Experimental Study on a Fire Caused by Diesel Particulate Filter Regeneration

Abstract

In this study, a vehicle fire caused by diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration in a truck was investigated and analyzed. A DPF is a filter that collects soot from the exhaust gas; when certain conditions are met, the soot collected in the DPF is burned by the high-temperature exhaust gas. This process is referred to as regeneration. During DPF regeneration, the high-temperature exhaust gas is ejected and combustibles around the exhaust outlet under the vehicle may ignite. Herein, we analyzed a case of fire that occurred in an underground parking lot in 2022. The vehicle was parked for loading, and the fire broke out approximately 6 min later. During the field investigation, traces of combustion were observed in the paper boxes stacked around the truck’s exhaust port. Thus, we conducted a DPF regeneration experiment using a vehicle similar to that which caught fire. The experimental results confirmed that the surrounding combustibles can be ignited by the high-temperature heat generated during DPF regeneration. Further analysis indicated the necessity of being aware of the risk of fire owing to DPF regeneration when vehicles are parked or stopped and combustible materials are present around the exhaust outlet.