| Burner assembly for particulate trap regeneration -> Monitor Keywords |
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Burner assembly for particulate trap regenerationRelated Patent Categories: Power Plants, Internal Combustion Engine With Treatment Or Handling Of Exhaust Gas, By Means Producing A Chemical Reaction Of A Component Of The Exhaust Gas, Having Means For Regenerating, Replacing, Or Feeding Liquid Or Solid Reagent Or CatalystBurner assembly for particulate trap regeneration description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060218902, Burner assembly for particulate trap regeneration. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present disclosure is directed to a particulate trap regeneration system and, more particularly, to a particulate trap regeneration system having a burner assembly configured to increase the temperature of exhaust gases directed to the particulate trap. BACKGROUND [0002] Engines, including diesel engines, gasoline engines, natural gas engines, and other engines known in the art, may exhaust a complex mixture of air pollutants. The air pollutants may be composed of both gaseous and solid material, such as, for example, particulate matter. Particulate matter may include ash and unburned carbon particles called soot. [0003] Due to increased environmental concerns, exhaust emission standards have become more stringent. The amount of particulates and gaseous pollutants emitted from an engine may be regulated depending on the type, size, and/or class of engine. In order to meet these emissions standards, engine manufacturers have pursued improvements in several different engine technologies, such as fuel injection, engine management, and air induction, to name a few. In addition, engine manufacturers have developed devices for treatment of engine exhaust after it leaves the engine. [0004] Engine manufacturers have employed exhaust treatment devices called particulate traps to remove the particulate matter from the exhaust flow of an engine. A particulate trap may include a filter designed to trap particulate matter. The use of the particulate trap for extended periods of time, however, may enable particulate matter to accumulate on the filter, thereby causing the functionality of the filter and/or engine performance to decline. [0005] One method of restoring the performance of a particulate trap may include regeneration. Regeneration of a particulate trap filter system may be accomplished by increasing the temperature of the filter and the trapped particulate matter above the combustion temperature of the particulate matter, thereby burning away the collected particulate matter and regenerating the filter system. This increase in temperature may be effectuated by various means. For example, some systems employ a heating element (e.g., an electric heating element) to directly heat one or more portions of the particulate trap (e.g., the filter material or the external housing). Other systems have been configured to heat the exhaust gases upstream from the particulate trap allowing the flow of the heated gases through the particulate trap to transfer heat to the particulate trap. For example, some systems alter one or more engine operating parameters, such as air/fuel mixture, to produce exhaust gases with an elevated temperature. Running an engine with a "rich" air/fuel mixture can have such an effect on exhaust gas temperature. [0006] Other systems heat the exhaust gases upstream from the particulate trap, with the use of a burner that creates a flame within the exhaust conduit leading to the particulate trap. For example, one such burner system is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,524, issued to Brighton on Mar. 24, 1987 ("the '524 patent"). The '524 patent discloses a burner system configured to increase the temperature of exhaust gases directed to the particulate trap. [0007] While the system of the '524 patent may increase the overall temperature of the particulate trap, the system of the '524 patent does not include an exhaust outlet configured to direct the exhaust flow out of the burner toward the particulate trap, wherein the exhaust outlet is oriented in a different direction than an exhaust inlet. Further, the system of the '524 patent is not configured to impart rotational motion on fresh air introduced to a fuel injector of the burner to promote an even distribution of the burner flame. [0008] The disclosed burner assembly is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed toward an exhaust treatment system. The system may include a particulate trap configured to remove one or more types of particulate matter from an exhaust flow, the exhaust flow including at least a portion of a totality of exhaust gases produced by an engine. The system may further include a burner assembly configured to increase a temperature of gases in the exhaust flow at a location upstream from the particulate trap. The burner assembly may include an exhaust inlet oriented in a direction along a first axis and configured to direct the exhaust flow into the burner assembly and an exhaust outlet oriented in a direction along a second axis at an angle relative to the first axis, the exhaust outlet being configured to direct the exhaust flow out of the burner assembly toward the particulate trap. The burner assembly may also include a fuel injector having a longitudinal axis in substantial alignment with the second axis. In addition, the burner assembly may include a cylindrical combustion chamber member defining a combustion chamber, having a longitudinal axis in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector, and configured to house a flame that is fueled by the fuel injector within the combustion chamber. The burner assembly may further include an exhaust flow distribution member configured to substantially evenly distribute exhaust about the combustion chamber member and in a heat exchange relation to the combustion chamber member. [0010] In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed toward work machine having an exhaust treatment system. The work machine may include an exhaust gas producing engine and an exhaust conduit for directing an exhaust flow to a particulate trap configured to remove one or more types of particulate matter from the exhaust flow, the exhaust flow including at least a portion of a totality of exhaust gases produced by the engine. The system may further include a burner assembly configured to increase a temperature of the exhaust flow at a location upstream from the particulate trap. The burner assembly may include an exhaust inlet configured to direct the exhaust flow into the burner assembly and an exhaust outlet configured to direct the exhaust flow out of the burner assembly toward the particulate trap, the exhaust outlet being oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the exhaust inlet. The burner assembly may also include a fuel injector having a longitudinal axis in substantial alignment with the direction in which the exhaust outlet is oriented. In addition, the burner assembly may include a cylindrical combustion chamber member defining a combustion chamber, having a longitudinal axis in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector, and configured to house a flame that is fueled by the fuel injector within the combustion chamber. The burner assembly may further include an exhaust flow distribution member positioned about the combustion chamber member and configured to substantially evenly distribute the exhaust flow about the combustion chamber member and in a heat exchange relation to the combustion chamber member. [0011] In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed toward a method of regenerating an exhaust particulate trap. The method may include directing an exhaust flow, produced by an engine, into a burner assembly, the exhaust flow including at least a portion of a totality of exhaust gases produced by an engine, the burner assembly being located upstream from a particulate trap configured to remove one or more types of particulate matter from the exhaust flow. The method may further include directing the exhaust flow through an exhaust flow distribution member and thereby substantially evenly distributing the exhaust flow about a combustion chamber member to remove heat from the combustion chamber member, the heat being created by a flame within the combustion chamber member. The method may also include heating the exhaust flow in stages as the exhaust flow passes through the burner assembly by exposing a portion of the exhaust flow to the flame at a first stage and exposing additional portions of the exhaust flow to the flame at each subsequent stage to create a heated exhaust flow. In addition, the method may include directing the heated exhaust flow out of the burner assembly and to the particulate trap to thereby increase a temperature of the particulate trap. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a work machine according to an exemplary disclosed embodiment. [0013] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional illustration of a burner assembly according to an exemplary disclosed embodiment. [0014] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional illustration of a fuel injector according to an exemplary disclosed embodiment. [0015] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional illustration of the fuel injector of FIG. 3 taken at a section line 4-4 in FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0016] Reference will now be made in detail to the drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. [0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a work machine 10. Work machine 10 may include one or more traction devices 12, an engine 14, and an exhaust treatment system 16. [0018] Although work machine 10 is shown as a truck, work machine 10 could be any type of machine having an exhaust producing engine. Accordingly, traction devices 12 may be any type of traction devices, such as, for example, wheels, as shown in FIG. 1, tracks, belts, or any combinations thereof. [0019] Engine 14 may be any kind of engine that produces an exhaust flow of exhaust gases. For example, engine 14 may be an internal combustion engine, such as a gasoline engine, a diesel engine, a natural gas engine or any other exhaust gas producing engine. Continue reading about Burner assembly for particulate trap regeneration... Full patent description for Burner assembly for particulate trap regeneration Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Burner assembly for particulate trap regeneration patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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