|
No, I haven't tried to light the mist with a spark yet. But I just thought of something.
The 2007-2009 Caterpillar truck engines use a system called an auxilliary regeneration device (ARD). Basically, it is a flame thrower on the outlet of the final turbocharger that shoots an actual flame into the exhaust stream, as opposed to other engines (including all diesel engines in cars) that rely on a hydrocarbon doser and oxidation catalyst. Regenerating a DPF (oxidizing the collected soot in the filter, turning it into "friendly" gasses, H20 and CO2) requires a minimum of 600F, and this device ensures that this temperature can be maintained for a length of time to keep the DPF from plugging up with soot. The temperatures actually reach more like 1100F at times during these "active" regenerations, as they are called. The ARD has a built in fuel injector, is fed bleed off boost air from the turbochargers, AND (wait for it.....) a spark plug. Yes, 2007-2009 Cat truck engines all have one spark plug, and this plug is what ignites a diesel fuel/air mixture to burn the DPF clean.
This still doesn't tell me if it will work in a very short "inside the cylinder" combustion event.
|