Patent ID: 7082753

Claim:
A method of regenerating a NSR catalyst adsorbent comprising the steps of: injecting a hydrocarbon fuel into an exhaust stream, upstream of a fuel processor, wherein the fuel processor comprises an inlet, an outlet, and at least one catalyst, and the exhaust stream comprises air, whereby the injection of fuel makes the exhaust stream overall lean and rapidly increases the temperature of at least a portion of the fuel processor within the range of about 500° C. to about 750° C.; pulsing the injection of fuel to obtain rich conditions and to produce a reducing gas mixture comprising CO and H 2 , whereby the pulsing of fuel maintains the fuel processor temperature within the range of about 500° C. to about 750° C.; optionally mixing the exhaust stream with the injected fuel; introducing the reducing gas mixture into a NSR catalyst having an adsorbent, whereby the adsorbent is regenerated by introduction of the reducing gas mixture, and whereby when the amount of reducing gas mixture required to regenerate the adsorbent to a desired level is produced, the injection of fuel is stopped and the fuel processor cools down.