Combination emission abatement assembly and method of operarting the same

Abstract

A combination emission abatement assembly includes a first emission device such as a NO X trap and a second emission abatement device such as a soot particulate filter. Reformate gas from a fuel reformer is used to selectively regenerate both the NO X trap and the soot particulate filter. A method of operating an emission abatement device is also disclosed.

1 . A combination emission abatement assembly, comprising: 
 a NO X  trap for removing NO X  from an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine,    a soot particulate filter for removing soot from the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, and    a fuel reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon fuel into a reformate gas, the fuel reformer being fluidly coupled to both the NO X  trap and soot particulate filter.    
   
   
       2 . The combination emission assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a flow diverter valve fluidly coupled to the NO X  trap, the soot particulate filter, and the fuel reformer, the flow diverter valve being operable to divert the reformate gas from the fuel reformer between the NO X  trap and the soot particulate filter.  
   
   
       3 . The combination emission abatement assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising an electronic control unit electrically coupled to the fuel reformer and the flow diverter valve, the electronic control unit being configured to control operation of both the fuel reformer and the flow diverter valve so as to (i) advance the reformate gas to the NO X  trap during a first period of time, and (ii) advance the reformate gas to the soot particulate filter during a second period of time.  
   
   
       4 . The combination emission abatement assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the soot particulate filter is positioned upstream of the NO X  trap.  
   
   
       5 . The combination emission abatement assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the fuel reformer comprises a plasma fuel reformer.  
   
   
       6 . The combination emission abatement assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel reformer comprises a plasma fuel reformer.  
   
   
       7 . A combination emission abatement assembly, comprising: 
 a NO X  trap for removing NO X  from an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine,    a soot particulate filter for removing soot from the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, the soot particulate filter being positioned upstream from the NO X  trap, and    a plasma fuel reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon fuel into a reformate gas, the plasma fuel reformer being fluidly coupled to both the NO X  trap and soot particulate filter.    
   
   
       8 . The combination emission assembly of  claim 7 , further comprising a flow diverter valve fluidly coupled to the NO X  trap, the soot particulate filter, and the plasma fuel reformer, the flow diverter valve being operable to divert the reformate gas from the plasma fuel reformer between the NO X  trap and the soot particulate filter.  
   
   
       9 . The combination emission abatement assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising an electronic control unit electrically coupled to the plasma fuel reformer and the flow diverter valve, the electronic control unit being configured to control operation of both the plasma fuel reformer and the flow diverter valve so as to (i) advance the reformate gas to the NO X  trap during a first period of time, and (ii) advance the reformate gas to the soot particulate filter during a second period of time.  
   
   
       10 . A combination emission abatement assembly, comprising: 
 a NO X  emission device for removing NO X  from an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine,    a soot particulate filter for removing soot from the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, and    a fuel reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon fuel into a reformate gas, the fuel reformer being fluidly coupled to both the NO X  emission device and soot particulate filter.    
   
   
       11 . The combination emission assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a flow diverter valve fluidly coupled to the NO X  emission device, the soot particulate filter, and the fuel reformer, the flow diverter valve being operable to divert the reformate gas from the fuel reformer between the NO X  emission device and the soot particulate filter.  
   
   
       12 . The combination emission abatement assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising an electronic control unit electrically coupled to the fuel reformer and the flow diverter valve, the electronic control unit being configured to control operation of both the fuel reformer and the flow diverter valve so as to (i) advance the reformate gas to the NO X  emission device during a first period of time, and (ii) advance the reformate gas to the soot particulate filter during a second period of time.  
   
   
       13 . The combination emission abatement assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the soot particulate filter is positioned upstream of the NO X  emission device.  
   
   
       14 . The combination emission abatement assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the soot particulate filter is positioned downstream of the NO X  emission device.  
   
   
       15 . The combination emission abatement assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the fuel reformer comprises a plasma fuel reformer.  
   
   
       16 . The combination emission abatement assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the NO X  emission device comprises a lean NO X  trap.  
   
   
       17 . An emission abatement assembly, comprising: 
 a first combination emission abatement assembly positioned in a first parallel flow path, the first combination emission abatement assembly comprising (i) a first NO X  emission device for removing NO X  from an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, and (ii) a first soot particulate filter for removing soot from the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine,    a second combination emission abatement assembly positioned in a second parallel flow path, the second combination emission abatement assembly comprising (i) a second NO X  emission device for removing NO X  from the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, and (ii) a second soot particulate filter for removing soot from the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, and    a fuel reformer for reforming a hydrocarbon fuel into a reformate gas, the fuel reformer being fluidly coupled to each of the first and second NO X  emission devices and the first and second soot particulate filters.    
   
   
       18 . The emission abatement assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising a flow diverter valve fluidly coupled to each of the first and second NO X  emission devices, the first and second soot particulate filters, and the fuel reformer, the flow diverter valve being operable to divert the reformate gas from the fuel reformer between the first and second NO X  emission devices and the first and second soot particulate filters.  
   
   
       19 . The emission abatement assembly of  17 , further comprising a flow diverter valve operable to divert the exhaust of the internal combustion engine between the first and second parallel flow paths.  
   
   
       20 . The emission abatement assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second NO X  emission devices comprise first and second NO X  traps.