Patent ID: 7213395

Claim:
A vehicle, comprising: an exhaust treatment system, comprising: a NOx adsorbant-catalyst adapted to adsorb and store NOx from lean exhaust; a conduit configured to channel exhaust to the NOx adsorbant-catalyst, wherein exhaust must pass through the conduit to reach the NOx adsorbant-catalyst during normal operation of the exhaust treatment system; a fuel reformer positioned within the conduit, whereby at least the bulk of the exhaust passing through the conduit also passes through the fuel reformer; and an ammonia SCR catalyst configured to receive gases desorbed from the NOx adsorbant-catalyst; wherein the NOx adsorbant-catalyst functions to generate ammonia during regeneration and the SCR catalyst functions to adsorb ammonia so generated; and the SCR catalyst functions, in a period immediately following regeneration of the NOx adsorbant-catalyst, to reduce NOx passing the NOx adsorbant-catalyst by catalyzing reaction of NOx with the adsorbed ammonia; a diesel engine; and a controller; wherein the controller initiates regeneration of the NOx adsorbant-catalyst while the NOx adsorbant-catalyst remains effective for NOx removal in order to increase the fraction of adsorbed NOx that will be converted into ammonia during regeneration as compared to the fraction of adsorbed NOx that would be converted ammonia were regeneration postponed.