Abstract: Flammable fine particles (particulates) consisting principally of carbon and hydrocarbons are discharged from a diesel engine to its exhaust system. A diesel particulate oxidizer (DPO) is disposed in the exhaust passage for collecting and burning the particulates without allowing the particulates to be discharged directly to the atmosphere. This DPO comprises a ceramic foam with catalyst. When the quantity of particulates collected is above a predetermined value, the DPO will undergo clogging. To prevent this, a high temperature gas containing oxygen is fed to the DPO to burn (regenerate) the collected particulates. In order to accelerate the normal regeneration of the DPO, there are provided a regeneration means for making a retard control of the fuel injection timing in the diesel engine, and a regeneration timing control means for controlling the operation of the regeneration means. Further, there is provided a regeneration timing detection means for detecting the regeneration timing of the DPO.

Abstract: A particulate oxidizer system for a diesel engine comprises a diesel particulate oxidizer (DPO) in the exhaust line to collect and burn particulates in the exhaust. The DPO comprises ceramic foam with a catalyst. When the quantity of particulates in the DPO reaches a predetermined value, high temperature gas containing oxygen is fed to the DPO to burn off (regenerate) the collected particulates. This is achieved by retard control of the injection timing under control of an engine control unit (ECU). A regeneration timing detection means detects the regeneration timing in the DPO. When the quantity of particulates in the DPO falls below a predetermined value, the ECU provides a signal to increase the idling revolution of the engine.

Abstract: An auxiliary chamber injection port providing communication between a main combustion chamber and an auxiliary combustion chamber has its axis composed of a combination of a straight line and an arc in a manner to satisfy the following relationships: .theta..sub.1 <.theta..sub.2 ; 20.degree..ltoreq..theta..sub.1 .ltoreq.45.degree.; and 35.degree..ltoreq..theta..sub.2 .ltoreq.67.5.degree., if the outflow angle of the axis of said auxiliary chamber injection port at the open end at the side of said auxiliary combustion chamber is designated at .theta..sub.2 with respect to a plane normal to the center line of said auxiliary combustion chamber and if the outflow angle of the axis of said auxiliary chamber injection port at the open end at the side of said main combustion chamber with respect to a plane normal to the center line of said auxiliary combustion chamber is designated at .theta..sub.1.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the supply of air to a burner used to recombust diesel particulates trapped in a ceramic filter. The inventive control apparatus includes an exhaust bypass line that bypasses the filter, an air supply line leading to a burner associated with the filter, a flow control valve that adjusts the cross-sectional area for the air flow in the air supply line, a relief valve that maintains a constant difference between pressures at points upstream and downstream of the flow control valve, and a control unit that controls the degree of opening of the flow control valve. With the invention, precise control over the flow rate of secondary air is ensured.

Abstract: A diesel particulate filter system for treating the exhaust gas of a diesel engine which is small in size and inexpensive. The system includes a particulate filter connected in a gas line from the engine, a burner, including an ignition plug, connected at a point upstream of the particulate filter and which is supplied with fuel, a primary air flow for atomizing the fuel, and a secondary air flow for burning the particulates trapped in the particular filter and which supplies the particulate filter with a hot burning gas produced by the ignition plug. Primary and secondary pumps supply, respectively, the primary and secondary air flows. A single motor drives both the primary and secondary air pumps. The ignition plug and motor are controlled so that when the amount of particulates trapped in the filter exceeds a preset level, the ignition plug and motor are activated to clean the filter by burning the particulates in the burner.