California verification for Cleaire LongMile-S particulate filter

11 December 2012

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has verified the Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls LongMile-S diesel particulate filter system for select 1993 through 2010 model year heavy-duty diesel engines used in on-road applications. The LongMile-S system has been verified as a Level 3 Plus system (≥ 85% PM emission reduction).

The applications must have either (1) an exhaust temperature greater than 260°C for at least 25% of the time or (2) an exhaust temperature greater than 260°C for 20% of the time and greater than 300°C for 5% of the time. The verification allows installation of the system on engines with pre-existing diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC)—in such cases, the DOC may be removed to facilitate the installation of the LongMile filter.

The LongMile-S is a passively regenerated filter that includes a diesel oxidation catalyst, a silicon carbide (SiC) wall-flow filter and an electronic backpressure monitoring system. The verification covers LongMile-S filters with three types of SiC substrates (Ibiden, LiqTech, TYC).

The original LongMile filter utilized a sintered metal substrate. An uncontrolled regeneration and a catastrophic failure of the system installed on a highway truck was a source of a major fire in Washington state in September 2011, leading to a suspension of the ARB verification. After the incident, changes were introduced to the sintered metal-based filter system and the verification of the LongMile was reinstated. However, in September 2012, Cleaire agreed to recall the sintered metal filter, apparently due to further incidents of uncontrolled regeneration.

Source: California ARB