September 2008 – Fuel prices returned to near all-time highs across the country this past week as Hurricane Ike blew ashore in Texas, shutting down refineries and raising concerns over fuel prices. According to AAA, the national average price of unleaded fuel was $3.83 this week, up more than a dollar from last summer. As fuel remains a major concern for Americans (44 percent of Americans said that paying for gasoline was a "serious problem"1), none may feel it worse than those in the heavy-duty trucking industry. Delivering nearly 100 percent of the items we use to live, work and play, these truck-driving fleets and owners and operators need relief. Diesel, which fuels heavy-duty trucks, averaged $4.17 this week, with some cities still reporting diesel in excess of $5 per gallon.
With their eyes on the horizon, many heavy-duty truck drivers and manufacturers are looking to the future for relief. That means looking at new diesel engine technologies to achieve greater fuel efficiency while complying with upcoming emissions standards.
Relief is on the Horizon
Offering a 3-5 percent fuel savings as well as an almost complete elimination of polluting emissions, the emerging emissions control technology of choice for the heavy-duty trucking industry will be Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). Some heavy-duty truck and engine manufacturers, Daimler and Detroit Diesel for example, are examples of heavy-duty truck and engine manufacturers that will be introducing SCR systems to meet fuel-efficiency and EPA 2010 emissions standards in the near future.
Using SCR technology offers a wide range of environmental and fuel efficiency benefits including: near-zero levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, a 50-90 percent reduction of carbon monoxide (CO) and a 30-50 percent reduction of particulate matter (PM), and 3-5 percent fuel savings. With 90 percent of the heavy duty truck manufacturers introducing SCR for 2010, you could say that SCR will be the preferred diesel emissions control technology of choice because it is as beneficial for business as it is for the environment.
SCR Technology
Three main components make up the SCR system: 1) Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF), a solution of 32.5 percent automotive-grade urea and purified water, 2) hot exhaust and 3) a catalytic converter. The DEF is vaporized and injected into the exhaust stream of a diesel engine. When the hot exhaust and DEF combine with the SCR catalyst, it is broken down into two natural components of the air we breathe: pure nitrogen and water vapor, which are then expelled through the vehicle tailpipe.
Over the next two years, no heavy-duty diesel engine will be proven as fuel-efficient or environmentally sound as those equipped with SCR. In an economy where the price of fuel changes as often as the weather, preparedness will be key and choosing the right equipment can make all the difference.
[1] The survey included 2,003 adults and was conducted April 3-13 on behalf of the Kaiser Family Foundation. The survey's margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
[2] California Air Resource Board (CARB) - CARB 2003a, CARB 2005
Quixote Group, a firm comprised of trend and market analysts and communications specialists, works on behalf of the North American SCR Stakeholders Group and its SCR education and communications task force – an ad-hoc industry alliance made up of automotive, light duty and heavy duty OEMs, producers, distributors and governing agencies. Visit www.factsaboutscr.com which offers additional news and information related to the use and benefits of SCR, particularly in commercial applications, for the automotive industry and the general public.
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