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Greg Sitek

Tier IV Emission Issues
April 6, 2008

Last week I was at the Mid America Truck Show in Louisville, KY.  Although the primary focus of the show is over-the-road trucking and the owner-operator, there is enough happening to draw attendees from our industry.

The hot topic was 2010 and the new Tier IV regulations. Although this was a relatively hot topic at ConExpo but was not as pronounced as it was for truckers. At MATS the manufacturers had virtually drawn a line in the sand. On one side are the supporters of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and the other side the non-SCR supporters. While the engine manufacturers are the ones who have to deal directly with the problem it impacts the vehicle manufacturer in that the truck maker has to accommodate the additional hardware.

The SRC approach has been adopted in Europe as the standard and is being supported by a number of U.S. truck manufacturers. It is the system that injects Urea into the exhaust system before the exhaust gas is vented into the atmosphere. The Urea is not mixed with the fuel and it is not injected into the fuel intake system. Most supporters of the non-SCR system use an Exhaust Gas Recirculation device to return cooled exhaust gas to the cylinder to be re-burned.

Both systems use particulate filters.

Having listened to presentations from both sides, all I can say is look for more detailed information on both systems. Do not believe all the stories you hear about the negative aspects of either or both systems. There is an overabundance of misinformation being circulated through the industry a lot of it is based on rumors or “I-heards” neither of which have any basis in fact.

We will be gathering information on both systems and make every effort to provide you with facts that will help you decide which approach will work best for your operation.

Othe hot news  was  International and Mack have unleashed a couple of new trucks that will absolutely make you look twice. International’s new Lone Star is something to see as is Mack’s Titan. Both trucks are undisputed 10s. My repeated attempts to upload images for you to loook at have failed. I'll contact IT and get some technical help so that you can see what I mean.

I will be back... 

Posted by Greg Sitek on April 6, 2008 | Comments (0)