CARB Delays In-Use Off-Road Regulation … Volvo Field Tests Methane-Diesel Engines … EPA Announces New NO2 Standard …
EMISSIONS & ALTERNATIVES Covering Fuel Cells And Other Emerging And Alternative Technologies
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has announced that it will effec- tively delay the implementation of its In- Use Off-Road Diesel Vehicle regulation that sought to expedite the turnover rate of older equipment in California in an effort to meet its 2020 emissions reduction goals for PM and NOx set by the Diesel Risk Reduction Plan in 2000. Under the In-Use regulation, diesel- powered construction, mining, ground sup- port and other mobile off-road diesel-pow- ered fleets (public or private) based or operating in California were to be required to apply exhaust retrofits and accelerate the turnover of older equipment with newer, cleaner engine technology. The rule applied to small (zero to 1500 hp), medium (1501 to 5000 hp) and large (+5001 hp) size fleets, based on total fleet horsepower of off-highway equipment rated 25 hp or above. The deadline for ini- tial PM and NOx compliance percentage was March 1 of this year for large fleets. But in a statement, CARB Executive Officer James N. Goldstene said that there would be no enforcement of the rules until further notice. Volvo Trucks will begin field tests of methane-diesel engines this year in Sweden. The trucks involved are the Volvo FL and Volvo FE models equipped with 7.0 L Volvo diesels. According to the company, the methane-diesel configura- tion the engines will run on is based on Volvo’s Euro 5 diesel engines, with the addition of a gaseous fuel injection sys- tem and pressurized methane gas (CNG/CBG) fuel tanks. The trucks are being converted for methane-diesel power in cooperation with Stadspartner using Hardstaff technology. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a new national air quality standard for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The agency said the new one-hour standard will protect millions of Americans from peak short-term exposures, which primarily occur near major roads. The EPA set the new one-hour standard for NO2 at a level of 100 parts per billion (ppb) and has also retained the existing annual average standard of 53 ppb. In addition, the EPA has established new monitoring requirements in urban areas that will measure NO2 levels around major roads and across the community. Mercedes-Benz has begun the gradual introduction of Enhanced Environmental friendly Vehicle (EEV) versions of certain Actros, Axor and Atego trucks. The launch is being doneinphasesthatbeganlast autumn and is scheduled to be completein July. EEV standards reduce particulate emissions by one-third compared to Euro 5 limits. Enterprise Holdings has launched efforts to begin using at least 5% biodiesel (B5) in its fleet of airport shuttle buses. The fleet comprises more than 600 vehicles in 50 North American markets. The company formally unveiled its latest clean energy measure at the 2010 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Grapevine, Texas. Remy International Inc. has launched its new business unit, Remy Electric Motor Technologies, which will accelerate its efforts to provide high-output electric drive motors for the electric and hybrid-electric vehicles and equipment markets. Late last year, Remy International introduced an electric motor for hybrid and hybrid-electric vehicles that it said was the first in a series of new off-the-shelf products planned for the automotive, truck, bus and heavy 88 DIESEL PROGRESS NORTH AMERICAN EDITION March 2010
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equipment markets. With multiple manu- facturing sites in North America and Europe, Remy said it has the capacity to produce more than 100,000 electric motors annually. Remy’s expansion of this product line is being funded in part by recent Dept. of Energy grants aimed at accelerating the commercialization of next- generation electric vehicle technologies. Agrium Inc. will supply Old World Industries, Northbrook, Ill., with diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) grade prilled urea from its Borger, Texas, nitrogen facility for the production of DEF. The DEF will be added to the exhaust gas of heavy-duty diesel engines made after Jan. 1, 2010, in response to the EPA’s new emissions reg- ulations. The market for DEF across North America is estimated to exceed 1 billion gal. by the year 2020. Participating Kenworth and Peterbilt truck dealers have begun offering a diesel particulate filter (DPF) cleaning service that utilizes an FSX Inc. cleaning machine. The FSX system includes the Trap Tester 7, an airflow test bench that tests a filter before and after it is cleaned to determine the extent of ash build-up. For filters that require extra cleaning, the FSX system offers TrapBurner, which provides the capability to thermally clean the DPF in compliance with OEM specifications. Technicians can also adjust the machine to clean filters from 5 to 36 in. in height and from 6 to 21 in. in diameter. dp
