Lattice Boltzmann simulation on flow with soot accumulation in diesel particulate filter

Since diesel exhaust gas has more ambient air pollutants such as NOx and particulate matters (PM) including soot, the special treatment for exhaust emission standards is needed. Recently, a diesel particulate filter (DPF) has been developed to reduce PM in the after-treatment of exhaust gas. However, since the structure of the filter is small and complex, it is impossible to examine the phenomena inside the filter experimentally. In this study, we conduct fluid simulation in the diesel filter. We use the lattice Boltzmann method. The soot accumulation is considered to simulate the PM trap in the filter. For the wall-boundary in the simulation, the inner structure of the filter is obtained by a 3D-CT technique. Results show complex flow pattern in the diesel filter. Due to the soot accumulation, the velocity is changed and the pressure is increased. The pressure drop becomes larger as soot concentration at the inlet is higher.