TROY, MI.— ArvinMeritor Inc. has made it very clear it will be a major player in the battle to meet stringent vehicle-emission standards worldwide.
For North America alone, the company is rolling out a “broad portfolio of innovative clean air solutions” engineered to help both OEMs and truck fleets deal effectively with the next sets of diesel emissions regs, taking effect in 2007 and 2010.
“We have made tremendous progress in the last 18 months in applying our experience and expertise in exhaust emission solutions in light vehicles to commercial vehicles,” said Tom Gosnell, president of ArvinMeritor’s Commercial Vehicle Systems group, speaking at a media briefing held at the company’s headquarters here.
According to Gosnell, the “suite of solutions” ArvinMeritor has developed can be tailored to specific applications of every engine builder and truck OEM.
For Particulate Matter (PM)
1) Thermal Regenerator - Available now for retrofit; in 2007 for OEM use. Actively regenerates the filter, using diesel fuel as a heat source
2) Catalyzed Diesel Particulate Filter - Available in ‘07. Meets EPA 2007 PM emissions standards
For Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)
3) Selective Catalytic Reduction - Available in 2005 in Europe; 2007 in U.S.. Assists catalytic reduction of NOx on an ongoing basis—when liquid urea supplied from a separate tank is metered into the exhaust stream
4) NOx Filters enabled via ArvinMeritor’s Plasma Fuel Reformer - Available in 2010. Hydrogen-rich gas is generated onboard and on demand, using the vehicle’s diesel fuel as a source, and supplied directly to a NOx “trap,”, as required. Hydrogen-rich gas is an efficient regenerator of the trap (or adsorber).
For Hydrocarbons
5) Diesel Oxidation Catalysts - Available now. Catalyst in the exhaust system removes up to 90% of hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions.
ArvinMeritor also revealed it has inked contracts to supply an unnamed “major North American commercial truck manufacturer” with PM diesel exhaust filters to meet the ’07 standards. The company said it has signed similar contracts with a number of diesel engine manufacturers. And ArvinMeritor said it is supplying SCR system components to Italy’s Iveco as well as another European commercial vehicle manufacturer.
ArvinMeritor is also working with Hayward, CA-based bus builder Gillig Corp. to develop and test new emission control technologies for the North American transit bus industry. These technologies are ArvinMeritor’s Thermal Regenerator, which the component maker said is “ideally suited to solving the filter regeneration issues normally related to duty-cycle of transit buses” and ArvinMeritor’s Plasma Fuel Reformer.
The Plasma Fuel Reformer produces “on demand” hydrogen gas that can reduce NOx to levels compatible with 2010 emission regs— when applied to ’04-model diesel engines, according to ArvinMeritor.
“These contracts and developmental programs reflect our customers’ confidence in our technology and our abilities to offer emission solutions that meet their needs,” said Gosnell.
