Engine Compartment Air Duct for Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural harvesters face challenges in preventing the accumulation of combustible plant material on diesel particulate filters due to intermittent high temperatures during regeneration cycles, which can lead to combustion hazards, and existing solutions either increase size and cost or require additional complex systems for cleaning.
Innovation Solution
An engine compartment arrangement that utilizes a cleaning air duct to direct high-velocity, high-pressure air from the fan across the top surface of the diesel particulate filter, maintaining sufficient airflow to prevent material accumulation without the need for electronic controls or additional fans, ensuring the filter remains clean during normal operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thick insulating layer is added around the diesel particulate filter, then the filter is protected from combustion hazards, but the size and cost of the filter increases and it becomes difficult to fit into the engine compartment
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful hot exhaust gas is extracted and redirected away from the filter surface through cooling ducts, removing the combustion hazard without adding insulating material around the filter
Solution Approach 2:
Cool air is introduced as an intermediary substance between the hot exhaust gas and the filter surface, cooling the exhaust before it contacts the filter and preventing combustion without requiring additional space
2Reliability
If mechanical members or separate blowers are added to remove accumulated plant material, then the filter remains clean, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The existing cooling fan is made multi-functional by directing its airflow through ducts to perform both engine cooling and filter surface cleaning, eliminating the need for separate cleaning components
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own existing airflow resources (cooling fan and ducts) to clean the filter, making the filter self-maintaining without requiring external cleaning mechanisms
3Temperature
If cooling fans generate diffuse air flows, then the engine is cooled, but the air flow velocity is insufficient to prevent plant material from settling on the filter
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow characteristics are made non-uniform by using ducts to concentrate and direct high-velocity air specifically at the filter surface, creating localized high-speed flow for cleaning while maintaining diffuse flow for general engine cooling
Solution Approach 2:
The air flow is segmented into different functional streams using ducts - one stream for engine cooling and another directed stream for filter surface cleaning, allowing each to optimize its velocity and direction
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively prevents the accumulation of combustible material on diesel particulate filters, reducing the risk of combustion hazards and maintaining filter cleanliness without increasing size, cost, or requiring complex control systems.
Implementation Method 1
a fan (14) and a cleaning air duct (18). The inlet to the cleaning air duct is located behind the fan to channel a portion of the air exhausted by the fan
Implementation Method 2
The outlet of the cleaning air duct is located adjacent to the top surface of the diesel particulate filter to direct the flow of air across the top surface of the diesel particulate filter
Implementation Method 3
A device that has been proposed to meet these standards is what is called a 'diesel particulate filter'. Diesel particulate filters filter diesel exhaust gas and remove microscopic particles of debris from that gas.
Implementation Method 4
Diesel particulate filters need to be periodically regenerated, preferably by temporarily elevating the temperature of the exhaust gas to temperatures approaching 600° C. At these temperatures, cellulose dust and other combustible debris will instantly incinerate.
Data Source
AI summary
An engine compartment arrangement for an agricultural harvester comprises an engine (10), a diesel particulate filter (12) coupled to the engine (10) to receive and filter hot exhaust gases therefrom, a fan (14), a radiator (16) disposed in a cooling airflow path in front of the fan (14) and coupled to the engine (10) to cool said engine (10), a cleaning air duct (18) having a first end (20) disposed immediately behind the fan (14) to receive a portion of the air ejected from the fan (14), and having a second end (22) disposed adjacent to the top of the diesel particulate filter (12) to exhaust a jet of the ejected air at a sufficient speed and in sufficient volume across the top surface (24) of the diesel particular filter (12) to prevent an accumulation of agricultural debris on top of the diesel particulate filter (12).