Patent ID: 7303603

Claim:
A diesel particulate filter system for removal of particulates from a diesel engine exhaust stream, the diesel particulate system comprising: a filter housed within a containment cavity such that gases of the engine exhaust stream pass through the filter and at least a portion of the particulates within the engine exhaust stream are entrapped within the filter; a target of microwave-absorbing material embedded within the filter; and a microwave power source operatively connected to at least one microwave input port for introduction of microwave radiation into the containment cavity, wherein the containment cavity includes a multi-layer interior wall structure comprising a conductive base surface, a first layer of conductive strips spaced apart from one another in opposing spaced relation to the base surface and a second layer of conductive strips spaced apart from one another in opposing spaced relation to the first layer of conductive strips such that the first layer of conductive strips is disposed between the base surface and the second layer of conductive strips, wherein the conductive strips in the first and second layers extend in the longitudinal direction of the cavity and wherein the conductive strips in the second layer are disposed in offset relation to the conductive strips in the first layer so as to cover spaces between the conductive strips in the first layer such that upon activation of the microwave power source a heating field is developed across the cross-section of the cavity such that the target of microwave-absorbing material is heated in a substantially uniform pattern and at least a portion of the particulates entrapped within the filter in adjacent relation to the microwave-absorbing material are vaporized thereby reducing accumulation of the particulates within the filter.