The Log
1 February 2012: Updated Technology Guide paper on PM Measurement: In-Situ Methods [announcement | paper].
30 January 2012: Updated Technology Guide paper on Diesel Engine Lubricants [announcement | paper].
28 January 2012: California ARB approves LEV III emission standards [more ...]
23 January 2012: The ETH Conference on Combustion Generated Nanoparticles issued a Call for Papers. The conference will be held on June 24-27 in Zürich, Switzerland.
19 January 2012: Navistar loses a urea-SCR court case against US EPA. The company may be also running out of their NOx emission credits [more ...]
18 January 2012: Global energy demand is likely to grow by 39% by 2030, or 1.6% annually, according to BP Energy Outlook 2030. This growth is driven by economic and population growth in non-OECD countries—consumption in OECD countries will rise by just 4% in total over the period. Renewable energy will grow by 8% annually, but will make up only 6% of global energy use in 2030. The fastest growing fossil fuel will be natural gas, with a 2% annual growth rate.
13 January 2012: A new climate study by an international team led by NASA scientists concluded that in the short term—over the next 40 years—the control of black carbon (BC) and methane emissions is more effective in controlling global warming than CO2 emission reductions. A number of BC and CH4 control methods have been identified, including PM emission reductions from diesel engines. If widely adopted, the BC/CH4 control methods could reduce the projected warming by ~0.5°C by 2050.
27 December 2011: A new Technology Guide paper discusses Assisted Turbocharging technologies [announcement | paper].
21 December 2011: Most car manufacturers in Europe—representing almost 80% of new car registrations—already meet their 2012 CO2 targets, and a few manufacturers, including Peugeot/Citroën and Toyota, are already close to meeting the more stringent 2015 targets, according to data released by the EEA.
15 December 2011: Emission test cycles: Added summaries of Australian CUEDC and Petrol CUEDC chassis dynamometer driving cycles.
13 December 2011: The VERT Association announced a new version of their DPF retrofit database that includes over 8,500 DPF installations (free registration required).
12 December 2011: NYSERDA is soliciting applications for projects that introduce advanced diesel emission controls into private fleets in New York City. Approximately $1 million is available in grants.
9 December 2011: Emulsified Biodiesel Fuel Effects on Regulated Emissions, a technical paper describing the results of an emulsified biodiesel trial at the Port of Los Angeles.
8 December 2011: The California Air Resources Board (ARB) published proposed Advanced Clean Car rules, including LEV III emission standards for light-duty vehicles, to be considered for adoption at the Board’s meeting on January 26, 2012 [more ...]
7 December 2011: Environment Canada officially published the final amendments to the off-road diesel engine emission regulations that align Canadian and US emission standards and require Tier 4 engines in Canada from 2012.
26 November 2011: Added summary of Brazilian emission standards for nonroad engines. Updated summary of Brazilian diesel fuel regulations.
25 November 2011: The updated exhaust gas paper in the Technology Guide shows more example data on exhaust gas temperatures over the FTP, ESC, ETC and WHTC cycles.
23 November 2011: Updated summary of Chinese emission standards for heavy-duty engines.
22 November 2011: An IMO document provides detailed information on the mandatory energy efficiency measures for international shipping adopted by the IMO: the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP). The document also includes a summary of a study on the global CO2 reductions and fuel savings—estimated at $50 billion by 2020—resulting from these energy efficiency measures.
14 November 2011: Without a bold change of policy direction, the world will lock itself into an insecure, inefficient and high-carbon energy system, warns the International Energy Agency [more ...]
10 November 2011: Japan’s marine classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) adopted Guidelines for SCR Systems and Reductant Agent Supply Systems that apply to the installation, maintenance and certification of SCR systems on commercial vessels.
8 November 2011: The US Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars—an advocacy group by several major automotive suppliers—has issued a white paper calling on the US government to employ technology neutral policies as they begin to implement new CAFE regulations announced by President Obama (see also press release).
Diesel Engine & Emissions
The diesel engine is the most efficient power plant among all known types of internal combustion engines. Heavy trucks, urban buses, and industrial equipment are powered almost exclusively by diesel engines all over the world and diesel powered passenger cars are increasingly popular. For the foreseeable future, the world’s transportation needs will continue to rely on the diesel engine and its gasoline counterpart. However, both engine technologies are evolving at an ever increasing pace to meet two major challenges: lower emissions and increased energy efficiency.
Internal combustion engines are significant contributors to air pollution that can be harmful to human health and the environment. In response, clean diesel technologies with near-zero emissions of NOx and PM have been developed and introduced in regions with the most stringent emission standards: North America, Europe and Japan. While new clean diesel engines are gradually replacing the population of older diesel engines in these regions, older engines already in service are being retrofitted with clean diesel technologies to hasten emissions reductions. As this trend spreads to other parts of the world, the environmental focus has shifted to climate changing emissions and energy efficiency. The environmental benefit of low greenhouse gas emissions, traditionally associated with the diesel engine, is no longer sufficient. To meet future greenhouse gas and fuel economy regulations, new technologies are being developed—low temperature combustion, waste heat recovery, powertrain electrification, to name a few—that further increase the efficiency not only of the diesel engine powertrain but the entire vehicle as well. Under low-carbon regulatory policies, the scope for potential improvements is no longer limited to engines and vehicles, but also includes life cycle effects of fuel production and vehicle manufacture.
DieselNet, the only information service exclusively devoted to diesel engines and emissions, is an internet forum for the exchange of technical and business information on diesel engines, fuels, emissions and many of the important technologies required by the clean and efficient diesel engines of the future.