Detroit Diesel to introduce SCR-equipped engines in 2010 after 25 million test miles
Come January, when new truck diesel emissions regulations take effect, Detroit Diesel will be ready with updated versions of its DD13, DD15, DD16 engine families. Similar to updated or new truck diesels from General Motors, Ford and Cummins, the motors from Detroit Diesel will incorporate a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system. That means they will use a urea injection system in the exhaust stream to convert NOx emissions into water and nitrogen.
Detroit Diesel is owned by Daimler Trucks NA and is able to draw on the German parent company's extensive experience with SCR. Nonetheless, Detroit Diesel has accumulated over 25 million test miles proving out its implementation. In addition to the SCR, DD has optimized the rest of the engine as well to reduce overall fuel consumption by five percent, which will surely be a welcome improvement to truck operators.
[Source: Daimler]
PRESS RELEASE:
All Expectations Have Been Met: Daimler Trucks North America Has Subjected BlueTec SCR Technology to Tests Totaling 25 Million Miles
Sep 09, 2009
- Daimler Trucks North America ensures efficiency and reliability of BlueTec for EPA10
Detroit, USA – Detroit Diesel, the engine manufacturer that belongs to Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), has subjected BlueTec SCR technology in trucks to tests totaling 25 million miles. By the time SCR (selective catalytic reduction) technology is introduced in January 2010, the test vehicles will have been tested for a total of 28 million miles. This will make SCR technology one of the most thoroughly tested exhaust technologies in the United States as well.
After being extensively tested over a total distance of 25 million miles, SCR technology, which has been established in Europe since 2005, is now ready for use in the NAFTA market. Detroit Diesel engines with SCR technology will be introduced on January 1, 2010, when the U.S. emissions standard EPA10 takes effect.
BlueTec stands for Daimler's commitment to mastering today's ecological challenges while also ensuring exemplary performance and savings in terms of fuel consumption. Since the launch of this technology in the spring of 2005, Daimler Trucks has delivered more than 237,000 trucks and buses with BlueTec technology to customers around the world.
The North American version of BlueTec will be used in the DD13, DD15 and DD16 engines recently introduced by Detroit Diesel. "We are delighted that we will be able to offer SCR, the best technology for our customers, starting in 2010. BlueTec will go down as one of the most thoroughly tested exhaust systems in the history of our company," said David Siler, who is responsible for marketing of Detroit Diesel engines. "We started the tests in Europe ten years ago, so we had lots of time to optimize the design of the system and its performance. We also were able to acquire solid experience during the testing and evaluation," adds Siler.
According to Siler, the most recent studies show that the benefits of SCR are widely recognized in the truck sector in North America. As soon as the customers investigate the technology and learn all the facts, SCR becomes their first-choice technology for staying competitive under EPA 2010. "It was only a matter of time until the customers were going to demand lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions," Siler explained. "SCR is the only tried and tested technology that offers both benefits."
Rakesh Aneja, who is responsible for the EPA 2010 program at Detroit Diesel, also is convinced by BlueTec: "We will fully attain our goals concerning optimization of performance, emissions, fuel consumption, long service life, and reliability. Our current calculations show diesel consumption savings of up to five percent compared to today's engines," said Aneja. Together with their vehicle colleagues at DTNA, the engine developers from Detroit Diesel tested the BlueTec system under a range of conditions in terms of use environments, operation, and routes driven. "The results of our validation tests fully meet our expectations and offer our customers fuel efficiency while also reducing emissions and carbon dioxide," reports Aneja.
Nearly 100 percent of all big diesel engines for the U.S. and Canada produced after January 1, 2010, will be equipped with SCR technology. The BlueTec technology used for Detroit Diesel engines features a modular design and is suitable for road use and various sector-typical applications.
A company of Daimler Trucks North America, Detroit Diesel is a leading manufacturer of on-highway diesel engines for the commercial vehicles market. The company headquarters are in Redford, Michigan.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ray 6:33PM (9/10/2009)
For get it! I will put my own urine in there, it is cheaper. Where do I fill up the urea tank at?
Daimler, I will piss on, it give me a job, it's easy, you don't have to be a engineer to figure this out.
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Paul P. 6:53PM (9/10/2009)
Great, so when I fill up with 200-300 gallons of diesel I would also have to pay for, say, 50 gallons of urea? No thanks.
I don't know of any owner/operator or trucking outfit that would willingly go for that unless forced to. Especially not when their profit margins are as thin as they are now.
This urea stuff might work out fine for smaller personal trucks, but when it comes to the class 8 stuff all it's going to do is help kill sales of new trucks and make the price of older trucks rise.
I'm all for helping the environment, but I really think they're going to have to find a better solution. It won't be helping anything if next to no one is buying it.
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John55 7:23PM (9/10/2009)
For 300gallons of diesel you would only need 9gallons of DEF (urea). Or "5,000 to 6,000 miles per 20gallons" of DEF. Not to mention that SCR trucks will be getting improved efficiency.
http://www.physorg.com/news145556132.html
http://extranet.detroitdiesel.com/pdf/press/PR_2008_03_27.pdf
Paul P. 8:03PM (9/10/2009)
That's not as bad as I thought it would be. Figure 7mpg or so means roughly 2,000 miles from 300 gallons, therefore each fill could use as little as 7 gallons of DEF to maybe 10 on the high side. If we say $5 a gallon for DEF we're looking at $35-$50 added onto to every fill at most. Still significant, but not excessive.
It will be interesting to see what the difference in the bottom line will be when running vehicles with DEF vs. those without it. It might get better fuel economy, but it also has a cost associated with DEF and added complexity from the addition of that system. I know plenty of trucking companies will be crunching the numbers to see which works out better in their favor.
Ray 8:17PM (9/10/2009)
Yeah, I can do that. If I drink a six pack a day like Joe Sixpack I can fill up my urea tank.
Vitamins make it yellow and easier to see the full line. Excuse me I must go fill up my water bottle so I have plenty of inventory on hand when I purchase this diesel. Urea, isn't that what Mercedes uses in there blue diesel? 9 gallons no problem, hell I can do that while I'm driving it.
SteveO 10:33PM (9/10/2009)
2010 Navistar diesel engines will not require SCR, they are using advanced EGR. It will be interesting to see which will be preferred.
Stan Peterson 5:54PM (9/12/2009)
I know of no large diesels that will not use SCR, to meet T2B5. The only diesels that can artificially create enough ammonia to reduce all its NOx are small ones. I question your suggestion that Navistar has found a way. AFAIK, Cummins is planning to go SCR for both its large and also its planned new pickup diesels.
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Stan Peterson 5:59PM (9/12/2009)
Nevertheless, however they accomplish the task, I welcome the new but genuine, "barely clean" diesels. Propaganda aside this confirms that it can be done. genuine cleaner diesels are possible. Now Europe get on the ball and clean up your messes. Laughable Eu 5 and Eu 6 won't do it.
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