ORLANDO – Picture a square metallic “box” that fits snugly under the passenger-side of a Class 8 truck cab, housing all the exhaust aftertreament components required to meet the 2010 emission standards – diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), diesel particulate filter (DPF), and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system. This is but one of the “BlueTec SCR” packaging solutions Detroit Diesel Corp. (DDC) is planning to deploy to meet the 2010 emission standards.
“This proprietary ‘one box’ configuration will be used by the majority of our customers,” said Elmar Boeckenhoff, senior vp of engineering & technology for Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), DDC’s parent company, during a news conference here at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s annual meeting.
DDC’s “one box” combines dual compact DPF and DOC with a single DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) mixing tube and dual compact SCR catalysts into a single subsystem offering less weight, Boeckenhoff said. However, DDC also plans to offer a “two box” configuration that separates the SCR components from the DOC and DPF to fit the space limitations of certain trucking applications.
ORLANDO – Picture a square metallic “box” that fits snugly under the passenger-side of a Class 8 truck cab, housing all the exhaust aftertreament components required to meet the 2010 emission standards – diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), diesel particulate filter (DPF), and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system. This is but one of the “BlueTec SCR” packaging solutions Detroit Diesel Corp. (DDC) is planning to deploy to meet the 2010 emission standards.
“This proprietary ‘one box’ configuration will be used by the majority of our customers,” said Elmar Boeckenhoff, senior vp of engineering & technology for Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), DDC’s parent company, during a news conference here at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s annual meeting.
DDC’s “one box” combines dual compact DPF and DOC with a single DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) mixing tube and dual compact SCR catalysts into a single subsystem offering less weight, Boeckenhoff said. However, DDC also plans to offer a “two box” configuration that separates the SCR components from the DOC and DPF to fit the space limitations of certain trucking applications.
“Although not as efficient as the one-box configuration, our two-box option will be more efficient than conventional SCR systems,” Boeckenhoff stressed.
Rakesh Aneja, DDC EPA 2010 program manager, told FleetOwner that the “one box” SCR package weighs approximately 380 lbs., in addition to the 23-gal. plastic DEF tank located under the driver’s side of the truck cab, which weighs 200 lbs. when completely filled.
Mark Lampert, senior vp of sales for DTNA, noted that the company is still three to four months away from releasing cost increases due to the addition of SCR. “We’re still finalizing the design of these engines,” he said. “Though I can tell you the engine’s size will have an impact on that cost – in terms of medium-duty vs. heavy-duty engines.”
Michael Jackson, DTNA gm of marketing, pointed out that DDC’s 2010 SCR solution will actually save truck owners money over time as the technology should improve the average Class 8 truck’s fuel economy a net 3% over current 2007 engine models. That would mean reducing diesel fuel consumption per truck by roughly 800 gal. a year, balanced against the consumption of some 300 gal. of DEF annually.
“Our customers tell us that it [the net fuel economy increase] will give them a true competitive advantage,” Jackson said. “For some, it means thousands of dollars are freed up to put towards new equipment. For others, that fuel economy advantage is passed on to their customers, helping them strengthen their business relationships.”
DTNA plans to roll out DDC’s complete line of 2010-compliant heavy-duty engines – the 13 liter DD13, 15 liter DD15, and 16 liter DD16 – in four stages next year for its Freightliner and Western Star Class 8 trucks, in January, March, May, and July. “By the time BlueTec rolls out in January 2010, Daimler will have spent more than $20 billion on research and development,” Jackson said.
“Daimler and Detroit Diesel teams have worked together to create the optimal 2010 solution for North American customers, helping them master the challenges such as steady cruising speeds, changeable terrains, and enormous overland distances,” Lampert added. “We recognize that change is never easy, but change that provides a bottom-line advantage to the trucking industry will be welcome.”
