ArvinMeritor's Commercial Vehicle Systems business said its diesel particulate filter regeneration system -- the Thermal Regenerator -- in combination with a Corning filter, has received approval for use with European commercial vehicle applications.

The 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 after-treatment 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. The system was developed to support worldwide initiatives to improve emissions standards for particulate matter and NOx levels, including the upcoming Environmental Protection Agency 2007 regulations.
"VERT approval is a critical milestone in the ongoing development of the Thermal Regenerator," said Pedro Ferro, vice president and general manager of ArvinMeritor Commercial Vehicle Exhaust and Specialty Products.
"This system is unique because it virtually assures regeneration of the filter at any point in the duty cycle. It comprises a fuel combustion chamber, integrated fuel and air supplies and a stand-alone electronic control unit. Filter systems are really the only effective means to reduce particulate matter emissions to very low levels."
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.
ArvinMeritor, Inc. is $7-billion global supplier of a broad range of integrated systems, modules and components to the motor vehicle industry. The company is headquartered in Troy, Mich., and employs 32,000 people at more than 150 manufacturing facilities in 27 countries.
For more information, visit the company's web site at www.arvinmeritor.com.