ArvinMeritor's Commercial Vehicle Systems' active diesel particulate filter regeneration system, the Thermal Regenerator, in combination with a Corning DuraTrap RC wall flow particulate filter, has received approval for use with European commercial vehicle applications.
Approval came from VERT (Verminderung der Emissionen von Real-Dieselmotoren im Tunnelbau), which consists of Swiss, German, and Austrian occupational health authorities that developed methods to evaluate and verify exhaust gas aftertreatment systems.
The Thermal Regenerator, which may be used with original equipment and retrofit commercial vehicle and mining applications, senses when the diesel particulate filter is full and regenerates by automatically initiating combustion of the accumulated particulate matter. This system was developed to support worldwide initiatives to improve emissions standards for particulate matter and nitrogen oxide levels, including the upcoming Environmental Protection Agency 2007 regulations.
VERT testing concluded that the Thermal Regenerator with the Corning filter ensured effective regeneration and controlled the particulate matter emissions efficiently by removing up to 99.8% of nanoparticles. As part of the verification process, the Thermal Regenerator was fitted to a vehicle and operated for 2,000 hours over 56,000 miles. After the road test, there was no deterioration in filtration and regeneration.