In Situ Tracking of Break-up, Resuspension, and Transport of Reactive Particle Structures in a Single Wall-Flow Filter Channel

Abstract

Particulate filters are used as a standard component in the exhaust gas aftertreatment of vehicles. The reactive (soot) and inert (ash) particles generated during engine operation are deposited in wall-flow filter. The resulting particle layer increases the differential pressure of the filter, which is why it is regenerated regularly. During regeneration of the filter, the reactive particles oxidize, and the inert particles remain in the filter. The oxidation of the soot particles results in a layer break-up, and the resuspension of particle structures can occur. The layer break-up over the entire length of an inlet channel and the resuspension of particle structures have not yet been observed, which is why the fundamental processes in a particulate filter have not yet been fully clarified. In these investigations, the regeneration of a single wall-flow filter channel is observed in situ with high temporal and spatial resolution. For this purpose, the filter is loaded with soot particles and regenerated subsequently. The regeneration of the filter is analyzed in relation to the process parameters of temperature, layer thickness, and flow velocity. Before the visual layer break-up, the pressure drop decreases and declines to a constant value before resuspension of particle structures are detected. As the temperature is increased, the regeneration time is reduced. With a thicker particle layer, the particle structures formed during layer break-up become larger, the location of resuspension shifts to the posterior channel region, and the number of resuspensions increases. A higher flow velocity causes more particle structures to be resuspended and transported to the channel end.