outlet-side port proximate the particulate filter outlet.   
   
   
       16 . The emission abatement system of  claim 14 , wherein
 the sensor comprises an inlet-side pressure sensor comprising the inlet-side port proximate to the particulate filter inlet, and   the sensor comprises an outlet-side pressure sensor comprising an outlet-side port proximate the particulate filter outlet.   
   
   
       17 . The emission abatement system of  claim 14  wherein the controller determines that an engine exhaust inlet failure has occurred in response to detecting based upon the signal of the sensor that a rate of change of the differential pressure across the particulate filter has a predetermined relationship to a threshold rate of change. 
   
   
       18 . The emission abatement system of  claim 14  wherein the controller determines that an engine exhaust inlet failure has occurred in response to detecting based upon the signal of the sensor that the differential pressure across the particulate filter has a predetermined relationship to a threshold pressure. 
   
   
       19 . The emission abatement system of  claim 15 , further comprising a fuel supply coupled to the fuel-fired burner via a fuel pump, and an air supply coupled to the fuel-fired burner via a valve, wherein the controller
 opens the valve and activates the fuel pump in response to determining to ignite the fuel-fired burner, and   closes the valve and deactivates the fuel pump in response to determining to extinguish the fuel-fire burner.