Heating system for a vehicle having an exhaust system

1. A heating system for use on an exhaust system having an exhaust gas passageway to emit exhaust gases from an engine to an outlet, the engine having a cooling system to circulate a cooling fluid to and from the engine, comprising:

a fuel-dosing member for dosing fuel to the exhaust system to trigger a regeneration event;

a particulate filter located on the exhaust gas passageway downstream of the engine;

an oxidation catalyst member located upstream from said particulate filter on the exhaust gas passageway, wherein said oxidation catalyst member oxidizes said fuel dosed to increase the temperature of the exhaust gases, wherein the increased temperature causes a regeneration event at said particulate filter, said regeneration event further increasing the temperature of said exhaust gases;

an outlet of the exhaust gas passageway downstream of said oxidation catalyst member;

a heat exchanger located downstream of said particulate filter on the exhaust gas passageway and located between said oxidation catalyst and said outlet, said heat exchanger for capturing heat from the exhaust gases associated with said regeneration event;

an inlet conduit fluidly connecting said heat exchanger with the engine and configured for circulating the cooling fluid from the engine to said heat exchanger where the cooling fluid is heated;

an outlet conduit fluidly connecting said heat exchanger with the engine and configured for circulating the heated cooling fluid from the heat exchanger back to the engine;

an engine outlet conduit fluidly connected to said inlet conduit for delivering the heated cooling fluid from said heat exchanger throughout the vehicle body to heat an interior compartment of the vehicle; and

an engine inlet conduit fluidly connected to said engine outlet conduit for returning the cooling fluid to the engine.

2. The heating system of claim 1 wherein said regeneration event is the oxidation of collected particulate matter that is trapped at said particulate filter.

3. The heating system of claim 1 further comprising an engine controller unit associated with the engine, wherein said engine controller unit initiates fuel-dosing at said fuel-dosing member to initiate said regeneration event.

4. The heating system of claim 3 wherein an operator initiates said engine controller unit to activate fuel-dosing with an input unit.

5. The heating system of claim 3 wherein said engine controller activates fuel-dosing to initiate said regeneration event automatically.

6. The heating system of claim 3 wherein said engine controller unit commands the engine to attain a revolutions-per-minute high enough for the engine to achieve a minimum threshold exhaust gas temperature that can sustain a regeneration event.

7. The heating system of claim 6 wherein said minimum threshold exhaust gas temperature is around 500-550 degrees Fahrenheit.

8. The heating system of claim 6 wherein said revolutions-per-minute of the engine is around 1300 to 1400.

9. The heating system of claim 1 wherein the heated cooling fluid is circulated from said heat exchanger through said outlet conduit to the engine, and from the engine throughout a bus body.

10. The heating system of claim 1 wherein at least one temperature sensor is located along the exhaust gas passageway.

11. The heating system of claim 1 wherein said fuel-dosing member is a fuel injector associated with the engine, wherein said fuel is not combusted at the engine.

12. A heating system for use on a vehicle having an exhaust system with an exhaust gas passageway to emit exhaust gases from an engine to an outlet, the engine having a cooling system to circulate a cooling fluid to and from the engine, comprising:

a fuel-dosing member for dosing fuel to the exhaust system to trigger a regeneration event;

an oxidation catalyst member located downstream of the engine on the exhaust gas passageway;

a particulate filter located downstream of said oxidation catalyst member on the exhaust gas passageway;

an outlet of the exhaust gas passageway downstream of said particulate filter;

a heat exchanger located on the exhaust gas passageway downstream of said particulate filter and between said outlet and said particulate filter;

an inlet conduit fluidly connecting said heat exchanger with the engine and configured for circulating the cooling fluid from the engine to said heat exchanger where the cooling fluid is heated;

an outlet conduit fluidly connecting said heat exchanger with the engine and configured for circulating the heated cooling fluid from the heat exchanger back to the engine;

an engine outlet conduit fluidly connected to said inlet conduit for delivering the heated cooling fluid from said heat exchanger throughout the vehicle body to heat an interior compartment of the vehicle;

an engine inlet conduit fluidly connected to said engine outlet conduit for returning the cooling fluid to the engine; and

at least one temperature sensor located on the exhaust gas passageway for measuring the temperature of said exhaust gases, wherein when a minimum threshold exhaust gas temperature is measured, the engine initiates dosing of said fuel from said fuel-dosing member, wherein said fuel flows directly from said fuel-dosing member through the exhaust gas passageway to said oxidation catalyst to trigger a regeneration event at said particulate filter;

wherein said heat exchanger captures the heat of the exhaust gases associated with said regeneration event to heat the vehicle.

13. The heating system of claim 12 wherein said regeneration event is the oxidation of collected particulate matter that is trapped at said particulate filter.

14. The heating system of claim 12 further comprising an engine controller unit associated with the engine, wherein said engine controller unit initiates fuel-dosing at said fuel-dosing member to initiate said regeneration event.

15. The heating system of claim 14 wherein an operator initiates said engine controller unit to activate fuel-dosing with an input unit.

16. The heating system of claim 14 wherein said engine controller activates fuel-dosing to initiate said regeneration event automatically.

17. The heating system of claim 14 wherein said engine controller unit commands the engine to attain a revolutions-per-minute high enough for the engine to achieve an exhaust gas temperature above a minimum threshold to sustain regeneration.

18. The heating system of claim 17 wherein said revolutions-per-minute of the engine is around 1300 to 1400.

19. The heating system of claim 12 wherein the heated cooling fluid is circulated from said heat exchanger through said outlet conduit to the engine, and from the engine throughout a bus body.

20. A heating system for use on a vehicle having an exhaust system with an exhaust gas passageway to emit exhaust gases from an engine to an outlet, the engine having a cooling system to circulate a cooling fluid to and from the engine, comprising:

an engine controller unit associated with the engine for initiating a regeneration event;

a fuel-dosing member associated with the engine and controlled by said engine controller for dosing fuel;

a particulate filter located on the exhaust gas passageway downstream of the engine;

an oxidation catalyst member located upstream from said particulate filter on the exhaust gas passageway, wherein said oxidation catalyst member oxidizes fuel dosed from said fuel-dosing member to increase the temperature of the exhaust gases, wherein said fuel flows directly from said fuel-dosing member through the exhaust gas passageway to said oxidation catalyst, and wherein the increased temperature causes said regeneration event at said particulate filter, said regeneration event further increasing the temperature of said exhaust gases;

an outlet of the exhaust gas passageway;

a heat exchanger located on the exhaust gas passageway and located downstream of said particulate filter between said outlet and said particulate filter, said heat exchanger for capturing heat from the exhaust gases associated with said regeneration event;

an inlet conduit fluidly connecting said heat exchanger with the engine and configured for circulating the cooling fluid from the engine to said heat exchanger where the cooling fluid is heated;

an outlet conduit fluidly connecting said heat exchanger with the engine and configured for circulating the heated cooling fluid from the heat exchanger back to the engine;

an engine outlet conduit fluidly connected to said inlet conduit for delivering the heated cooling fluid from said heat exchanger throughout the vehicle body to heat an interior compartment of the vehicle; and

an engine inlet conduit fluidly connected to said engine outlet conduit for returning the cooling fluid to the engine.