Ultrasonic bath – Industrial – 70 L STANDARD

Note: Delivery of the device is 60 days from the day of payment.

Modern vehicles (passenger, off-road, transport, and construction machinery) with diesel engines, meeting EURO 4, 5, and 6 standards, are equipped with DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) or soot filters, designed to clean exhaust gases of PM soot particles (particles smaller than 10 micrometers) and prevent their free release into the atmosphere. Until a few years ago, public awareness of environmental issues was not at the required level, and many vehicle owners chose to remove the DPF from their vehicles to avoid expensive replacements and repairs of these filters.

As part of the European integration process, the legislator was obliged to align its laws with those of EU countries, leading to the adoption of regulations that significantly tightened the control of vehicle technical compliance. The implementation of these regulations began last year, and vehicle owners who had removed these filters were given a deadline to reinstall them (a cost of 1000 – 1500 euros). Now, exhaust gases are also checked during the technical inspection, and vehicle owners with diesel engines no longer choose to remove these filters, but instead opt for cleaning them, though this is not a cheap task (about 150 euros).

• Thermal cleaning – burning off soot residue accumulated in the DPF at high temperatures (600 to 850°C);
• Water flushing under pressure;
• Use of catalytic additives that allow the burning of soot residue at lower temperatures;
• Hydrodynamic devices – which use a combination of water flushing and blowing the DPF with compressed air, and
• Ultrasonic cleaning in an ultrasonic bath

These ultrasonic baths are specially designed for this purpose and differ significantly from commercial or other types of ultrasonic baths. The technical solution for ultrasonic baths designed for DPF cleaning has improved the efficiency of ultrasonic cleaning (by up to 60%) compared to standard ultrasonic baths.

The special design of the ultrasonic bath for DPF cleaning has led to the following positive differences compared to standard ultrasonic baths:

• New spatial arrangement and density of ultrasonic piezo transducers emitting ultrasonic waves;
• Different propagation direction of the ultrasonic waves compared to standard ultrasonic baths, as the waves penetrate both directions of the DPF (inlet and outlet), achieving the superposition of coherent ultrasonic waves and constructive wave interference, resulting in a doubling of the amplitude, while avoiding destructive interference (wave cancellation);
• Higher emission power of ultrasonic waves within the DPF itself;
• When ultrasonic cleaning of the DPF is performed using a standard ultrasonic bath, the sludge from the filter exits, settles at the bottom of the tank, creating an obstruction that dampens the propagation of ultrasonic waves and reduces their effective power by up to 60%;
• Specially designed DPF holder ensures proper placement of the filter in the correct position along the direction of ultrasonic wave propagation during cleaning;
• In accordance with the laws of thermodynamics, heaters have been designed with a different placement compared to standard ultrasonic baths, ensuring proper circulation of liquid in the ultrasonic bath and uniform temperature distribution.

Compared to other methods, the advantages of ultrasonic and hydrodynamic cleaning of DPFs are numerous:

• Thermal cleaning is one of the oldest methods, requiring the cutting of the DPF body, separation of the catalyst, removal of the filter, washing, heating in ovens at temperatures from 600 to 850°C (which can take up to 12 hours), blowing with compressed air, and then reassembling the DPF body, which must be welded. This method has many disadvantages and, due to the thermal stress on the materials the filter is made of, often leads to cracking of the filter channels. It is almost unfeasible for filters meeting EURO 5 and EURO 6 standards.
• Water flushing under pressure partially removes soot deposits from the DPF channels, but stubborn soot deposits that have adhered to the surfaces due to high temperature and pressure remain. This method also carries a significant risk of damaging the filter’s structure, as water pressure can reach up to 100 bar.
• Catalytic additives “help” with partially clogged DPFs. They are usually applied preventively or correctively before starting the auto-regeneration process on the vehicle itself. If the filter is significantly clogged, satisfactory results cannot be expected, and it is necessary to remove and thoroughly clean the DPF.

Hydrodynamic devices clean the DPF by combining compressed air blowing and water flushing under pressure. The pressure values for air and water in these devices are 6 bar. Before cleaning with hydrodynamic devices, the filter is treated with concentrated detergents that act on soot deposits, detach them from the surface of the DPF channels, and bind them to themselves. Cleaning with hydrodynamic devices is safe and does not require cutting, removal, or separation of the filter. After treatment with hydrodynamic devices, the filter must be dried using warm air.

Ultrasonic cleaning in special ultrasonic baths for DPF cleaning involves fully submerging the filter in an appropriate detergent solution that completely fills the filter. The ultrasonic waves propagate through the liquid in the direction of the gas flow (simultaneously in both directions) and penetrate all pores and channels of the filter. Under the influence of ultrasound, soot and dirt deposits are completely removed from the surface of the filter channels, and the detergents chemically break them down and bind them. The amplitude and density of the waves can be measured in micrometers, which is why ultrasonic cleaning is often considered the most thorough. Ultrasonic cleaning of the DPF lasts up to 30 minutes, making it the fastest method. There is no risk of damaging the DPF, making this method the safest. This method does not require cutting the DPF body, removal, or separation. After treatment in the ultrasonic bath, the filter needs to be flushed and dried using warm air.