COMPOSITION FOR CLEANING DPF FILTERS FOR DIESEL ENGINE EXHAUST GASES AND METHOD FOR CLEANING THE SAME

Abstract

The present invention relates to a chemical composition that removes accumulated impurities from a DPF in an easy and fast manner. The filter does not need to be removed from the vehicle, as cleaning is done by injecting the liquid through the temperature probe opening, and the chemical composition used is completely biodegradable. Cleaning with the chemical composition of the invention is not time consuming, is easy to perform and, results in completely purified DPF. Presented chemical composition for cleaning DPFs comprises alkyl sulfonic acid and distilled water, wherein the alkyl sulfonic acid is a short alkyl chain sulfonic acid with up to 4 carbon atoms (methane sulfonic acid, ethane sulfonic acid, propane sulfonic acid or butane sulfonic acid), with methane sulfonic acid being preferred due to its properties and availability.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A method for cleaning a diesel particulate filter (DPF) comprising injecting a composition comprising at least one alkyl sulfonic acid into the DPF.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the alkyl sulfonic acid is a C1-C4 alkyl sulfonic acid.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the alkyl sulfonic acid is methane sulfonic acid.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the alkyl sulfonic acid is methane sulfonic acid, ethane sulfonic acid, propane sulfonic acid or butane sulfonic acid, or two or more thereof.

19. The method according to claim 15 wherein the composition further comprises distilled water.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the composition comprises 1-15 weight % of at least one alkyl sulfonic acid with the balance being distilled water up to 100 weight %.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the composition comprises 7 weight % of at least one alkyl sulfonic acid with the balance being distilled water up to 100 weight %.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the composition comprises 7 weight % of methane sulfonic acid with the balance being distilled water up to 100 weight %.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein the composition comprises 6 weight % of methane sulfonic acid with the balance being distilled water up to 100 weight %.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the composition comprises 4 weight % of methane sulfonic acid with the balance being distilled water up to 100 weight %.

25. The method according to claim 15, wherein the composition further comprises water-soluble solvents, non-ionogenic emulsifiers, metal complexing agents or a combination thereof.

26. The method according to according to claim 15 wherein the method comprises the steps: unscrewing the temperature probe of the DPF, injecting the composition through the temperature probe opening, and subsequently injecting distilled water under pressure through the same temperature probe opening.

27. The method according to claim 15, wherein the method comprises the steps: unscrewing the temperature probe of the DPF, injecting the composition comprising 1 to 15% methane sulfonic acid through the temperature probe opening, and subsequently injecting distilled water under pressure through the same temperature probe opening.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein the pressure is about 7 bars.

29. The method according to claim 27 wherein the methane sulfonic acid solution is 7 weight % solution.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein the method further comprises: after injecting distilled water, putting the temperature probe back in place and screwing the temperature probe on the DPF, then starting the vehicle while keeping revs at 2500 rpm for 10 minutes, and after that, driving the vehicle for 20 minutes at a speed exceeding 20 km/h at more than 2000 rpm.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein the speed is greater than 70 km/h.3127.

32. The method according to claim 27, wherein the injection of the pressurized composition is performed in short cycles of 5 seconds of injecting and 5 seconds of break time.

33. The method according to claim 27, wherein the DPF is removed from the vehicle and washed under pressure whereby the impurities are removed from the filter.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] The invention is described in more detail in the following examples. Said examples are not limiting for the application of the disclosed invention in any way.

[0044] A common cleaning agent composition is a solution comprising 93 weight % of distilled water and 7 weight % of methane sulfonic acid.

[0045] Testing the efficiency of use on different types of vehicles was carried out by the inventor in several examples:

Example 1. Honda CRV 2013 2.2 Diesel

[0046] The cleaning agent composition is a solution comprising 93 weight % of distilled water and 7 weight % of methane sulfonic acid.

[0047] Before washing the DPF, the vehicle was in safe mode and could not perform passive regeneration. The violent regeneration was done twice, but after 1,000 km of distance traveled, the DPF clogged again and the vehicle entered safe mode.

[0048] Condition after washing the DPF through the temperature probe without removing the DPF from the vehicle:

[0049] Differential pressure 0.4 Kpa at idle

[0050] Differential pressure 2.1 Kpa at 2000 revolutions

[0051] Exhaust gases emission K=0.0000 m.sup.−1

[0052] After 60,000 km of distance traveled:

[0053] Differential pressure 0.5 Kpa at idle

[0054] Differential pressure 2.0 Kpa at 2,000 revolutions

[0055] Exhaust gases emission K=0.0000 m.sup.−1

Example 2. Honda Acord 2009 2.2 Diesel

[0056] The cleaning agent composition is 94 weight % distilled water and 6 weight % methane sulfonic acid.

[0057] Same as previous, before washing the DPF, the vehicle was in safe mode and could not perform passive regeneration. The violent regeneration was done twice, but after 1,000 km of distance traveled the DPF clogged again and the vehicle entered safe mode.

[0058] Condition after washing the DPF through the temperature probe without removing the DPF from the vehicle:

[0059] Differential pressure 0.7 Kpa at idle

[0060] Differential pressure 4 Kpa at 2500 revolutions

[0061] After 2,500 km of distance traveled:

[0062] Differential pressure 0.8 Kpa at idle

[0063] Differential pressure 5 Kpa at 2500 revolutions

Example 3. BMW 116 2009

[0064] The cleaning agent composition is 96 weight distilled water and 4 weight % methane sulfonic acid.

[0065] Before DPF washing:

[0066] Differential pressure 7.5 Kpa at idle

[0067] Differential pressure 20 Kpa at 2000 revolutions

[0068] After washing the DPF through the temperature probe without removing the DPF from the vehicle:

[0069] Differential pressure 1.1 Kpa at idle

[0070] Differential pressure 2.7 Kpa at 2000 revolutions

[0071] In all three of these examples, after washing the DPF, the vehicles have better driving performance and the fuel consumption is lower. The vehicles by themselves enter regeneration cycles without the need for service and initiating violent regeneration.