Exhaust purification apparatus, automobile, and management system

Abstract

An exhaust purification apparatus includes a microwave irradiation device; a fine particle collection filter that collects fine particles contained in an exhaust gas; and a controller. The microwave irradiation device includes: an annular microwave transmission line; a first microwave generator; a second microwave generator; and a microwave measurement circuit coupled at least one of to the annular microwave transmission line, between the annular microwave transmission line and the first microwave generator, or between the annular microwave transmission line and the second microwave generator. A microwave generated by the first microwave generator and a microwave generated by the second microwave generator have the same frequency and different phases, and the controller determines whether or not a predetermined amount or more of depositions is deposited in the fine particle collection filter, based on the characteristics of a microwave measured by the microwave measurement circuit,

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An exhaust purification apparatus comprising:
 a microwave irradiation device;   a fine particle collection filter configured to collect fine particles contained in an exhaust gas; and   a controller,   wherein the microwave irradiation device includes:
 an annular microwave transmission line; 
 a first microwave generator configured to couple to the annular microwave transmission line and generate a first microwave; 
 a second microwave generator configured to couple to the annular microwave transmission line and generate a second microwave; and 
 a microwave measurement circuit configured to couple to at least one of the annular microwave transmission line, between the annular microwave transmission line and the first microwave generator, or between the annular microwave transmission line and the second microwave generator; wherein the first microwave and the second microwave have the same frequency and have different phases, and 
   the controller determines whether or not a predetermined amount or more of depositions is deposited in the fine particle collection filter, based on the characteristics of a microwave measured by the microwave measurement circuit.   
     
     
         2 . The exhaust purification apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first connection waveguide configured to couple the annular microwave transmission line and the first microwave generator to each other; and   a second connection waveguide configured to couple the annular microwave transmission line and the second microwave generator to each other,   wherein a distance L between a connecting portion between the annular microwave transmission line and the first connection waveguide and a connecting portion between the annular microwave transmission line and the second connection waveguide is L=(2N−1)×λ/4, where, λ is a microwave wavelength and N is a positive integer.   
     
     
         3 . The exhaust purification apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first connection waveguide configured to couple the annular microwave transmission line and the first microwave generator to each other; and   a second connection waveguide configured to couple the annular microwave transmission line and the second microwave generator to each other,   wherein a distance between a connecting portion between the annular microwave transmission line and the first connection waveguide and a connecting portion between the annular microwave transmission line and the second connection waveguide is one of λ/4, 3λ/4, 5λ/4, and 7λ/4, where, λ is a microwave wavelength.   
     
     
         4 . The exhaust purification apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a phase difference between the first microwave and the second microwave is 
     
     
         5 . The exhaust purification apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the frequency of the microwave is from 0.1 GHz to 3.0 GHz. 
     
     
         6 . The exhaust purification apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a microwave is irradiated to the fine particle collection filter from the microwave irradiation device. 
     
     
         7 . The exhaust purification apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller determines whether or not a predetermined amount or more of soot is deposited in the fine particle collection filter, based on the intensity of the microwave measured by the microwave measurement circuit. 
     
     
         8 . The exhaust purification apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller determines whether or not a predetermined amount or more of soot is deposited in the fine particle collection filter, based on the frequency of the microwave measured by the microwave measurement circuit. 
     
     
         9 . The exhaust purification apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller determines whether or not soot deposited in the fine particle collection filter has been removed, based on the intensity of the microwave measured by the microwave measurement circuit. 
     
     
         10 . The exhaust purification apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a thermometer installed in the fine particle collection filter,   wherein the controller determines whether or not the fine particle collection filter is regenerated and the regeneration of the fine particle collection filter has ended, based on a temperature measured by the thermometer and the intensity of the microwave measured by the microwave measurement circuit.   
     
     
         11 . The exhaust purification apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the controller includes a table representing a relationship between the temperature measured by the thermometer used to determine the regeneration of the fine particle collection filter and the intensity of the microwave measured by the microwave measurement circuit. 
     
     
         12 . An automobile, comprising:
 the exhaust purification apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 .   
     
     
         13 . A management system comprising:
 an automobile equipped an exhaust purification apparatus and a navigation device including a transceiver;   a radio base station configured to conduct an information communication with the navigation device via the transceiver by radio , wherein   the exhaust purification apparatus comprises:   a microwave irradiation device;   a fine particle collection filter configured to collect fine particles contained in an exhaust gas; and   a controller,   wherein the microwave irradiation device includes:
 an annular microwave transmission line; 
 a first microwave generator configured to couple to the annular microwave transmission line; 
 a second microwave generator configured to couple to the annular microwave transmission line; and 
 a microwave measurement circuit configured to couple to at least one of the annular microwave transmission line, between the annular microwave transmission line and the first microwave generator, and between the annular microwave transmission fine and the second microwave generator, 
   a microwave generated by the first microwave generator and a microwave generated by the second microwave generator have the same frequency and have different phases, and   the controller determines whether or not a predetermined amount or more of depositions is deposited in the fine particle collection filter, based on the characteristics of a microwave measured by the microwave measurement circuit.   
     
     
         14 . The management system according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a route management server configured to communicate with the navigation device via the radio base station and the transceiver by radio, wherein   the route management server includes:   a reception circuit configured to receive information including candidate running routes to a destination from the navigation device;   an estimated amount calculation circuit configured to calculate an estimated amount of PM to be deposited until arriving at the destination, for each candidate running route;   a running route selection circuit configured to select the running route with the less amount of PM to be deposited;   a transmission circuit configured to output information including selected the running route to the navigation device.