Patent ID: 7503168

Claim:
An apparatus to regenerate a particulate filter, the apparatus comprising: a main exhaust channel configured to conduct exhaust gasses away from an engine; a bypass exhaust channel coupled to the main exhaust channel configured to conduct exhaust gasses away from the main exhaust channel and subsequently reintroduce the exhaust gasses into the main exhaust channel before the exhaust gasses flow through a particulate filter; a burner coupled to an interior surface of the bypass exhaust channel configured to ignite the exhaust gasses and raise the temperature of the exhaust gasses; the particulate filter integral to the main exhaust channel and positioned downstream from the bypass exhaust channel, the particulate filter configured to remove particulates from the exhaust gasses; and a regeneration module configured to monitor a plurality of exhaust gas variables, detect at least one level among the exhaust gas variables, determine a percentage of the exhaust gasses to be diverted, and selectively divert a portion of the exhaust gasses through the bypass exhaust channel in response to the level detected among the plurality of exhaust gas variables and the percentage that is determined.