Diesel exhaust causes pollution in the environment and harms those who breathe it in.
Diesel particulate filters or DPFs cut down toxic emissions from diesel engines.
Regular maintenance of DPFs means safe trucking, a safer environment, and a safer public.
Keep reading to find out how to maintain and clean DPFs, and why it’s so important.
What Are Diesel Particulate Filters?
DPFs are part of a truck’s after-treatment system. This system is responsible for reducing fuel emissions.
DPFs are either ceramic, metallic, or cordierite filters with pores. These tiny abundant pores trap harmful soot as diesel fuel burns.
The soot consists of PM, hydrocarbons, and NOx.
Particulate matter, or PM, are air pollutants with various compositions and particle sizes. NOx or nitrogen oxides are toxic substances that also help form PM.
How DPFs Work
The DOC or oxidation catalyst removes some pollutants. Then, dirty air passes through the DPF.
Backpressure builds up as more of the DPF fills with soot. This triggers regeneration when it reaches a specific point,
The DOC oxidizes fuel and the heat produced from it burns up the soot.
The newly-formed ash remains in the DPF. The target of DPF cleaning is this ending product.
DPF Maintenance
As ash fills DPFs, it takes longer for regeneration to occur. The filter itself will become damaged over time, engine power will decrease, and more fuel will be consumed than necessary.
Regular DPF cleaning ensures that the filter and diesel engine won’t be damaged.
DPF maintenance is also important to keep the public safe.
The toxins in diesel exhaust adversely affect lung function. They can cause lung cancer, worsened asthma, and other chronic respiratory problems.
How Often
The filter cleaning interval depends on the engine’s condition, the lube oil used, how much the truck runs, and the manufacturer.
The minimum time between maintenance can be 6 months.
The average recommendation to clean DPFs during diesel truck maintenance is every 1,000 hours of the truck running or once per year.
How to Clean DPFs
The entire after-treatment system should be checked when routine maintenance occurs. Search for any fluid or exhaust leaks.
There are different methods of DPF cleaning including liquid, thermal, and pulse cleaning. Steaming or power washing DPFs will cause damage.
Find quality DPF cleaning products at https://www.dpfpartsdirect.com/collections/cleaning-equipment.
Although no cleaning standard currently exists, the following is a basic cleaning method.
Weigh the unclean DPF examine the flow for comparison purposes.
Heat the filter to destroy the accumulated ash.
Next, a mixture of air and water forcefully get rid of any remaining ash in the DPF.
After an inspection, check the flow and weigh it again.
Keep DPFs Clean
Cleaning diesel particulate filters prevent hazardous particles from entering the environment. They can cause cancer and lung-related illnesses.
DPF maintenance also prolongs the life of the diesel engine.
By regularly getting DPFs cleaned, you’re keeping people safe.
