Technical Paper
Investigation into Ash from Field Returned DPF Units: Composition, Distribution, Cleaning Ability and DPF Performance Recovery
2016-04-05
2016-01-0928
Ash accumulation in the DPF over life results in reduced soot storage capacity, lower catalytic activity and may even alter substrate properties and lead to higher back-pressure; hence ash-cleaning of the DPF is required periodically to extend the life of the DPF and restore its catalytic performance. Several ash cleaning technologies are available which utilize pneumatic, hydraulic and wet-chemical cleaning techniques or their combinations. A batch of DPFs with various ash accumulation levels were recovered from customer field units. X-ray CT imaging was performed to understand the ash distribution in the DPF channels. Field returned DPFs were tested on Engine Dynamometer to determine the impact on overall system performance loss from fresh state. The DPFs were then cleaned using various cleaning techniques; X-ray imaging and dynamometer testing was repeated to evaluate the performance recovery.